Chemistry News

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES · DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY · 2010

INSIDE Rebuilt General Chemistry Teaching 2 Undergraduate Scholarships Labs to Usher in New Era

3 Department Head’s Perspective

3 New Faculty

6 Green Chemistry News

8 Faculty Awards and Announcements

10 Alumni Awards

11 In Memoriam

12 Alumni News

14 Honor Roll

Department Head Mike Haley gestures in the site of offices and classrooms that were demolished to make way for the new general chemistry teaching labs.

ndergraduate stu- down three flights of stairs undoubtedly translate into dents taking intro- into a cavernous, windowless more chemistry majors and Uductory general basement laboratory. minors. I couldn’t be any chemistry laboratory courses “Much like the way more excited!” at the University of Oregon the green organic labora - Renewed discussions will see dramatic, sweeping tory transformed the way we about a new general chem- changes in 2011. Demolition teach organic chemistry to istry laboratory facility com- of former research and class- our undergraduates some menced a couple of years room space on the first floor ten years ago, the new gen- ago, shortly after Haley be- of Klamath Hall will make way eral chemistry laboratories came head. “Two years ago for a new state-of-the-art un- will significantly alter the way we put together a compelling dergraduate laboratory facility students learn general chem- proposal but were told there more than 4,000 square feet istry,” says department head was no money,” Haley recalls. in size. This will allow the Mike Haley. “Gone will be “During this past winter term, general chemistry labs to be the out-of-date “cookbook” I was approached by a mem- relocated from the Klamath labs and in their place, lab ber of the classroom renova- basement, which in turn will modules that encourage stu- tion committee who asked, if make available space for dents to think by offering op- they found the money, how physical and materials chem- portunities to problem-solve, fast could we make it hap - ists who need quiet, stable work in teams, really learn. pen? I told him we would areas for sensitive research. The new space and revised make it happen. It’s been an No longer will scores of un- lab format will be a showcase amazingly smooth process dergraduate students trudge introductory course that will CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 1 Undergraduate Scholarships

Senior Megan Humphrey burst into tears. This is a great honor.” Awarded the Faith Van Nice Faith Van Nice was born in Montana in Chemistry Scholarship 1961. At a young age she was an accom- plished swimmer. While in high school, she The Faith Van Nice Chemistry worked at the Oregon National Primate Scholarship was awarded to Megan Research Center performing research, Humphrey for the 2010–11 academic which resulted in her first paper published year. Established in 2006 by Lee and in a scholarly journal and a nationwide Helen Van Nice in memory of their daugh- Westinghouse Science Award. After ter, this is the first undergraduate schol- high school, Faith enrolled in the Robert arship established in the department. D. Clark Honors College at the University Humphrey began her senior year this fall of Oregon as a chemistry major. In 1984, double-majoring in chemistry and Spanish. Faith graduated summa cum laude with honors. Faith went to the Massachusetts Gary Christian, George Kennedy, and Institute of Technology for graduate study Jerry Christian, members of the class in chemistry under Professor John Waugh. of 1959 who contributed to endow a scholarship in honor of Professor She worked with Douglas Osheroff, who Donald Swinehart. later won the Nobel Prize for low tem- perature work. In 1989, she earned her doctor of philosophy with a study related to her work with Osheroff and magnetic resonance imaging. Throughout all of this, Faith continued to swim, participating in a Masters Swimming Program in the Boston area. Faith entered the health sciences and technology joint program between Harvard Megan Humphrey, recipient of The Faith University and MIT. She became ill in her Van Nice Chemistry Scholarship for the third year and fought for her health into 2010-11 academic year. her fourth. On January 3, 1993, Faith died of cancer. Harvard awarded her medical “I was shocked and very, very ec - doctor degree posthumously, on January static,” Humphrey says when she learned 7, the only person ever to be granted a about receiving the $4,000 scholarship. posthumous MD degree from Harvard. Humphrey has been planning to teach She died of cancer after having been mar- Professor Donald Swinehart high school chemistry ever since she took ried for only seventy days. She was loved her first chemistry class in high school. by all who knew her. Adolf Henry Kuntz, department head from Humphrey has family in Guadalajara, Faith’s parents, Lee and Helen, de- 1941 to 1956. Mexico, so studying Spanish made sire to inspire young women to become Class of 1959 members Gary D. sense, and she feels that being a bilin- exceptional leaders in science, especially Christian and Jerry D. Christian (twin gual science teacher can only help her chemistry. “Faith was aiming at becoming brothers), and George H. Kennedy con- career. Humphrey works as a lab TA for surgeon general of the United States, and tributed to honor Professor Swinehart. the chemistry department and as a tutor I have no doubt she would have achieved Another alumnus, Abe Perlstein, class at South Eugene High School as part of that goal,” Lee Van Nice says. “We chal- of 1949, wanted to recognize Professor their AVID (Advancement via Individual lenge each recipient of the scholarship Kuntz. Sarah Cheesman, development of- Determination) program to target lower- award to achieve the highest level, up to ficer for the College of Arts and Sciences, to-middle-income students who are un- and including the Nobel Prize or leader of came up with the great idea of pooling derachieving or not keeping up. “It’s really a recognized laboratory in the world.” their resources to create the award. “By good experience for what I want to do,” combining separate contributions, a last- Humphrey says about both her jobs. Newest Undergraduate ing endowment was created,” says Gary Humphrey got to meet with the Van Scholarship in Chemistry Christian, emeritus professor of chemistry Nice family at a lunch this summer with Established in Honor of Professors and divisional dean of sciences at the herself, department head Mike Haley, Donald Swinehart and Adolf Kuntz University of Washington. “I am glad I was and last year’s scholarship recipient, Lily able to help catalyze the creation of this Robertson. “They are incredible people,” The newly established Kuntz-Swinehart endowment.” Humphrey says. “They talked about their Memorial Scholarship recognizes aca- Gary Christian says he received an daughter and how much she was going to demic excellence of one or more under- “excellent” education in chemistry at the accomplish. Lee looked me right in the eye graduate chemistry majors. It was named UO, and Donald Swinehart stood out as and said I just had to do my best for him in honor of Donald F. Swinehart, a chem- and for her memory. I’m pretty sure that I istry professor from 1946 to 1983, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

2 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Department Head’s Perspective Shocked! Stunned! Elated! Those are just some of ment has seen (so far) no cuts, physical facilities, none of the the many adjectives that de- thanks in part to a new budget money can be earmarked to scribe the feelings within the model adopted within the UO. upgrade the lab experiments Department of Chemistry over To illustrate the sad times, one themselves and the requisite the twelve months since the big state school to the north has equipment. In addition, we last newsletter. Despite the been forced to cut the number would like to significantly im- grim economic news coming of their general chemistry lab prove the Chemistry Resource out of Salem, Oregon, and experiments from seven to four Center, where TAs hold office Washington, D.C., the depart- per term; introductory organic hours and peer-led learning ment has a lot to be proud of, laboratory hours have been cut groups meet. Given the current even crow about, for the past by a third. It is tough to imagine economic climate within the year. This fall we have record how one would adequately state and thus the university, it numbers of chemistry majors teach a chemistry laboratory is has been difficult to identify and of undergraduate students course without actual hands- appropriate pots of money that in chemistry courses. For ex- on lab experience. That won’t we can spend on such pur- Mike Haley ample, fall term 2010 enroll- happen here under my watch. poses. This is where you, our ment in Organic Chemistry I Probably the biggest sur- faithful alumni and friends of to start, the timeline for this is approaching 400, a number prise and most exciting news is the department, can help out project is short, and thus we I certainly have not seen dur- our lead story in the newsletter. tremendously. are working quickly to make ing my more than seventeen When I wrote last time about Earlier this summer we this all come together. Donors years at the UO. The recently the worn state of the general established a special fund to of $500 or more will have their established Van Nice and chemistry laboratory, I had no which faculty and staff mem- names on display outside the Kuntz-Swinehart scholarships idea that less than four months bers have contributed more new labs. Better yet—leave a within the department allow us later I would be told we had the than $10,000 to date. I invite legacy! A substantial gift will to recognize the best and the funds to replace the venerable you to join us by making a do- provide an opportunity to name brightest of our undergradu- yet dated, late 1960s–era facil- nation to help improve the qual- a lab module or the Chemistry ates. Faculty honors continue ity. Now some eights months ity of learning in these spaces Resource Center—maybe to to pile up—the awards and into the process, planning and that our students use on a daily honor your favorite professor? honors to Vickie DeRose, Ken design of the new facility as basis. It’s as easy as filling out We hope you enjoy the Doxsee, Marina Guenza, Geri well as demolition of the old the form on this secure web- newsletter. Next time you are in Richmond, and David Tyler research labs and offices are page: supportuo.uofoundation. the Eugene area, please stop illustrate a continued commit- complete. By the time you read org. by campus for a visit. We would ment to research and teaching this article, construction will be In the gift designation field love to give you a tour and a excellence upon the part of well under way. As exciting as marked “Other,” please type chance to see all the changes the faculty. While our chemis- this prospect is, it is not without “Chemistry Instructional Space for yourself. I know you will be try colleagues in neighboring challenges. Improvement Fund 517028.” quite impressed! state schools have experienced While we were given money Given that demolition is com- With best regards, deep budget cuts, our depart- to renovate and reconstruct the plete and construction is ready Mike Haley New Faculty Members

