s 11 2b Spring 1990 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign INSIDE Lycans Launch Faculty Fund t the February Presidents Council A dinner for alumni and friends, the Foundation announced the new School of Chemical Sciences Faculty Excellence Fund established by Dr. William and Mrs. Janet Lycan. With a gift of $500,000 the Lycans have established an endowment that "pays homage to the late, world Drickamer receives renown chemists, Dr. Roger Adams and Medal of Sdence, Dr. Carl Shipp Marvel, who established pageS the tradition of excellence in chemistry at the University of Illinois." Income from the fund will be used primarily to supplement faculty salaries and to provide additional financial support to attract and retain faculty. This Janet and Bill Lycan is particularly important at a time when and Johnson International. His efforts the pool of truly outstanding scientists is helped the company grow to one of the Carey wins Luce shrinking and extraordinary efforts are ten largest phannaceutical companies in Fellowship, page 2 needed to compete for those who can the world, spending more than $200 contribute to the tradition of excellence of million a year on phannaceutical research. the chemistry department at the Among his many honors and awards was University of Illinois. the Gold Medal which he received in 1970 Income from the endowment carl also from the Society of Chemical Industry be used to provide fellowships to grad· "for conspicuous service to applied ..dft· uate students of faculty who are sup­ chemistry." ported by the fund. Alternatively, the The Lycans hope that their initial fund can be used to support lectures, donation will stimulate others to seminars, symposia and other research Breast cancer contribute to this very important fund at research, page 4 related expenses which make chemical the School of Chemical Sciences. The sciences at the University of illinois a establishment of this fund is an appro· stimulating environment favored by priate capstone of the philanthropic outstanding faculty. career of the Lycans. The Lycans have The Lycans are both graduates of the U. been presidents council members and of I. and have been loyal friends of the members of the U. of I. Foundation since university for many years. Bill Lycan the 70s and have hosted several meetings received aU three degrees from the U. of in the Florida region. In addition to their I., a B.S. in 1924, an M.S. in 1926 and a faithful support of chemical science Schuster named head Ph.D. in 1929, all in chemistry. Janet Lycan funds, they have contributed generously of chemistry, page 8 received a B.S. in education in 1926 after to the U. of I. Advancement Fund, the two years of practice teaching at Uni Hi. Grants-In-Aid athletic scholarship Bill Lycan began his professional career program, and the library. in the organics division of DuPont and The School of Chemical Sciences hopes then became director of research and that a significant SCS Faculty Excellence executive director of research of the paint Fund will contribute in countless ways to division of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass maintain the "Golden Age" of chemistry company. He devoted most of his pro­ at Dlinois. With first rate faculty, we can fessional career to Johnson & Johnson, compete for outstanding graduate Alum writes sci-fi which he served for 20 years, first as students and produce world class nuoel set at U. of 1., director of research, then as vice president research for which chemical sciences at page 7 and finally as vice chairman of Johnson Illinois are renown. Carey Wins Luce Fellowship annette Lazar Carey, who was During her entire career as an under­ function of biological macromolecules. J awarded a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in graduate, graduate student, and She is particularly interested in proteins 1983, is the first woman in a primary postdoctoral fellow, ]annette was a single and nucleic acids, their individual appointment, tenure track position in the mother, raising a daughter who is herself structures and functions, and how they chemistry department at Princeton a student now at City College of San interact with each other. "This work is University and a recipient of one of the Francisco. Combining child-rearing, fundamental to our understanding of first prestigious Clare Booth Luce fellow­ without a supportive spouse or a second how gene expression is controlled." Her ships. Only 8 women nationally, includ­ income, with a rigorous academic approaches to these problems include a ing 2 chemists, won the newly established progyam that demanded single-minded wide range of techniques, from genetics awards, designed to provide financial devotion day and night, was an enormous and molecular biology to magnetic assistance "at critical points of interven­ task. "1 wasn't the only one, though, so I resonance and other spectroscopic tion ... for women who are outstanding