The Villanova Chemist
“Christmas” 2003 Edition
From the Chair
Greetings from the Chemistry Department! Times here are a’changing, so let us get
you up to speed on current events here at Villanova.
First, if you graduated from the Chemistry Department since 1995, you recently received
a letter from me requesting some information. I so
much appreciate all of your responses. During my
four years as Chair, I have expounded to anyone
who would listen about the successes of you, our
graduates. I tell people about the graduate degrees
you have earned, about the industrial positions
you have achieved, about the honors you have accumulated. Last year, I realized that I may not be
totally aware of all of your accomplishments. The
information you have provided will help me ask
our administration for support for summer research, for instrumentation, and for instructional
facilities.
I’ve been trying to be more conscientious
on updating the Department website. Please check
the Department News sections from time to time
for updates on our events and accomplishments.
And if you happen to get the Nobel Prize or some
other honor, let me know (barry.selinsky @villanova.edu) and I’ll post the good news at our site.
Faculty News – I am somewhat surprised to say
that not much has happened this year, facultywise. We are just finishing up a search for two
Analytical faculty, and I am extremely optimistic
that we will have great news to share with you
next year. We’ve been doing well with funding
and publication, especially including students in
our efforts. I’ll be posting much of this information on our site in the next several months.
Students - We are extremely proud of the Villanova Chemistry Class of 2003. Their names and
affiliations follow:
BS Graduates: Nancy Ata (Americorps); Julie
Cichelli (Ph.D. program, Univ. Utah); Chris
DeFeo (Ph.D. program, Yale); Lauren DellaGreca
(EI DuPont de Nemours and Co.); Maryann
Geehring (RadPharm); Chris Jones (MS program,
Villanova): Pat Kocher; Marisa Mandra; Maurice
Marsini (Ph.D. program, UC Santa Barbara);
Doug Micalizzi (Ph.D./MD program, Univ. Colorado); Bridget Nappi; Katie Picone (PharmD program, Univ. Buffalo); Allison Scarpinito (Estee
Lauder); and Heidi Shimp (Ph.D. program, Yale).
MS Graduates: David Behm (GlaxoSmithKline);
Steven Clareen (Celgene); Colleen Gownley
(Johnson & Johnson); Vince Milano (PMRS); Pat
Peifer (High School Chemistry Teacher); Michael
Tomaine (East Penn Manufacturing Co.).
Poetry:
Since this is a forum for whatever I
choose to say, I thought that I would share some
poetry with you. Enjoy! Here’s a limerick:
There once was a chemist from Ardmore
Whose friends thought he was quite a bore
He spoke of Descartes
One night at a party
And somehow he just could not score
Or perhaps a Haiku is more appropriate:
A l C l 3
Catalyst for Friedel-Crafts
Damned alkylation
Personal thoughts – Clearly, I’ve spent too much
time sniffing fumes this year. But seriously, this
has been an enjoyable year for me. I’ve been very
pleased with the successes of our students and
graduates. Please feel welcome to stop by at any
time and check out your alma mater. You are always welcome.
Barry Selinsky,
Chair
Chemistry Department
* * * * * * *
Alumni Notes
Oliver Ludwig ’57, Editor
Volume 20, begin March 2003
First, some bad news: Steve DiSanto '78
died suddenly on 31 June 2003. Please remember
him in your prayers.
A note from Al Derr '46: I have been reading the
Chem Dept Chris Xmas Letter for over 50 years,
[Dr Quam did this newsletter before me, (OGL);
notes passim in square brackets are mine.], and I
think it's about time to check in. I graduated in
June 1946 – under the accelerated time schedule
of those days, studying mostly under Dr Ed Haenisch and Fr Jenkins, and a number of Physics
classes with Fr Burke and Math with Prof Emil
Amelotti. [I myself still think of things I learned
from Jenkins and Amelotti.]
After a brief stint in Analytical Chemistry,
I became a Physicist in the Photographic Industry
with ANSCO. I matriculated the year that State U
of New York – Binghamton opened and finished
with my Masters Degree in Business, specializing
in Operations Research, particularly as it related
to transportation. The effort at ANSCO resulted in
most of the 24 papers that have been published
and three patents (assigned). At this time I returned to the Philadelphia area. A brief stint in
consulting and contract work resulted in doing a
book for NASA Technology Utilization Survey
(pub. by Gov Printing Office), and some transportation studies.