Shannon Boettcher: doctoral position for two years on making and understanding Assistant Professor of at the California Institute of new materials for driving pho- Inorganic and Materials Technology. Now, he’s glad tochemical water splitting. “The Chemistry and ONAMI to be back in Oregon. “I have idea, really, is to use the energy Signature Researcher family in the area and it’s a in sunlight to split water into beautiful place and a wonder- hydrogen and oxygen, which Shannon W. Boettcher was ful department,” Boettcher would be a very useful stor- an undergraduate at Oregon, says, “so those were all driving age medium for solar energy,” graduating in 2003 with a forces in persuading me to he explains. “This is a way to bachelor’s degree in chemistry. come back here.” store sunlight in a chemical He did his graduate studies in Boettcher’s research is fuel, much like plants store inorganic materials chemistry Shannon Boettcher centered around materials sunlight using photosynthesis.” at the University of California with Professor Galen Stuckey. synthesis and characterization, Boettcher’s research group is at Santa Barbara for five years Following that, he held a post- and in particular he is focused CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 3 New Faculty Members

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 istry. He was a Goldhaber vances. He developed a new Fellow at the Brookhaven microscope to see with atomic working on the materials chal- National Laboratory in New resolution the electronic struc- lenges associated with this York, conducting research tures of molecules. His type of process, which is potentially with the Center for Functional scanning tunneling microscope important to address large- Nanomaterials. Nazin says he (STM) uses electrons instead scale solar energy harvesting chose to join the faculty at of photons to look inside mol- and storage. Oregon “because the facilities, ecules. “What we are trying to Boettcher joined the faculty and in particular the research, do is get structural informa- in March 2010. We welcome that is going on here in the tion from individual molecules him to the department. chemistry department fits bet- and even from specific parts ter with what I am working on.” George Nazin of molecules,” he says. His George Nazin: Nazin appreciates the natural importance for someone in goal is to use STM as a tool Assistant Professor of beauty we have here as well: the nanotechnology field. The for characterizing the chemi- Physical Chemistry “It’s beautiful, it’s green.” collaborative nature of research cal structure and properties Nazin says that the nano- under way across departments of nanoscale materials and While a graduate student fabrication facilities and materi- here means that Nazin can look devices. “I would like to con- at the University of California als research taking place at the at studying the properties of nect the electronic properties at Irvine, George Nazin won university are remarkable. The materials that are being syn- with the properties of devices the Edward K. C. Lee Award UO’s leadership in materials thesized by other groups here quantitatively,” he says. for excellence in graduate sciences and the facilities that at the university. Throughout Nazin began as a faculty studies and research and out- we have here for the manufac- his research career, Nazin has member at Oregon spring term standing contributions to the ture and characterization of made some remarkable ad- 2010. We welcome him to the graduate program in chem- nanomaterials are of utmost department.

Undergraduate Scholarships

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 was also a good disciplinarian. “Professor Swinehart provided inspiration in chemis- one professor who influenced him most in try and career motivation for a number of his decision to pursue a career in analyti- students in his classes during my time as cal chemistry, having taken his courses in an undergraduate chemistry major at the quantitative and instrumental analysis. “He University of Oregon in the late 1950s.” was an absolutely superb teacher, a real Abe Perlstein remembers Swinehart stickler for detail, with a reputation as being fondly, but the greater influence on him tough, but we survived and thrived under was Adolf Kuntz. Perlstein, who graduated him,” recalls Gary. “Creating an endowment in 1949, was a young New York native seemed like an appropriate way to, at the fresh from the army after World War II same time, recognize and encourage aca- when he came to Oregon. “I found a place Dr. Abe Perlstein, who contributed to demic excellence of UO chemistry majors.” in the chemistry department where I was the endowment of the Kuntz-Swinehart George Kennedy, emeritus professor comfortable,” Perlstein says. “I always felt Memorial Scholarship, and Sarah and former head of the chemistry depart- that Professor Kuntz was central in giving Cheesman, the development officer who ment at Colorado School of Mines, had me the confidence to pursue the field that coordinated the contributions. Swinehart as a sophomore. He recalls that I ultimately did pursue [psychiatry]. It’s just he and the Christian brothers got together that I saw that it was possible, which is Martin Ovitz, who roomed in the same at a recent college reunion and reminisced not something I felt before I went to col- house as Perlstein while in college, also about Swinehart being one of their out- lege.” Perlstein believes that Kuntz helped had the feeling that Kuntz was a great standing professors. “Gary suggested that the university establish a “solid” chemistry facilitator for him being able to pursue a he was going to donate some money to department. “The professors certainly gave career in medicine. When Perlstein and the University for the purpose of remem- me a chemical education that was compa- Ovitz got back in touch, Ovitz also agreed bering Professor Swinehart and would we rable to anybody’s education. When I went to contribute in Kuntz’s memory. join him, and so we did,” he says. “It was in on to professional school and ultimately Gary Christian sums up the feeling of honor of someone we thought was one of medical school, I didn’t know anyone from all involved with this gift: “It is our hope that the best professors we ever had.” my medical school class who had a chemi- this award for outstanding chemistry majors To Jerry Christian, retired Idaho National cal education better than mine,” he says, will be a factor in their decisions to take Laboratory Scientific Fellow, Swinehart was “and most of them didn’t have one that was similar advantage of their UO education to a great teacher who motivated students but comparable to it.” achieve their best potential.”

4 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Rebuilt General Chemistry Teaching Labs to Usher in New Era

