Donald M. Burland ’65

Donald M. Burland ’65 died on March 10 in Charlottesville, Virginia, of Parkinson’s disease. He came to Dartmouth from La Jolla, California; he was a talented chemistry major and a member of Sigma Nu Delta. In 1970 he received a Ph.D. in chemistry and physics from California Institute of Technology, then did postdoctoral study at University of Leiden, Netherlands. In 1971 Don joined the IBM Research Division in San Jose, California, where he served for 26 years in various research and management positions at the San Jose Research Lab and then the Almaden Research Center. His career arc spanned from basic research to applied research. After retiring from IBM in 1997, Don started a second career at National Science Foundation (NSF), where he served until 2004 as executive officer and director of the division of chemistry. He developed budgets, supervised personnel, communicated extensively with the academic scientific community, and participated in NSF and government-wide task forces on science policy issues. Don is remembered for his wide-ranging interests beyond science, his wonderful sense of humor, and his love for his family. He was an aficionado of the performing arts, including music, opera, and theater. After retiring from the NSF in 2004 he settled in rural Virginia and gave substantial support to Wintergreen Performing Arts, which brought classical music to the Blue Ridge; Don served for several years as its president. He is survived by his wife, Jan, son David, daughter-in-law Molly, and two grandchildren.