Spring 2008 |
Inside this issue
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Alumni Stories ...
We are most grateful to those alumni who took the time to email us and let us know what they've been up to since graduation:
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 Gary Aden
I have worked in the high magnification microscopy field since leaving graduate school in 1980. For the first few years I was an individual researcher using Analytical TEM & SEM to solve geochemical problems. For the next 10 years I was involved with improving analytical x-ray measurements for electron beam instruments. For the past 17 years I have worked as president and CEO of multiple companies making atomic force microscopes. I am currently president of Pacific Nanotechnology, living in the SF Bay area, married (33 years) and have 3 grown children.
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Nancy Gracey Bann
(Chemistry 1961)
I retired from Shell Oil Legal Organization as a Patent Agent in chemistry and biotechnology. I am currently a community volunteer, Chairman of the Rossmoor Medical Center Corporation, Treasurer of the John Muir Physician Network Board, board member of the Contra Costa Crisis Center and Chairman of the Rossmoor Rotary Foundation.
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Jean-Philippe Belieres
I am now a research professor working with Austen Angell and Jeff Yarger and I am involved mostly in fuel cell, ionic liquids, protein biopreservation and biopolymers.
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John Blunt
After I graduated in 1966 with a B.S. in Chemistry, I attended graduate school at UCSD. Afterwards, I spent over 20 years as an R&D Chemist and Manager in aerospace and industrial adhesives. This was followed by almost 20 years now owning my own company in real estate and property management in Benicia, CA, a small town in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. For fun I play trombone in a professional big band, and, as business allows, travel extensively playing in major blackjack tournaments. |
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Steven K. Branch
After graduationg, I spent two years at Washington University School of Medicine continuing my Analytical Chemistry studies into mass spectrometry and its application to biomedical research. I then traveled north to Boston where I endured the cold and worked in private industry for a few years before settling into a minor position at MIT. My few years there were extremely productive, but having come from a family of physicians, that old itch took ahold of me and I gave up research for awhile to pursue both MD and PhD degrees in Boston. Upon completion, I headed back to warmer climates to complete my residency in surgery in Tampa, Florida, but eventually returned to the Boston area where I now practice as a community surgeon in a small town west of the bigger city. It was quite a change for me to go from Chemistry to Surgery in a 10 to 15 year time span, but it was satisfying and rewarding. Times may be tough for community surgeons as reimbursements are at an all time low and the amount of uninsured patients grows; still, the memories of Arizona State University, the education I received there, and the people I befriended and who befriended me remain and make me what I am today. I will always be grateful to ASU for every opportunity, both in education and life-experience, provided.
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Terah and Phillip Coffman
Phil and I met in graduate school in Chemistry and married. We both completed our PhDs in chemistry (mine in organic and Phil's in materials chemistry). I have taught at a number of places and am currently a professor of chemistry at Richland College (a part of the Dallas County Community Colleges). Phil has worked for Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, and IDT and is currently working as a senior engineer at DRS Infrared Technologies. We have three boys: Wesley (9), Timothy (7) and Colby (5) and live in Murphy, Texas.
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Carmen Farrugia
After I graduated in 1995 with 3 concurrent bachelor degrees in chemistry, microbiology and psychology, I took a temporary job with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Phoenix as a safety technician. Then I was offered a permanent position with USDA ARS in NY as an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist at a veterinary research laboratory. After 4 years there I moved to Ohio to work for the USDOL OSHA as an industrial hygiene compliance officer, and just last year I moved to North Carolina to work as an industrial hygienist for the US Navy at a facility where military aircraft are repaired and rebuilt. I am a single mom and have been for over 20 years. My children occasionally came to class with me at ASU. I worked in the Zoology Dept and the Lyric Opera Theater.
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Philip H. Fischbacher, MD
(BS in Chemistry, 1965)
I have been retired since 2004 after 27 years in medical practice with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Walnut Creek, CA. My hobbies include scuba diving, hiking and foraging for mushrooms in the SF Bay Area.