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 so far. It’s required displacing numerous individuals and groups, but I’ve been ex- tremely pleased with how well everyone has cooperated, realizing this is an op- portunity we could not pass up.” Demolition started on the evening of August 16, 2010. To minimize the im- pact, it took place mostly at night and involved tearing down numerous walls and removing plumbing, bench tops, and electrical wiring. Fifteen smaller rooms and labs have now been opened into one enormous area. While demolition lasted about four weeks, construction will take longer. “While we hoped to be in the new labs for the winter 2011 term, spring term is a more realistic target,” says Haley. Roger Leonard is among the four Undergraduate students back to back in the basement general chemistry teaching lab. people who work in instructional sup- port in the teaching labs, preparing each, along with waiting lists. Everyone mize movement, which also means that materials for experiments. Leonard has agrees that the new labs will be much students will have more time to more been in this position at Oregon for five brighter and more open and efficient, efficiently focus on the lab and reduce years. He noted that twenty years ago, creating a big facility broken into four lab risks of accidents. Benches in the new all of the undergraduate chemistry lab modules of twenty students each, allow- lab will be low enough to have a clean courses were in the Klamath basement, ing Leonard and his staff to serve eighty line of sight. Leonard recounts that dur- including organic and physical chemis- students at a time. With the same eleven ing the planning stages, architects built a try as well as the two general chemistry sections, the department will be able to mockup of the new lab in the Willamette courses. As new facilities for the honors handle as many as 880 students a term. Hall atrium, seeking feedback. “The com- general, organic and physical chemistry While the current teaching labs have ments were, ‘Gee, you can see every- labs were completed, staff members served many bright students, the facili- thing! Even here in the back one you can became spread between three floors in ties themselves are anything but bright. see!’” he says. The utilities will be piped two buildings, resulting in complicated For one thing, there are no windows. in differently, and will be pared down to logistics, work schedule constraints, “People call the labs ‘the dungeon,’” just what is useful in the modern lab— and communication problems, says says Leonard. “It is a dreary place, you i.e., no more steam lines. The acoustics Leonard. “Moving the instructional labs don’t see the sun. Students kind of get will be more discreet, to allow students closer together will greatly enhance staff the feeling that they’re second-class and their TAs to have quiet conversations efficiency.” citizens, like, ‘They’re sending me to the among themselves. The current general chemistry teach- basement?’ How low can you go?” The One of Leonard’s safety mandates ing lab has been located in the base - room is set up with ten rows of benches is for staff members to have a physi - ment since Klamath Hall was completed with three people on a side, back to cal presence near the lab in case of an in 1967. Remarkably, the wooden lab back. With a full section of sixty students, emergency. Yet the previous labs were benches are the same ones that had for- there is barely room for a chair. The bal- spread out among three floors of the merly been located in Pacific Hall when ances are on one side of the room, the building, and Leonard’s supply room that building, then known as Science, reagent station is on another, the waste was in the basement, with no cell phone opened in 1949. The Klamath basement collection is in another part of the room, reception. Even radio reception was lab can only hold sixty people at one and the supply room is in yet another di- poor, so walkie-talkies were not a great time. Last year’s general chemistry lab rection. With so much movement, people option for the staff to keep in touch. The course had enough sections for 660 stu- bump into each other. The teaching as- new location of the supply room is di - dents. Though those sections were not sistants have a tiny corner where they rectly across from the future lab, and will quite full, it was more sections than the have to speak to their whole section, with provide a much more efficient use of staff department had ever offered. Because lines of sight to the whiteboard blocked and instructor time. of the continued increase of the under- by the plumbing infrastructure, and it is “Before I got here the students spent graduate student population at Oregon, hard to hear over sixty people talking. half the time in the hallway, checking the Department of Chemistry has seen Students will be arranged in groups equipment in and out,” Leonard recalls. record enrollments this academic year, of four and will have a balance at their “The only time they should see us is if table and a sink right next door to mini- with eleven sections of sixty students CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 5 Green Chemistry News

UO Green Chemistry in Education work of educators who collaborate and GREEN CHEMISTRY Workshop Celebrates Tenth Year support each other in adopting greener RESOURCES chemistry in their curricula. Participation The Green Chemistry in Education in the workshop is free, and is sponsored Green Organic Chemistry Lab cur- Workshop is a five-day workshop held by the National Science Foundation riculum—Now in its twelfth year; produced at the UO for educators in the chemical Division of Undergraduate Education. the first undergraduate green chemistry sciences who are interested in incorpo- Faculty members at U.S. institutions are textbook (Green Organic Chemistry: rating the principles of green chemistry welcome to apply, as are postdocs and Strategies, Tools, and Laboratory into their organic chemistry and labora- graduate students who plan to teach at Experiments by Doxsee and Hutchison). tory curriculum. The workshop is led the college level. Applications for the by Professors Jim Hutchison and Ken workshop are accepted through the Green Chemistry in Education Doxsee (who have done so since its Center for Workshops in the Chemical Workshop—The tenth annual workshop inception) and Senior Instructor Julie Sciences and can be found on its web- was held in summer 2010. More than Haack. This year, the tenth annual work- site: chemistry.gsu.edu/CWCS. 200 faculty members from across the shop was held in July and it was one of country have participated in the weeklong the best so far, says Hutchison. “We’ve Green Product Design Network: workshop. Tens of thousands of students now hosted over 200 faculty members Beyond the “Triple Bottom Line” across the nation have been influenced from around the world at the workshop, by the curriculum that participants which has become a model for other New materials are constantly being have taken back to their institutions. workshops in chemistry,” he says. developed and put into use; some of The workshop is a combination of them are green by design and some are Greener Education Materials lecture, discussion, and laboratory work not. Green chemistry is being looked to for Chemists—Online resource of with the chief goal of helping participants as the field that will minimize the impact green chemistry curricular materi- implement green chemistry into the cur- of these new materials on human health als for educators around the world: riculum at their institution. Participants and the environment. The model for this greenchem.uoregon.edu/gems.html “test-drive” more than thirty different lab so far has been a compromise: a system experiments to see which of them they of consideration of profit, environmental Green Chemistry Education Network— will adopt when they return home. The impact, and social benefit; however, be- Nationwide network to support educators workshop also emphasizes networking ing truly green means finding the syner- who are incorporating green chemistry into among the participants to help them es- gies between money, people, and the their curricula. The new website now sup- tablish a support group of educators that planet rather than compromises. ports social media tools: cmetim.ning.com. can help them implement the curriculum The Green Product Design Network once they return to their home institution. (GPDN) was created to decrease the Safer Nanomaterials and At this past workshop, participants gap between the two models. Leaders Nanomanufacturing Initiative—A were fortunate to have John Frazier from from the University of Oregon with world-leading initiative to design greener Nike address the group, to show how expertise in green chemistry, product nanomaterials and nanomanufactur- green chemistry is changing the busi- design, business, and journalism and ing processes: greennano.org. ness practices of a major corporation. communication came together with an Center for Green Materials Rachel Prokrandt from Beyond Benign interest in taking ideas from invention to Chemistry—Leading center pursuing the led an evening session on how to con- the larger marketplace in a way that has study and design of environmentally benign duct community and K–12 outreach in a more expedient and lasting impact on chemistry platforms for the fabrication of addition to the lectures and lab focus. society. high-performance inorganic electronic “It was a highly motivated group that The members of GPDN are actively devices: uoregon.edu/~grnchem. worked really well together throughout partnering with Oregon companies to the week, and were inspired to become develop new products, and the network Chemistry of Sustainability course practitioners of green chemistry and con- is emerging as a hub to attract thought for nonmajors—This course is becoming tribute their own innovations to the grow- leaders in the areas of green materials a national model for infusing sustainable ing curriculum,” says Hutchison. “Our design, communication, and education. chemistry into the general education cur- postworkshop evaluations confirmed our Members are committed to developing riculum: ched-ccce.org/confchem/2010/ own assessment that the tenth annual innovative courses that integrate chemis- Spring2010/P3-Haack_et_al.html. workshop was one of the best yet.” try, product design, communication, and Participants also learn how to use business. Green Product Design Network—This the Greener Education Materials for The Green Product Design Network virtual center brings together talent Chemists (GEMs) database, where is one of UO’s “Big Ideas”—five ideas from around the campus and the world they can find more than 100 educa - selected by committee that will help to catalyze implementation of greener tional materials for use in their labs and shape the future of the university. The products by addressing each stage of classrooms. They are introduced to the five key leaders of the network are Julie innovation, from chemical content to Green Chemistry Education Network product design to supply chains to con- (GCEdNet), the UO’s nationwide net- CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 sumer awareness: uo-gpdn.ning.com.

6 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Rebuilt General Chemistry Teaching Labs to Usher in New Era

