Dr. John Fourkas replaced Janice Reutt-Robey as Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. During her three year term as Associate Chair Janice instituted Visit Maryland Weekend for prospective graduate students, began the Maryland Symposium on Chemistry Research at Undergraduate Institutions, and wrote a successful GAANN proposal to the Department of Education for graduate student support in chemistry.  Dr. Herman Ammon is Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs.  Dr. Dan Falvey is Associate Chair for Facilities and Instruction.

In Memoriam

Dr. Joseph Sampugna, Professor Emeritus, age 75, passed away August 21, 2007 following a short battle with cancer. Dr. Sampugna joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland at College Park in 1968, joining Mark Keeney to be the second member of the then Biochemistry Division.  He retired as Professor of Biochemistry in 1997 but continued his research through the spring of this year. His work spanned a broad area of lipid biochemistry but is best known for developing analytical methods for and elucidating the potential dangers of trans-fatty acids. This work started in the early 1980’s and culminated in a publication in 1996, that recommended that the content of trans-fatty acids should be provided on food labels, a suggestion subsequently adopted for processed USA food products. In addition to mentoring countless undergraduate and graduate students, in the 1970’s, he also co-authored the biochemistry module, Molecules in Living Systems, as part of the Interdisciplinary Approach to Chemistry for high school students. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, two children and four grandchildren.  Joe has established the Sampugna-Keeney Endowment to support biochemistry graduate student travel to professional meetings. The Sampugna-Keeney Fund is open and available for on-going donations from members of the Department of chemistry and Biochemistry Community.


Dr. James Robert McNesby, 84, who retired in 1982 after six years as chairman of the University of Maryland chemistry department, died December 12, 2006. He had Alzheimer's disease.  Before joining the University of Maryland faculty, Dr. McNesby worked nearly 20 years at what is now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. McNesby was an internationally known photochemist who was appointed upon arrival at the University of Maryland in 1976 as Acting Chair to lead a deeply fractured Department.  He was a strong administrator as well as a fine chemist, and perhaps, best of all, a great and warm human being.  Dr. McNesby was granted his tenured professorship and named Chair in 1978. In the 1950s Dr. McNesby worked at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, California, conducting research on photochemistry of highly reactive molecules. He became a leading authority in the field, chairing national and international photochemistry conferences, lecturing, writing or co-writing several book chapters, and publishing more than 80 articles in scientific journals. Survivors include his wife, Helen Louise Rittenhouse McNesby, three children, and five grandchildren.  In honor of Dr. McNesby's many achievements and dedication to the Chemistry and Biochemistry department, Dr. Milliard Alexander founded the McNesby Graduate Fellowship, and other faculty members in the Department are joining him in supporting it. The McNesby Fund is open and available for on-going donations from members of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Community.

  

National: Dr. Catherine Fenselau is the 2008 recipient of the Frank H. Field and Joe L. Franklin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mass Spectrometry that will be presented to her during the spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Catherine is recognized for sustained excellence in the application of mass spectrometry to fundamental problems of biomedical interest and her service to her profession. During the fall national meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chair Michael Doyle received the 2007 Edward Leete Award for outstanding contributions to teaching and research in organic chemistry. Dr. John Fourkas was elected Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

College and University: Dr. John Fourkas and graduate student Christopher N. LaFratta were named Inventors of the Year in Physical Science for their invention “Method for Fabrication of Complex 3-D Microfluidic Networks.” Dr. Philip DeShong is the recipient of the System of Maryland Regents’ Award for Public Service. Dr. Sang Bok Lee received the College’s Junior faculty Award. He was also a recent recipient of the KIChe-US (Korean Institute of Chemical Engineering-United States) Outstanding Young Investigator Award.

2006 Marker Symposium on Molecular Architecture with Professor Peter J. Stang as the Marker Lecturer

In 2006-07, the Marker Lecture evolved into a symposium that celebrated the area of science of the Marker Lecturer.  For the event on October 26th, Lyle Isaacs (University of Maryland) and Luis Echegoyen (Clemson University, and Director of NSF Division of Chemistry) preceded Marker Lecturer Peter J. Stang.  Professor Stang was Dean of the College of Science and is Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of Utah.  He is also Editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, author or co-author of nearly 400 scientific publications, and a pioneer in nanoscale supramolecular assemblies, iodonium chemistry, and the chemistry of reaction intermediates. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Organic Chemistry, as member of several ACS committees, and member of the Board of Directors for the American Association for the Advancement of science.  Professor Stang is a Member of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences, Titular Member of the European Academy of Arts, Sciences, & Humanities, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.  He is the recipient of numerous national awards, the latest being the 2007 ACS Award for Creative Research and Applications of Iodine Chemistry.



