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8
8
Dear graduates and friends of Biochemistry,
«»
Unlike last year, I have no big changes in the Department to report. We have no new faculty, and thank¬
fully no one left. Our newest faculty members Sandra Rossie, Harry Charbonneau, and Jon LeBowitz, have
attracted a number of eager young researchers now to get their programs into high gear. It is always fun to see
the excitement and enthusiasm new faculty bring to a department. The fresh ideas, new ways of seeing things,
and suggestions for changes are most welcome and healthy for the life and future of the operation.
Of course, Drs. LeBowitz, Charbonneau, and Rossie are now in the first round of their teaching duties.
Teaching a course for the first time is hard work for anyone and doubly so if it is a new experience. But these
are dedicated people who are determined to make their courses the best. Your department's teaching program
remains in excellent hands.
Congratulations are due to Dr. Steven Broyles, who was promoted to Associate Professor this year.
Congratulations^, too, to Howard Zalkin who received a MERIT award from the NIH and to Henry Weiner, who
had his MERIT award extended. MERIT awards are granted only to projects which have a long history of
excellent results and which have scored in the top several percentage points in the last competitive review. It
allows the NIH to add years to the funding cycle before the next competitive review.
Congratulations to Emeritus Professor Roy L. Whistler for receiving the Gold Medal Award from the
American Institute of Chemists. Dr. Whistler was also honored by a surprise 80th birthday party in the Whistler
Carbohydrate Center.
Our Dean, Robert Thompson, instituted a Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus Award this past year, and
one of our alumni, Dr. Joseph J. Villafranca, was a member of the "first class" of ten awardees honored in April.
Joe did his graduate work in Barney Axelrod's lab and spent 21 years on the faculty of Perm State University, the
last several as Evan Pugh Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. Shortly after his visit to Purdue, Joe called me
and announced he was leaving Penn State to become Executive Director of Macromolecular Structure Research at
Bristol-Myers Squibb. That was one of those messages one receives with distinctly mixed feelings. Joe is
superbly qualified to lead that research at B-MS, but the academic world is losing a top professor. B-MS is very
open to having their researchers involved in academic pursuits, fortunately, so Joe will remain an Associate Editor
of Biochemistry and will succeed me in 1993 as President of the Protein Society.
Nominations for future Distinguished Alumnus Awards are most welcome - send me suggestions.
You have probably been aware for some time that fewer high school and college students are interested in
the physical sciences and math than was the case 20 or 30 years ago. That is now becoming true for the life
sciences, too. This is ironic and most unfortunate, since the opportunities and the excitement in biochemistry and
molecular biology have never been better. The fields are moving so fast that I doubt there is a lab in the depart¬
ment that isn't doing something that was impossible to do as recently as five or ten years ago. We need your help
in conveying to young people just how exciting the careers can be. Please support and encourage bright young
students to consider science.
Finally, thanks to all of you who responded to our request for information and who supported the
department with a gift. Your gifts are extremely important to our programs, since they can be used for things that
State and other restricted funds can't support. The Department Discretionary fund is particularly important for
various recruiting (faculty, grad students) activities, and of course, the Axelrod Lectureship brings top scientists
from around the world to speak and interact with our students. Hugh Pelham from England is the next Axelrod
speaker on February 15, 1993. For those of you who live in Indiana, 50% of the first $200 (individual) or $400
(couple) donation is refunded on your State income tax, making your contribution pretty painless. If you work
for a corporation, be sure to inquire whether they will match your contribution.
All of us wish you a most happy holiday season and best wishes for a happy and successful 1993. Stop
and see us!
With warm regards,
Mark Hermodson