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Chemical Engineering News
by Alexis T. Bell,
Chair
and
Warren and Katharine
Schlinger Distinguished
Professor
DEVELOPING OUR
POTENTIAL
Spring is the season of renewal and rededication. While budgetary shortfalls remain a subject of
concern, our faculty has continued to move forward in its efforts to provide our students exciting
educational and research experiences. The bright light just ahead is the Governor’s compact with
the President of the University of California, which promises to restore some of the lost state
support. In the meantime, the department’s faculty members continue to gain recognition and to
New Department Chair(s)
After nearly four years of service, Professor Arup
Chakraborty decided to step down from his position as
department chair. We all owe a debt of immense gratitude
to Arup for his tireless efforts during a period of budgetary
challenges for the University and the department.
Thanks to his fine work, the department has not suffered
and remains exceptionally strong. The University has
appointed Professor Jeffrey Reimer to become the new
chair; however, he will not assume this position until July
1, 2006, since he plans to take a sabbatical leave during the
2005-2006 academic year. To fill the gap, I have agreed to
serve as chair for the 15-month period between April 1 of
this year and June 30 of next year.
National Medal of Science
Professor John Prausnitz was selected to receive the
National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor in
science and technology, in recognition of his pioneering
work on the development of molecular thermodynamics
and its application to a broad range of industrial problems.
The Medal was presented to John at a ceremony hosted by
President George Bush on March 14 at the White House.
While John retired formally from the department on
July 1, 2004, he has been appointed as a Professor of the
Graduate School and remains highly active in research.
NAE Election
Professor Harvey Blanch was elected to the National
Academy of Engineering (NAE) and will be inducted into
the Academy next October. This high honor is given in
recognition of Harvey’s excellent research and leadership
in the field of biochemical engineering. With his
election, the total number of NAE members in the department
now stands at six.
Synthetic Biology
Professor Jay Keasling will benefit from a
$43 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation to develop a more affordable approach to the
synthesis of artemisinin, an antimalarial drug for use
especially in the third world. Efforts on this project will
be carried out at Berkeley in partnership with the
Institute for OneWorld Health, the first non-profit pharmaceutical
company in the U.S., and Amyris, a new
biotech firm. OneWorld Health will perform the drug
development and regulatory work to demonstrate the
bioequivalence of microbially-produced artemisinin derivative
to the drug’s natural form, whereas Amyris will develop
the process for industrial fermentation and commercialization.
Jay’s work in this area was recently singled
CONQUERING DISEASE.
Jay Keasling’s work on developing a
malaria vaccine has been selected by
Technology Review as one of the “10
Emerging Technologies That Will Change
Your World.”
4 BERKELEY COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
coutrtesy Bioengineering