Alumni News
2007
11/11/07 updated 2/6/2012 Lawrence Weber (B.S., 1971)
After a long industrial career, Dr. Lawrence Weber became a consultant
on startup technology companies. He now has returned to Stony Brook
where he is a staff member in the Sensor CAT.
10/20/2007 Ophelia Morris (B.S., 2001)
We are pleased to have located Ophelia. She teaches Chemistry and Physics and is
the Honor Society Advisor at the Excelsior Preparatory High School in Queens, NY.
She writes that she will be on campus for the 50th homecoming weekend and we hope
to see her and other alumni at those events.
9/26/2007 - updated - 10/10/2007 Lauterbur Symposium
You may wonder why no mention of the Lauterbur Symposium has been forthcoming on
this news page. We hope to post some of the many pictures that were taken at that
function. A large, enthusiastic audience attended the symposium which included a thoroughly
entertaining and informative Presidential Lecture by Richard Ernst, Nobel Laureate.
We were pleased to see a number of Paul's students. The picture to the right shows David Kramer (PhD, 1978, Lauterbur) and (Dr.) Joe Frank (B.A., 1974). David also gave an entertaining and animated talk about his time in the Lauterbur laboratory. Joe had to leave for another meeting, but left behind a number of photographic slides that David incorporated in his remarks. Other alumni included Barry Sokol (B.S., 1968), Dick Ward (PhD, 1969, Haim) and many others. We want especially to acknowledge generous support for the affair from (Dr.) Phyllis Russo (B.S., 1964), who was unable to attend, but sent happy recollections of courses which she took with Paul. (Dr.) Jerry Ackerman (B.S, 1971) (whose picture is below, was another of Paul's early students who gave an entertaining talk about his time in the Lauterbur laboratory and recent developments in MRI.
The HSC media services screening room has proofs of pictures taken during the President's Lecture and the subsequent reception and banquet. Prof. Kerber has helped to identify the following alumni who attended in addition to those mentioned above: Norman Johns (B.S., 1993), Haifang Li (PhD, 1991, leNoble), (Dr.) Bill Schoen (B.S, 1977), Nava Shochet (PhD, 1985, Springer), Joe Stainkamp (B.S., 2002), Zach Katsamanis (PhD, 2004, Goroff). More recent alumni who are continuing their graduate work at SBU included William Berger, Arthur Campbell, Amber Carr and Peter Marek.
President Kenny announced the establishment of a Lauterbur Fund to help the continued development of the department's research and creative activities. You will be hearing more about that fund presently.
9/26/2007 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)
received the SUNY Chancellor's Award at Suffolk County Community College for Faculty
Service (after serving as CoChair for SCCC's Middle States Self Study, which concluded
in March).
8/22/2007 Early History of the Department
Prof. Francis Bonner, founding chair of the Department of Chemistry, has published
a memoir: Chemistry at Stony Brook - From SUCOLI to SBU. It describes the history
of the early development of the department during Prof. Bonner's tenure as Chair.
He has graciously provided an electronic copy of the memoir.
8/19/07 Change in Chairmanship
September 1 will mark the transfer of the Chairmanship of the department from Professor
Michael White to Professor Benjamin Hsiao. Prof. White's term as Chair has been characterized
by significant faculty expansion both in number and in the areas of research. He was
also instrumental in acquiring resources for adressing the enrollment problems that
face the department. The department expresses its profound gratitude to Prof. White
for his service and looks forward to a productive term under its new leadership.
8/15/2007 Larry Ginsberg (B.A., 1978) recalls Paul Lauterbur's work. (See below (3/16/2007) for an earlier message from Larry.)
......I am writing because I am unable to attend Dr. Lauterbur's celebratory symposium, but I would have loved to. You see, I have some unique perspective on his work.
Firstly, he was my P. Chem Lab Professor when I was at The Brook. We knew, or heard at the time, that he was working on some type of device in which could be placed living tissue, and cancer diagnosed. Of course, that evolved into what we now know as MR imaging.
What makes my perspective somewhat different, is that I am now Professor of Radiology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. I have become an authority on imaging of head and neck cancer, in which MR figures prominently. I use Dr. Lauterbur's innovation every day in my job, and have been able to witness first hand the amazing good that it has provided mankind.
