Dear Friends and Colleagues:
December 6, 1990
Warm holidays greetings and a most happy and prosperous New Year to all of you from your friends here at Purdue!
The Department of Biochemistry continues to be a very busy and scientifically exciting place to be. Our grant support is
holding up well in the face of the worst funding climate in memory. Our students of years past continue to make us proud of
their accomplishments in academe and in industry. Our faculty continue to be in high demand for peer review panels,
editorial boards, consulting, and speaking engagements.
We have hosted a number of excellent events this year. Hank Weiner organized and chaired an international
symposium on alcohol and aldehyde metabolism in Biochem 105 last summer. The Axelrod Lecture featured Dr. Edmond
Fischer of the University of Washington. Today we will have a seminar by Har Gobind Khorana (MIT) who won the Nobel
Prize for his contributions toward deciphering the genetic code.
Two more labs, this year qn the third floor in the 1950 wing, were renovated. The University just agreed to finish the
rest of the Hansen Life Science Research Building in which we will have another lab suite and space for the biotech
instrument facilities. Of course, we would like the pace of renovation to be faster, but our space is definitely improving in
quality.
The biggest change here is, and will be, in our faculty. After holding a joint appointment for many years in the
Analytical Chemistry division of the Chemistry Department and having his research program evolve more and more toward
issues related to analytical chemistry, Fred Regnier transferred his program to that department last summer. He thus remains
a campus colleague, but is now a couple of blocks away. And in August, Jack Dixon accepted the Chairmanship of
Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan Medical School, effective next July. That, of course, takes yet another
full Professor out of the Department, Claudia Kent. While we can't really "replace" valued colleagues of 15 and more years,
we are in the throes of recruiting again, presently for four faculty positions.
On the service staff one friend and co-worker, Linda Brand, retired for health reasons after more than ten years of
loyal service to the department.  We wish her all the best.
Now for the part that involves you. Obviously these are difficult times for our country for many reason, and in
particular the irresponsible deficit spending must be brought to an end. But in setting our priorities, education has to be at the
top of the list or our future will be bleak indeed in this high-tech world. And scientific research at Universities, the vehicle
by which we educate the v^ery best scientific talents in their graduate and post-graduate training, is a crucial part of our
education system. Education and scientific research are investments which no society can afford to neglect, no matter how
tight the budget. The last several years have been the most difficult any of us have experienced in terms of securing the funds
we need to maintain cutting-edge graduate programs. There is some indication that Congress and the Administration in
Washington are becoming aware of the problem, since NIH and the USDA Competitive Grants programs fared quite well in
the budget circus that took place in October. That awareness only happens when Congress and the White House get mail
from their constituents - please keep those cards and letters flowing to Washington in support of investing in our country's
future! When writing, send a copy to each member of your state's delegation and the appropriations subcommittees.
Of course, you can assist us directly, too. We have had many examples of generosity reflecting the loyalty and
concern of our graduates and friends in recent years. Consequently, a number of projects of vital importance to our programs
are being enriched by your generosity. The Axelrod lectures have been supported by contributions from Barney Axelrod's
friends, family, and colleagues since 1984. It is a very exciting series indeed. A library fund has been initiated by a
generous contribution from Forrest Quackenbush (see the announcement elsewhere in this mailing). And we are about to
receive a very large gift from the family of a former Ph.D. graduate which will support another lectureship and other
activities for enrichment of the graduate program (the latter will include support of our annual research retreat and assistance
with travel to national meetings for our students). The library, Axelrod lecture, and graduate program enrichment funds are
all open endowments which you can assist in building. In addition, undesignated gifts to the Biochemistry Department assist
with a host of important activities benefitting our students at all levels. I remind those of you who live in Indiana that 1/2 of
the first $400 (for a married couple) of your gifts to us are returned directly to you by the State when you file your income
tax.  Checks should be made payable to "Purdue Foundation."
Finally, we really appreciate visits from former graduates and friends. So consider beautiful north central Indiana for
your next vacation and stop and see us! Our very best wishes for a happy holiday season and a most prosperous New Year.
Mark Hermodson