Ron Steer has received the B.Sc., Ph.D. and D.Sc. degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. He did postdoctoral research in the late 1960s with Prof. Jim Pitts, Jr. at the University of California, Riverside, where he first became interested in the chemistry and relaxation dynamics of electronically excited molecules. He returned to his alma mater as Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 1969 and has been studying the chemistry and physics of excited species ever since. He was promoted to Professor of Chemistry in 1978, served a term as Department Head from 2002 to 2005, and served as the elected representative of the faculty on the University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors from 2001 to 2004. He has taught at all levels, from introductory general chemistry, through introductory and advanced undergraduate physical chemistry, to graduate courses in laser chemistry and physics and excited state chemistry. He was honoured with a Master Teacher Award by the University of Saskatchewan in 1996 and with the John C. Polanyi Award by the Canadian Society for Chemistry for excellence in physical chemistry/chemical physics research in 2013. He now conducts research collaboratively as Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