It was with great pleasure about 9 or so years ago, to host Dr. Lauterbur when he addressed our institution, and much of the foregoing was contained in my introduction of him at that time.
I wish you and everyone at SUNY Stony Brook a successful program, and thank you for the education that permitted me to achieve what I have in my career in medicine. I appreciate having been invited to this symposium2007
Gary Breton (B.S., 1987)
....I remain at Berry College. I'm the second to oldest in the chemistry faculty
now. We have 7 full time faculty and a few adjuncts. I was chair a few years ago and
took that task on again starting in the Fall. ...... I teach the 2-semester organic
chemistry course along with one other faculty member. Each of us has a section and
a few labs. I love teaching the course and interacting with the students. Occasionally
I'll have to teach some other course as well, but organic is my mainstay. I've had
an active research program that incorporates two or three undergrads at a time. We
have been working on the synthesis and investigation of small ring azo compounds (4-membered
ring generally). We just published two papers this year, one in JOC and another in
Organic Letters. I have been getting involved in computational chemistry and using
the calculations to model transition states and the like. It is very interesting,
but very mentally challenging, and demands ever increasing amounts of time to learn
what I need to know in order to carry out the calculations properly.
My wife Tami still has a thriving medical practice. ..... We have the two kids Olivia (13) and Logan (11). The two of them keep us quite busy.
Chris Pisani (B.S., 1991)
Bob Kerber heard recently that Chris has achieved his long-term intention, now being
the winemaker at a major California vintner. Chris graduated from here in December,
1991, got married, and took off with his bride for California to get into the wine
business. He taught chemistry for a while, but now has materialized at ZD Wines in
Napa Valley as winemaker.
8/15/2007 ENROLLMENTS
Even recent alumni may be surprised at how the enrollments in undergraduate chemistry courses have grown in recent years. Enrollments in Fall, 2007 courses are as follows (waitlisted students are in parentheses):
Intro Lecture (129 + 131 + 132 + 141 ) 1833 ( 59) Intro Lab (133 + 143) 1185 (44)
Organic Lecture (321) 892 (140) Organic Lab (327 + 383) 309 ( ?)
8/14/2007 Zachary Katzamanis (Ph.D., 2005, Goroff)
After doing post-doctoral research with Joanna Fowler at Brookhaven, Zach joins the
Chemistry Department as a lecturer. The responsibilities of this new position will
focus principally on the undergraduate organic chemsitry lecture and lab courses.
7/19/2007 Stephanie Sen (Ph.D., 1989, Prestwich)
Stephanie E. Sen, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology,
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is featured in a NY Times article
on national education.
7/13/2007 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)
My students and I are featured briefly (doing the "Atomic Spectrum of Hydrogen" laboratory
with spectroscopes) We kidded that it is good that there is a voice over, because
we were looking through the scopes for so long, we started talking about "pink elephants
and rainbows". Hopefully, since it is such a brief commercial, anyone who is good
at lip reading will not catch our comments! You can also view two versions of this
on the SCCC home page (www.sunysuffolk.edu).
6/11/2007 John G. D'Angelo (B.S., 2000)
John earned his Ph.D. at U. Connecticut and has been a post doc at Johns Hopkins.
He writes that he will take on a faculty position in Organic Chemistry at Alfred University
this Fall
6/09/2007 Kevin L. Hyms, (B.S., 1977)
Kevin went on to obtain an, MBA in Management from the New York Institute of Technology
in 1986. He writes:
I am currently running as the Democratic candidate for the Town of Brookhaven, Town
Council, 3rd District in the November 2007 elections. I am a safety, health and environmental
consultant. Currently the PTA President of Sachem High School North, Lake Ronkonkoma,
NY and Director of Scholarships on the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce. Wife works
at the IRS Center in Holtsville, NY. Daughter graduating from Sachem High School North
in June 2007 and will be attending SUNY New Paltz majoring in Education. Son will
be graduating Sachem High School North in 2009 and plans to attend SUNY Stony Brook
majoring in Environmental Science.
