Dear Prospective Students: Thank you for taking the time to view our website. On behalf of our research group, I invite you to consider our ongoing projects in synthetic chemistry, and feel free to contact me or any group member regarding future opportunities for pursuing your Ph.D. studies at UCSB. Students in the group will usually be involved in a multitude of projects during their graduate school careers. One can anticipate gaining experience in several areas of research, including development of new reagents and useful new technologies, organometallics, as well as applications to topical natural products or subsections thereof. We have excellent supporting instrumentation both within our group and within the Department, including 24/7 hands-on access to both 400 and 500 MHz NMR spectrometers (overseen by Dr. Ata Shirazi). Our mass spectrometry facility is also a tremendous asset, with routine and more specialized experiments provided by Dr. James Pavlovich. Both Drs. Shirazi and Pavlovich are part of our permanent staff within the Department. We also have within Chemistry outstanding capabilities for X-ray analyses. Prior to completing a Ph.D. within our group, most students opt to accept a postdoctoral position elsewhere in the country. Ultimately, each student is very well-trained to pursue a career in any area of research that requires synthetic skills. The majority, however, gain employment in the pharmaceutical area. Thanks again for your consideration. Should our programs interest you further, you are most welcome to apply and to visit us in southern California. Sincerely, Bruce Lipshutz