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Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Fall 1994
MESSAGE FORM THE NEW I failed to elicit a promise of allegiance from our business
CHAIRPERSON, DON SANDS manager, though, and Larry Scheurich left us in December to help
the Chancellor manage his vast resources. Larry, one of our own
WW On July 1, 1993 Bob Guthrie went on graduates, had served us for nearly twenty years, and things ran so
-.~ V,a*‘**“>f’f1 to a well-deserved sabbatical at Oak smoothly under his gentle direction that we just took him for
fixigwg Ridge National Laboratory, and I suc- granted. It is reassuring, though, that the Chancellor’s affairs will
swi‘sx; ceeded him as chairperson. Bob, as be In such good hands. And we were fortunate in having a capable
.jafi you may recall, chaired the Department replacement for Larry on our staff; Debra Shambro had been our
QM V from 1983 to 1987; it was Dave Watt’s computer analyst for three years, and she has been adapting to the
§§>3§$§ 33% . turn from 1987 to 1991, then Bob came business manager’s job with the speed of light.
§’ .4 back for another two years. I have
RE followed Bob’s wise example of agree- Other staff departures in the past few months were chief store-
§é V ing to sit in this office for only two keeper Ramon Smith and laboratory supervisor Darla Hood (di-
w“ ’ z“: ‘ '* years, so someone else’s sentence will rector of freshman labs). Ted Jenkins became our chief Storekeeper;
begin July 1, 1995. Greg Blanchard took over temporarily for Darla, and Francois
Botha became the permanent laboratory supervisor in August.
I came into this office under a cloud of impending budget
cuts. The University had already withheld 2 percent of what we A big relief for me (and for everyone else) is that Nancy
were supposed to get, and we were bracing for an additional cut of Stafford, the Department’s housemother, is providing continuity
as much as 6 percent in the budget we were already spending. in the musical chairs of the chairman’s office. Nancy was recog-
Fortunately, the Governor found money buried in his backyard, flized recently With a (3011686 0f Arts and Sciences staff award.
and we were spared the trauma of massive layoffs and termination
of programs. Relief over averting what could have happened made TWO faculty members left the University since the last news-
the actual decrease of 2 percent seem like a ray of sunshine. letter. Tom Guarr is seeking his fortune in industry, and John
Richard was recruited away by another university whose name we
Why would anyone agree to chair a department under such a shall never mention. We have, though, been able to add five truly
dismal financial outlook? Psychiatrists have a name for that. But, outstanding assistant professors to our department. Roger Grev
really, the Department of Chemistry has incredible strength and (theoretical chemistry) and Robert Toreki (inorganic) came in Fall
almost unlimited promise. Stan Smith and I arrived together in 1993. Sylvia Daunert (analytical) moved from a research appoint-
1962, and we have seen many changes. Financial stringencies are ment into a regular faculty position in January 1994- This fall W6
nothing new to UK and to this Department, but somehow they were joined by Haibin Deng (inorganic) and Robert Grossman (or-
have not been allowed to cripple our basic missions. The two ganic).
years I spent at the National Science Foundation gave me great
appreciation of how well the University of Kentucky is managed. Other articles in this newsletter describe some of the schol-
In spite of the budget problems, and the departures of good cot- arly accomplishments of the faculty, and we are proud of the con-
‘ leagues, and the vagaries of Kentucky politics, this University and tributions these colleagues are making to the science of chemistry.
this Department have continued to get better! We have outstand- We are equally DTOUd 0f the high standard 0f teaching and concern
ing faculty, wonderful staff, and excellent students, and altogether for students exemplified by our faculty. This fall we are offering
this is a great environment in which to work and study. two experimental sections of general chemistry, incorporating reci-
tation and laboratory experience along with the lectures; if you
Before I consented to chair the Department, I checked with graduated a long time ago, you will be comforted by this return to
Jim O’Reilly and Bob Kiser and made sure that they would con- the practices of the past. In another project, the Department is
tinue in their respective roles of Director of Graduate Studies and cooperating with the other colleges and universities of Kentucky
Director of General Chemistry, Their acquiescence made the job to bring about systemic change in undergraduate chemistry educa-
of chairman seem possible, and their dedication to quality is re- tion; this will involve examining just what all the people who take
vealed every day in everything they do.
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