 Dear
Alumni, Colleagues and Friends of Biochemistry,
Life
is indeed full! Our newest faculty member, Vahe Bandarian, arrived
last summer, is doing experiments and writing papers already,
and he has bought a house. Olivia Mendoza has moved into Eva
Wilson’s position and is working hard to form solid relationships
with students and faculty. Three search committees are busily
working to find FOUR new faculty members. And Helen Markes,
who retired last year, is filling in for Leilani Pavlik, who
will be out for roughly 3 months on maternity leave caring for
young Lanielle Marie, born in late December. Congratulations
and best wishes to Leilani and Damien!
Several important projects have been started this semester.
These are, (1) our Board of Advisors has been created and had
its first meeting, (2) the department hosted “The Age
of Biology: Opportunities in Biochemistry”, to inform
academically outstanding high school seniors from around Arizona
of the programs available at the UA, and (3) we have begun a
Biochemistry Ambassadors program to involve undergraduates in
the outreach programs of the department.
Our Board of Advisors is chaired by Mr. Robert L. Davis, a Tucson
businessman in commercial real estate. Bob is a graduate of
the University of Arizona with a degree in biology. The Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics nominated Bob for the
College of Science Alumnus of the Year Award, and we have been
notified that he was selected for this recognition. The award
will be presented at an event that will be held at Ventana Canyon
on April 24. Congratulations to Bob!
Last spring I described a pending disaster stemming from the
budget cuts and the impact on our new laboratory course, Biochemistry
463. We needed $80,000 for additional equipment to handle the
influx of students expected this fall as a result of instituting
the course as a degree requirement in the fall of 2000. That
shortfall has been temporarily averted as a result of the generosity
of our friends. Ed Bessey, a recently retired leader from the
pharmaceutical industry, contributed $10,000 toward the goal,
and Bob Davis, working with his friends and colleagues, collected
$45,000 for the course. We are continuing to work with Bob and
others in an effort to finish outfitting the laboratory. The
remaining needs are for computers and associated computing and
visualization equipment.
While we continue to be plagued by the cuts in the state budget,
it now appears that additional cuts in the near future are highly
unlikely. This is good news for the long term, but we are still
facing difficulties, particularly in funding our internationally
recognized outreach programs. We are working to establish a
group of Corporate Sponsors for the Biology Project (highlighted
in Volume One of the Catalyst, Spring, 2001). In addition,
we are hoping to develop mechanisms for long-term support for
the Manduca Project (Volume Two of the Catalyst, Fall,
2001).
In summary, the department is growing, science is moving forward
and our students are performing well in the classroom and laboratory.
In the long run, it is the quality of the faculty that determines
the quality of the department. We have an exceptional faculty;
the current hiring comprises an opportunity for renewal and
refreshment. Within the next 5 years, the department will have
changed very significantly. It is indeed an exciting time!
With all best
wishes,
Tom |