The next seven years was spent at SEPTA
in Planning and Development and with the Railroad Division as Manager of RR Facilities. I was
able to return to Villanova for three courses in
the Business Law Curriculum. An opportunity developed that allowed me to join The Phila. Belt
Line RR as Executive Vice President. This terminal railroad served the port of Philadelphia and I
had fun digging it out of the mud. After four
years, I became part owner and President of Rail
Development Inc which operated two short line
railroads. I also served as president of Anthracite
Railway which I managed on a daily basis and as
Chairman of Octoraro Railway. We sold the operations in 1990 and I officially retired in January
1991.
Since then I have been doing consulting
work for attorneys, have received my Amateur
Radio (Ham) License, pursue my photographic
interests, took some Music courses at Montgomery County Community College, and stay active in
the Theatre Organ
. Albert J. (Al) Derr, 1946
From my Classmate, Herb Rammrath '57: Dear
Ol: Thanks for the kind words about me in your
latest issue of the Villanova Chemist. You may already know that I will be presented with and honorary degree at the commencement exercises on
May 18 [2003]. It is quite an unexpected honor
and one that I will accept with much gratitude
and even more humility. Imagine me, a Doctor of
Law. I know less about the law than I do about
chemistry. A lot of BS can take one a long way.
I'm a perfect example. Herb. [Herb has endowed a
Chair in International Business in VU’s C&F
School.] Tony Silvestri '58 has endowed a Lectureship in our Chemistry Department. He's retired from Mobil where he had been VP for
Health and Safety. Speaking of Endowments,
Mike Lamb ’75 has endowed a Lecture Series
now being planned by VU’s A&S College, on the
connection between modern scientific thought
and that of St Augustine. Tom Aretz '72 is a professor of pathology and director of education at
Harvard Medical International. Paul Marchetto
'74 is now orthopaedist for the Eagles. At Drexel
he's Assoc Prof of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of Sports Medicine.
Hi Dr Ludwig, Dave Cusumano class of 1976
checking in. I just wanted to let you know I really
appreciate the newsletter and E–mail you send
periodically. Hope you are doing great. It's taken
a while to get the motivation, time, and energy to
send a note. I guess it’s the laws of inertia or my
rate of reaction that has kept us from colliding
more frequently. Had to look the rate of reaction
term up in The Fundamentals of Chemistry book.
I still have it. Since it's been over 25 years since I
wrote you, I think my last note was in a blue book,
I'll try to summarize where my atoms have been.
First professional job – E.F. Houghton
making specialty chemicals as a QC chemist
1977–1979. Next in the Hazardous Waste Industry 1979–1987, various positions but most fun
was designing and building a mobile testing lab
in an air–ride trailer so we could test unknown
chemicals from a Superfund site. I loved the challenge of trying to uncover what chemicals were
present in those abandoned drums. Then I took a
job with a shoe polish company, Kiwi, from 1987
to 1999. Served as Environmental Chemist and
later as Safety and Security Manager. I wanted to
get away from preparing all those boring regulatory reports for the govt. that probably just collect
dust in an archive somewhere and preparing
MSDS's for shoe polish, so I took the Safety position. This gave me an opportunity to work with
people to help prevent injuries. Having a chemical background was useful in analyzing chemical
exposures and responding to chemical emergencies. I have to tell you the discipline we received
at Villanova through the Chemistry Department's
teaching has been of value in every career path I
have taken. Currently, I am an Accident Prevention Consultant at an insurance company. I get to
visit manufacturing facilities to provide training,
loss and risk analysis, and business guidance to
companies. A few months ago, I got to visit a college to assess their safety programs. It really
made me feel young again. I guess that college
campus feeling is what keeps you so young and
timeless. Or is it a secret chemical formula (EtOH
or H2C=O) that keeps you going? I hope you will
share your secret someday. Oh by the way, got
married, 26 years now. Have three kids all girls,
two grand kids. Ran a few 13 mile races. Keep
strumming the guitar when I can find time. And
even pick up the old text books once in a while,
only the science ones, to see if I get a new perspective on what entropy and enthalpy mean. I
guess you are still trying to teach that stuff. Well
my excited state is relaxing to the ground state so
that's about all the photons I can send now. Take
care and thanks for all the fabulous memories. As
I grow older, I continue to further appreciate the
value of the education I received at Villanova. I
am proud of those roots. One of these days I just
may stop by to have a beaker of ? with you. It
would be fun to get the 1976 Chem majors together for some socializing. [Sounds good! I am
ready; what about the rest of you? ;–) ] Dave.
