hemical ompositions 7 -200 C 2006 From the Chair can hardly learn more about these new faculty tion in October 2010. Badly needed I believe members on page 3 of this issue, or renovation of the 1929-wing and that a year by visiting our website. other areas of Welch Hall can then has passed I am also pleased to report that proceed. Th ese projects are critically since the last we retained Michael Krische, who important so our faculty and stu- issue of our was targeted by several departments dents can pursue their educational departmental this year. As part of his retention and research interests in an environ- newsletter, package, we will be creating a new ment commensurate with being a top Chemical Center for Green Chemistry. Th us, department. Th e department is also Compositions, in fending off external raids on our beginning to take a more aggressive and that it is faculty, we are able to create new op- role in development activities, and again time to portunities. you may request a copy of our case update our alumni and friends with Being a member of the faculty of statement if you are interested in our some recent developments. I hope this department is a great privilege. fund raising objectives. Additionally, you enjoy reconnecting and reading A certain camaraderie evolves from we are in the process of updating the the accounts contained herein. scientifi c and social interactions with look and content of our website, and Maintaining excellence in educa- one another. Hence, the departure of you will soon see the “new us” at tion and research in chemistry and a colleague always creates a hole in http://www.cm.utexas.edu. biochemistry depends critically upon our lives. Denis Kohl retired this past In summary, we are happy to our ability to hire and retain the best year, and we wish him well in his new inform you that the past year has faculty in the face of fi erce competi- endeavors. On a sadder note, we lost been an exciting one of initiation, tion from other top schools in this two distinguished friends, Norman advancement and challenge. We fi eld. Th erefore, it is signifi cant that Hackerman and John (Mike) White, look forward to updating you of our three new colleagues started their who both passed away unexpectedly continued progress in the next issue careers here in September. Our two over the summer. Th ese men were of Chemical Compositions. In the new assistant professors are Kath- giants in every respect, and although meantime, we appreciate your gener- erine (Kallie) Willets, who will add their daily mentorship and cheerful ous and continuous support of our a signifi cant new dimension to our presence will be greatly missed, their department and its activities and nano science programs, and Dioni- respective legacies will continue to mission, and we welcome your com- cio Siegel, who will add breadth to live in their absence. ments, whether in person on your our strengths in organic synthesis. In other news, I am pleased to next visit to Austin, or by email. We were also fortunate to attract announce that plans for the new Ron Elber, who will strengthen our Experimental Science Building (“ESB Cheers, programs in computational biology II”) are now well advanced. De- and bioinformatics, as the W.A. “Tex” molition of the old ESB will begin Moucrief Chair in Computational early next year (2008), and the new Life Sciences & Biology. You may building is scheduled for comple- Stephen F. Martin Th e University of Texas at Austin ChemistryBiochemistry 888791987919 CChemicalhemical NNL.inddL.indd 1 112/13/20072/13/2007 33:03:41:03:41 PPMM A New and Improved Experimental Science INSIDE THIS Building in the Works ISSUE NEW ESB II to House Organic Chemistry Research and Teaching Labs Only a year after opening the new Nano Science and Technology A New and Improved ESB 2 (NST) building, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department’s campus New Faculty 3 neighborhood will soon be changing again. Th e old Experimental Science In Memory: Building (ESB), located directly Norman Hackerman 4 across 24th Street from Welch Hall J. Michael White 7 and adjacent to NST, is scheduled to Mallet Library News 8 be demolished beginning in January 2008. Th e ESB is over fi fty years old, Faculty Awards 9 and the design and infrastructure are Student Awards 10-11 so outdated that the building cannot Donor Recognition 12 be eff ectively modernized. Staff Awards 13 Artist’s rendering of new ESB’s East end A new and somewhat bigger ESB Degrees Earned 13 will be built on the same site. It will have 154,000 assignable square Departures 14 feet of space on six levels, plus a basement, and will house the Institute Development News 14 for Neuroscience, the Center for Learning and Memory, and organic Obituaries & Retorts 15 chemistry teaching and research labs. A mammal vivarium will occupy New web site 16 the basement. Almost a third of the assignable