CHEMISTRY NEWS UNIVERSITY of OREGON COLLEGE of ARTS and SCIENCES DEPARTMENT of CHEMISTRY 1996 from the DEPARTMENT HEAD the Past Year Was an Exhilarat- Didates
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CHEMISTRY NEWS UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY 1996 FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD The past year was an exhilarat- didates. We did something un- ing one for the Department of heard offor Oregon anywaywe Chemistry. Among many exciting requested permission to hire both things that happened, we hired candidates. To our mild surprise, two new faculty members, our the deans office and the Graduate Achievement Endowment Fund School agreed this was an opportu- continues to grow, we honored nity we should not miss. We hired three distinguished alumni with both Andy Marcus and Mark achievement awards, members of Lonergan. Im sure it is obvious our faculty were recognized with that the administration wouldnt national and local awards, and we do this for just any department. It graduated thirty-eight enthusiastic is a sign of our departments undergraduate and graduate stu- strength and quality that we were dents. Let me briefly recount these permitted to hire two new faculty events and achievements. members. Last fall we ran a search for a One of the reasons our depart- physical chemist to replace Warner ment remains optimistic about the Peticolas, who retired. We inter- future is that we have generous viewed four candidates and found alumni who contribute to our © JACK LIU ourselves having to decide be- growing Achievement Endowment tween two absolutely superb can- continued on page 2 Chemistry Commencement Gets Personal Remember when the only and friends. In a new twist this graduation event was a large gath- year, students wrote a humorous ering on a football field? Times script, Our Seniors Top Ten List have changed. Now the Depart- of Reasons to be a Chemistry Ma- ment of Chemistry has its own jor, and asked certain faculty graduation ceremony and recep- members to read them. For ex- tion, which takes place in the ample, Jim Hutchison (a Star Wars Willamette Hall Atrium, apart character look-alike) read Reason from the large-scale university No. 10: To have the chance to event. This is a smaller, more per- learn first hand from Luke sonal event where faculty mem- Skywalker what it is like to do bers, students, and parents can battle with the dark side, and meet, talk, and enjoy a family-like John Keana read Reason No. 8: atmosphere. All organic chemistry can be un- Our department is rapidly es- derstood by references to cows and tablishing its own graduation tra- chickens. ditions, which include more Another innovation is that stu- humor and individual recognition dents select the speaker. The speak- of student achievements. Depart- ers for the two previous years were ment Head David Tyler opened John Hardwick and Jim Long. the event with a welcome to stu- This year the students honored Jim dents, faculty members, family, Hutchison, who addressed the continued from top of page 1 teach. Undergraduate laboratories are loaded with computers that Fund. This fund was set up two collect and analyze data, and new Amos B. years ago to help offset declining analytical and spectroscopic in- support from state and federal strumentation is everywhere. Smith III to sources. In just two years you have Computer networks make it pos- donated over forty thousand dol- sible for students to obtain lecture lars, and we thank you for your notes and homework sets online. Receive UO generosity. We are still soliciting In some classes, they can even turn contributions to help us reach our in the homework sets on line. Stu- goal of sixty thousand dollars. As I dents can turn to on-line discus- Creativity explained last year, most senior sion groups, which are monitored faculty members are contributing, by faculty members and teaching Award too, and the state matches the com- assistants, for additional help with bined alumni and faculty contribu- problem solving. This is all very tions, so your contributions go exciting, but it costs money. Your even further. contributions are helping to pur- Another highlight from the past chase the needed equipment and year was our continuing celebra- technology we need to remain tion of successful careers with the leaders in chemical education. Chemistry Alumni Achievement In concluding, let me remind Awards. This annual event was you that we like to hear from you. initiated in 1989 as a way of identi- One of the most widely read sec- fying particularly successful tions of this newsletter is the News alumni. This past year we honored from All Over section, in which we Victor Snieckus, Marion Hill, and include news about you. This sec- Shin-Ichiro Sakai. The seminars tion depends on input directly these award winners gave when from you. Let us know what you they returned to campus were high are doing, even if it is only your Amos B. Smith III, professor of points of the year. Many of our current