Remembering Professor Dino S. Tinti

Dino began his research career as an undergraduate at U. C. Riverside where he was awarded a National Science Foundation Undergraduate Summer Fellowship and published an article on the electrochemistry of osmium complexes of gluconate with Prof. Donald T. Sawyer.  

After graduation from U. C. Riverside, Dino pursued his Ph. D. at Cal Tech with Prof. G. Wilse Robinson as his advisor.  There he studied the slow vibrational relaxation of excited electronic states of diatomic molecules and ions in rare gas solids and also showed that the lowest excited state of benzene deviated from hexagonal symmetry in the solid state.

Dino’s postdoctoral work took him to UCLA where he spent three years in the laboratory of Prof. Mostafa A. El-Sayed.  During that time he and his family accompanied Prof. El-Sayed on a sabbatical leave year at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon.  While at UCLA, Dino was involved in a collaboration between Prof. El-Sayed, Prof. Charles B. Harris of UC Berkeley and Prof. August H. Maki of U. C. Riverside that lead to pioneering work on optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectroscopy.

In 1970, Dino and his family moved to Davis, CA where he started his independent career as researcher and teacher in the Department of Chemistry at U. C. Davis.  There he constructed his own spectrometer and began his independent ODMR studies. In 1974 as an Assistant Professor, Dino was awarded a prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.  In 1975 he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure.  He was promoted to Full Professor in the early 1980’s and later spent a sabbatical year at the Eastman Kodak Company research laboratory.

In subsequent years, Dino conducted numerous ODMR studies of organic molecules, inorganic solids like silver chloride, and transition metal complexes.  He collaborated with several other faculty members.  Prof. Marilyn M. Olmstead and Prof. H. Hope worked with Dino to solve crystallographic issues with the crystals that he was examining spectroscopically.  Dino worked with Prof. David A. Case on computational problems.  He worked with Prof. Alan Balch on the luminescence properties of heavy transition metal complexes, particularly of gold.  Some of his last papers involved computational work he did to support the synthetic studies in organic chemistry conducted by his colleague Prof. Mark J. Kurth.

In working with his graduate students, Dino was very much hands on in the lab.  He was frequently seen assisting his students in setting up spectroscopic measurements or working on his zone refining device.  Dino frequently taught his students some glass blowing skills to facilitate their projects.  His students also remember his bellowing voice in the lab.  For the faculty, Dino was always helpful in providing thoughtful advice and encouraging his younger colleagues.  And he was a valuable scientific resource with impressive knowledge of quantum mechanics and magnetic effects in spectroscopy.

In 1994, Dino was asked by then Chair Alan L. Balch to serve as Vice Chair.  At that time there was only one Vice Chair in the Department and the workload was quite significant.  In that position Dino assumed the responsibility for overseeing the teaching program and teaching schedule for faculty and for the TAs as well as serving as an advisor to the chair on a wide variety of issues.  He continued his exemplary service in that role for three other department chairs until he retired in 2007.  After he retired, the department needed several Vice Chairs to replace him.

Dino was a well-respected colleague who always worked diligently for the best interests of the department.  He is sorely missed.

Memorial Gift Information

• Dino Tini’s chemistry endowment, please use this link https://give.ucdavis.edu/CHEM/CH44181, and write “Tinti Family Award” in the comments.
• Melanoma Research Foundation
• Melanoma Research Alliance

