Through our scientific and technological genius, we've made of this world a neighborhood. And now through our moral and ethical commitment, we must make of it a brotherhood.
Background
Wilton L. Virgo is a quantum physical chemist with expertise in performing state-of-the-art research in laser spectroscopy and publishing cutting-edge scientific articles. He earned his AB in 2000 from Princeton University and his PhD in 2005 from Arizona State University, both degrees in physical chemistry.
Interests
As a research affiliate in the Department of Chemistry at MIT, Virgo uses technology-driven global knowledge systems to collaborate and exchange ideas that solve problems related to climate change at the microscopic level. He has performed research in laser spectroscopy at Princeton University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Arizona State University, and Wellesley College, where he worked with student assistants using lasers to drive reactions involving organic molecules in solution, with potential for use in a molecular detector for use in early cancer detection.
As an MLK visiting scholar and postdoctoral associate in Prof. Field’s laboratory, Virgo focused on investigating how metastable molecules are involved in both intra-molecular and intermolecular energy flow and on inventing new, sophisticated techniques using lasers, molecular beams and detection of the metastables on metal surfaces.