This fund was established in 1989 in honor of Michael C. Zerner and to support the Chemistry Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Zerner was born January 31, 1940, in Boston, MA. In 1961, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in 1962, and in 1966, graduated with a doctoral degree.

Zerner went on to serve two years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of captain. He then conducted research at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. In 1970 he worked as an assistant professor and later a professor at the University of Guelph in Canada. Zerner became a professor of chemistry at UF in 1981 and served as chairman of the Chemistry Department from 1988 to 1994. He participated actively in the Quantum Theory Project and his research led to approximately 200 publications.

In 1998, Zerner became UF’s first ever Distinguished Professor of chemistry. He is renowned for designing the chemical model software, ZINDO.

Zerner passed away February 2, 2000. He was survived by his wife, Anna Zerner, and their two children.