Talk from Tom

Dear Alumni, Colleagues and Friends of Biochemistry,

Much has happened to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics in the past few years, and many changes will occur in the next few. This newsletter, the Catalyst, is to let you know what has been going on, and to invite your suggestions, observations and involvement in our efforts to move the Department to a position of national and international recognition for excellence in teaching, research and service.

One change that you will have noticed already is that we have a new name. We have added Molecular Biophysics to our letterhead, not to signal any fundamental shift in the department, but to establish an identity within the University of Arizona. Biochemistry as a discipline has been phenomenally successful, and biochemists can be found in virtually all departments within the university that deal with living systems. Our name change was intended to signify that the focus of the department will be on the study of the chemical and physical basis of life processes. This has been our strength in the past; we see no reason to alter our course.

Dr. Miriam Ziegler joined the faculty in August 1999, Dr. James Hazzard in 2000, Dr. Matthew Cordes in January 2001, and we look forward to the arrival of Dr. Megan McEvoy in August 2001. A new search is in progress to recruit a faculty member who will be housed in the College of Medicine. The faculty of biochemistry is very strong, the students are doing well in demanding courses, and they are productively involved in senior capstone programs in laboratory research. By virtually any measure, the undergraduate programs in the University Department of Biochemistry are truly outstanding.

The Department is currently focused on strengthening the graduate programs. The dual degree program between the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology (BMCB) continues to draw outstanding students with interests primarily in the more biological aspects of molecular life sciences. We have submitted a proposal to the NIH to support a new graduate training program in Biological Chemistry, and will be developing a program in Molecular Biophysics.

To enrich both the undergraduate and graduate programs, the Department has initiated a special accelerated Master of Science program for academically superior undergraduate students who desire to pursue a career in biochemistry or biotechnology. The Master of Science in Biochemistry offers an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students who have engaged in research to continue that research as they pursue a graduate degree.

Research is the core of the intellectual activity in the department. Excellent programs continue to flourish at the frontiers of modern molecular life science, and span a broad range of topics. The breadth of research activities in the department makes this a very exciting environment. However, the Department continues to excel in the area of outreach. Spanning the range from mentoring Medical Students, to sponsoring the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program, to the Master of Science in General Biology for school teachers, to the web based learning system referred to as the Biology Project, the faculty of Biochemistry truly serve the public.

As we move into the next millennium, the University Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics is justifiably proud of its history, and excited about the bright future of the broad areas of molecular life sciences.

Tom Baldwin
Professor and Department Head
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Biological Sciences West
P.O. Box 210088 ·Tucson, AZ 85721-0088
Tel: (520) 621-9185 FAX (520) 621-9288
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
The University of Arizona
Updated June 1, 2004

http://www.biochem.arizona.edu/
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