Giving

Friends of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry sincerely thanks those individuals who have provided support for our undergraduate and graduate programs. Contributions from alumni and friends are essential in supporting our teaching programs, research enterprises, lecture and event programs, improvements to facilities, overall development of the quality of our program, and, most importantly, our students. If you would like to become a part of our ongoing work, we invite you to join “Friends of Chemistry and Biochemistry”. 

During the spring quarter of each year, the Department convenes a Faculty Awards Committee for the purpose of selecting our top students to be honored at an annual Departmental Awards Ceremony. This ceremony, presented by the Department Chair and attended by the MLPS Divisional Dean, recognizes our outstanding students and new graduates. The gifts and fellowships, many of which are named for our contributors, presented during the ceremony are made possible entirely by "Friends of Chemistry and Biochemistry".

Current Contributors and Awards:

• B. R. Baker Memorial Fellowship
• Bruce Rickborn-Ross Johnson Graduate Fellowship
• Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship
• John A. Love Award
• John H. Tokuyama Memorial Fellowship
• Lucas Ransom Memorial Scholarship in Chemistry
• Paula Bruice Scholarship in Organic Chemistry
• Peter C. Ford Graduate Fellowship in Chemistry Fund
• Professor Willard L. McRary Prize
• Robert H. DeWolfe Teaching Fellowship in Organic Chemistry
• Robert H. DeWolfe Undergraduate Research Award
• Stanley and Leslie Parsons Award in Biochemistry
• Stauffer Undergraduate Summer Research

B. R. Baker Memorial Lecture and Scholarship

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Professor B.R. Baker was a Professor of Chemistry at UCSB from 1966 until his death in 1971. Baker's graduate work on the structural elucidation and synthesis of Cannabis constituents marked the beginning of a prolific career in the chemistry of natural products. He undertook many diverse projects of medicinal interest including the synthesis of antihemorrhagic vitamin K analogues, biotin derivatives, compounds with hormone activity, sulfones with activity against tuberculosis, and alkaloids. He published two books and more than 370 papers that included a series of papers on the structure and synthesis of the antimalarial alkaloid from Hydrangea that filled an entire issue of the Journal of Organic Chemistry in 1952. He determined the structure of the first known nucleoside antibiotic, puromycin, and synthesized it in 1955. This achievement came long before the discovery of the structure of transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA). Puromycin was later shown to mimic the structure of tRNA and became and an important tool of research in molecular biology. Puromycin was too toxic for cancer chemotherapy, but it aroused Bill's interest in this field. Few of the myriad of compounds that he had so meticulously synthesized showed any antitumor activity in vivo, so he sought a more rational approach to cancer chemotherapy. Perhaps his greatest contribution to medicinal chemistry was the concept of active-site-directed irreversible enzyme inhibition of substrate-identical enzymes. A monograph summarizing this approach to drug design promptly became one of the classic works in the field.

Bill's two great interests in life were his family and chemistry. He married Reba Brodsky in 1937 when he was a graduate student, and they were inseparable until the end. Their temperaments were strikingly similar; they were always cheerful, unpretentious, optimistic, and sanguine of outlook. Together with their three daughters, the Bakers were a tightly knit group whose pleasure in family life was communicated to their many friends. 

Since founding the B.R. Baker Memorial Lecture and Student Fellowship in 1975, the memory of B.R. Baker has been actively kept alive by his devoted wife, Reba Baker.  On the evening of February 23, 2013, Reba Baker passed quietly in her sleep at age 95. Mother of Shari, Bonnie and Reenie, grandmother of Jeanne and Debbie, great grandmother of Win and Holt, and surrogate mother to thousands of foreign students whom she taught at UCSB from 1975 until her recent illness, her most precious connection was as wife and partner to her husband, Professor B.R. Baker.

The B. R. Baker Memorial Fellowship in Chemistry is awarded to a graduate student on the verge of graduation who has given strong indication that they will make continued and substantial contributions to the progress of organic, medicinal, or biological chemistry. Fellowship candidates are nominated by department faculty members and recipients are selected by a Department Faculty Awards Committee. Each fellow is honored at the annual B. R. Baker Memorial Lecture, and recipients receive a cash award of $500.

Donations to the B.R. Baker Memorial Fund may be made online at UC Santa Barbara Giving

Past Lecturers and Award Recipients (pdf)

Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship

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The Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student who is studying chemistry at UCSB while facing special challenges raising a family. Honorees receive a cash award of $1000 to help ease the financial pressure of supporting a family while pursuing a graduate degree. This award is given to celebrate the memory of Jarrod Davidson, UCSB Chemistry PhD candidate from Fall 2003 through Spring 2004. Jarrod was pursuing his Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Tom Pettus when his life was tragically cut short in the summer of 2004. He was a loving single father to daughter Malia and a talented young organic chemist. To honor Jarrod's life and legacy, his family established the Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship for the benefit of students embracing the challenging balance of family and graduate studies. 