Ron Magolda '76 is VP for medicinal research
at Wyeth, responsible for neuroscience and women's health chemistry. Chris McKenna '77
writes: I am Director of Business Development at
Tunnell Consulting, a company that provides consulting support primarily for the pharma industry.
Have been doing mostly project work but have recently been asked to head up the business development (sales) efforts. It is a good job but the
travel is a lot. Am married with two children. My
eldest, Erin, is 18 and will be attending Villanova
in the fall as a freshman (the tradition continues,
though not in chemistry). My son, Kevin, is 15
and goes to Devon Prep. Chris.
Tom Fox ’79 emails: Enjoyed the newsletter I received in the mail yesterday. Besides yourself, I
am not sure how many professors are still there
from 1979. It was fun to read that Dave Mazzo's
son is a student at VU; my son is a freshman at
the school but in the C&F school. On our trips to
see him, I am amazed by the changes on campus.
All is well here. I joined Cargill Inc about seven
months ago and enjoy the work I am doing. I am
Director of Marketing for emerging products in
one of their business units (they have over 90!)
The rest of the family is doing well and I think I
mentioned to you the last time I saw you (2000 reunion with my wife, Patty '80) that we have five
children. So as you can tell I will be working for a
very long time putting kids thru college. I do not
see any of the Chemistry classmates, though I do
bump into Bob Hamburger periodically. Anyway,
best regards, and keep the letters coming. If I am
at the school during the week school hours, I will
stop by to say hello. Tom.
Janice Derivan Newton writes: I'm sure you
don't remember me [I do!] but I graduated in the
class of 1986 and am doing well. I went back to
Villanova and received my MBA in 1993. Bill
Hurley ‘86 has started his own company selling
bike chain lubricants. He is living outside of Boston and working for Northrup Grumman. I am
Manager, Marketing Services for Whitford Corporation, a privately held company in Frazer PA,
that manufactures fluoropolymer coatings similar
to DuPont's Teflon. We just happen to make many
more coatings than DuPont and have about 40%
of the fluoropolymer coating market. We are an
international company with sales approaching
$65 million. I have been living in Collegeville for
eight years and have been a member of St. Eleanor Church. When I joined St Eleanor I was very
happy to find Fr (Jan) Busch [’52, PhD ’75] as
our visiting priest helping with the Sunday Mass
schedule. Fr Busch is still missed by the whole
parish. Janice.
I read in C&EN that Barry Schwartz PhD '84 is
business Group Manager for silicates at PQ Corp.
Ken Ewing MS, PhD ’85 writes: I am still working as Senior Research Scientist at Battelle Memorial Institute. I am more involved in engineering and application of chemistry than any real
chemistry. I am working with my friends at NRL
(where I worked for 13 years) on acquiring funds
from DARPA for a new chemical detector, but we
don't have any money yet! Ken. Mike Byrnes ‘89
gave a Professional Development Seminar to our
undergrad majors recently about his work with
the FBI, and it’s not all Chemistry! Mike gave me
a neat cap which has caused my grandnephews to
hold me in a strange new respect! Gary Speier
MS '91, dropped by the Department to say “hi”.
He’s a lawyer in intellectual property, and I see
via the Villanova Magazine that he wed Aimee in
Waterbury CT.
From Pat Grohar '95: I wanted to update you on
my career. I ended up matching at Johns Hopkins
for my residency. I matched for pediatrics and
plan on pursuing a research–based residency
track at Hopkins. I will be returning to my roots
in chemistry and fighting the cancer fight for kids.
Thank you to everyone at Villanova who laid the
foundation for my life's work. Also, say hi to Dr
Edwards and Dr de laVega for me. Sincerely. Pat.
Jill Dreibelbis ’96 is at West Chester U and is
student teaching in Chester County PA.