space As always, we welcome will be allocated to our department. updates on your personal It will accommodate seven organic and professional news and reminiscences of student teaching labs (with a fume hood for experiences. each student,) two advanced synthetic Send us an email message: teaching labs, and up to seven synthetic New ESB’s West end [email protected] organic research groups. Th ere will be Call us: (512) 471-3949 space for a large NMR facility and a chemistry storeroom. Th e driving force for moving organic activities out of Welch Hall is to take advantage Fax us: (512) 471-6835 of a new infrastructure suffi cient to handle the large fume hood demands Write us: of organic chemistry. Chemical Compositions Th e new “ESB II” is currently scheduled to be occupied by December Department of Chemistry & 2010. A follow-on project has also been authorized and funded to renovate Biochemistry portions of the old 1929 wing of Welch Hall. Moving the organic teaching The University of Texas at Austin and research labs out of Welch provides the necessary vacant “swing” space 1 University Station, A5300 to allow for these block renovations. Th ey are expected to be completed Austin, Texas 78712-0165 one to three years after completing ESB II. Visit the department on the web: http://www.cm.utexas.edu --Richard Quy CREDITS Stephen Martin, Chair Editor CORRECTIONS from our last issue: April Wright Photo Credits • Sharon Bugnand works for the CNM, not ICMB. (p10) April Wright • Shirley Hull’s husband’s name is Stewart Dyess. (p14) Kirk Brown We apologize for any incorrect information printed in this publication, and ap- Marvin Hackert preciate feedback from our readers. David Flaxbart 2 888791987919 CChemicalhemical NNL.inddL.indd 2 112/13/20072/13/2007 33:04:46:04:46 PPMM Welcome, New Faculty Members! Our 2006-2007 faculty recruiting eff orts have enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and single produced three outstanding additions to our current nanoparticle localized surface Plasmon resonance (LSPR) departmental faculty. Please join us in welcoming these spectroscopy, to study molecular photophysics and newcomers: environmental interactions at the nanoscale level. Dr. Willets has been teaching Analytical Chemistry at UT and we are delighted to have her here with us. Joining us from New York is Dr. Dionicio Siegel, who was a postdoctoral fellow in synthetic organic chemistry at Dr. Ron Elber joined us this the Memorial Sloan Kettering fall as the W.A. “Tex” Moucrief Cancer Center after receiving Chair in Computational his PhD from Harvard Life Sciences & Biology. His University in 2003. teaching experience spans the Dr. Siegel’s research is fi elds of chemistry, biology and centered on the synthesis of computer sciences. structurally complex natural Dr. Elber’s current research products. New synthetic methods, inspired by atom concerns computational biology connectivity within natural products, utilize reagents-- and bioinformatics. His research ranging from liver microsomes to light-- to eff ect group is developing theoretical transformations that compliment existing reactions. and computational tools to stimulate dynamics of Additional emphasis is placed on the development of biological macromolecules and to predict their structure methods that can help streamline synthesis. and function. Siegel is fi nishing his fi rst semester as Assistant Elber comes to us from the Computer Sciences Professor in our department, teaching Organic Department at Cornell University in New York. He Chemistry I. previously held appointments at the University of Illinois- Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, and Hebrew University. Here at the University of Texas, he is teaching Protein Modeling with Bioinformatics and Biophysics. We’re confi dent that Dr. Elber will be a Dr. Katherine “Kallie” terrifi c addition to the department. Willets has joined us as an Assistant Professor this year. She received her doctoral degree in physical chemistry at Stanford University, and has been doing postdoctoral research at We are pleased to welcome all of our new faculty Northwestern University since members to the University of Texas at Austin and to the 2005. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Dr. Willets’s research focuses on using ultra sensitive spectroscopic techniques, including single molecule fl uorescence, surface- 3 888791987919 CChemicalhemical NNL.inddL.indd 3 112/13/20072/13/2007 33:05:28:05:28 PPMM In Memory to president of the university. Although he was only president for a short time, many signifi cant changes NORMAN HACKERMAN took place under his leadership. Th e University of On Th ursday, June 21, 2007 the tower on the Texas was transformed from a regional university UT campus was lighted orange in remembrance of into a major research presence in Texas and the a former university president, our dear friend and nation.