Robert H. DeWolfe Undergraduate Research Award

This fellowship honors former professor of Organic Chemistry, Robert H. DeWolfe. It was established by his wife, Barbara B. DeWolfe, in 1983 in memory of her late husband. The fund provides a stipend ($300- $3000) for undergraduate student(s) to conduct research in organic chemistry within the department during the summer months, for a period of no more than 12 weeks. Only interest accruing on the DeWolfe gift can be used. Applications are solicited once each year and the award(s) are made based upon need and recommendations from organic faculty.

Student Qualifications: The student(s) should have demonstrated a capacity for conducting effective research in organic chemistry and be interested in a career in organic chemistry.

Bruce Rickborn-Ross Johnson Graduate Fellowship

The Bruce Rickborn-Ross Johnson Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund was established in 2007 through a generous gift of $500,000 from Dr. M. Ross Johnson, a 1970 Ph.D. Organic Chemistry alum of UC Santa Barbara, and honors his former Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Bruce Rickborn. Dr. Rickborn is widely recognized as one of the most important contributors to building the now world renowned reputation of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC Santa Barbara.

Professor Bruce Rickborn received his B.A. from UC Riverside (Charter Student, 1956), and the Ph.D. degree from UCLA (1960), where he worked with Nobel Laureate Donald J. Cram. After two years on the Berkeley faculty, he transferred to Santa Barbara in 1962. Author or co-author of 90 research papers and one book, he points to his continuing warm relationships with over 30 Ph.D. students who obtained degrees under his direction as his most important contribution to science. He has been an A.P. Sloan Fellow, an NSF Senior Postdoctoral Fellow (MPI, Mulheim/Ruhr), and a Fulbright Senior Lecturer (U. Nacional, Bogota). In addition to teaching at all levels, he was drawn into administration in the turbulent times of the late 1960's, eventually serving as Dean of Letters & Science from 1973-1978, where he worked closely with Vice Chancellor Alec Alexander and Chancellor Vernon Cheadle. Dr. Rickborn served the campus and the University in several senate roles, including the Committee on Research and the Review of UC Administration of Weapons Labs, as well as serving on the Board of the Faculty Club for a number of years. Dr. Rickborn retired in 2001 after 39 years of service to the department of Chemistry at UC Santa Barbara. The establishment of the Bruce Rickborn-Ross Johnson Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund at UC Santa Barbara is intended to honor and celebrate Dr. Rickborn and his tremendous impact on the department and its students, while enabling the department to attract top-notch graduate students.

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Dr. M. Ross Johnson received his B.S. Degree in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley (1967) and Ph.D. degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara (1970). He is a named inventor on more than 100 U.S. Patents, co-author of more than 50 publications and chapters, and has over 100 invited and abstracted presentations covering drug therapies useful for a wide range of diseases.

Dr. Johnson is currently the CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Parion Sciences, Inc. and resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is an internationally recognized medicinal chemist with a long and productive career as an inventor, drug discoverer, executive and entrepreneur in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industries. He became the 66th member inducted into the Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in August 2011. From 1995-1999 he was President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Scientific Officer of Trimeris, Inc. (TRMS), a company he took public in 1997. Prior to that, Dr. Johnson was Vice President of Chemistry at Glaxco, Inc. (now GSK) where he was part of the original scientific founding team for Glaxco's research entry into the United States. Previous to GSK, Dr. Johnson served in key scientific and research management positions with Pfizer Central Research (PFE).

Robert H. DeWolfe Teaching Fellowship in Organic Chemistry

This award is given in honor of former Professor of  Chemistry, Robert H. DeWolfe. The fund was established by his wife, Barbara B. DeWolfe, in 1983 in memory of her late husband and provides a stipend for teaching assistants who positively impact their undergraduate students. Nominations are solicited once each year from Department faculty and UCSB undergraduate students in all majors. Award recipients are selected by the Faculty Awards Committee based on nominations and quarterly teaching evaluations.

The DeWolfe Fund also supports the Honors Organic Chemistry Lab Program, in which outstanding undergraduates receive one-on-one guidance from a graduate student specializing in organic chemistry. Top graduate students are invited to participate in the program and are provided with a small stipend ($500 per undergraduate) at the conclusion of each mentorship term (10 weeks).

Willard L. McRary Prize

This prize was established by colleagues and students who wished to keep the memory of Willard L. McRary, Professor of Chemistry (1940-58), alive. Former Vice Chancellor Elmer R. Noble wrote: "...This is a fitting way to perpetuate his memory and to further his interests in chemistry through encouragement of students."

Known as the most prestigious undergraduate award in the Department, the Willard L. McRary Prize is awarded to a graduating senior whose attainment in chemistry is outstanding and reflects promise of the same high-quality scientific achievement that characterized the career of Professor McRary. Each year since 1962, the Department has undertaken a process to identify the most stellar undergraduate students in Chemistry. At a minimum each student who has been honored with this award has achieved an overall 3.4 GPA and a 3.6 GPA in the Department. Chemistry professors and the senior undergraduate advisor(s) make recommendations for this award. Awardees' names are added to our bronze McRary Memorial Award Plaque in the foyer of Chemistry Administration Building 232.

