BLOOMINGTON, In. – Ron Hites, distinguished professor emeritus of environmental science at the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a renowned researcher in environmental chemistry, passed away January 5. He was 81.
Hites enjoyed a long career at the O’Neill School, coming to Indiana University in 1979 after spending a decade at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Ron was so much more than just a distinguished professor at our school,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “He was an exemplary researcher and mentor to so many during his time with us. I always appreciated Ron’s great sense of humor and dry wit. He also was a loving man with a profound sense of pride and appreciation for his family. He will be terribly missed.”
Hites earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Oakland University in Michigan in 1964 then pursued a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from MIT. He was awarded the Ph.D. in 1968, and he became part of MIT’s research staff the following year. In 1972, Hites joined MIT’s faculty, a position he held until 1979.
That year, Hites moved to the O’Neill School where he built his reputation as he pioneered a new method of measuring trace levels of potentially toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment. His work made him widely regarded as the father of modern environmental mass spectrometry.
From 1991 onward, he led the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN). Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, IADN is one of the most extensive and long-lasting monitoring programs and an exemplary model.
“Ron was a pioneer who indelibly shaped the field of environmental analytical chemistry,” said Marta Venier, an assistant professor at the O’Neill School who was advised by Hites while pursuing her Ph.D. in Bloomington. “His groundbreaking contributions have left a long-lasting imprint on countless scholars, ensuring that his legacy will persist for years to come. Remarkably, even though he made it a point to not go outdoors, his work played a pivotal role in shaping environmental policies.”
Hites published six books, close to 500 scientific papers, and he supervised roughly 90 post-doctoral associates and graduate students.
In addition to his research, Hites was a dedicated teacher and mentor to many students and colleagues. He taught courses on environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, and mass spectrometry at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, he taught a summer course in mass spectrometry to those working in industry and fellow academics for more than a decade.
“When I began my academic career here in 1995, Ron’s door was always open,” said Phil Stevens, Rudy Professor at the O’Neill School and associate dean for faculty affairs. “His advice and guidance to me was invaluable, his humor infectious, and his heart huge. Ron always referred to himself as a ‘simple country chemist.’ But to all of us, he was an outstanding chemist, mentor, and friend.”
Hites was a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Great Lakes Research, the 1993 Founders Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the 1991 Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology from the American Chemical Society. He was an associate editor of Environmental Science and Technology from 1990-2018. In 1988, Hites spearheaded the creation of the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry while serving as president of that society. The Ron Hites Award is now given annually for the best paper in that journal.
He also received the O’Neill Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007, was honored with an Indiana University Bicentennial Medal in 2020, and the Ron Hites Prize in Environmental Science was established in his honor at the O’Neill School in 2021.
“Ron was an exceptional mentor and an unwavering supporter whose office door was always open,” Venier said. “He generously shared his wisdom, whether it was guidance on concise writing, solving complex calculations, interpreting mass spectra, or recommending a book or a show. It was all delivered with an unwavering optimism and a witty sense of humor. His legacy includes a treasure trove of sayings, enough to fill a book, each reflecting his passion and constructive attitude. Among his favorites was the timeless mantra he used not long ago: ‘Let's get things done while we are still young.’”
A memorial symposium is being planned by the O’Neill School, and the Hites family requests any memorial contributions be made to the Ron Hites Prize in Environmental Science, or to organizations serving the homeless.