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 sciences.” Haley concurs, “It’s essential ally much better,” says Marcus. “They for an introductory course to appeal to didn’t have much bench-top space be- there is a problem. We want to maximize students so as to attract and retain them fore or much hood space. Now we have the time in the lab. We don’t want them in the sciences. The current lab format in enough of everything.” The new Marcus standing in line checking this in and the old basement space tends to do just wet lab is now away from windows, and checking this out.” Leonard says that the opposite.” student desks and computers are more the new labs will elevate the quality of Though the experiments are not appropriately situated near windows with the entire chemistry program and learn- necessarily changing, Exton is updating views. ing experience for students. “It’s hard to them to reflect a more inquiry-based for- Marcus’s physical chemistry research express how good the experiments are mat. “We’ll have the students interacting involves sensitive laser spectroscopy but how antiquated the facilities were,” and working together,” she says. “We’re probing biophysical problems such as he says. a research university, so students should mechanisms of DNA polymerization Senior Instructor Deborah Exton, be getting some feel about how research and gene expression. The basement of who has been the primary teacher of is done. They’ll be posing questions, Klamath Hall provides a highly stable the general chemistry labs for the last figuring out solutions, and writing about environment, which Marcus and other decade, is excited about the new lab what they find.” physical chemists need in order to be facilities. “We’re going to be able to Of course, all of this remodeling has isolated from temperature fluctuations teach in a modern space in a way that meant that a number of individuals have and vibrations. Moving the teaching labs modern scientists do chemistry,” she had to be displaced. Resource rooms up from the basement will free more of says. “We’ll have the students working and classrooms, offices and meeting this desirable space for future research- collaboratively and interacting in ways spaces have all been relocated. Leonard ers who need it. “When we do the next that weren’t possible in the old space. says there’s been a lot of “horse trading” search for a physical chemist, the candi- The old space was not at all conducive to please everyone. Associate Professor date is going to want space down there, to teaching or communication, and those Andrew Marcus is the faculty member too,” says Marcus. “We will have opened are key things that will improve.” With who has been affected the most, having up all this space that is very stable and the tables of four, students can work moved nearly his entire research opera- that will help attract the very best people. in pairs or independently. They can do tion. “For us to have a good experience It’s very difficult to get people like that to more complicated experiments involving and a good program for undergraduate come unless we have appropriate space changing variables, and share the data, teaching labs, it’s really essential to and facilities for them, and that’s a really so collectively a broader experiment can upgrade and bring those facilities up to good long-term strategy for the future of be developed using real data, and indi- date,” Marcus says. He, for one, is very that part of the chemistry department.” vidual experiments can build on the next. happy with his new laboratory layout. The Haley agrees. “It is absolutely prime real “What’s going to change is that we’re space that housed his former wet lab estate for research labs of future physical going to be able to do inquiry and col- was not ideal, in part because the chemi- chemistry hires,” he says. “I view these laborative work,” Exton says. “Because cal storage area of the lab faced a west- many moves as a win-win situation for all this is the first chemistry course that side window and would get very warm involved. Both our teaching and research everybody takes in the sciences, it’s so during the summer months. “Where the missions will benefit significantly.” important, it’s the gateway course to the students are now doing chemistry is re-

Green Chemistry News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 social entrepreneur and strategic advi- from across the country, to allow for sor, who helps communities become broad opportunities for participation and Haack, assistant department head more sustainable (Osdoba is managing to facilitate participation from partners in and senior instructor; Jim Hutchison, director of the Center for Sustainable industry, government, and nongovern- professor, Lokey-Harrington Chair in Business Practices at the Lundquist mental organizations. The more people Chemistry, and associate vice president College of Business, and a consultant working on solutions to the problem, for research and strategic initiatives to numerous organizations across North the quicker the vision of GPDN can be at the University of Oregon; Kiersten America); and Kim Sheehan, professor implemented: enhancing synergies to Muenchinger, director of the Product of journalism and communication, who assist the “triple bottom line” of people, Design Program (Muenchinger research- brings more than twelve years of experi- planet, and profit. es new materials and their processing ence in advertising and marketing. Visit uo-gpdn.ning.com to learn methods to understand when new ma- The strategy of these five coordina- more about the Green Product Design terials technologies can be accepted tors is to develop a network to tap the Network. in consumer products); Tom Osdoba, potential of a wide range of scholars

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 7 Faculty Awards and Announcements

David Tyler Honored with is the most qualified, best known, most what you can, and be sure to do it every Jacobs Professorship recognized scientist of the bunch,” notes year.” department head Mike Haley. A panel of The professorship provides a salary David Tyler has been named the external reviewers echoed similar senti- supplement for Tyler, as well as some dis- first Charles J. and M. Monteith Jacobs ments. According to Haley, several re- cretionary funds. “It’s a nice honor,” Tyler Professor of Chemistry. Tyler, who joined marked about the breadth and innovation says. “It’s very nice to be recognized for the university faculty in 1985, has a long that has characterized Tyler’s research. “He your science.” history of productive research in inorganic has been willing to strike out in novel direc- and organometallic chemistry. tions that distinguish his work from that of Geraldine Richmond Wins the many other people in the field,” says Haley. Joel Henry Hildebrand Award The Jacobs professorship was made possible by two gifts from the late Charles Geraldine Richmond, the Richard J. Jacobs, a chemist and member of an M. and Patricia H. Noyes Professor of Oregon pioneer family. He established a Chemistry, will receive the Joel Henry $100,000 endowment in 1998 to support Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical the recruitment and retention of faculty and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids, members in the UO chemistry department. sponsored by ExxonMobil Research and Shortly before his death in 2006, Charles Engineering, at the March 2011 meeting Jacobs instructed his attorney to signifi- of the American Chemical Society. cantly augment the initial gift to establish an endowed professorship. The professorship commemorates Charles and his brother, Malcolm Monteith “Monty” Jacobs, and their mother’s maiden name, Monteith. The Monteiths settled in the Willamette Valley and founded the city of Albany, Oregon, in the 1840s. Monty and Charles were born in Portland. Monty attended the UO in the late 1920s; Charles attended in 1930 David Tyler and 1931, and is listed as a member of the class of 1934. There was little science Appointment to an endowed profes- research being done at the UO then, so sorship recognizes outstanding contribu- Charles transferred to Stanford University, tions to a research discipline and teaching. where he majored in chemistry and math Tyler’s current research involves synthesiz- and received his BA in 1933 and his MA ing new water-soluble catalysts to replace in 1934 at the age of 21. While at the UO, Geraldine Richmond some of the catalysts typically used in Charles admired Professor Orin F. Stafford organic solvents. He is also researching (1906–41), who became an influential ad- Richmond said she was “stunned and the reduction of N2 (dinitrogen, the form of visor. Charles began working in 1934 at elated” when she heard the news of the nitrogen in air) to NH3 (ammonia), which is Shell Oil Company in Martinez, California, award. “This is a big deal,” she says. “The a main component of agricultural fertilizer as a research chemist. He held several in- award is one of the most coveted in the used to maintain the world’s food supply. dustrial positions in technical development, field of condensed matter chemical phys- The current industrial method of reducing marketing, and engineering, and lived in ics.” She is the first woman to receive the N2 to NH3 requires high temperatures and San Francisco, Boston, and Connecticut award since its establishment in 1980. pressures. Tyler has reported the first room- before moving with his wife, Margretta, to The award is given to recognize distin- temperature reduction of N2 to NH3. A San Diego in 1980. At the age of fifty-five, guished contributions toward understand- breakthrough in this field would mean a Charles established an international con- ing the chemistry and physics of liquids, significant reduction in the production of sulting business for the packaging industry, and recognizes nearly fifteen years of re- greenhouse gases that contribute to global and continued until 1998. search from Richmond’s laboratory in the warming. A third facet of Tyler’s research is When he returned to Eugene for his pioneering applications of laser nonlinear the production of photodegradable plastics sixty-fifth class reunion, Charles gave two spectroscopies and theoretical molecular and polymers. The goal of Tyler’s research pieces of advice to the chemistry depart- modeling to the study of liquid surfaces. is to create environmentally friendly poly- ment’s graduating seniors: “First, spend Richmond has studied the hydrogen bond- mers that are degradable by sunlight. less than you earn, and second, to ensure ing of water molecules at a water surface “While we have several outstanding that future students have the advantages in air, the adsorption and reactivity of envi- faculty members who could be potential that the university has provided you, make ronmentally important gases at this surface, candidates for the professorship, there is a habit of annual donations to the UO, par- the alteration of the molecular properties no question in my mind that David Tyler ticularly the chemistry department. Give of a water surface when it is covered with

