Dr. Chuan-Sheng Liu, former acting chair (1993-1994) of the Department of Physics and former chair (1985-1990) of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maryland (UMD), and his wife, Dr. Jing-Yi Liu (M.S. ‘83, communications; Ph.D. ‘91, radio/tv/film) have provided the lead gift to establish the John S. Toll Endowed Lecture in Physics to honor the memory and legacy of their friend, physicist, educator, and academic leader, Dr. John Sampson Toll (1923-2011)
As a physicist, Dr. Toll is known for his work in dispersion theory and elementary particle physics. He served as president of the Universities Research Association, which oversaw the U.S. Superconducting Supercollider project. At UMD, Dr. Toll became chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1953. In 1965 he became the second president of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a position he held until 1978. Dr. Toll then returned to Maryland to become the second president of the University System of Maryland (1978-1988). In 1988, he became the first chancellor of the University System of Maryland, a post he held until 1989. Dr. Toll also served as the 25th president of Washington College (1995-2004), after which he returned to his roots—physics research.