Frederick D. Becchetti Jr., Ph.D., professor of physics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, will retire from active faculty status on May 31, 2013.

Professor Becchetti received his B.Phys., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota in 1965, 1968, and 1969, respectively. He joined the University of Michigan faculty as an assistant professor in 1973, and was promoted to associate professor in 1976, and professor in 1983.

Professor Becchetti's research focused on heavy-ion nuclear physics and the development and use of large superconducting ion-optical magnet systems. Professor Becchetti and G.W. Greenlees developed the widely used Becchetti-Greenlees optical model parameterization for light ion scattering and transfer reactions at the University of Minnesota in the 1960's. His instrumentation innovations continued with the use of superconducting solenoids as focusing elements for rare isotopes and his work to improve detectors. These improvements have been used in nuclear physics studies including nuclei near the edge of stability and in measurements applicable to nuclear medicine. More recently, Professor Becchetti has been developing techniques to provide magnetic confinement of the dose from electron and x-ray beams used in cancer therapy. His use of inverse kinematics has allowed measurements of cross sections of interest in astrophysics which otherwise would not be accessible. An outstanding teacher, scholar, and scientist, Professor Becchetti has received grants from many sponsoring agencies and has cultivated deep interest in educating students through the Department's Physics Olympiad, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, and his countless contributions to the Saturday Morning Physics outreach program.

The Regents now salute this distinguished teacher, scholar, and scientist by naming Frederick D. Becchetti Jr. professor emeritus of physics.