8 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Faculty Awards and Announcements an oily layer, the molecular behavior of sur- editorial advisory board of the journal bestowed upon AAAS members by their factants and biomolecules at these liquid Macromolecules, a publication of the peers. The announcement was made in surfaces and the interaction of water with American Chemical Society. “I have been a the AAAS News and Notes section of the salts and mineral surfaces. These funda- referee for Macromolecules for many years journal Science on December 18, 2009. mental studies underlie some of the most and I feel truly honored that they chose me According to the AAAS, fellows are important chemical and physical processes to be part of the board,” Guenza says. recognized “for meritorious efforts to in environmental, biological, and materials “Macromolecules is the most prestigious advance science or its applications.” The science. journal in the field of polymers. It has a long Richmond says that her laboratory tradition of excellence in polymer science, has had to break new territory and be a starting with its founding by Professor bit unconventional in their approach to this Walter Stockmayer.” research. For example, most groups in this The twice-monthly journal publishes field do either experimental or theoretical original research on all fundamental as- studies, but not both. “We have found that pects of macromolecular science including combining the two has provided insights well beyond what others have obtained with a single approach,” she says. “This award is really about my students and for my students. It is a tribute to their hard work and dedication in producing groundbreak- Victoria DeRose ing research during their progress toward their doctorate degrees in my laboratory. I new fellows were formally presented with can’t thank them enough!” an official certificate and a gold and blue This award was established in 1980 in (representing science and engineering, recognition of the scientific contributions respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, of American Chemical Society past presi- February 20, during the 2010 AAAS an- dent Joel H. Hildebrand. The first award nual meeting in San Diego. was presented to Hildebrand as part of Victoria DeRose, professor of chem- the observances of his hundredth birthday istry, was chosen for her “significant in November 1981. Hildebrand’s most achievements in developing spectroscopic famous work is the introduction in the mid- methods towards understanding the metal- 1920s of helium and oxygen breathing mix- lobiochemistry of RNA, and for service to the interdisciplinary scientific community.” tures to replace air for underwater divers to Marina Guenza alleviate the condition known as the bends. “I was surprised by this announcement, He recognized that nitrogen gas dissolved and am very pleased by the honor,” says synthesis, polymerization mechanisms and in blood at high pressure was expelled too DeRose, who feels that an honor like this kinetics, chemical modification, solution- rapidly upon return to the surface. Helium is really a tribute to the students in the melt-solid state characteristics, and sur- has a much lower solubility in aqueous lab. “The AAAS is a great organization face properties of organic, inorganic, and solutions such as blood. “Hildebrand was that values a broad range of science. Our naturally occurring polymers. “Members of a remarkable fellow who was still conduct- work encompasses topics from biological, the advisory board are asked to intervene ing research near my laboratory when I was inorganic, and physical chemistries, and and express their opinion if some contro- in graduate school at UC Berkeley,” says we were recognized for that interdisciplin- versy arises about a scientific paper sub- Richmond. “In fact, my laboratory was in ary combination. Over the years I’ve been mitted to the journal,” Guenza says. “It is the building named in his honor. I follow fortunate to have very smart research group about the quality of the science proposed a line of winners of this award that I have members that are willing to forge connec- in the paper: we examine it to see if it is tremendous respect for.” tions between these different areas. I’m good enough and interesting enough to be Visit richmondscience.uoregon.edu to proud of their accomplishments!” published in Macromolecules.” learn more about Richmond’s research. David Tyler, who is the UO’s first Charles J. and M. Monteith Jacobs Two Chemistry Faculty Physical Chemistry Professor Professor of Chemistry, was picked for his Elected AAAS Fellows Marina Guenza Joins Editorial “distinguished contributions to the fields Advisory Board of Top In December of last year, three of inorganic, organometallic, and polymer Polymer Research Journal University of Oregon scientists were cho- chemistry, particularly for our understanding sen as fellows of the American Association of radical reactions and of polymer degra- Associate Professor Marina Guenza, for the Advancement of Science. Chemists dation.” See page 8 of this issue for more who has been with the University of Victoria J. DeRose and David R. Tyler, along about the Jacobs professorship. Oregon since 1998 and is among the with physicist James E. Brau, were among top researchers in her field, has accepted 531 new AAAS fellows, an honor that is a three-year term on the forty-member CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 9 Alumni Awards

Art Johnson Receives Alumni Biochemistry and Biophysics. professor of physics at the University of Achievement Award Johnson has achieved international ac- Texas at Austin. A year later he left for a claim for his contributions to central prob- research fellowship in nuclear physics On April 20, 2010, Arthur E. Johnson lems in biology, particularly the individual at the Australian National University in was awarded the College of Arts and steps of protein synthesis by the ribosomal Canberra, where he stayed for four years. Sciences Alumni Achievement Award for RNA-protein machinery. Johnson devel- In 1965 Ohlsen began a long and produc- the Department of Chemistry. This award oped an elegant and incisive experimental tive career as a nuclear physicist at the recognizes a chemistry alumnus or alumna approach of inserting fluorescent labels Los Alamos National Laboratory, special- whose professional and personal achieve- into nascent proteins during translation, izing in polarized particle experiments in ments and qualities exemplify the Oregon through incorporation of nonnatural amino nuclear and high-energy physics. In 1971 spirit and traditions of leadership and acids. Johnson has shown how two mo- he was a guest lecturer in physics at the excellence. The recipient is selected dur- lecular machines are structurally coupled, UO. In 1973, while still employed at the ing fall term by the faculty in the chemistry the ribosome and the translocation chan- Los Alamos National Laboratory, he put department. nel (translocon), a complex of proteins together a land development partnership. that allows newly formed polypeptides Increasing activity in real estate led to cross the hydrophobic endoplasmic Ohlsen to resign from the Los Alamos reticulum membrane. Johnson’s teaching lab in 1980 to become self-employed. In and research have been recognized with 1978 he acquired a New Mexico real es- numerous awards. In the chemistry depart- tate broker’s license. In 1984 he became a ment, we remember Johnson’s unassum- certified financial planner, and in 1992 he ing manner and good humor, factors that earned a JD degree from the University of undoubtedly contribute to his reputation as New Mexico School of Law and was ad- a fine teacher and collaborator.

Gerald G. Ohlsen Receives the College of Arts and Sciences Art Johnson Alumni Fellows Award

Art Johnson is recognized as the 2009 The UO College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Awardee in Pure Science. spans twenty-three academic departments Johnson was born in Graceville, Minnesota, and many programs. From the tens of thou- on July 4, 1942. He received his BS from sands of alumni of the college, three are the California Institute of Technology in selected each year who have distinguished 1964. After spending five years teaching themselves in their chosen professions. high school science and coaching var- Alumni Fellows Awards are presented at an sity football, he entered the University of annual dinner and program titled “Profiles Oregon graduate program in 1969. He in Achievement.” Gerald G. Ohlsen ’55, carried out his doctoral research in the a graduate of the chemistry department, laboratories of John Menninger and Peter was presented with the 2009–10 Alumni H. von Hippel, and received his PhD from Fellows Award in October 2009. the UO in 1973, majoring in chemistry and Ohlsen enjoyed a novel and successful specializing in biochemistry and molecular career path demonstrating lifelong learning, biology. first in a long career as a nuclear physicist, Following that, Johnson moved to then as a lawyer, and today as a self-em- Columbia University, where he was a Helen ployed professional engaged in land and Gerald Ohlsen Hay Whitney Foundation postdoctoral re- water development projects. Ohlsen cred- searcher with Charles Cantor. He joined the its chemistry professor Don Swinehart with mitted to the New Mexico Bar Association faculty of the chemistry department of the converting him to a professional career in and the Federal Bar Association. In 1994 University of Oklahoma in 1977 as assis- science from that of a high school science he acquired a general contractor’s license. tant professor and rose through the ranks teacher. While at the UO, he received the Ohlsen is currently acquiring irrigated to become professor of chemistry and bio- Owen Fletcher Stafford Scholarship, com- alfalfa farms in New Mexico with the chal- chemistry. In 1994, he moved his research pleted a senior project with Swinehart, and lenging goal of transporting water more laboratory to the Texas A&M University, was honored at graduation as a member than twenty-five miles to thousands of ex- College Station, where he currently holds of the Phi Beta Kappa “Senior Six.” He isting homes and residential lots that lack the E. L. Wehner-Welch Foundation Chair then switched the focus of his studies to a reliable water supply. Gerald Ohlsen’s in Chemistry and titles of distinguished physics, and in 1960 received his PhD at career trajectory is an inspiring example of professor in the Departments of Chemistry Stanford studying under Robert Hofstadter how diverse goals in life can be achieved and of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, at the 600 MeV linear electron accelerator. with a broad education, talent, and perse- and is a professor in the Department of His first position was as an assistant verance.

