Wolfgang Justus Choyke is not slowing down. The 100-year-old physicist at the University of Pittsburgh still walks up three flights of stairs to his office in Allen Hall to continue his research. He recently celebrated his centennial birthday and maintains a work schedule that would exhaust many people half his age.
Choyke is a pioneer in the study of silicon carbide. He began his work with the compound in the 1950s at Westinghouse Research Laboratories. At that time, few people understood the potential of the material as a semiconductor. His early experiments proved that silicon carbide could conduct electricity and withstand high temperatures, qualities that make it vital for current innovations in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and electric vehicle batteries.
Born in Berlin in 1926, Choyke escaped the Holocaust as a child and immigrated to the United States. He credits his early exposure to physics mentors in New York for his lifelong commitment to science. He joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1974. Even after losing his dedicated laboratory space at age 93, he continues to work as an emeritus professor. He refuses to retire because he enjoys the work.
His colleagues describe him as a sharp and dedicated scientist who shaped the field. His children remember a father who prioritized inquiry and integrity. He is a person who spent decades examining the basic properties of crystals and now sees those efforts contribute to modern technology. He remains active, sharp-minded, and driven by a simple desire to be helpful to his peers and students.