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Allen Galliart
I am one of those disappearing species that actually retired from the first "real job" I had. Having taught at Mesa Community College for 34 years (one year of professional leave to suffer a frustrating experience with the EPA in Las Vegas), I am now fully retired. My (2nd) wife Janet was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship (from ASU) to study in Oslo several years ago and I was fortunate to be able to spend a considerable portion of that time with her in Norway. This and several subsequent trips to northern Europe rekindled my interest in the German language and I have spent the last 3 years attempting to become conversant auf Deutsch. Last summer I spent 2 incredible months in Bavaria (6 weeks "embedded" with a German couple while taking a university German conversation class). I am presently taking German classes at ASU. Seems like I have spent my entire life in one end of the classroom or the other and I just don't know what else to do with myself (when I'm not traveling). I have one son, four cats, my restored '70 Plymouth 'cuda and property in Colorado that is taking far too long to develop.
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Jim Gillard
I received my BA in Chemistry from Arizona State University. I also received a BS in Zoology the following year from ASU, going on to graduate from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in 1975, where I also did some graduate studies in Biochemistry. I've practiced Emergency Medicine as a board certified physician for 30 years in Tucson, publishing recent review articles on Cardiac Biomarkers, as well as updates on West Nile Virus infections for physicians. I have 4 daughters, one of whom, Jennifer, graduated in Marketing from ASU. My daughter Carol graduated from U of A in Marketing, Katherine is attending the Eller School of Business at U of A and Elizabeth (Betsy) is studying Engineering at Portland State. I took a year of Biochemistry during my studies at ASU and never lost interest in it. I am planning to enroll in graduate studies in Biochemistry at U of A in the fall, since I am going to semi-retire from clinical Emergency Medicine and switch my interests to research. I married Courtney LaDuke of Phoenix in 1996 and have no children with her. Courtney was attending ASU when we met, but went on to graduate from U of A. Her brother Nathan was inducted into ASU's Hall of Fame for Football last year, where we attended the ceremonies. My wife Courtney is now an independent Real Estate Broker in Tucson. I credit my initial studies at Arizona State University for putting me on the path to a subsequent happy and successful 38 years since.
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Herlinda Graham
For 4 months after graduation, I worked in an Environmental Analytical Lab. I am now a Criminalist with Arizona Department of Public Safety.
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Toby Hanson
Currently, I am finishing my fourth year of medical school at Midwestern University. I began residency on July 1, 2008 in orthopedic surgery in Toledo, OH. Recently I have been in Michigan and Ohio doing audition rotations at different residency programs. Orthopedics is a very competitive field in medicine and I am very happy with the program I have chosen. Since graduation I have gotten married as well.
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John Helbert
I graduated in 1968 with a BS in Chemistry and received my PhD in Physical Chemistry from Wayne State U. in 1972. I worked for the US Army Electronics Technology and Devices Lab for eight years and retired from Motorola in 2001 after 22 years as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff. I retired from the US Army Reserves in 1995 as a senior Research Ordnance Officer. Since retiring in 2001, I've been an Adjunct Prof. of Chemistry at four local colleges EMCC, ASU, SCC, and PVCC, and I enjoying teaching first and second year chemistry courses.
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James Henry
I graduated December 05 and February 06 I started working at DuPont Air Products Nanomaterials as a semiconductor chemist. We make slurry for CMP processes. I have been doing that since graduation. I really miss the college life, and wish I was still a student... So I am thinking about coming back for a masters/Ph.D at some point.
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Stephen Howell
I graduated in 2004 and am preparing to graduate from medical school at the University of Arizona. I am going into Anesthesiology and will find out where I am going to train on Match Day (March 20th).
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Laurie Leshin
(BS, 1987)
I have recently started a new job as Deputy Director for Science and Technology of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD (just outside Washington DC). In this position I am third in command for NASA’s largest science center, responsible for NASA’s fleet of Earth observing missions, space-based telescopes such as the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, solar observatories, and instruments exploring the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, comets and more. These missions, and the scientists and engineers at NASA Goddard, seek to answer some of the most fundamental questions we can ask: How did we get here? What is our destiny? Are we alone? I also play a science leadership role on NASA’s Lunar Architecture Team, charting the Agency’s plans for exploration of the Moon.
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Jasmyn Liedke
I graduated with my biochemistry degree in 2005 and worked at an electronic materials company for a year and a half and am now a formulations scientist doing R&D with a health and beauty company.
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Christine Mauro
After working for 5 years in Silicon Valley in information technology, I decided to go to medical school. I will graduate this May from the University of Minnesota Medical School and will begin my residency in general surgery this summer.
