Slayton A. Evans, Jr
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The Slayton A. Evans, Jr. Lecture in Chemistry Slayton A. Evans, Jr. Slayton Evans was the kind of person professors ought to be; a genial mentor and advisor to his students, a first-rate researcher, and a special friend to his colleagues. Born in Mississippi in 1943, Evans’ studies started at Tougaloo College and included graduate work at Case Western Reserve, and postdoctoral work at University of Texas at Arlington and Notre Dame, before he joined the faculty at Carolina in 1974. He became the chemistry department’s first African-American professor. Evans’ commitment to improve science education for future generations was as significant as his being a successful academic scientist in one of the nation’s top universities. Locally, as a member of the Pogue Undergradu- ate Scholarship Committee, he persuaded the chancellor to augment both the number and value of scholarships substantially and to direct them to the promotion of diversity in the undergraduate student body. Nationally, he was a valued policy advisor to both the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In addition to his contributions within his own specialty of organophosphorus chemistry, Evans used his intellect and integrity to make sure other minorities also found their place in Carolina’s chemistry program. His colleagues and students repeatedly praised Evans for having as much insight about how to treat people as he did about conducting his science. This ability to teach his students about science as well as how to excel professionally gar- nered Evans the respect of many who found his pedagogical approach inspiring and worthy of numerous awards and accolades. A man of true merit, Slayton Evans died on March 24, 2001, and left behind a legacy of excellence in teaching, research, service, and mentoring. Molecular Behavior in Small Spaces This lecture follows the course of molecular recognition by synthetic receptors that completely sur- round their targets: encapsulation complexes. These operate through the proper filling of space and reveal new forms of stereochemistry, isomerism, asymmetry, contortions and reactivity of molecules held inside. Capsules with spacers offer a set of molecular devices that operate through compression and expansion of alkanes. An encapsulation complex of anandamide is shown below. Julius Rebek Professor, Director, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute Julius Rebek, Jr. was born in Hungary in 1944 and lived in Austria from 1945-49. He and his family then settled in the U.S.A. in Kansas. He re- ceived his undergraduate education at the University of Kansas in 1966, and obtained the Ph.D. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology (1970) for studies in peptide chemistry with Professor D.S. Kemp. As an Assistant Professor at the University of California at Los Angeles (1970-1976) he developed the threephase test for reactive intermedi- ates. In 1976 he moved to the University of Pittsburgh where he rose to the rank of Professor of Chemistry and developed cleft-like structures for studies in molecular recognition. In 1989 he returned to the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the Camille Dreyfus Pro- fessor of Chemistry and devised synthetic, self-replicating molecules. In July of 1996, he moved his research group to The Scripps Research Insti- tute to become the Director of The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, where he continues to work in molecular recognition and self-assembling systems. April 12th, 2012, 11:00 AM Max C. Chapman, Jr., Hall, room 125.