In Memoriam: Stephen Halley White (Phys’63)
Stephen Halley White, a University of Colorado Boulder alumnus and pioneering biophysicist, passed away on May 31, 2026.
White earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from CU Boulder in 1963. As an undergraduate, he held several pivotal research positions: working in Professor Walter Tantilla’s lab as an NMR electronics technician, helping Professor Donald Burckhardt develop a speech-synthesizing system, and studying the development of a liquid-state laser with Professor Seth Mizushima.
He went on to earn both his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Washington. After serving as an Army captain, White completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia.
In 1972, White joined the faculty at the University of California Irvine as a founding member of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. He led a research program in membrane biophysics, connecting physical chemistry and biophysics with molecular cell biology.
Throughout his career, White made significant contributions to the Biophysical Society through numerous leadership roles, including service as president from 1996 to 1997. He received the society’s Distinguished Service Award in 1999 and was named a fellow in 2002.
In 2013, White and his wife Jackie Dooley established an award at CU Boulder to recognize exceptional undergraduate physics research projects—a tribute to the research experiences that had such a profound impact on him as a student. The Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award is presented annually to two students and is one of the highest honors for physics and engineering physics undergraduates.
“Steve approached me when I was chair to establish this award because he felt his undergraduate research at CU played a foundational role in his distinguished career,” says Paul Beale, professor and former chair of physics. “He and Jackie were always impressed by the outstanding students who received the Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award. I will miss my dear friend.”