This Special Collection in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B (JVST B) has been compiled to commemorate the research contributions and extraordinary leadership provided by Dr. Gary E. McGuire, Editor of the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology for three decades. He received a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Tennessee under the supervision of Professor George K. Schweitzer, although he conducted his research in the Physics Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with Dr. Tom Carlson; both were pioneers in the development of photoelectron spectroscopy. He continued his studies as a post-doctoral fellow in the Metals and Ceramics Division of ORNL under the supervision of Dr. Robert Clausing where he studied metal surfaces using Auger electron spectroscopy. At that time, the understanding that electron spectroscopies were surface sensitive techniques was just emerging. In his first position as a staff member in the research labs of Texas Instruments, he continued to conduct surface studies of semiconductor materials and devices. He then moved into management positions at Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon and afterwards, the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina before founding the International Technology Center (ITC) in North Carolina (a non-profit research center). After founding ITC, he was involved in two spin-offs, Adámas Nanotechnologies, Inc. and Rivis, Inc., companies focused on the commercialization of nanodiamond technologies and atmospheric pressure plasma systems, respectively.
Gary was a member of several professional societies but always considered the American Vacuum Society (AVS) as his home. He served in numerous capacities within the AVS including Trustee (1984–1986), Director (1989–1990), Chair of the Electronic Materials and Photonics Division (1992), and President (1997). He was awarded Honorary Member in 2003 and Fellow in 2009; both awards he considered among his most cherished recognitions. Along with Olga A. Shenderova, he received the AVS Albert Nerkin Award (2014) for contributions to the development of nanodiamond synthesis, processing, science, and applications. In his various roles within the AVS, he always made an effort to bring new people into the society, many of whom later became leaders in various AVS capacities. Susan Burkett met Gary when she was a postdoctoral fellow in Research Triangle Park and was especially grateful for Gary’s encouraging her to get involved in AVS and his mentorship during her entire career. Many of Gary’s colleagues mentioned his leadership and mentoring when this manuscript collection was being compiled. Dawn Bonnell noted Gary’s commitment to developing and mentoring scientists, engineers, staff members, and Presidents. She was personally grateful for his support during her Presidential term.
Gary always felt his role as Editor of JVST B was an accident, taking on the role when Professor Tom Mayer of the University of North Carolina, then Editor, took a year of sabbatical leave to join Sandia National Laboratory. The plan was for Gary to serve as an Interim Editor during Professor Mayer’s sabbatical. However, Professor Mayer elected to stay at Sandia, and did so for the remainder of his career. This allowed Gary to continue in this role for the next 30 years. As Editor, he claimed the most enjoyable aspect was reading the reviews and realizing how many gifted/talented people are active within the AVS. He routinely read the reviews during what he called “Happy Hour,” Friday evenings after work when everyone had gone home, and the office was quiet. He is quick to point out that he could not have managed this role without the support of the dedicated staff in the JVST office. Along with C. E. Bryson, Gary was also the Founding Editor of Surface Science Spectra (1992–1994) and Editor of Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena (1984–1997). Despite moving into a management role, Gary always placed a high priority on publishing his research. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications including 38 books and book chapters. He was Series Editor for Noyes Publications (acquired by Elsevier Science Publishers) of over 50 texts covering materials and processing. Many of the authors and editors of books in this series were AVS members.
Beyond Gary McGuire’s extensive scientific and technological contributions, his decades of service to literally every aspect of the AVS has positively impacted so many people. AVS and the community will be reaping the benefits of Gary’s contributions for decades to come. We would like to thank the authors of this special collection for their manuscripts covering a broad range of important technical topics. We especially want to thank the JVST office staff in North Carolina for their help in compiling the special collection honoring the career of Gary McGuire.
