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50 YEARS OF CHEMISTRY AT STONY BROOK - COMING OCTOBER 17

08/26/2009 Luke Hanley (SBU Ph.D. 1988, with Scott Anderson)

• Luke Hanley is a Professor of Analytical Chemistry (!) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and also an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering. He has been named a Fellow of the American Vacuum Society, and runs a substantial research group, as judged from his website at http://www.chem.uic.edu/hanley

05/06/2009 Patrick Safo (B.S. 1999)

• From his brother Jude, an undergraduate physics and materials science major, we learn that Patrick Safo, who graduated in 1999 with a double major in Chemistry and Pharmacology, has received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard and is now an intern at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Along the way, Patrick has acquired publications from his undergraduate days at SBU, from Merck, where he worked as a UNCF/Merck Scholar, and from Harvard. He has also acquired a wife and two children.

04/27/2009 David Walt (Ph.D 1979)

• Prof. David Walt of Tufts University presented a Provost's Lecture on Monday, April 27 on the subject of "Technology and the Era of Personalized Medicine."

10/17/2008 Bernadette McGann (B.S., 2002; M.S., 2003, Parker)

• I wanted to wish everyone at Stony Brook a Happy Chemistry Day!
  
  I also wanted to post an update about myself. My background: I graduated from Stony Brook undergraduate in 2002 and graduate, MS, in 2003. I conducted research with Dr. Dale Drueckhammer during my time as an undergraduate and with Dr. Parker as a graduate student.
  
  As of August 2008, I began working at Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP of Washington, DC as a first year associate. The focus of my career is on patent law, although the firm handles all types of intellectual property issues.
  As of Friday October 10th, I found out I passed the Connecticut Bar Exam and am awaiting my final results of the New York Bar Exam.

10/07/2008 Michael Duffy (B.S., 1964)

• Michael writes to inform us that he now is teaching in the Chemistry Department at Villanova U.

08/31/08 Francois Dejean (M.S., 1999, Millar)

• Browsing through the Chem dept website, from where I graduated almost 10 years ago, I figured I would send some news. I graduated in 1999 with a M.S. in inorganic chemistry. My professor was Michelle. .... I am working now at the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark, specifically on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. There is not much chemistry involved in my work anymore (well, none actually), but my time at Stony Brook was a great scientific training experience.

  European Environment Agency
  Kongens Nytorv 6
  1050 Copenhagen K - Denmark
  Tel.: +45 33 36 72 59
  www.eea.europa.eu

08/15/2008 Ramnath Iyer (Ph.D., 1985, Helquist)

• My novel “One Equal Eternity” has been published and is available for purchase at BookSurge which is a print-on-demand publishing company. The link for the purchase of the same .... [is] copied below. Enjoy reading the novel. Feel free to forward the URL for the purchase of the novel to family, friends and souls that like a story that warms the cockles of their heart while also challenging and stimulating the mind.
  
  The URL link to the E-store for the purchase of my novel is http://www.createspace.com/3342182

08/15/2008 Steve Shire, (B.S. 1968)

• After I got my Ph.D, in Frank Gurd's lab at Indiana I went on and did a post doc in Todd Schuster's lab at the University of Connecticut where I studied virus assembly and also obtained my training in analytical ultracentrifugation. I joined Genentech in 1980 as a research protein chemist and set up an analytical ultracentrifugation facility. Eventually I joined the newly formed formulation group and was promoted to Sr. Scientist. Since then I was promoted to the rank of Staff Scientist, and currently I am a group leader in the Late Stage Pharmaceutical and Device Development Department. My group works on all phases of late stage development of our protein pharmaceuticals which entails formulation and delivery. Over the last few years my group has been contributing to investigation and development of monoclonal antibody formulations at high concentrations (~150 mg/mL) for sub cutaneous administration.
• Also graduating in 1968 was Alan Nigen, who also went to Indiana University and worked in the same group as Steve. After a productive graduate and postdoctoral research career, Al got his M.D. from Miami, and now practices internal medicine in Fort Lauderdale FL. Their classmate, Paul Feuerstein, then known as "Tall Paul," got his D.M.D. from NJ College of Medicine and Dentistry, and now practices in North Billerica MA. His webpage is http://www.dentalcompare.com/dentist_profile.asp?expertid=35.

08/13/2008 Pamela Cooper Shepard (M.S. 1989)

• Pamela is currently teaching Honors Chemistry and College Preparatory Chemistry at Moorestown High School in Moorestown, NJ.
  