Notes on the Class of ’97: Jason Diffendal received his PhD from MIT and is now at Wyeth;
Steve Miller is a daddy and Scientist Supervisor
at Magellan Labs in Research Park NC doing analytical development; Randall Lewis, MS is in the
PhD program at NMSU and on the technical staff
at Los Alamos National Lab. Tim Malloy, MS is
Sr Regulatory Associate at Bristol Meyers
Squibb;
From Elizabeth Latusek ’97 It is very sad news
about Dr Zajac’s passing. I passed your email on
to Doug Dieter and Steve Miller –both '97 chem
grads. I’ll give you a short update on my career
since graduation. I always mean to do it after I
get the yearly newsletter but then of course think I
have a year to do it. I forget and the cycle continues. I graduated with a job offer from the Drug
Enforcement Administration– the lab director had
been invited to speak at the Professional Development Seminar by Dr Bessel and he then interviewed and subsequently hired me. So I moved to
New York City and worked there for three years
as a forensic chemist. I then decided to go to law
school and I started at George Washington Law
School in 2000. I am an evening student– which
means I work a full time job during the day/class
at night. I will graduate next year. My first year I
worked as a chemist with the agency formerly
known as ATF– now the Tax and Trade Bureau. I
left there last summer to gain some legal experience and have been working at the Department of
Justice in various positions. I didn't know how
much people at 'Nova knew about this path– I
seem to go through a background check every
year whether I need one or not and I think that
the inspectors probably call Nancy to see if I really did go there. Anyway, if any soon-to-be graduates are interested in government lab work I
know people at DEA, TTB, ATF, FDA, and FBI
and could provide information. Or if they want to
give up chemistry and are thinking about law I
am willing to offer words of advice. Your email
about Dr Zajac reminded me about how wonderful and comfortable it was to be in such a small
program where you knew all of your classmates,
professors, and even the office secretaries and
they knew you. I don't think a lot of other programs are like that; law school certainly isn't.
Thanks again, Elizabeth.
Chris Radano MS ’98 writes to Prof Carol Bessel: Hello Villanova Contacts, I'm writing to you
from Eindhoven, Holland. I just arrived and
started my PostDoc assignment. I now work for
Bert Meijer, a polymer/organic professor here.
[They’re working on photovoltaic materials.] Defended two weeks ago and printed out/handed in
my Dissertation literally five hours before I took
off from Detroit to Amsterdam. Things are going
well thus far and I will keep you informed of any
new interesting happenings. Chris.
From Joe Pickel ‘98: Hello Drs Bausch and
Ludwig, Thought I might drop a note to say hi
and give a little update of where I have been for a
while. I graduated from the University of Akron
this past summer and now I am working as a postdoctoral associate doing polymer chemistry at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. My
wife (I also got married this summer) just defended her thesis and has now joined me in TN
where we have bought a house. She'll be working
at Eastman Chemical Company starting next
month. I am planning to stop by Nova in the near
future, see what's going on since I left. I hope everything is going well for everybody there. Joe.
Jeff Barton ‘98 writes to Prof Joe Bausch: It has
certainly been a while since I've been in touch – I
hope everything's going well with you and with
the department. I bet I'd have a difficult time finding my way around the renovated Mendel Hall.
So many new professors as well – it looks like a
completely new place! I suppose the main purpose of writing is the latest news on my end – I
just defended my thesis! [at Harvard] I wanted to
thank you for helping me get started in research
and getting me on this path. It has been a tough
road up here, but it's just about done now. Jeff.
More notes from the Class of ’98: Rob Odomirok is Manager of e–sourcing for Avon Products and is in Fordham’s MBA program; Paul Foley received his MD from Penn and is a Resident
in General Surgery at Columbia/NY Presbyterian
Hospital; Zhao Zhou, MS is Research Scientist at
Centocor; Rob Murphy, PhD is Research Scientist at Advion Bioscience in Ithaca NY.
Nadia D'Achille ‘99 emails: I was married on
June 14th in Pittsburgh, PA and am now Mrs Nadia Kowalczyk. I am still living in St. Louis and
working towards my MBA in marketing and international business at St. Louis University. I am interning at Energizer this summer. Nadia. Others
in the Class of ’99: Brian Heasley is finishing up
his PhD in medicinal/organic at UVA; Brian Miller received his MS from Seton Hall, works for
Transave in Princeton on liposomes for drug delivery, and is in Rider’s MBA program. Andy
Holmes is teaching public school and coaching
basketball in Sewell NJ, and married Kara, a
Chem Eng classmate. Tim Howell, PhD is Assistant Prof at Gainesville College in GA.