2007 Carl and Gretchen Rollinson Symposium on Bioinorganic Chemistry with Professor Joan S. Valentine as the Rollinson Lecturer

In 2006-07, the Rollinson Lecture evolved into a symposium that celebrated the area of science of the Rollinson Lecturer.  For the event on March 1st, Sean J. Elliott (Boston University) and  Kenneth D. Karlin (The Johns Hopkins University) preceded Rollinson Lecturer Joan S. Valentine.  Professor Valentine received her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Princeton University in 1971.  She was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Rutgers University in New Brunswick in 1972.  In 1980, she moved to UCLA, where she is Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In addition to her research, teaching, and administrative roles at UCLA, Professor Valentine served as Associate Editor of the journal Inorganic Chemistry from 1989 to 1995 and, since 1994, is Editor-in-Chief of Accounts of Chemical Research. Dr. Valentine serves on the Program Committee for the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowships in Chemistry, the Board of Trustees of the Gordon Research Conferences, the Chemistry Advisory Committee for the Carnegie Foundation Initiative on the Doctorate, among others.  In 2005 she was elected Member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Preceding this event were seminars by Andrei Vedernikov (University of Maryland) and Alan S. Goldman (Rutgers University), sponsored by the Marker fund, on catalysis of hydrocarbon oxidation.

Professor Jeff Davis led the organization of Calix 2007-The 9th International Conference on Calixarene Chemistry. This conference, attended by 150+ scientists from 21 nations, was held August 6-9 at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center. Many world leaders in Supramolecular Chemistry participated in Calix 2007. Prior to the Calix 2007 conference, Professor Lyle Isaacs hosted an NSF Workshop on Cucurbituril Chemistry in the Department on Aug. 4-5. This workshop, with 75 participants from around the world, was the first ever meeting organized to discuss the expanding field of CB chemistry.

Left to right - Prof. Javier de Mendoza (Madrid, Spain), Prof. Enrico Dalcanale (Parma, Italy) and Prof. Jeff Davis (Maryland, USA and Organizer of Calix 2007) pose for a picture in the Chemistry Atrium after the opening day of talks.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was one of fourteen programs nationwide to receive a prestigious Beckman Scholars Program award. Established in 1997, The Beckman Scholars Program is an invited program for accredited universities and four-year colleges in the United States, providing scholarships that contribute significantly in advancing the education, research training and personal development of select undergraduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences. Undergraduate student Grace Chiou (Doyle lab) is the first Beckman Scholar.

Pictured at right is undergraduate student Grace Chiou (Doyle lab) the first Beckman Scholar.




Graduates with majors in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry exceeded 80 in 2006-2007, making this department one of the largest producers of chemical scientists in the country.  Biochemistry majors exceed chemistry majors by two-to-one.  Graduating students enter the medical professions, graduate school, government labs or industrial positions.

	It’s wasn’t quite that bad, and it isn’t quite this good: How many of you were subjected to the conditions of the old freshman teaching labs?  Six laboratories for introductory chemistry were renovated this summer to give a new look to those rooms.  The hood and sinks were replaced, as was the room tile, and window air conditioners were installed.  We remain hopeful for major renovation in the foreseeable future, but for now this change in our teaching labs make those rooms much more inviting to the nearly 1500 students who occupy them each year.
Before		After

The revised chemistry curriculum was fully implemented with the Spring 2007 semester, and there is enthusiasm among faculty and students for this curriculum.  The fourth semester lecture program retained common principles but diverged in examples with one section emphasizing biochemistry, another environmental chemistry, and still another energy. The department and college purchased new equipment to implement the fourth semester laboratory with its emphasis on bioanalytical chemistry.

A new Maryland NOBCChE chapter

Nearly 100 Department members were on hand for the Labor Day matchup between the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins, which the Nationals won by a score of 6-3.  The event was part of the welcoming festivities for our new graduate students, and began with a tailgate party.  The tickets were donated to the Department, and we hope to make this an annual event.
Click on picture for a larger image.





Wei-Hao Huang (Isaacs Lab) received an Ann Wylie Dissertation Fellowship from the University of Maryland. The fellowship will carry a stipend of $10,000 and also includes candidacy tuition remission and $400 toward the cost of health insurance.


