| Eva
Wilson Retires
by
Helen Markes
Helen Markes served in various
capacities for what is now the Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biophysics, from 1979 until her retirement in 2002.
She continues to work for the Department on an “as-needed”
basis.
Eva and I have known each other for twenty-three
years. Even though we both worked for the Department of Biochemistry,
we were housed in different buildings - I at AHSC, and Eva at
Old Chem. In preparation for our move to BioSciWest in 1982,
the administrative staff met to discuss various items. Our conversation
consisted of “hello” and that was it! When we made
the move to BioSciWest, I decided to make a point of speaking
to Eva at every opportunity. Let me tell you all that Eva really
makes you earn her friendship, and it is well worth the effort!
The time came when the Student Affairs
position became available. Eva was interested, and, as fate
would have it, the department was also interested in Eva. The
one concern was Eva’s shyness. Well, when Eva makes up
her mind to do something, she puts her whole heart into it.
All of Eva’s kindness and caring ways were revealed, and
she never looked back. Eva is still a very private person, but
this position brought out the best in Eva and and the department
has benefitted greatly.
On
a personal note, Eva and I have seen each other through happy
and sad times and I am very proud to have her as a friend for
always.
I wish her the best in her retirement from Biochemistry. She
deserves it. |
|
New
Professor
Vahe Bandarian
Vahe
Bandarian is interested in the enzymology that underlies
biosynthesis of bacterial derived metabolites. He received
his PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in 1998, where he studied the mechanism of the adenosylcobalamin-dependent
enzyme ethanolamine ammonia-lyase under the direction of
George Reed. As a postdoctoral fellow he worked in the laboratory
of Rowena Matthews at the University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor where he studied various aspects of catalysis of conformational
equilibria in the cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase.
In
his laboratory at the University of Arizona Professor Bandarian
will utilize tools of chemistry and of biology to elucidate
the biosynthetic pathways by which deazapurine-containing
metabolites are produced. Deazapurines are widely distributed
in nature and play diverse biological functions, such as
cofactors in redox reactions and antimicrobial agents. The
goals of the research will be to identify the enzymes that
catalyze individual steps in the biosynthetic pathways leading
to the deazapurine-containing metabolites, and to probe
the catalytic mechanisms of these enzymes.
The over ten years that Professor Bandarian
spent in the frigid Midwest have made it easy to acclimate
to the weather in the Tucson. In his spare time he enjoys
cooking, reading and sleeping.
|