08/05/2008 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)

• Candice has been appointed Associate Dean of Curriculum Development at Suffolk County Community College where she is Professor of Chemistry. She writes
• ..... we have an NSF S STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) scholarship grant here at SCCC (2006-2011) of which I am the PI, along with 4 of my talented SCCC colleagues. Our website is: http://department.sunysuffolk.edu/NSFSTEM/index.asp, .... We finished our first year with a cohort of 28 students funded in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors, and are currently in our second year with a cohort of talented SCCC students who will be bridging to 4 year schools after completing their first two years of STEM education here. This is a needs-based scholarship (as determined by FAFSA), and most of our students bridge to .... Stony Brook University!!

08/04/2008 Mitchell Koppelman (B,S,, 1972)

• Believe my profile is now quite old and outdated, so I thought I'd update fellow chemistry alums. I remain employed by Minerals Technologies, but have a much less (daily) technology role than I did as VP R&D. Am currently VP Strategic Planning, and have been same for the past 7 years. Work out of our New York City (Chrysler Building) and Bethlehem PA sites, and am a member of our Technology Leadership Council. Work to identify new market and product directions for the corporation, as well as acquisition and licensing opportunities. MTI is a $1 billion+ publically traded (NYSE) company, serving the basic global process industries of paper, steel, polymers and building materials offering mineral (natural and synthetic) and refractory based products and solutions. Received my Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 1976 in Chemistry, focussing on XPS of minerals and surface reactions. Still serve on the Board of the College of Science at Virginia Tech, and was chair of the Chemistry Department Alumni Advisory Board for five years, still serving as a Board member.

  I still live in North Plainfield NJ with my wife Debbie and our 23 y/o daughter Tani. Hope to join fellow SUSB Chemistry alums at the 50th Anniversary of Chemistry at Stony Brook.

04/09/2008 Swati Bal-Tembe (Ph.D., 1981, Helquist)

• The New Chemical Entity Research Unit of Nicholas Piramal India Limited was recently demerged to a new Company, "Piramal Life Sciences Limited". My new contact details are as follows:

  Dr. Swati Bal-Tembe
  Vice President & Head, Patents Department
  Piramal Life Sciences Limited
  1, Nirlon Complex
  Off Western Express Highway, Goregaon (East)
  Mumbai 400 063, India
  E-mail: swati.bal-tembe@piramal.com Home e-mail address: baltembe@yahoo.com

02/26/2008 Steven Goodman (B.S., 1971)

• Steven Goodman has been named VP for Research and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

02/25/2008 David R. Walt (Ph.D., Francis Johnson, 1979)

• David R. Walt, Robinson Professor of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.  was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He is cited for the development of revolutionary sensors that can simultaneously image and perform biochemical analyses.

11/11/07 Lawrence Weber (B.S., 1971)

• After a long career with publicly traded technology companies, Dr. Lawrence Weber became a consultant to early phase high tech enterprises. He now has returned to Stony Brook where he is a staff member in the Sensor CAT.

10/20/2007 Ophelia Morris (B.S., 2001)

• We are pleased to have located Ophelia. She teaches Chemistry and Physics and is the Honor Society Advisor at the Excelsior Preparatory High School in Queens, NY. She writes that she will be on campus for the 50th homecoming weekend and we hope to see her and other alumni at those events.

9/26/2007 - updated - 10/10/2007 Lauterbur Symposium

• You may wonder why no mention of the Lauterbur Symposium has been forthcoming on this news page. We hope to post some of the many pictures that were taken at that function. A large, enthusiastic audience attended the symposium which included a thoroughly entertaining and informative Presidential Lecture by Richard Ernst, Nobel Laureate.

  We were pleased to see a number of Paul's students. The picture to the right shows David Kramer (PhD, 1978, Lauterbur) and (Dr.) Joe Frank (B.A., 1974). David also gave an entertaining and animated talk about his time in the Lauterbur laboratory. Joe had to leave for another meeting, but left behind a number of photographic slides that David incorporated in his remarks. Other alumni included Barry Sokol (B.S., 1968), Dick Ward (PhD, 1969, Haim) and many others. We want especially to acknowledge generous support for the affair from (Dr.) Phyllis Russo (B.S., 1964), who was unable to attend, but sent happy recollections of courses which she took with Paul. (Dr.) Jerry Ackerman (B.S, 1971) (whose picture is below, was another of Paul's early students who gave an entertaining talk about his time in the Lauterbur laboratory and recent developments in MRI.

