May 26, 2026

In Memory of Mark Ratner: A brilliant scientist, environmentalist, ELPC science advisor, and friend

In memory of ELPC Science Advisory Council member and truly brilliant scientist Mark Ratner.

By Howard A. Learner, Chief Executive Officer & President

Mark Ratner

ELPC Science Advisory Council member and truly brilliant scientist Mark Ratner passed away on May 10, 2026 after a long illness.  Mark was the Lawrence B. Dumas Distinguished University Professor at Northwestern University, a wonderful human being, and an inspiring and valued good friend. I greatly enjoyed all that we did together. Mark was a curious, great thinker, and a deeply thoughtful advisor engaging with us on how ELPC could be most successful on everything from protecting rivers and streams where he loved to fish in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, to accelerating clean energy solutions for climate change problems. We had fun along with our strategizing together.

As Northwestern University explains in mourning Mark Ratner’s passing:

Widely recognized as the “father of molecular electronics,” Ratner ’69 Ph.D. was a pioneering figure in theoretical chemistry whose work reshaped how scientists think about electronics at the smallest scales. In the 1970s, he showed, for the first time, that individual molecules could carry an electric current. At the time, this idea seemed almost implausible but since has become foundational to the field of nanoscience. That bold, seemingly improbable discovery laid the groundwork for designing tiny, molecular-scale circuits and devices that could power futuristic technologies, including molecular computers and quantum devices.

Over the decades, Ratner’s research spanned electron transfer, nanoscale transport and energy processes in complex systems, offering a unifying framework for understanding how electric charges move through matter. His insights not only advanced fundamental science but also opened the door to new technologies, built molecule by molecule. The impact of this work has rippled outward beyond the field of chemistry, influencing disparate disciplines from materials science to nanotechnology to computer engineering and more.

Along with his remarkable scientific accomplishments, Mark had a big smile, joy for life, and warmth and enthusiasm.  He had great love for the natural world and protecting the environment. In Mark’s speech at the 2015 Convocation for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, he says it all in speaking about the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN), which he co-founded:

“The most important place where technology meets society is the air we breathe and the water we drink … It’s what we see when we wake up in the morning and the stars we look at at night. It’s the kind of life we’d like our children to have.”

I’ve missed spending time together with Mark, and the world will miss his brilliance and thoughtfulness. Our condolences to his wife Nancy, his children Dan and Stacy, and grandchildren, his brothers Chuck, Jim and Ron, and his extended family.

Mark, indeed, made his great mark on the world (pun intended)!

Howard A. Learner,

Chief Executive Officer & President

Howard Learner is an experienced attorney serving as the Chief Executive Officer & President of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. He is responsible for ELPC’s overall strategic leadership, policy direction, and financial platform.

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