developing our potential

Spring is the season of renewal and rededication. While budgetary shortfalls remain a subject of concern, our faculty has continued to move forward in its efforts to provide our students exciting educational and research experiences. The bright light just ahead is the Governor’s compact with the President of the University of California, which promises to restore some of the lost state support. In the meantime, the department’s faculty members continue to gain recognition and to develop new areas of research.

New Department Chair(s)

After nearly four years of service, Professor Arup Chakraborty decided to step down from his position as department chair. We all owe a debt of immense gratitude to Arup for his tireless efforts during a period of budgetary challenges for the University and the department. Thanks to his fine work, the department has not suffered and remains exceptionally strong. The University has appointed Professor Jeffrey Reimer to become the new chair; however, he will not assume this position until July 1, 2006, since he plans to take a sabbatical leave during the 2005-2006 academic year. To fill the gap, I have agreed to serve as chair for the 15-month period between April 1 of this year and June 30 of next year.

NATIONAL MEDALIST. Professor John Prausnitz was selected to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor in science and technology.

National Medal of Science top Professor John Prausnitz was selected to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor in science and technology, in recognition of his pioneering work on the development of molecular thermodynamics and its application to a broad range of industrial problems. The Medal was presented to John at a ceremony hosted by President George Bush on March 14 at the White House. While John retired formally from the department on July 1, 2004, he has been appointed as a Professor of the Graduate School and remains highly active in research. NAE Election Professor Harvey Blanch was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and will be inducted into the Academy next October. This high honor is given in recognition of Harvey’s excellent research and leadership in the field of biochemical engineering. With his election, the total number of NAE members in the department now stands at six.

Synthetic Biology

Jay’s work in this area was recently singled out as one of the “10 Emerging Technologies That Will Change Your World” by Technology Review magazine. With the addition of this extremely exciting research program, Jay’s research group will exceed its laboratory space in Latimer Hall, and so Jay and his team of fifty coworkers have moved to new laboratories on Potter Street in Berkeley.

LBNL Director of Physical Biosciences Division

Professor Keasling has just been appointed Director of the Physical Biosciences Division by LBNL Director Steve Chu. Jay succeeds chemistry professor Graham Fleming, who founded the division in 1997. Fleming recently became the LBNL’s Deputy Director.

Charles R. Wilke Professorship

The Wilke Chair was established last year to honor Professor Charles R. Wilke, the founding chairman of the department. After considerable discussion and deliberation, the department decided to use this Chair to support the work of our junior faculty members. The first Wilke Chair holder is David Schaffer. Support from the Wilke Chair is helping David develop an exciting research program in gene therapy. Also, as we go to press, David’s promotion to associate professor has just been approved, effective July 1.

ENDOWED CHAIRS. “Support from the Wilke Chair is helping David [Schaffer] develop an exciting research program in gene therapy.” Shown above is the expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the hippocampal region of the brain of an adult rat after the injection of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery vehicle carrying the GFP gene. The image on the right is that of GFP protein in a large number of neurons one year after the injection, meaning that this gene delivery was highly efficient and allows for sustained gene expression.

Faculty Awards

Our faculty members continue to receive recognition for their research and teaching accomplishments. Nitash Balsara will receive the Stine Award of the AIChE for his outstanding accomplishments in the area of polymer science. Enrique Iglesia has been selected as the Robert Burwell Lecturer by the North American Catalysis Society and as the Valdimir Ipatieff Lecturer by Northwestern University. At commencement, he will also receive the Donald Noyce Prize, given to a faculty member in the physical sciences by the College of Chemistry for outstanding performance as an undergraduate teacher. The prize honors the long-time undergraduate dean of the college.

Product Development Program

The department has been working on implementing a Product Development Program for the past couple of years. The aim of this effort is to expose new graduate students to what is required to develop a new product and bring it to market. Students enrolled in the program will take a year of graduate courses in chemical engineering and business administration, and will then spend the summer months in two internships in local industry. A director for the program is soon to be appointed, and the department will begin developing the program in earnest during the coming academic year. If all goes according to plan, we hope to have the first cadre of students enter the program in the fall of 2006.

Congratulations to Graduates

In May another group of students will graduate and become alumni of our department. Congratulations to these wonderful young men and women, and my best wishes for success as they start their careers. My colleagues and I look forward to seeing them on campus in the future for various alumni events.