The HSC media services screening room has proofs of pictures taken during the President's Lecture and the subsequent reception and banquet. Prof. Kerber has helped to identify the following alumni who attended in addition to those mentioned above: Norman Johns (B.S., 1993), Haifang Li (PhD, 1991, leNoble), (Dr.) Bill Schoen (B.S, 1977), Nava Shochet (PhD, 1985, Springer), Joe Stainkamp (B.S., 2002), Zach Katsamanis (PhD, 2004, Goroff). More recent alumni who are continuing their graduate work at SBU included William Berger, Arthur Campbell, Amber Carr and Peter Marek.

• President Kenny announced the establishment of a Lauterbur Fund to help the continued development of the department's research and creative activities. You will be hearing more about that fund presently.

9/26/2007 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)

• received the SUNY Chancellor's Award at Suffolk County Community College for Faculty Service (after serving as CoChair for SCCC's Middle States Self Study, which concluded in March).

8/22/2007 Early History of the Department

• Prof. Francis Bonner, founding chair of the Department of Chemistry, has published a memoir: Chemistry at Stony Brook - From SUCOLI to SBU. It describes the history of the early development of the department during Prof. Bonner's tenure as Chair. He has graciously provided an electronic copy of the memoir.

8/19/07 Change in Chairmanship

• September 1 will mark the transfer of the Chairmanship of the department from Professor Michael White to Professor Benjamin Hsiao. Prof. White's term as Chair has been characterized by significant faculty expansion both in number and in the areas of research. He was also instrumental in acquiring resources for adressing the enrollment problems that face the department. The department expresses its profound gratitude to Prof. White for his service and looks forward to a productive term under its new leadership.

8/15/2007 Larry Ginsberg (B.A., 1978) recalls Paul Lauterbur's work. (See below (3/16/2007) for an earlier message from Larry.)

• ......I am writing because I am unable to attend Dr. Lauterbur's celebratory symposium, but I would have loved to. You see, I have some unique perspective on his work.
  
  Firstly, he was my P. Chem Lab Professor when I was at The Brook. We knew, or heard at the time, that he was working on some type of device in which could be placed living tissue, and cancer diagnosed. Of course, that evolved into what we now know as MR imaging.
  
  What makes my perspective somewhat different, is that I am now Professor of Radiology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. I have become an authority on imaging of head and neck cancer, in which MR figures prominently. I use Dr. Lauterbur's innovation every day in my job, and have been able to witness first hand the amazing good that it has provided mankind.
  
  It was with great pleasure about 9 or so years ago, to host Dr. Lauterbur when he addressed our institution, and much of the foregoing was contained in my introduction of him at that time.
  
  I wish you and everyone at SUNY Stony Brook a successful program, and thank you for the education that permitted me to achieve what I have in my career in medicine. I appreciate having been invited to this symposium2007

Gary Breton (B.S., 1987)

• ....I remain at Berry College. I'm the second to oldest in the chemistry faculty now. We have 7 full time faculty and a few adjuncts. I was chair a few years ago and took that task on again starting in the Fall. ...... I teach the 2-semester organic chemistry course along with one other faculty member. Each of us has a section and a few labs. I love teaching the course and interacting with the students. Occasionally I'll have to teach some other course as well, but organic is my mainstay. I've had an active research program that incorporates two or three undergrads at a time. We have been working on the synthesis and investigation of small ring azo compounds (4-membered ring generally). We just published two papers this year, one in JOC and another in Organic Letters. I have been getting involved in computational chemistry and using the calculations to model transition states and the like. It is very interesting, but very mentally challenging, and demands ever increasing amounts of time to learn what I need to know in order to carry out the calculations properly.
  
  My wife Tami still has a thriving medical practice. ..... We have the two kids Olivia (13) and Logan (11). The two of them keep us quite busy.

Chris Pisani (B.S., 1991)

• Bob Kerber heard recently that Chris has achieved his long-term intention, now being the winemaker at a major California vintner. Chris graduated from here in December, 1991, got married, and took off with his bride for California to get into the wine business. He taught chemistry for a while, but now has materialized at ZD Wines in Napa Valley as winemaker.

8/15/2007 ENROLLMENTS

• Even recent alumni may be surprised at how the enrollments in undergraduate chemistry courses have grown in recent years. Enrollments in Fall, 2007 courses are as follows (waitlisted students are in parentheses):

Intro Lecture (129 + 131 + 132 + 141 ) 1833 (  59)                    Intro Lab (133 + 143)           1185 (44)
Organic Lecture (321)                         892 (140)                    Organic Lab (327 + 383)         309 (  ?)

8/14/2007 Zachary Katzamanis (Ph.D., 2005, Goroff)

• After doing post-doctoral research with Joanna Fowler at Brookhaven, Zach joins the Chemistry Department as a lecturer. The responsibilities of this new position will focus principally on the undergraduate organic chemsitry lecture and lab courses.

