AWA R DS
WINNERS OF GRADUATE
ORGANIC FELLOWSHIPS
ANNOUNCED
THE ACS DIVISION of Organic Chemistry
has announced its annual fellowships to
outstanding third- and fourth-year gradu-
ate students in organic chemistry. Awardees
are selected by an independent committee
on the basis of their research accomplish-
ments and a short original essay.
Each winner will receive a stipend of
$26,000 and present a poster at the 2011
National Organic Symposium, in Prince-
ton, N.J. The winners are listed below,
along with their research projects and
award sponsors.
Judy Chen of Columbia University is
studying noncovalent host-guest interac-
tions, spin chemistry, and polarization-
induced signal enhancement. Sponsor:
Organic Syntheses/Organic Reactions.
Alison Donnelly of the University of Kan-
sas is synthesizing and evaluating analogs of
novobiocin as Hsp90 C-terminal inhibitors
for the treatment of cancer and neurode-
generative diseases. Sponsor: Roche.
Chen Donnelly Fors
Lathrop Lenhardt Martin
Schmink Sletten Stowers
WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
Brett Fors of Mas-
sachusetts Institute
of Technology is
researching the devel-
opment of new cata-
lysts for C–N cross-
coupling reactions.
Sponsor: Boehringer
Ingelheim.
Stephen Lathrop Um
of Colorado State Uni-
versity is researching
the development of
multicatalytic cascade
reactions utilizing N-
heterocyclic carbenes,
as well as the total syn-
thesis of cephalimysin
A. Sponsor: Sanofi-
Aventis.
Jeremy Lenhardt Woody
of Duke University is
developing methods for directing chemical
reactivity by mechanical force. Sponsor:
Schering-Plough.
Connor Martin of the University of Cali-
fornia, Irvine, is researching the total syn-
theses of actinophyllic acid
and alkaloids that possess the
condylocarpine carbon skel-
eton. Sponsor: Amgen.
Jason Schmink of the Uni-
versity of Connecticut, Storrs,
is doing research on how to
expand the scope of micro-
wave-assisted organic chem-
istry, including Pd-catalyzed
methodology development.
Sponsor: GlaxoSmithKline.
Ellen Sletten of UC Berke-
ley is researching the develop-
ment of cyclooctynes for Cu-
free click chemistry. Sponsor:
Genentech.
Kara Stowers of the Uni-
versity of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, is investigating novel
synthetic applications of pal-
ladium-catalyzed C–H activa-
tion methodology. Sponsor:
Eli Lilly & Co.
Joann Um of UCLA is
using quantum mechanical
methods to investigate the
mechanisms and stereoselec-
tivities of organic reactions.
Sponsor: Novartis.
Kathy Woody of Georgia
Institute of Technology is
researching the synthesis of
44 NOV E M BE R 2 , 20 0 9
novel, self-assembled conjugated poly-
mers for use in organic electronic devices.
Sponsor: Organic Reactions (Nelson Leon-
ard Fellowship).
OUTSTANDING TEACHING
AWARD TO BIMAL BANIK
BIMAL K. BANIK, the President’s En-
dowed Professor in the College of Science
& Engineering and professor of chemistry
at the University of Texas-Pan American,
in Edinburg, is among the winners of the
University of Texas System Regents’ Out-
standing Teaching Awards, which consists
of $30,000, a certificate, and a medal.
The award honors “exemplary commit-
ment to positively affecting the lives of
undergraduate students through teaching
excellence and instruction innovation” and
supports “a promising future of continued
distinction.”
Banik, who is also
an adjunct professor
at the University of
Texas, San Antonio, is
being recognized for
his exemplary teach-
ing and mentoring of
students. He is also
noted for his research,
which focuses on the synthesis, biological
evaluation, and mechanism of action stud-
ies of novel anticancer β-lactams, polyaro-
matic compounds, and heterocycles.
SACNAS HONORS JORGE
GARDEA-TORRESDEY
WITH AWARD
JORGE L. GARDEA-TORRESDEY, chair
of the department of chemistry at the Uni-
versity of Texas, El Paso, is the winner of
the 2009 Distinguished Scientist Award,
given by the Society for the Advancement
of Chicanos & Native Americans in Sci-
ence (SACNAS). Gardea-Torresdey is being
cited for his research on phytoremediation
and his efforts to promote diversity in the
sciences. Gardea-Torresdey has been an ad-
viser to 18 Ph.D. candidates, 15 of whom are
Hispanic. In addition, he directs research on
the environmental impact of nanomaterials.
LINDA WANG compiles this section.
Announcements of awards may be sent to
l_wang@acs.org.