10 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY In Memoriam

Patricia (Pat) Harris Noyes, to quit. Pat then graduated in the second of America, the American Society of Biologist at UO, 1974–89 class in the Department of Photography Zoologists, and the American Society at the California School of Fine Arts, of Cell Biology, and was active in the Patricia Jean Feldman Harris Noyes where she studied under Ansel Adams, Sierra Club with local wilderness and died of age-related causes on January Minor White, Imogen Cunningham, conservation issues. 15, 2010, at Sacred Heart Medical and Edward Weston. There was a Her two sabbatical leaves in Germany Center at RiverBend in Springfield, recent one-woman exhibition of her resulted in a love of train travel. This Oregon. photographic art in Paris, France, and led to an interest in tiny N-scale model Pat was born September 2, 1921, her work is in the permanent collection trains. Thus, she was also a member of in Seattle, Washington, to Earl and of the Museum of Modern Art in New the local Atlantic and Pacific Engineers, Margarethe Feldman. Her parents York. She then became a well-published the Association of Oregon Rail and and a brother, Roger Feldman, prede- early expert on electron microscopy by Transit Advocates, and the National ceased her. Early in life she married and chance, while working in another Navy Organization of Rail Passengers. divorced, but retained Patricia J. Harris laboratory. Later, she earned a BA from She was a philanthropist as well, as her professional name throughout Berkeley in 1954, an MA from Yale in endowing the Richard M. and Patricia her life. In 1974, she married Professor 1958, and then a PhD from Berkeley H. Noyes Professorship of Chemistry Richard M. Noyes in Eugene. He died under Professor Daniel Mazia in 1962, at the University of Oregon (held now in 1997. all in the field of zoology. by Geraldine Richmond) and a scholar- After being present during the From 1964 to 1974, she was a fac- ship at her high school to encourage Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on ulty member at Oregon State University, young women to pursue careers in sci- December 7, 1941, she ran a pho - in zoology, and then at the University of ence. She also was the naming donor tography shop and then worked as Oregon, in biology, from 1974 through for the White Oak Pavilion at Mount a metallurgist for the U.S. Navy. At her retirement in 1989. She was a fel- Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene, and she the end of the war, she began study- low of the American Association for the supported other musical and political ing physics at Berkeley, but prejudice Advancement of Science, and a mem- causes. against women in that field forced her ber of the Electron Microscopy Society Compiled by Theodore Palmer and Gary Tepfer

Faculty Awards and Announcements

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 and organizations that have made exemplary contribu- Ken Doxsee Wins tions to the incorporation of ACS-CEI Award sustainability into chemical education. For the past twelve Ken Doxsee was one of four years, Doxsee has focused on recipients at the August ACS teacher education through- meeting in Boston of the ACS- out the U.S. and Mexico, the CEI Award for Incorporating Middle East, and Southeast Sustainability into Chemistry Asia. These international ef- Education sponsored by the forts have included eight major American Chemical Society’s workshops in Mexico and Committee on Environmental a series of Thai workshops, Improvement. Doxsee, profes- including six live-over-the- sor of chemistry and associ- Internet laboratory workshops ate vice provost for academic brought to every high school in affairs at the University of Thailand (literally, some 12,000 Ken Doxsee leading a Green Chemistry Workshop in Merida, Oregon, is a leader in interna- to 13,000 schools), directly Yucatan, Mexico. tional teacher education efforts, reaching tens of thousands of Both Cann and Sutheimer See last year’s newsletter developing green teaching ma- teachers, and through them have contributed to our annual at pages.uoregon.edu/chem/ terials and delivering them via touching the lives of perhaps Green Chemistry in Education pdf/news/news09.pdf for more workshops to university and hundreds of thousands of stu- Workshop (see page 6 for about Ken Doxsee’s interna- high school teachers through- dents. more about the workshops), tional teaching efforts. out the world. He was nominat- The other recipients of and Ibanez (who nominated ed by one of his collaborators the ACS-CEI Award are all Doxsee) is one of Doxsee’s in Mexico City. good friends of the UO green key collaborators in the devel- The award program seeks program—Mike Cann, Sue opment of green educational to recognize those individuals Sutheimer, and Jorge Ibanez. materials.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 11 Alumni News from All Over

1950s 1960s admit” that he consulted for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and visited Three The following is a brief career summary William Brewer ’65 worked at the Mile Island on their behalf. Salomon retired submitted by Constantine (Costas) physics department of the Free University about ten years ago and lives with his wife, Spalaris, MA ’50, retired professional of Berlin from 1970 until his retirement in Eleanore, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ex- nuclear and metallurgical engineer, State September 2008, and still lives in Berlin. cept for two months a year when he lives of California: The main focus of his research was the on a forty-nine-foot sailboat cruising the After I received my MA in chemistry experimental investigation of magnetism in Chesapeake Bay. Salomon writes, “I have from the UO after studying with Professor metallic systems on a local (microscopic) very fond memories of the UO, although Van Rysselberge, I transferred to Carnegie scale, using methods involving static and Eugene was culture shock, as I came from Tech (Now Carnegie-Mellon) in Pittsburgh dynamic hyperfine interactions. His web- Brooklyn, New York.” as a candidate for the PhD. After a suc- site is users.physik.fu-berlin.de/~wbrewer/ cessful year at Pittsburgh, where I worked index.html. 1970s at my first job in industry, I was hired by Phoebe Roeder ’69 completed a PhD Howard Budweg ’77 reports that he General Electric in Richland, Washington, in chemistry at the University of California is currently working as an employee of the to work in nuclear technology. I enrolled at San Diego in 1975, and was a postdoc- U.S. Department of Energy and is the DOE at Oregon State College and the GE toral fellow for two years, also at the UC director of the Office of Site Operations Graduate School of Nuclear Engineering San Diego. After taking some time off to at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant East of during the next four years, where I com- raise two children, she volunteered in their Carlsbad New Mexico. This site provides pleted the requirements for the PhD in grade school and began teaching part-time the only operating deep geological reposi- physical chemistry in 1956. at San Diego State University in 1985. tory for nuclear waste. GE established a civilian nuclear reactor Since 1992, Roeder has coordinated Geoff Cooper, PhD ’77, received program at San Jose in California, which I the Liberal Studies Program at SDSU. his doctorate with Lloyd Dolby, studying joined in June 1956. Eventually, I was This program provides the subject matter prostaglandin synthesis. Following a post- responsible for teams of engineers that major for students who later complete a doctoral position with Henry Rapoport at developed technology for reactor structural postbaccalaureate, one-year, multiple- Berkeley studying opium alkaloids, Cooper materials and nuclear fuel. I retired from GE subject credential program and ultimately worked as an industrial research scientist after thirty-two years, then continued to work teach at the elementary or middle-school for about twenty years in the areas of forest with the Electric Power Research Institute level. Roeder writes that she has had a lot products, agricultural chemicals, genetic in Palo Alto, California, until final retirement. of fun creating and modifying curriculum, engineering of plants, and pharmaceuticals. I am very proud that I worked with working with a wide variety of professors, In 2000, Cooper returned to Eugene a team of true pioneers and developed and teaching her own biology, physics, and and attended the UO School of Law, nuclear energy as a successful, benign, physical science courses primarily for this graduating with his JD in 2003. Summers economic, alternative energy that today population of students. She currently lives during this time he worked with Lloyd produces 20 percent of the electrical ener- in La Mesa, California, with her husband Dolby again, this time at his firm Organic gy in the U.S. and 17 percent of the world’s of forty-one years. They have two children, Consultants. After passing the patent bar electricity, and at the same time represents both of whom have earned PhDs in sci- and the Oregon bar, Cooper worked for a 70 percent of reliable electricity in the U.S. ence and math and are pursuing academic couple of years for a small Portland patent without the emission of greenhouse gases. careers. law firm, Birdwell and Janke, then joined Unfortunately, publications often continue Bob Salomon received his PhD in the large patent law firm Schwegman, to denounce nuclear and instead promote physical chemistry at Oregon in 1960 Lundberg, and Woessner in Minneapolis, “alternative solar and wind” without point- and did a short postdoc with Terrell Hill. where he has been ever since. ing out that these alternative sources exist He then accepted a position at Temple Since Cooper’s firm allows him to only because of heavy federal, state, and University, where John Schellman did his work online part of the time, he can spend other subsidies. And for anyone who cares undergraduate work. (Editor’s note: John time traveling and revisiting Oregon and to know, nuclear is the only energy source Schellman is UO professor emeritus in Northern California while continuing that continues to pay back to the U.S. cof- physical biochemistry. Bob Salomon to write patents for clients such as the fers for future decommissioning and used contributed “Reflections of a Chemistry Scripps Research Institute, University of fuel storage. Postdoc in 1950s Eugene” to the 2002 Virginia, the University of California at San I must add that my stay on cam - newsletter, which can be found at pages. Diego, and several start-up firms. Although pus during 1949–50 and my experi - uoregon.edu/chem/pdf/news/news02. Cooper is now sixty, he says he plans to ence working with Professor Van pdf). Salomon remained at Temple for forty keep working at least ten more years as a Rysselberghe was extremely pleasant years and served as department chair for patent attorney. and satisfying. The knowledge I gained ten of those years. He became interested Neil E. Jacobsen ’77 gradu - was vital in my career development. in energy conversion, especially ocean ated with undergraduate research in Virgil From time to time I read the successes wave energy conversion, and had some Boekelheide’s group. His career has had the chemistry department has achieved support from the U.S. Department of many stops, he says, including his PhD and naturally I continue to be proud of Energy. In spite of that, Salomon says he is from the University of California at Berkeley my past association with this university. a very big fan of nuclear energy, but “must in organic chemistry and postdoctoral posi-