Mrs. Mary Bailey plans to increase the William J. Bailey Fellowship endowment to two graduate fellowships and has donated over $200,000 since January 2007.  Mrs. Bailey is a loyal and generous friend of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, a place where her husband found so much success during his academic career (prominent leader in polymer science, President of the American Chemical, Society, member of National academy of Engineering, among others).  Many thanks to Mrs. Bailey for her generous support of students via the William J. Bailey Fellowship, one that will go into perpetuity. The 2007-08 fellows are Deana Jaber and Dennis Mayo. Deanna earned a B.A. in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College in 2005, and is working in Dr. Herman Sintim's group on a methodology project. Dennis graduated in 2006 with a BA in Chemistry from the Ohio State University.  His current research in Isaacs' lab focuses on biological applications of the cucurbit[n]uril family of compounds.

Rebecca Viera (Falvey Lab) has been awarded an ARCS Foundation Fellowship to support her PhD studies of  photo-induced electron transfer in ionic media.  Rebecca’s Fellowship was awarded  by the Metropolitan Washington Chapter in recognition of her outstanding achievement in doctoral research.  Rebecca received her B.A. in chemistry in 2003 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  Her PhD research is being conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dan Falvey. 

Monique Pichon entered our graduate program this fall as the department’s first Milligan Fellow, following a summer research internship in the Chemical Science & Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards & Technology.  This three-year $30,000 per annum Fellowship and internship was awarded via a national competition sponsored by NIST.   Monique is a 2007 chemistry graduate of Xavier University with research interests in organic chemistry.

Dominique Downing was awarded a GEM Fellowship from the National GEM Consortium in the PhD Science Fellowship Program.  Dominique received her B.A. in chemistry in 2007 at the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a first year chemistry doctoral student with interests in organic chemistry.

Jason Nichols (Doyle Lab) was the recipient of a 2006-2007 ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Graduate Fellowship, sponsored by BristolMyersSquibb in the amount of $24,000.   Jason is a graduate of Ithaca College in New York, where he did research with Heinz Koch.  Before entering the University of Maryland in 2003, Jason worked at Merck in West Point and Advancis Pharmaceuticals in Gaithersburg; he currently has six publications and is preparing two more.




For 2006-07, the National Science Foundation supported two chemistry graduates, Renee Siler and Jacqueline Smith, with $30,000 Bridge to Dissertation Fellowships.   Renee received her B.A. in chemistry  in 2006 from Spellman College and is conducting laser-based investigations of liquid interfaces under the direction of Dr. Robert Walker. Jacqueline received her B.A. in chemistry in 2006 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is conducting bio-inspired synthesis under the direction of Dr. Herman Sintim.

Amy Finch is being supported by the Department of Defense through a SMART Scholarship. Amy has a B.A. in chemistry from Whittier College in 2003 and is conducting bio-organic research on DNA under the direction of Professor Steve Rokita. Amy’s insights on graduate fellowship opportunities were recently quoted in the September 11, 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report.



Thanks to a generous contribution from alumnus Dr. Herman Kraybill, two $8,000 supplemental fellowships to biochemistry graduate students were announced in his name. Dr. Kraybill is a 1941 Ph.D. graduate who, following his service as a U.S. Army Nutrition Officer during WWII, pursued a highly diverse and successful career in biomedical research fields including biochemistry, toxicology, and environmental and occupational carcinogenesis. This year's recipients are Patrick McTamney and Aaron Haeusler.

Pictured at left are the 2007 Kraybill Fellows (Click on photo for a larger image)
Left to right: Patrick McTamney (Rokita Lab), Dr. Herman Kraybill and Aaron Haeusler (Kahn Lab)

The Department of Education is sponsoring four chemistry graduate students through its GAANN Fellowship Program. Tony Dylla (magna cum laude B.A. in chemistry, 2004, Minnesota State University), Cassie Taylor (B.A. in chemistry, 2004, St. Francis University), Brian Borak (2004 B.A. in chemistry, Davidson College), and Regan Nally (2001 B.A. in chemistry, Evergreen State College) have each been awarded a $30,000 Fellowship to pursue their research. In addition to their dissertation studies, the Fellows are obtaining supervised teaching experiences under master chemistry teachers Dr. Douglas English, Dr. Alice Mignerey, Dr. Philip DeShong, and Dr. Steven Rokita.