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Nancy McGuire
I am a senior communications associate with High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTi), a medium-sized company based in Reston, VA, that provides high-end computer services to the U.S. Government. I contribute to various reports and proposals, edit a newsletter, and I am working on a new website for one of the company's projects. I worked as a research chemist for about ten years after receiving my Ph.D. in chemistry from ASU. In 1996, I made the switch to scientific and technical editing, writing, and communications. Since moving to the Washington, DC, area in 1999, I have worked for the American Chemical Society and the Office of Naval Research, in addition to HPTi. I enjoy living near the nation's capital, where I get my fill of history, culture, politics, and the general zaniness that comes with the territory.
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Martha L. Medina
I worked at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati from 2005-2007 in the Beauty Technology Development Division. In 2007 I returned to Arizona and worked with Randy Nelson for a short time at the Biodesign Institute on Cardiovascular Population Proteomics. As of January this year, I am the R&D Manager at Innovative Brands, working on New Product Development among other things for the Pert Plus and Sure Deodorant brands.
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John Neff
Since graduating in 2006, I have worked for two Companies. My first job was at a company called Neltec, an electronic circuit board company in Tempe, where I was a Senior Research and Development Lab Tech working on polymer formulations. My current job is working for Maricopa County, as an Environmental Specialist in the Air Quality department.
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Paul Nicolson
I retired from CIBA Vision in 2001 after 35 years. After completing my degree requirements at ASU, I started at Geigy in 1965, which merged with CIBA in 1970 to form CIBA-Geigy. I then joined CIBA Vision (contact lenses, lens care and ophthalmics) in 1982. At Geigy/CIBA Geigy, I directed different labs involved with analytical chemistry and physical measurements. In 1978 I lead the Central Research group, developing specialty chemicals and polymers, particularly directed toward fluorosurfactants and drug delivery, contact lens polymers and biomaterials. At CIBA Vision I lead groups developing new contact lens materials and solutions. After retirement I kept active, supporting CIBA's outside counsel in patent litigation involving extended wear contact lenses and also serving as an expert witness. I have several patents and publications related to contact lenses.
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Michael O’Keefe
I have remained an Army officer and am currently a Colonel commanding the Army Environmental Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. It is essentially a government civilian organization that creates Army-wide environmental solutions and manages that work. http://aec.army.mil/usaec/
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Newton Ooi
I went on to get my PhD in Materials Science Engineering at ASU in the summer of 2005. I was a postdoc until March 2006, at which point I joined Intel. I have been working at Intel in the Ocotillo site since then, as a process engineer in the fab. I got married in November 2005 and our first child, a daughter, was born in October 2007.
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Elizabeth Paulus
Upon graduation in 1988, I began work as an environmental manager, and have continued in that profession. My emphasis is on hazardous materials management, which has evolved over time as regulations have evolved. I now am deeply involved in environmentally preferable purchasing, looking for safer chemistries or using eco labeling to help steer the city's purchases in a greener direction. Most recently I have done regulatory interpretations on the new chemical terrorism requirements and their affect on the city, since I developed and now coordinate the system that tracks the city's chemicals.
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George W. Rhodes
I am the Chief Scientist for PNM Resources (NYSE:PNM), where I direct R&D activities to improve utility operations, and a visiting Professor of Chemistry at Northern Arizona University. I was formerly EVP and COO of Avistar, a deregulated subsidiary of PNM Resources. In this role, I managed the company including the development of nondestructive testing methods. I have worked in the nondestructive testing arena for 17 years, and have been associated with both the research and industrial environments for most of my professional career. I taught chemistry at the Air Force Academy, performed research on high powered lasers at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, managed the effort for the laser enrichment of uranium for the AEC, directed Federal projects in the design and construction of solar energy power systems for the ERDA/DoE, and became a senior executive at the BDM Corporation (now Northrop Grumman) where I led the Energy, Laser and Electromagnetic programs. I founded Dynamic Resonance Systems, Quatro and Quatrosonics to design and produce Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) equipment. I hold several patents of which 7 are in RUS. I co-authored the 1997 John Wiley and Sons book entitled “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy”. I have a BS in Chemistry from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Utah. I served as a Guest Scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1979 through 2000 and was named as the New Mexico “Eminent Scholar” for New Mexico Tech, by the Commission on Higher Education, Colleges and Universities. I have in excess of 50 publications in technical journals.