position, and we will in- chemistry at the University of students commented on the can do clude the information in our next Pennsylvania, will receive the Uni- attitude of the awardees and the edition of the newsletter. versity of Oregon Creativity Award way that attitude inspired to them in recognition of his many out- as students. The careers of this standing contributions to research years award winners are de- in organic chemistry. He will spend scribed in detail in an article in this some time at the University of Or- newsletter. egon meeting with faculty and stu- Our faculty members continue dents. Then Friday, March 7, 1997, to reap rewards for their successful he will present an award lecture careers. These honors are also dis- during the regularly scheduled or- cussed in more detail in this news- continued from page 1, bottom ganic seminar. Smith is well known letter, but in particular I want to for his outstanding achievements call attention to Peter von Hippels Class of 1996, with, as he put it, a in natural products synthesis, or- selection as a distinguished profes- linear combination of emotions. ganic photochemistry, and primate sor in the College of Arts and Sci- Jim advised graduates not to un- pheromone chemistry. ences. Pete has been a scientific derestimate your abilities and to The UO Creativity Award was and civic leader in the department keep your eyes open for unique op- established by the Boekelheide En- and the university for many years, portunities in response to the dowment of the University of Or- and one cannot imagine a better changing nature of the job market. egon Foundation to recognize choice for this award. During the Awarding of Degrees outstanding and original contribu- Although it sounds clichéd, our Ceremony, parents, family mem- tions in chemistry, music, and commitment to providing a superb bers, and friends were invited to dance. This is the second award in education for our students is as stand and cheer as their graduates the area of chemistry. The first strong as ever. Those of you who name was called. A reception with chemistry awardee was Nelson havent visited the department in refreshments followed. Thanks go Leonard of the University of Illi- some time probably wouldnt rec- to Diane Lachenmeier, chemistrys nois in 1994, followed by awards to ognize the major changes that have office manager, for helping to orga- Toni Pimble for dance, and James taken place in the classroom. Tech- nize this event. Harbison for music. In addition to nology is changing the way we see related information on page 14 expenses Smith will receive $5,000. 2 Chemistry Alumni Achievement Awards MOCK PHOTOGRAPHY Marion E. Hill Victor Snieckus Shin-Ichiro Sakai On March 8, 1996, Alumni Victor Snieckus, born in The award ceremony for Shin- Achievement Awards in Chemistry Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1937, emi- Ichiro Sakai was held May 24, were made to two UO chemistry grated to Germany in 1945. He re- 1996. He received his training with alumni, Victor Snieckus and ceived his B.S. from the University Eiji Ochiai, undoubtedly the great- Marion E. Hill, for their outstand- of Alberta in Edmonton in 1959, his est organic chemist in Japan from ing accomplishments. During the M.S. from the University of Califor- 194065. Sakai was appointed as- afternoon celebration each of the nia, Berkeley and his Ph.D. from sociate professor at Chiba Univer- awardees related their accomplish- the University of Oregon in 1965 sity in 1960 and a year later at the ments and memories of their stud- under the guidance of Virgil age of thirty-one was promoted to ies at Oregon. After a champagne Boekelheide. This was followed by professor. Sakai organized his re- reception, awards were conferred a postdoctoral fellowship with O. search group, and was a in the atrium of Willamette Hall. E. Edwards at the National Re- postdoctoral fellow for sixteen Marion E. Hill received his B.S. search Council of Canada and an months (196364) with Lloyd in 1948 and M.S. in 1949 in chemis- appointment at the University of Dolby. Sakai was successful in es- try at the University of Oregon. He Waterloo in 1967. In 1992 he was tablishing international exchange then began his professional career awarded the NSERC/Monsanto agreements with the Faculty of at the National Bureau of Stan- Chair in Chemical Synthesis and Pharmacy at the University of dards as a physical chemist en- Biomolecule Design at University Alberta in Edmonton and the Fac- gaged in thermochemistry. Later of Waterloo. Since 1990 Snieckus ulty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in he joined the U.S. Naval Ordnance has given more than one hundred Chulalongborn, University of Laboratory, where he developed a lectures throughout the world. The Thailand. He has published more process for making the main theme of his research has than fifty papers and has edited nitroplasticizer used in the Polaris been directed ortho metalation re- and contributed to more than missile rocket motor.