With deep sadness, we share that professor emeritus Clayton Bates, Jr. passed away February 18, 2024.

Clayton Bates, Jr. joined our faculty in 1972. His expertise was in solid-state physics, and he was particularly interested in photoelectronic materials and devices. His work focused on the unraveling of processes involved in the interaction of photons and electrons with the very complex materials used in photoelectronic sensing devices. He was one of the first scientists to use X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on glasses to determine their electronic structure. Pushing the frontiers of science was one of his biggest pleasures, he told Stanford News in a 1983 interview.

Clayton's impact extended far beyond the laboratory. He was deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. He co-founded the Society of Black Scientists and Engineers at Stanford University and served as a mentor and advisor to countless minority students. His passion for education and advocacy also extended to his role as the associate dean of graduate education and research for CEACS, where he continued to inspire and empower future generations of scientists and engineers.

Excerpted from

• Palo Alto Online, Dr. Clayton Wilson Bates, Jr.
• The History Makers, Clayton W. Bates, Jr.
• Stanford Engineering, Clayton Bates Jr., expert on photoelectronic materials and devices who worked to promote equity in STEM education, has died