October 2008
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Thank you for visiting our website, and I hope you get the chance to visit us in person. We are always happy to show you the progress we are making in our research, teaching, and service missions. We continue to refine and evaluate our program at every opportunity.
We are pleased to announce the establishment of a new graduate student fellowship, the John H. Nelson Fellowship, which honors our colleague who made so many contributions to the university over his long career in the department before retiring in 2007. We are well on our way towards our goal of raising enough money to endow this award, but more help is needed. For additional information and giving opportunities please see my letter announcing the establishment of this fellowship.
We also thank the continued and generous contributions to the department from the Boyntons. The Russ and Peggy Boynton Chemistry reading room and adjacent conference room are widely used by students and faculty alike, as a focal point for interactions and meetings among students and faculty, and also for departmental gatherings and poster sessions.
This past year, the department welcomed a new member, Dr. Stephen Spain, as our new Director of Instrumentation. Stephen comes to us from Myriad Genetics, where he worked since 2005 after receiving his Ph.D. with Prof. Dallas Rabenstein from the University of California, Riverside.
Two members of our faculty were honored in spring with research and mentoring awards from the University. Brian Frost received the University's Undergraduate Mentoring Award, and Liming Zhang received the Mousel-Feltner Award for Excellence in Research and/or Creative Activity.
Our National Science Foundation supported Research Experience for Undergraduates program thrived for the third straight summer, directed by Prof. Casey and Prof. Frost. This year 10 outstanding undergraduate students from around the globe worked with faculty members in the department for 10 weeks, and presented their work at a poster session at the end of the summer.
Our other big news is that construction began in June on the new Davidson Mathematics and Science Center, math and science instructional building recently funded by the Nevada state legislature. It is scheduled to open in August 2010. The new building will contain instructional laboratories for General and Organic Chemistry as well as for several other science departments and space for Mathematics and the College of Science dean's office. The instructional lab space in the current Chemistry Building will then be renovated for long-needed research laboratory expansion.
The Department of Chemistry continues to experience growth in enrollments. We are now serving over 2100 students each semester, with lab courses now scheduled two mornings, five afternoons, and three evenings per week. We have about 60 graduate students and 20 permanent teaching and research faculty. To learn about the exciting research going on in the department, I invite you to view the faculty research descriptions.
I would also like to bring your attention to various giving opportunities available for supporting the programs of the department. You will note several named scholarship, award, and lectureship funds in honor of faculty and former students. Unrestricted donations to the Chemistry Department Fund are also most appreciated to help us with student and faculty recruitment and the seminar program.
Our departmental newsletters are available (below) for downloading. We are always happy to hear from our former students and friends of the department. Please drop us a line and let us know what you are doing - any alumni news for this year's newsletter is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Vince Catalano, Chair
Periodic Tableaux, 2005
Periodic Tableaux, 2006
Periodic Tableaux, 2007
Periodic Tableaux, 2008