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James Shawver
I graduated in 1972 and worked for the US EPA as a chemist in Las Vegas. I went to work at APS as a Chemistry Manager at Palo Verde. I received my Masters in Environmental Science at ASU. I am currently employed at APS as an Environmental Scientist. I am married with 3 adult children (1 is a graduate of ASU and one currently attending) and I have one grandchild. Go Devils!
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Jim Sims
I received my BS in Chemistry in 1959. I went on to UCLA where I received a PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1963. After an NSF postdoc At the ETH in Zurich, I took a faculty position in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of California, Riverside. I spent 40 and a half years doing research in isolation, structure and synthesis biologically active natural products. I retired in 2004 and don't know how I had time to work! I have three Tennessee Walking horses, three German shorthair pointers and I play golf and tennis.
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Adam N. Smith
I graduated from University of Colorado School of dentistry in 2006. I completed general practice residency at the Baltimore VA hospital in 2007. I am currently a general dentist in Tempe, AZ.
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Volker K.H. Sonntag
I am active in clinical and laboratory research. I hold over 20 professional memberships to include: North American Spine Society, President 2000-2001; American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Past Director & Vice President; Academy of Neurological Surgeons, President; American Board of Neurological Surgeons, Director; Chairman, Recertification Committee, 1998-2004; Neurosurgery Resident Review Committee 2005-2011. I am also the editor of five text books, Principles of Spinal Surgery, Essentials of the Spine, Surgical Treatment of Discogenic Diseases of the Spine, Surgery of the Craniovertebral Junction and Kempe’s Operative Neurosurgery.
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Rhesa Stidham
I graduated with my MS in molecular biophysics from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. I currently work for a start-up company in the Dallas area called Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. We have a number of anti-cancer lead molecules and are also interested in drug discovery for diseases caused by protein misfolding (most cases of cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's).
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Nick Straessler
Upon completing my PhD in December 2006 I accepted an offer of employment as a synthetic chemist at ATK Launch Systems (ATK.com) in Promontory, Utah. ATK is an advanced weapons and space systems company that specializes in solid rocket motors and energetic materials. My primary responsibilities include research, development, and scale-up production of highly explosive chemical compounds for military and space applications. The job is both exciting and challenging, and relies heavily upon my knowledge of chemistry that I developed while at Arizona State.
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Quinn Thacker
I was a college chemistry instructor for 16 years at Maricopa Community Colleges. I have my own hypnotherapy practice assisting people in overcoming their challenges and fears and to achieve what they want in any area such as finances, relationships, and confidence. Also, QT vending business providing snacks and drinks to businesses who qualify with 10 to 100 employees--"refresh and replenish"! I adopted 4 children while in foster care and I enjoy a variety of activities and sports with the kids as well as movies, golf, hiking, and watching Suns and Rattlers games.
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Chafeek Tomeh
I'm currently in Memphis, TN doing medical residency for ear, nose, and throat at University of Tennessee. I still have 4 + 1/2 years before I'll be working on my own. I completed medical school in Milwaukee, WI at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
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Thomas Williams
I was employed by Shell Chemical at their synthetic rubber plant in Torrance, California. After two years as a US Army officer, I returned to work at Torrance, serving there for a total of ten years in the laboratory, engineering and operations management before being transferred to the corporate headquarters in New York City. In New York, I had assignments in staff planning for the technical staff in Shell Chemical, managed economics and logistics departments for industrial chemicals and lubricants marketing. In 1972 I became the plant manager for Shell’s polypropylene plant in Woodbury, New Jersey. On my return to the headquarters in 1976, by then in Houston, Texas, I managed the plans and analysis department for oil refining, and then became manager of environmental conservation for Shell’s products organizations (all refineries, chemical plants, service stations, distribution, pipelines and marine operations). A year before I retired from Shell in 1992, I took over the health and safety department for the same organizations in addition to the environmental functions. After retirement, I went back to school at Rice University and re-tooled as a historian. Since receiving a PhD in history in 2000, my primary activity has been as a senior editor of a biographical encyclopedia of astronomers, published last year by Springer. At the present time I am working on a centennial history of the American Association of Variable Star Observers headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, having been a member of that organization for over forty years.
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Jennifer Zachary
My job title is Assistant Chief Counsel for Enforcement, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As an attorney for the agency, I handle enforcement actions and defensive litigation regarding a variety of products, including drugs, medical devices, and biologics.
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