Wade Adams, former director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University, passed away Feb. 12 at the age of 78. A self-described “technical optimist,” Adams was not only an experienced researcher and educator but also an enthusiastic advocate of nanotechnology, which he defined as “making small stuff do big things” and viewed as offering potential solutions to pressing challenges, particularly in energy but also in clean water and medicine.
Adams joined Rice in 2002 to succeed Nobel laureate Richard Smalley as director of the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, one of the first research centers in the world formally dedicated to nanoscale research. Founded by Smalley in 1993 and renamed after his death in 2005, the Smalley Institute would, under Adams’ leadership, expand its faculty, secure major research funding and strengthen partnerships with industry and government, leaving a lasting legacy manifest today in its contemporary avatar — Rice’s Smalley-Curl Institute (SCI).
“During his time at Rice, Wade Adams was a key figure in organizing and promoting the university’s nanoscience and nanotechnology research and helping it attain its high level of recognition,” said Bruce Weisman, professor of chemistry and materials science and nanoengineering and associate chair for teaching. “Wade will be deeply missed by his many friends and admirers at Rice.”
Before arriving at Rice, Adams spent 32 years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, retiring as chief scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. At Rice, Adams was instrumental in securing congressional and private funding to support nanotechnology research, including through a program that in 2001 helped jump-start Rice’s Shared Equipment Authority (SEA), which continues to provide researchers across the university with critical equipment.
“Wade was a dynamic force,” said Douglas Natelson, professor of physics and astronomy and associate dean for research, citing critical programs that Adams helped bring to Rice, including the Strategic Program for Nanotechnology that helped establish SEA, and the Lockheed Martin Advanced Nanotechnology Center of Excellence at Rice, a multiyear research funding initiative between the university and Lockheed Martin, a major U.S. defense and aerospace manufacturer.
“Throughout all of this, Wade was charming, approachable and always working to take research at Rice to the next level. He will definitely be missed,” Natelson said.
Colleagues remember Adams as an energetic and engaged leader who was generous with his time and mentorship. David Alexander, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Rice Space Institute, recalled Adams’ willingness to help others navigate the intersection of academia and industry.
“He helped me better understand the role industry can play in university research for national imperatives,” Alexander said. “I have since become much more engaged with the Houston space industry as a result.”
In 2011, Adams stepped down as director of the Smalley Institute and became an associate dean in the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing. He later served as a senior faculty fellow in materials science and nanoengineering before retiring in 2018. Colleagues say Adams held a firm belief that what looks like a miracle is often just the result of dedicated people working hard with the right resources.
“I have a vivid memory of a conversation with Wade in which he told me that, with funding and good people working intensely, miracles tend to happen regularly,” said Matteo Pasquali, the A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of chemistry and materials science and nanoengineering and director of the Carbon Hub. “He had little patience for the idea that progress was a matter of luck. To Wade, ingenuity, persistence and a deep commitment to the science itself were what truly made progress possible.
“He also taught me the importance of believing in your work, even when others might not yet see its potential. When roadblocks appeared, he found ways to keep meaningful research moving forward.”
Outside the lab, Adams was known for fostering community at Rice. A lifelong volleyball player and fan, Wade and a core group of Smalley Institute colleagues supported the Rice volleyball program with offsite team gatherings including coaches, players and their families, and a program called “Guest Coach,” which placed new fans right next to the team bench during games. Wade and the institute also held TunaFest, an annual summer gathering that started as a way to share an oversupply of tuna from his deep-sea fishing trips. Over the years, it grew into a major event with live music, grilled tuna (and hamburgers for the fish-phobic) and an informal setting for Rice students, faculty and staff to connect.
“One of the first TunaFests generated at least one peer-reviewed paper, simply by having Rice researchers standing in line together and talking about what they were up to lately,” said John Marsh, administrative director of the SCI.
Adams was also a skilled communicator who spent years advocating for nanotechnology research. He and Smalley often led public discussions about the world’s most pressing scientific challenges, engaging audiences ranging from schoolchildren to policymakers. His 2011 TEDxHouston Talk on nanotechnology and energy reflected his commitment to sharing the possibilities of science with a broad audience.
Adams is survived by his wife Mert; daughters Keri and Julie Adams; sons-in-law Matthew Stitzlein and Richard Smith; and granddaughters Millie, Bessie and Vivian Stitzlein.
For those who wish to do so, memorial contributions may be directed to the SCI in support of groundbreaking research and education in nanoscale science and technology, quantum materials and quantum information science by filling out the form at the bottom of the following dedicated memorial page; or to the Agnes Adams Scholarship Fund, c/o Happy State Bank, 200 Main St., Canadian, TX 79014. The Agnes Adams Scholarship Fund helps local students interested in teaching attend college.