Comments from Chemistry Faculty

• Dino represents our best team spirit!  He was vice-chair when I first joined the department.  In our interactions, I always feel that he really cared and pushed for the best of our department at all times!  He thought outside the box and found ways for the best interests of faculty and students. It has been an honor to be his colleague. -Gang-yu Liu
• Dino will be greatly missed!  He continued to serve the department as part of an advisory committee during my time as chair (he had already been emeritus for some time before) and his insight and dedication to the department were invaluable.  He served as a constant reminder of our common goals of providing outstanding research, teaching, and service to our department and the large number of students who pass through.  – Susan Kauzlarich
• George and I are saddened to learn this news.  We adored Dino’s laughter, and George enjoyed working with him in their admin roles. It is completely consistent with Dino’s collegiality and commitment to our department that he made provisions for an endowment.  Many thanks to Dino and his family. -Jacqueline Gervay-Hague
• I have high regards for Dino. He was in charge of teaching assignments before his retirement and did a remarkable job in that role. He was a member of the mentoring team for me and my other two colleagues when we joined the Department. I greatly appreciated his guidance. He will be deeply missed. - Xi Chen
• I have very fond memories of Dino. He was Vice Chair for much of my early years and helped me get settled. I missed him when he retired and sad to hear his passing. – Carlito Lebrilla
• Agree, Dino was a thoughtful mentor and made us feel welcome in the department. He was a humble man and gave us a lot of latitude when it came to teaching assignments. – Mark Mascal
• Susan, Well said. Dino was a great asset to the department in numerous ways. Besides his fine research, for many years along with Neil Schore he did a lot of the heavy lifting in UG teaching and advising especially after Dick Kepner passed. In addition, he brought us much recognition in his spectroscopic expertise. His advice on many aspects of the running of the department were highly valued. How sad is his passing. My deepest sympathies to his family. - Phil Power
• I am very saddened to hear this news. Dino was always willing to take time to help out younger faculty. When he retired he mentored me by literally sitting next to me while we both filled out drafts of teaching schedules and TA assignments. We then looked at each other’s sheets and spent a long time discussing where our choices differed, and which were better (almost always his!). With him on the 1st floor and me on the 3rd, we didn’t spend a lot of time together, but his office was always open and his advice always valuable and freely given. He was a wonderful friend and colleague, both to me and to the department as a whole. His service to the department over many years was unmatched and truly selfless. His kindness in particular, regardless of what was going on, was extraordinary. I’m sorry we weren’t able to see more of him in recent years. Last time we saw him he had cut off his trademark ponytail.  He said it was time for a new look!  I will miss him very much. – Neil Schore
• Dino was a good friend and wonderful colleague.  We both arrived in Davis in the summer of 1970 and our families became close.  Since retirement Paula and I have had dinner with Dino and Diana almost every other Friday.  But those dinners stopped during COVID.  We were lucky to have one last dinner recently. I was fortunate to have Dino become Vice Chair shortly after I became chair in 1994 and he continued to serve as Vice Chair for many years.  In that role he was a wonderful asset to the department and made sure our teaching schedule worked effectively. We miss him.- Alan Balch
• My office was next to Dino’s for a number of years.  He would always be in late in the day and we would often chat about ODMR and physical chemistry in general.  He used to have a glass blowing setup in the lab – he taught me how to seal quartz tubes and primitive glass blowing techniques. I last saw him in Save Mart in north Davis last summer.  We had a delightful chat and it looked like his condition was improving. Indeed, we all will miss him. – Matt Augustine

Comments from Students and Colleagues

• One former graduate student, Greg, described Professor Tinti as a caring friend, whose “love of science and endless patience helped nurture the curiosity and service to students that define his professional life as a professor 45 years later.”   Greg went on to express his gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to work with Professor Tinti. “Working side by side with Professor Tinti in the lab was like being an understudy with one of the great artists of our time. His inspiring record of never having a scientific paper rejected attests to his excellence.”
  -Greg Moller, Professor, University of Idaho, Department of Soil and Water Systems (former UCD graduate student)

• Another graduate student, who stayed connected with Professor Tinti for over 50 years, recalled his influence as a “teacher, confidante, mentor, scientist, advisor, friend, empathizer, author and co-author,” and attested to how much he had learned from him as an “academic and humanitarian, which he has carried with him throughout his career.” A few years ago, Gopalan, reconnected with Professor Tinti, who helped him with a philanthropic endeavor.  In his words, this endeavor became “one of the best things that happened to me.”  When reflecting on Professor Tinti, he declared with sincerity and conviction “A noble soul has departed from us, imparting in many of us noble qualities.  He will be remembered for his achievements in science, but above all for his teaching in higher education.”
  -Gopolan Raman, Consultant (former UCD graduate student)

• Brian, yet another former graduate student and research assistant, echoed the sentiments of many other students.  He clearly recalled Dr. Tinti having an impressive work ethic, contagious enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity and intense passion for research and data analysis. Brian referenced a consistent behavioral pattern, in which Dr. Tinti frequently worked late into the evening hours and arrived first thing in the morning, ready to discuss laboratory results from the day prior, which he had already analyzed in depth.  Brian, now a teacher himself, referred to a recent experience whereby he was grading student papers, running out of steam and ready to call it a night.  He said to himself “If Tinti could come in and transfer liquid helium at nearly 1:00 am, I can certainly grade a little more.”  A true testament to the work ethic and dedication of Professor Tinti.  According to Brian, his “honesty and integrity as a professor, scientist, and educator are unmatched in my mind.”
  -Brian Weissbart, Chemistry Professor, American River College (former UCD graduate student and research assistant)