7/19/2007 Stephanie Sen (Ph.D., 1989, Prestwich)

• Stephanie E. Sen, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is featured in a NY Times article on national education.

7/13/2007 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)

• My students and I are featured briefly (doing the "Atomic Spectrum of Hydrogen" laboratory with spectroscopes) We kidded that it is good that there is a voice over, because we were looking through the scopes for so long, we started talking about "pink elephants and rainbows". Hopefully, since it is such a brief commercial, anyone who is good at lip reading will not catch our comments! You can also view two versions of this on the SCCC home page (www.sunysuffolk.edu).

6/11/2007 John G. D'Angelo (B.S., 2000)

• John earned his Ph.D. at U. Connecticut and has been a post doc at Johns Hopkins. He writes that he will take on a faculty position in Organic Chemistry at Alfred University this Fall

• Kevin went on to obtain an, MBA in Management from the New York Institute of Technology in 1986. He writes:
  I am currently running as the Democratic candidate for the Town of Brookhaven, Town Council, 3rd District in the November 2007 elections. I am a safety, health and environmental consultant. Currently the PTA President of Sachem High School North, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY and Director of Scholarships on the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce. Wife works at the IRS Center in Holtsville, NY. Daughter graduating from Sachem High School North in June 2007 and will be attending SUNY New Paltz majoring in Education. Son will be graduating Sachem High School North in 2009 and plans to attend SUNY Stony Brook majoring in Environmental Science.

• We note with sadness that Natalie Fiess, former Assistant to the Chair, passed away this past Sunday, May 27, after a determined and well fought battle against the multiple cancers that assaulted her fourteen months ago. A lively, effective and personable presence among us during her long term of service to the Chemistry Department, Natalie will be missed by all who knew her.

• Since graduating, I've been working for a generic pharmaceutical company called Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs). We're the generic division of Novartis. I moved w/my job from NY to NC in October of 2002, & I finished up my M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing at Long Island University Brooklyn campus in Sept. 2003. Currently, I'm the Manager in our Regulatory Affairs group, dealing with the FDA and DEA regarding new generic drug submissions. I miss my time at StonyBrook & am in constant awe of all that is going on, & the new look of the campus.I'm sure a lot had changed in the chem. dept. since I was last there. Hope everyone's doing wel Kind Regards,
  Griha L. Mangru, M.S.
  Manager, Regulatory Affairs
  Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs)
  P-(252) 234-2206 F-(252) 234-2323
  griha.mangru@sandoz.com

• We note with great sadness the passing of our distinguished friend and former colleague, the Nobel Laureate, Paul Lauterbur. Paul spent many productive years as a member of the Chemistry Department, and later as University Professor, at Stony Brook. In 1985, he joined the Univeristy of Illinois and directed the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory. We extend our deep sympathy to his family.

• Prof. Ojima notes that Gary Teng's imaginative design won the cover of the March 16 issue of the Journal of Organic Chemistry. Gary (a current graduate student) designed this magnificent cover art for the article by Wen-Hua Chiou, who is currently an Assistant Professor at the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. We also have another talented designer as an alumna. Yeon-hee Lim, who is currently at The Scripps Research Institute as a postdoc, won the cover of the TSRI's "2006 Scientific Report".

• I am currently Professor of Radiology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. I have a very challenging and rewarding academic and clinical practice in head and neck cancer diagnostic imaging, and look back very fondly on my time at Sony Brook.......I hope all is well there.
  
  My current address is
  4115 Bellefontaine
  Houston, TX 77025

• Candice is Professor of Chemistry at the Ammerman campus of Suffolk County Community College. We ran into Candice and her husband Rich at Strawberry Fields. She writes:
  As Joe [Lauher] suggested, I'm forwarding the notice of the NSF award to Suffolk County Community College for the S-STEM scholarships....... This award represents the largest NSF award to date for SCCC (and my first!! as PI, a true milestone .....). I've been involved with POGIL for years and am currently a Sr. person on some of their grants (in collaboration with Coastal Carolina University, which brings me back to SC several times a year).
  [Candice chairs SCCC's Middle States reaccreditation committee.] When my commitment to Middle States reaccreditation is finished in early March, this grant is my "fall back" project. I hope to be able to collaborate with SB personnel who also have S-STEM funding for articulation of our students into SB science fields.
  I'd like to thank each of you for your inspiration and encouragement (Joe with my research, Bob S. with teaching tips. techniques, and refinement of gen chem lab procedures, and Bob K. with laboratory manual development). Your support and encouragement through the years has been a true motivation for me.