John H. Tokuyama Memorial Fellowship

This award and its associated funding is supported by an endowment established by Dr. and Mrs. S. S. Tokuyama, initially in 1970 and revised in 1991, to memorialize their son John H. Tokuyama. No application process is required. Following the wishes of the donors, the award has been used in support of graduate students in organic chemistry. The John H. Tokuyama Memorial Fellow is selected from the pool of organic graduate students making good progress towards the degree, with an effort to address financial need. The funding is variable, based upon the annual income from the endowment and longer term considerations.

John A. Love Award

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John A. Love, who many people knew simply as Jack, passed away on August 20, 2021. He was part of the UCSB family, as he completed his PhD as a graduate student in the Departments of Materials and Chemistry & Biochemistry at UC Santa Barbara in 2015.  After his PhD, Jack held a postdoctoral position with Prof. Dieter Neher at the University of Potsdam in Germany (2015-2017). He joined Keysight Technologies, followed by Tandem PV, finally landing at Ubiquitous Energy as a Senior Photovoltaic Scientist. Jack was an exceptional scientist and an enthusiastic, quick-witted young man who was never afraid of a challenge, had infectious positivity, was devoted to his work and his people, and was always eager to help those around him in any way he could. Jack was motivated to make a change in the world, and he accomplished that as a highly-regarded engineer, scientist, and researcher focusing on cutting-edge renewable energy technologies. His creativity inspired his work, his friends, and his family.

The John A. Love Fellowship Award was established by friends and family in memory of  John "Jack" Alexander Love, PhD 2015. Gifts to the fund will support merit-based awards for graduate students in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Materials Department who embody Jack’s well-rounded character.

Please join us in making a gift to the John A. Love Fellowship Award. Your gift will serve to honor Jack and the significant contributions he has made to academia and society. While his life was cut short, the fond memories his family, friends, and colleagues share will endure through this Fellowship.

Donations to the may be made online at  UCSB Giving - John A. Love Award

Stauffer Trust Undergraduate Chemistry Research Summer Scholarship

Undergraduate Summer Research – $10,000 to $500,000

The Stauffer Trust Undergraduate Chemistry Research Summer Scholarship offers a matching opportunity that provides undergraduate students a summer research program that is collaborative, highly focused, and an integral part of scientific discovery and innovation, preparing them to become leaders in the field of Chemistry. Undergraduates in this program will be mentored directly by industry-leading faculty members while assisting in conducting collaborative and innovative research. Contributions to this fund will be matched dollar for dollar by the John D. Stauffer Charitable Trust up to $500,000.

Stanley and Leslie Parsons Fund in Biochemistry

The Stanley and Leslie Parsons Fund in Biochemistry was established in 2020 through the generosity of Dr. Stanley Parsons, Professor Emeritus and his wife, Leslie Odell. The Stanley and Leslie Parsons Fund in Biochemistry will award an annual grant to a faculty member for Biochemical Research at UC Santa Barbara.

Leslie Odell graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1973 with a B.A. in both Mathematics and Anthropology. During Leslie’s career at Tecolote Research, she was a staff member, Chief Financial Officer, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan Trustee and a member of its Board of Directors.  Leslie started at Tecolote in the company’s second year when there were only four employees, staying with the company until her retirement as it expanded to several hundred people (now over 500 employees with more than 30 locations nationwide). Tecolote Research provides decision support, program management, project controls and software solutions to its clients.

Dr. Stanley Parsons, Professor Emeritus, retired after more than 46 years of service at UC Santa Barbara, which included teaching biochemistry, membranes and neurochemistry. His research included topics such as developing a rapid enzymatic assay for GHB, a drug of abuse, and studying how, at the molecular level, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is stored. Dr. Parsons is also among a team of scientists who has been working to develop a safe imaging procedure to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in living patients.  Dr. Parsons received his Doctoral Degree in Chemistry from California Institute of Technology in 1970. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, he pursued his postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Parsons joined the faculty at UCSB in 1972. He was President of the Pacific Slope Biochemical Conference in 1984, a Javits Neuroscience Investigator 1986-1993, a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurochemistry 1990-2000, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2008. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American Society for Neurochemistry, the International Society for Neurochemistry, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Chemical Society. He has 163 publications and 12 U.S. patents.

Chemistry is a central science, uniquely positioned to address problems of great importance to our society and plays a crucial role in interdisciplinary and emerging research areas. The Stanley and Leslie Parsons Fund in Biochemistry acknowledges the importance of funding scientific research and discoveries in the area of biochemistry. This fund supports faculty research pertaining to the study of the chemical substances and processes that occur in plants, animals and microorganisms and of the changes they undergo during development and life. The award will recognize and celebrate the achievements of our faculty members who show distinction in their biochemical research.