12 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Alumni News from All Over tions at the University of California at San took another position as a process engi- tournament for prizes system. Prior to Atlas Francisco in pharmaceutical toxicology, at neer with Korry Electronics, an aerospace Mobile, Babbs was president of Sorrent Berkeley studying both organic chemistry company held by Esterline Technologies, (which became Glu Mobile, a publicly and pesticide toxicology, and at University now in Everett, Washington. As of this traded company), a leading mobile game of Washington studying protein NMR. He November, Shurvinton will have been with company where he was responsible for all has held faculty positions at Evergreen Korry for eighteen years. business aspects of the company including State College in Olympia, Washington, 1980s carrier distribution, publishing, marketing, from 1986 to 1988 and 1990 to 1991. He and business development. He was also worked at Genentech, Inc., studying pro- Isaac Babbs ’83 is a long-time mo- responsible for signing and launching tein NMR from 1993 to 1995. Currently, bile, technology, media, and entertain- basketball star Yao Ming as the first major professional athlete to make his electronic character debut in a cell phone game. Prior to Sorrent, Babbs was an execu- tive at Macromedia, where he cofounded Shockwave.com U.S. and Shockwave. com Japan, the number-one interactive entertainment sites in their countries. Babbs was also general manager and vice president of Macromedia’s audio- video division, which he led and then successfully sold to Apple Computer. The division’s main product, Final Cut Pro, is the world leader in nonlinear video editing. Prior to Macromedia, Babbs was vice president of entertainment marketing at Silicon Graphics, Inc., where he leveraged SGI’s technology and brand to increase the com- pany’s share of the global entertainment content creation and production market. Babbs also held senior management posi- tions at Alias/Wavefront, an SGI company, and Alias Research, Inc., leading providers of 3-D animation and design software for the entertainment and design industries. Jacobsen is director of the NMR facility for ment executive with more than twenty-five Babbs started his career at Hewlett- the chemistry and biochemistry depart- years of experience. Seven months ago Packard. He is now based in Silicon ments at University of Arizona in Tucson, a he joined Qualcomm to head Qualcomm Valley, where he works regularly with the position he has held since 1995. Jacobsen Services Labs as vice president and gen- valley’s leading technology companies, is also the author of a textbook, NMR eral manager. Qualcomm Services Labs is entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. He Spectroscopy Explained (John Wiley and an internal incubator for commercializing also spends a significant amount of time on Sons, 2007). Unfortunately, Jacobsen says, and launching mobile services from within Qualcomm’s San Diego campus. he never made it back to Oregon for work, Qualcomm. Prior to this move, Babbs was Chris Bond ’84 started working in the though he does visit. “I visit Eugene and founder, CEO, and chairman of Tapatap, laboratory of Ed Herbert at the UO follow- Portland often and especially the Oregon Inc., a leading mobile social games com- ing graduation, then moved to Portland with Coast (Manzanita),” he says, “but I love pany, which he sold in March 2009. Before Herbert as she took on the directorship the sunshine and the desert hiking here in that, Babbs served as vice president and of the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health Arizona.” general manager for InfoSpace’s Mobile and Science University. Within Herbert’s Stan Shurvinton ’75 held his first Games, where he headed the Atlas Studio. group, Bond worked with John Adelman, professional position with Tektronix, Inc., Babbs was founder, president, and CEO who, after Herbert’s death, was appointed in Beaverton, Oregon, following gradua- of Atlas Mobile, Inc., the mobile gaming to the faculty of Vollum, where she is now a tion from the UO. While at Tektronix, he company that was acquired by InfoSpace senior scientist. Bond obtained a master’s held the position of process engineer in in July 2004. degree in 1989 and a PhD in molecular the cathode ray tubes division for twelve While at Atlas Mobile, Babbs suc- neurophysiology in 2004. She continued years. Tek downsized in the late 1980s, cessfully led the company in launching to work with Adelman and now holds the and Shurvinton continued his career with the world’s largest and fastest-growing title of research assistant professor. Their a start-up company called Metricor, a service for multiplayer tournament games work is in neuroscience, studying the roles Corning affiliate that was sold and relo- for prizes, with more than 13 million games of calcium-dependent potassium channels cated to Boston two years after he started. played in its first year. Babbs conceived the Shurvinton stayed in the Northwest and idea to create and implement Atlas’ unique CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 13 Honor Roll

Chemistry Gifts Associate Paul Eckler ’70 July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010 Jennifer and J. Andrew Berglund Gordon Ellis ’07 Honor Roll of Donors: Caroline Boekelheide Kathy and Glen Frerichs ’77 Your Gifts, Our Thanks Bruce Chasan ’69 Richard Gray ’78 Kay Hutchison and Philip Cogswell Jr. ’63 Clare Morgan Gropp ’44 The Department of Chemistry faculty Stephen Cross ’64 Thomas Hackett ’69 and students are grateful for your con- Heidi Wierman ’91 and Brian Daikh ’90 Thale ’89 and Eric Jarvis ’89 tributions. Private donations, because Mary Dasso ’84 Denise and Brett Jensen of their flexibility, are often worth much Michael Davidson ’09 Sara Kortum and Frank Jones ’04 more than their dollar amount in terms of Sara Irias Debono ’63 and Lois Ashley Kennedy ’61 helping students and programs. Manuel Debono ’64 Elizabeth and Jeffrey Kurtz ’74 Sue and Daniel Despotopulos Alisa Lux ’06 INDIVIDUALS Mary Dricken ’98 Letty Morgan Richard Fancher ’85 Karrie and Bervil Marsh Jr. ’01 Boekelheide Circle Ella Liptak Forbess ’63 and Benjamin Morris ’09 Dennis Forbess ’61 Silvia ’56 and Juris Orle ’59 Sue and Gary Christian ’59 Joanne Paxton Teresa and William Herzog ’70 Miriam and Samuel Greenschlag ’63 Carol Polinsky Gross ’68 Marilyn and Robert Pinschmidt Jr. ’71 Estate of Charles J. Jacobs Gavin Place ’08 Abraham Perlstein ’49 Julie and David Jedlicka Denise and Brett Jensen Rita Radich ’68 Katherine ’66 and Chester Ramey ’68 Benefactor Lois Ashley Kennedy ’61 Herbert Koppermann ’65 Pauline Seebach Diane Barker Christian and Yun Liang ’07 Linda Warren Smith ’81 Jerry Christian ’59 Xiao-Mei Li ’90 and and Kevin Smith ’81 Paul Delahay ’48 Zheng-Yang Liu ’91 Evan Sohm Victoria DeRose Alisa Lux ’06 Jason Stephens ’05 Debra and Patrick Gray ’74 Gavin Place ’08 Kelly and Craig Stolarczyk ’99 Karen Griffith-Hedberg ’75 and Carla Porterfield Moring ’63 Karen and R. Thomas Swann ’84 O. Hayes Griffith and William Moring Kathryn and Michael Uhler ’82 Marion Hill ’48 Nancy and Daniel Olson ’72 Gary Van Nice Kay and George Kennedy ’59 Rita Radich ’68 Michael Warf ’09 Sophia and Harden McConnell Barbara Williams Page ’57 Mary and Richard Woods Janet Reis and Wayne Solomon ’63 Wayne Parpala ’52 Karen Brix Ziegler ’66 Michael Swanson ’03 Libbie Winn Pelter ’78 and Lee Ziegler ’63 and Michael Pelter CORPORATIONS AND Patron Peter Pomeroy ’67 FOUNDATIONS Michael M. Haley Katherine ’66 and Chester Ramey ’68 Cynda Maxon ’04 John Schellman Rosaria P. Haugland Foundation Lezlie and James McConnell ’86 Catherine Smith ’69 Intel Corporation Pamela and Ronald Swisher ’76 Evan Sohm Life Technologies Corporation Chin and Wayne Stalick ’64 McConnell Labs Sponsor Carolyn Hackman Wolf ’68 Teachers Insurance and and Richard Wolf ’68 Annuity Association–College Ursula Holle Andrews ’76 Lillian Lin Wu ’69 Retirement Equities Fund and Gerald Andrews ’75 Harold Davidson ’49 Contributor Categories of individual giving: Prince Andrea Jones ’00 Lucien Campbell Founders Society (gifts Theodora ’69 and Kwok-Chen Lee ’69 Frances Achee ’60 of $1 million and more), Boekelheide Donald Mack ’47 Kathleen Batie Circle ($10,000 and more), Benefactor Lisa Markov and Richard Ludescher ’84 Shannon Boettcher ’03 ($1,000–$9,999), Patron ($500–$999), Kathleen McCartan Myers Paul Burkhardt ’62 Sponsor ($250–$499), Associate and Stanley Myers ’86 Dennis Clark ’66 ($100–$249), Contributor ($99 and Margaret and William Nolan ’65 Stephen Cross ’64 less). The University of Oregon designates Pat and Joseph Owens ’76 Scott Dahlberg ’77 as President’s Associates those individuals James Roberts ’77 Michael Davidson ’09 who give $2,500 or more annually. Carolyn Rodd Rosenberry ’68 Max Deinzer ’69 You can now donate directly to and Terrone Rosenberry ’69 Frances Jordan Dyke ’86 the Department of Chemistry via a and Thomas Dyke secure link on the web: uoregon. Anita and Norman Eberhardt ’72 edu/~chem/alumni_support.html