Jocelyn Edathil '00 Dr. Ludwig, I am now a
third year in the MD/PhD program at Penn State,
I am beginning to go back to chemistry and I have
to take Physical Chemistry qualifying exams. It's
been five years, but I'm happy to say that I think I
remember much of it (we'll see if I pass.)– [Did
you? …OGL] Jocelyn. Later Jocelyn writes to
Prof Bob Giuliano: My advisor is Blake Peterson,
he is a young professor and we do a lot of bio–organic and medicinal chemistry. There are quite a
few organic professors and so the environment is
more conducive to synthesis, as opposed to Hershey where the only NMR is 200 MHz and only a
very few medicinal chemistry post–docs doing
synthesis. In this lab, I am able to both synthesize
and test molecules in the same lab. So I am here
for the entire PhD portion of the MD/PhD program. I was worried that the program would
frown on my PhD being in Chemistry as opposed
to biochem. pharm, etc., but they supported my
decision and it's nice being in a top 20 school
(again!) Jocelyn.
More on the Class of 2000: Pat Dougherty got
his MSc in Technology Management at Manchester UK, where he was a Fulbright Fellow. He is
now Manager of Technology Commercialization
at the U of Penn. Jenn Barbarow is a candidate
for the PhD at UCal Berkeley.
Here’s some news about the Class of ’01: Arya
Kumar is in the MD/PhD program at Case Western Reserve; Kevin Orlando got his MS Ed at
Penn and is now teaching in Chichester PA,
where he’s also Chemical Hygiene Officer and
Stockroom boss. Pooja Aggarwal is at Penn State
working on her PhD in total synthesis, presumably of natural products. Nicole Longo is working
on her DO at the Phila College of Osteopathic
Medicine; Jill Nunez works in drug discovery at
Wyeth in Cambridge MA and plans grad work
this Fall [I am sure there’s a school or two in the
neighborhood]; Shawn Watson, MS is working
on his MBA at Temple and is Senior Manager of
analytical R&D at Mutual Pharmaceuticals. He
recalls fondly being influenced by Richard Cordell ’61, his Prof at Heidelberg College, and Kurt
Nielsen, MS, PhD ‘94
Here’s what some of the Class of ’02 are doing:
Heather Machin is in the MS in Bioscience program at Phila College of Osteopathic Medicine
while working at the U of Penn.; Bridget Doria is
clinical Research Associate at ICON; Joe Slavin
is Research Associate at Adolor Corp; James
Martosella, MS is doing proteomics at Agilent
Technologies; Mike Mock, MS is working on his
PhD in bioorganic/organometallic at the U of Delaware.
Here’s what we have learned about the Class of
’03: Lauren Dellagreca is at the duPont Experimental Station; Doug Micalizzi is in the MD/PhD
program at the U of Colorado Health Sciences
Center and tells Prof Bob Giuliano that he’s enjoying it and may specialize in cancer research;
Allison Scarpinto is Sr Lab Tech at Estee Lauder
and expects to start grad school soon; Brian Sarcopski is Staff Chemist at Merck Pharmaceuticals; Maurice Marsini is doing grad work at the
Chemistry Department
Villanova University
Villanova PA 19085
610/519-4849 (voice)
610/519-7167 (fax)
chemistry.villanova.edu
U of California Santa Barbara; Chris Jones is
beginning his MS studies at VU; Heidi Shimp is
in Yale’s PhD program; Katie Picone is at SUNY
Buffalo, working on her PharmD; Maryann
Geehring is Project Coordinator for RadPharm in
Princeton, doing image assessment for clinical trials, and is in Temple’s grad program in Quality
Assurance and Regulatory Affairs; Steve
Clareen, MS is Sr Assoc at Celgene.
Note: Some of these items were gleaned from responses to a letter from Prof Barry Selinsky to recent graduates. Please note that we encourage all
our Chemistry alumni/-ae to write or email or
visit to keep us abreast of good things that happen
to you, our “offspring”.
All the best. Alumnically, Ol Ludwig ’57.
30 June 2016
Chemistry Department
Villanova University
800 Lancaster Ave
Villanova PA 19085-1699
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