had an instant support network in place methods. Her work is funded by grants scholars (in the hard sciences and) on the among the other single mothers in from the N.I.H. and the N.S.F. verge of tenure track appointment." graduate school when I arrived. It's a good The new professor hopes that she can Fourteen schools were selected to thing, too! I owe a lot of my success to be an effective role model, especially nominate candidates. Princeton Univer­ them and to many other friends here and because she can demonstrate to students sity, which had just hired Dr. Carey to its everywhere we've lived." She still visits that there is more than a single route to chemistry faculty as a key member of its Urbana once or twice a year. success. "At present, although many new biostructural chemistry initiative, Dr. Carey, who originally came from women are being trained in the sciences, found a winner. Chicago, trained in physical biochemistry they are underrepresented on faculties. The Luce Fellowship provides substan­ with Professors of Biochemistry Olke Lack of role models is undoubtedly a tial awards ranging from $225,000 to Uhlenbeck at the University of illinois and contributing factor." She hopes that some $430,000 to cover faculty salaries over a Robert Baldwin at Stanford. She also of her students will be part of a more five year period. In addition, winners may worked with Charles Yanofsky, Professor equitable gender distribution on faculties request an allowance for research expenses of Biological Sciences at Stanford and with in the future. including the usual equipment, supplies Jeff Gardner, Professor of Microbiology at She and her students (four women thus and travel. However, a novel feature of the University of lllinois to learn how to far) have just completed their first the program is that this allowance may apply genetic methods to her research successful experiments in the lab, only also be used to support child care. "This problems. She credits these scientists three weeks after her arrival. "It was is really 'critical intervention'", says with giving her a background that has extremely important to me to get the work }annette, "I could have benefited from both breadth and depth. In addition, she moving as quickly as possible, but this this as a student, though not many says, "I am fortunate to have worked with success rate is greater than I could have students have children; it's just too many scientists who were also exceptional hoped for." To her professional colleagues demanding." She thinks this aspect of the human beings." who knew her during her gyaduate award is also important for establishing Dr. Carey's present research is on'the studies at Illinois, her recent success is no the precedent that childcare is a valid relationship between structure and surprise. They are waiting for her next expenditure. "Hopefully, the precedent "first". can be extended to students, too." . 2 ....................._ ____ ______~ The Latest Chemistry Building and the First itha totaJprojectcostofabout$70 W million, the new Chemical/Life Sciences building will be the most expensive structure ever built on this campus. It may not be the largest because it will be roughly comparable in size with the Beckman Institute. Its 137,000 net assignable square feet of space (excluding utilities, restrooms etc.) will be divided approximately equally between chemical and life sciences. The new building will be more expensive than the Beckman Institute because it will contain more laboratory space. Compared with our first chemistry building, now called Harker Hall, the new Chemical/Life Sciences building will cost about 145 times as much but will be only about six times as large. The original chemistry building, just a stone's throw from Noyes Lab, was built in 1878 when the university was still known as lllinois Industrial College, and is now the oldest The original chemistry building In 1878 with mansard roof and grand entrances building on this campus. above ground level. Celled Harker Hall, It Ia currently the oldest building on As the contract for construction of the campue. original building shows (see back of newsletter), the winning bid was for $23,896, which is equivalent to $477,920 in current dollars. The design by Professor disciplines as well. Today, the chemical Museum and the laborr:tory of the Argricul­ Ricker of the department of architecture, sciences are housed in three entire build­ tural Experiment Station. On the second floor and later, dean of the college of engineer­ ings and parts of others. Except for Harker everything north of the central store room was ing, called for a building with 21,875 Hall, which now contains the entomology burned. This inr:luded Dr. Palmer's private square feet of assignable space. According department, we have not vacated any laboratory, with the result that many valuable to Professor Winton Solberg, historian of chemistry building we have ever acquired.