• As a Teaching Assistant (TA) who worked for Professor Tinti, Eileen graciously described this influential period of her life.  “My years in graduate school working for Dr. Tinti (we all called him that) were among the most satisfying of my life and that is entirely due to his mentorship. He was smart, kind, interesting, funny, and full of energy. From him I learned to be a good scientist and that has defined my career and life.”
  As a TA, Eileen attended all of Dr. Tinti’s lectures.  She remembers being “so impressed by the clarity of his lecture of relativistic quantum mechanics. He was humble about his knowledge.”   On the wall in front of his desk, she recalled he had a piece of paper with a typed quotation saying “anyone who says they understand quantum mechanics is fooling themselves.”  Dino was known for his smug sense of humor that resonated with many of his students, and fostered a fun, engaging academic environment.  Eileen goes on to express “There was so much joy and fun working with him.”   
  Eileen also shared a few funny anecdotes she recalled, in working closely with Dr. Tinti, that stood out in her mind.  When Professor Tinti said “a task was hard, we weren’t too concerned, but we all agreed it was the tasks he called trivial that really killed us.”  One time, Dr. Tinti suggested Eileen take home the DOS manual and read it because he told her “there was a lot of good stuff in there!  Dr. Tinti’s knowledge was so deep that he could always tell us why a computer/software choice was made.”
  -Eileen McCauley, California Air Resources Board (former UCD graduate student, teaching assistant)

• With special thoughts of my deepest sympathy, Diana, Trina, Laura, Lisa, and extended family of Professor Tinti, the news of your loss broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes when I heard the news.
  Dino will always be in my thoughts and will be remembered as a good friend and an inspiring professor.
  I first met Dr. Tinti in 1977, as an international graduate student from Iran, at UC Davis, when he introduced his research program in ODMR spectroscopy, along with other professors in the Chemistry Department. I selected Dino as my research advisor, and he accepted me with an open arm as one of his graduate students in his Spectroscopy Research group, adding me to a family of his four other grad students.
  Since then, we established a very close professional relationship and became good friends and he always made me feel like one of his family members.
  Dino always treated me with great respect and dignity since I was relatively older than his other grad students and I was married and had two children when I came to this country with a scholarship from Tabriz University in Iran. In 1978 after the Iranian Revolution, my scholarship was canceled by the new government in Iran.  Being a foreign student with a family of five with three children and no source of income and having the language barrier of English being my third language, Dr. Tinti, understood my problems since he was a son of an immigrant father himself from Italy. He always was supportive and trying to assist me in any ways that he could, offering me teaching and research assistantships to continue my education.
  A decade later my son Shaar who was also attending UC Davis was taking an Advanced Physical Chemistry class with Dr. Tinti.  According to Shaar, when Dino found out that Shaar was my son, he was so happy to be a professor of two generation from my family and always asked about me and our family’s situation from my son.
  I never forget the day that I accidentally broke an expensive and very complicated liquid Helium Glass Dewar during an experiment, Dino not only did not mind that I was not careful and caused that accident, but he also tried to comfort me by saying that “everyone in my group has done it at least one time and now it was your turn”. Then I realized that every one of his grad students has done the same mistake. The department’s glass blower then fixed the very complicated Liquid Helium quartz sample Dewar within a few days, and we continued using it.  
  Dr. Tinti taught me how to interpret experimental spectroscopy results of electronic transitions and vibrational motions within the molecules with the theoretical quantum mechanics calculations and made me deeply understand the very interesting subject of molecular spectroscopy.
  We have published with together several scientific papers in major chemistry and molecular physics journals and some crystal structures of complex molecules with late Dr. Marylin Olmstead of UC Davis Chem department
  I am very honored to be one of the Professor Tinti’s graduate students and I believe my success in the field of electronics material chemistry and analytical spectroscopy and my successful business entities in Silicon Valley, has not been accomplished and possible without Dr. Tinti’s great advisory and his friendly teachings.   
  His memory will always be remembered.  
  -Javad J. Sahbari (former UCD graduate student)

• As a final, honorary tribute to Professor Tinti, and perhaps most notably, one former undergraduate student, Howard, shared a heartfelt testimonial that truly exemplifies the lasting impact and legacy Professor Tinti left behind.  Howard began as an undergraduate at UC Davis in 1978, where he took Professor Tinti’s beginning chemistry class.  In his own words, Howard explains the impact Dr. Tinti had on his career trajectory.  
  “I was planning to major in history or something pre-law.  However, in my first quarter I also took the first semester of beginning chemistry in the large class taught by Professor Dino Tinti.  This class, and the way it was taught, changed my life. Professor Tinti was a magnificent teacher and it was the first time in my life that I was able to understand the way scientific principles arose and were interlinked. The class for me was a fork in the road of life: I ended up continuing to take Chemistry classes at Davis (I enjoyed all of them and found them well taught), transferred into Chemical Engineering, and today still enjoy teaching (though I am quite sure I do not have the engaging style Dino Tinti displayed in the classroom. I have told others about the impact Dino Tinti had on my educational trajectory.”
  Howard goes on to recall a story, years later, when he was honored by UCD and received an award.  From his perspective, “he informed the hosts that he would only come back for the ceremony on one condition – I wanted to be able to meet Dino Tinti.  I was thrilled when I was able to meet and talk with Dino after so many years and give him a thank you hug, for the education he had given me long ago, when I was a first-year undergraduate at UC Davis.”
  -Howard Stone (former undergraduate chemistry student