05/30/2007
We note with sadness that Natalie Fiess, former Assistant to the Chair, passed away
this past Sunday, May 27, after a determined and well fought battle against the multiple
cancers that assaulted her fourteen months ago. A lively, effective and personable
presence among us during her long term of service to the Chemistry Department, Natalie
will be missed by all who knew her.
05/10/2007 Jerome Ackerman (B.S., 1971)
The 37th Departmental Commencement will be held at the Wang Center Theater on May
18. The commencement address, "Reminiscences and Wanderings of a Stony Brook Chemist",
will be presented by Jerome Ackerman (B.S., 1971). Jerry carried out undergraduate
research with Paul Lauterbur and Phil Johnson. He went on to get a Ph.D. from MIT
in 1976 and is now Associate Prof. of Radiology at the Havard Medical School.
04/26/2007 Lauterbur Memorial Symposium
Announcing "Lauterbur's Legacy: Looking at Life" - a memorial symposium remembering
Paul Lauterbur, Nobel Laureate, colleague and friend. Sept 7, 2007
04/12/2007 Griha L. Mangru (B.A., 1999)
Since graduating, I've been working for a generic pharmaceutical company called Sandoz
(formerly Eon Labs). We're the generic division of Novartis. I moved w/my job from
NY to NC in October of 2002, & I finished up my M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing
at Long Island University Brooklyn campus in Sept. 2003. Currently, I'm the Manager
in our Regulatory Affairs group, dealing with the FDA and DEA regarding new generic
drug submissions. I miss my time at StonyBrook & am in constant awe of all that is
going on, & the new look of the campus.I'm sure a lot had changed in the chem. dept.
since I was last there. Hope everyone's doing wel Kind Regards,
Griha L. Mangru, M.S.
Manager, Regulatory Affairs
Sandoz (formerly Eon Labs)
P-(252) 234-2206 F-(252) 234-2323
griha.mangru@sandoz.com
03/27/2007 Lauterbur Passes
We note with great sadness the passing of our distinguished friend and former colleague,
the Nobel Laureate, Paul Lauterbur. Paul spent many productive years as a member of
the Chemistry Department, and later as University Professor, at Stony Brook. In 1985,
he joined the Univeristy of Illinois and directed the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance
Laboratory. We extend our deep sympathy to his family
03/17/2007 Gary Tang, Wen-Hua Chiou (Ph.D. 2005, Ojima) and Yeon-hee Lim (Ph.D. 2005,
Parker)
Prof. Ojima notes that Gary Teng's imaginative design won the cover of the March
16 issue of the Journal of Organic Chemistry. Gary (a current graduate student) designed
this magnificent cover art for the article by Wen-Hua Chiou, who is currently an Assistant
Professor at the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. We also have another talented
designer as an alumna. Yeon-hee Lim, who is currently at The Scripps Research Institute
as a postdoc, won the cover of the TSRI's "2006 Scientific Report".
03/16/2007 Lawrence Ginsberg (B.A., 1978)
I am currently Professor of Radiology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University
of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. I have a very challenging and rewarding
academic and clinical practice in head and neck cancer diagnostic imaging, and look
back very fondly on my time at Sony Brook.......I hope all is well there.
My current address is
4115 Bellefontaine
Houston, TX 77025
02/17/2007 Candice Foley (Ph.D., 1985, Lauher)
Candice is Professor of Chemistry at the Ammerman campus of Suffolk County Community
College. We ran into Candice and her husband Rich at Strawberry Fields. She writes:
As Joe [Lauher] suggested, I'm forwarding the notice of the NSF award to Suffolk County Community College for the S-STEM scholarships....... This award represents the largest NSF award to date for SCCC (and my first!! as PI, a true milestone .....). I've been involved with POGIL for years and am currently a Sr. person on some of their grants (in collaboration with Coastal Carolina University, which brings me back to SC several times a year).
[Candice chairs SCCC's Middle States reaccreditation committee.] When my commitment to Middle States reaccreditation is finished in early March, this grant is my "fall back" project. I hope to be able to collaborate with SB personnel who also have S-STEM funding for articulation of our students into SB science fields.
I'd like to thank each of you for your inspiration and encouragement (Joe with my research, Bob S. with teaching tips. techniques, and refinement of gen chem lab procedures, and Bob K. with laboratory manual development). Your support and encouragement through the years has been a true motivation for me.