JEFFERY A. BYERS

BYERS, Jeffery A. It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Jeffery Allen Byers, on August 18, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. Jeff was born on June 10, 1978. Growing up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Jeff loved the outdoors. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Upon graduating high school at the top of his class, Jeff deepened his love for chemistry in the labs of Karen Wooley at Washington University at St. Louis, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2000. He obtained his PhD in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 2007 under the direction of John Bercaw. He then conducted post-doctoral research in the labs of Timothy Jamison at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jeff built his life in Boston with his beloved wife, Crystal, where he worked as a tenured chemistry professor at Boston College. He was committed to scholarship, advancing scientific knowledge and encouraging new generations of diverse students and scientists to think critically and conscientiously. Jeff's work was his passion; he combined his love of nature and chemistry focusing his research on ecofriendly plastics, alternative fuels and sustainable processes. His research spanned fundamental studies of chemical reactions of transition metal elements to applications in pharmaceutical building blocks and synthetic materials. His work exemplified creativity in designing molecular catalysts and fastidious attention to detail as his team endeavored to understand how chemical reactions worked. He was particularly influential in switchable catalysis, a new field that combines multiple reactions by using external triggers. Jeff brought together the communities and causes he cared about. His research group at BC was like family and he often hosted camping trips and cooked holiday meals for them. Jeff loved good food, great wines and authors, Cardinals baseball, the symphony, ballet and movies. He was a deeply loving, loyal friend and partner, always offering smiles and comfort, wry witticisms, a strong honest voice, a can-do outlook and a challenge for growth. Those left to mourn his passing include his wife, Crystal Shih Byers; mother, Eleanor Byers; sisters, Vickie Byers and Jennifer Master; nieces, nephews and his entire community. A gathering to remember Jeff will be held on September 10, from 3 to 5 pm, at Boston College in Gasson Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Empowering Women of Organic Chemistry and Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement.

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