14 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Alumni News from All Over

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 “Atlantic Crossing”). The film was a final- with others at the UO,” says Nambi. “I ist at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in late have very pleasant memories of my days in the function and regulation of neuronal August 2010 (blueoceanfilmfestival.org). at the UO chemistry department and the excitability using transgenic mice, stereo- Richard Mansfield ’80 went to Institute of Molecular Biology. My regards taxic injections of virus, electrophysiology, Germany on an exchange scholarship to and thanks to all the professors who taught imaging, and behavior. At the time that the Universität Hohenheim after graduating me about chemistry and doing first-rate she graduated from Oregon, Bond notes from Oregon. After that, he did a three-year scientific research.” that the only access to biochemistry was apprenticeship with a master winemaker Edward M. Weaver ’88 worked through the chemistry department as a bio- and was then accepted into the Universität with Warner Peticolas while at Oregon. chemistry track. “It is great to see that there Wiesbaden for engineering studies in He went on to obtain his MD (Yale) and is so much less separation between disci- viticulture and enology at Geisenheim. master’s degree in public health (University plines, with all boundaries being crossed Mansfield fol- by interdisciplinary consortia,” she writes. lowed that with She also observes that her own career has the establish- not been the standard path; there is a lot ment of a winery of science to be done without becoming a in Roseburg, principle investigator. Oregon, sold it, Brent Heimuller ’89 graduated from and moved to the the Clark Honors College at Oregon and Napa Valley in was admitted to medical school. He then California, where completed a residency at UCLA and he’s restoring a Oregon Health and Science University. He “ghost winery,” has been in private practice in McMinnville, built in 1870. Oregon, for the last fourteen years. Mansfield writes Heimuller is involved with a project in that he just sent Yamhill County to fight childhood obesity, his first container and, using a home garden and a garden at of wine to China. his church, grows hundreds of pounds of Mansfield is the fresh produce for the local food bank. winemaker at Richard Ludescher, PhD ’84, is a pro- Mansfield Winery (mansfieldwinery.com), of Washington). He is now an associate fessor in the Department of Food Science where his wife, Leslie, is a chef and prolific professor of otolaryngology and head- and the George H. Cook Campus Dean cookbook author. and-neck surgery as well as chief of sleep for Undergraduate Education at Rutgers, Parthasarathy (Pacha) Nambi, PhD surgery at the University of Washington, the State University of New Jersey in New ’85, has been teaching part-time at Seattle with an active, NIH-funded clinical research Brunswick. He teaches an undergradu- Central Community College as an instructor program. He lives in the Seattle area with ate course in applied physical chemistry for the past few years. Nambi has been a his wife and four children. of foods and a graduate course in protein college teacher since 1993 in the Seattle 1990s biophysics. His research develops novel area. He has been teaching a number of luminescence techniques to investigate courses in chemistry and computer pro- Heidi Wierman ’91 grew up in Oregon the local structure and molecular mobility in gramming in several languages (such as and graduated from South Eugene High amorphous solid biomaterials in order to un- Visual Basic, C#, Java, JavaScript, Perl, and School in 1987, the UO in 1991, and medi- derstand the mechanistic basis for chemical C), as well as courses in using Microsoft cal school at Oregon Health and Sciences reactivity in biological solids such as dried Office. For several years at the Boeing train- University in 1996. She completed inter- foods, seeds and spores, organisms during ing facility in south Seattle, Nambi taught nal medicine residency at Maine Medical anhydrobiosis, and solid pharmaceuticals. computer courses to train Boeing employ- Center in 1999. After completing a geriatric As dean, he is involved with many projects ees in using advanced .NET and XML tech- fellowship at the University of Rochester in to enrich the academic life on campus. nologies. When he finds time, Nambi also 2002, Wierman returned to Maine. She is One of those projects has him in the role attends seminars at the chemistry depart- currently employed as the fellowship pro- of executive producer on a documentary ment at the University of Washington, where gram director and interim program director titled Atlantic Crossing: A Robot’s Daring he has the chance to learn about advanced for geriatrics at Maine Medical Center in Mission. Read about the first historic trans- research in many fields in chemistry. Portland, Maine. She works in the hospital Atlantic crossing by RU27, an autonomous He also spends as much time as possi- to prevent confusion and functional decline underwater vehicle (i.e., a robot), which ble with his two children. Nambi’s son (born in older patients. She will be celebrating fif- is documented in the film at rucool.ma- in Eugene in 1983) now works for Microsoft teen years of marriage in October to Brian rine rutgers.edu/atlantic. A short trailer of as a database engineer. His daughter is still Daikh, also a physician (who graduated in the documentary and a short film about in college. Nambi is happy to say that his 1990 from the UO in chemistry as well). the making of the documentary can be son was married to his girlfriend, Kate, this They have two children, ages seven and found at wh.rutgers.edu (click on “Atlantic August. eleven. Crossing” Trailer and The Making of Information for Alumni News from All Over was “Thanks for letting me share my story gathered by Vanessa Salvia.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 15 Chemistry News Nonprofit Organization College of Arts and Sciences 2010 U.S. Postage DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY PAID 1253 University of Oregon Eugene OR Eugene OR 97403-1253 Permit No. 63

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Chemistry News A publication of the University of Oregon Department of Chemistry, distributed to alumni, faculty and staff members, postdoctoral fellows, students, and friends of the department.

Editor: Vanessa Salvia Faculty Advisor: Mike Haley Designer: Emily Papp, Design and Editing Services, University of Oregon Printing: Printing and Mailing Services, University of Oregon Shane Monares and Joachim Bowles (second from right) on the first day of This newsletter is printed on Mohawk orientation for chemistry graduate students on Monday, September 20, in the Science Options, 100 percent postconsumer waste, Library. The orientation for all incoming graduate students in chemistry, led by process-chlorine free. Certified by Green senior instructor Deborah Exton, lasts a week and includes CPR and first aid training, Seal. Manufactured with wind-generated sexual harassment training, TA responsibilities, and all the basic information about electricity. getting email and registering for classes.

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