Chemistry Department

From the time I was hired by The Upjohn Company in 1981 to the time Pfizer acquired and then terminated basic research at the venerable Kalamazoo pharmaceutical company, I had the privilege and fun of working as a medicinal/organic chemist. The highlight of my career was working on anticancer drugs based on a fascinating DNA-binding natural product called CC-1065.

In the 30+ years I have worked as a chemistry researcher (student and professional) there were many "Aha!" moments, large and small. This position at Kalamazoo College gives me an opportunity to introduce students to some of those exciting moments of discovery, when a light turns on in the brain, and things suddenly make sense. It is also satisfying for me to be able to interact with both chemistry and biology students and faculty, since in my pharmaceutical career those disciplines were so strongly interdependent.