UCSD Division of Physical Sciences Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry/Pfizer Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory Dedication July 22, 2004

Pfizer/UCSD Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory Dedicated

by Laura Moore
UCSD Division of Physical Sciences

On July 22nd, 2004, UCSD's Division of Physical Sciences hosted a celebration to dedicate the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry/Pfizer Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory. The brand new, state-of-the-art facility, located in the recently completed Natural Sciences Building, was made possible by the generous support of Pfizer, Inc.

Pfizer representatives Michael D. Varney, VP of Drug Discovery, and Kim Albizati, Global Director of Chemical Research and Development, both of whom were instrumental in making the undergraduate teaching laboratory possible, were on hand to accept a plaque which will be installed outside the new lab to acknowledge Pfizer's contribution to the Division's commitment to provide its students with a strong foundation in science using the latest methods and equipment.

Presenting the plaque were UCSD's Dave Miller, Acting Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Cliff Kubiak, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Chair, Jeffrey Remmel, Assistant Dean of Physical Sciences, and Barbara Sawrey, Co-Director of the Doctoral Program in Mathematics and Science Education.

Dr. Haim Weizman, who has been conducting some of the first Chemistry Laboratory classes in the new facility, is enthusiastic about the UCSD/Pfizer partnership and what it means for his students.

"The Pfizer donation together with the strong collaboration gave us the opportunity to change the curriculum. My contribution was to create a new lab curriculum and to teach it to the students."

Dr. Weizman's new curriculum includes Chemistry 143D- Molecular Design and Synthesis. "143D is an advanced organic synthesis lab that aims to expose students to various concepts and tools that are available to the modern organic chemist. This course covers various topics such as reaction mechanisms, methodologies, instrumentation and principals of chemical development. Besides chemistry, the lab exposes students to other important sides of working in a dynamic research environment such as planning ahead, developing problem-solving skills, and the importance of team work and multitasking."

"The goal of this lab," Weizman emphasizes, "is to better train senior students for the 'real world' outside the students' labs."

Many of Dr. Weizman's students from Chem 143D attended the dedication to show their enthusiasm for the new facility and curriculum. Among them was Laura Ellis, who expressed her unequivocal support in a dedication speech.

"Man, that class was a lot of work. And it was a lot of work, I’m not gonna lie. But ask any of us if we would have rather been doing anything else, and we would have said no."

Laura, who had already been accepted to an organic chemistry PhD program before signing up for the class, underscored the importance that her experience in the new lab played in preparing her for graduate school.

"Haim was in the lab with us every day for the majority of the time. There were two TAs, eight hoods and four rotovaps for the 11 of us, not to mention zero pressure or competition. We had room to learn, room to make mistakes and room to start over. These were all luxuries that were... necessary for us to learn and grow as chemists."

Periodic Table of Chemistry Labs designed by Laura .Moore, 2004 click photo for larger view

Mark Thiemens, Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences and a chemist himself, is quick to point out the importance of having this equipment and curriculum at the disposal of undergraduates.

"Developing innovative educational programs has been one of the hallmarks of our Division. This new laboratory will provide indispensable training opportunities for the next generation of scientists."

But perhaps the most telling words on the success of the new lab come from the students themselves.

"As I continue my education, I will remember this class as the highlight of my undergrad experience," Laura Ellis said.

"Synthesizing chemicals like Viagra and Prozac precursors really validated organic chemistry as useful, and not just pretty. I learned more about technique in this lab than any other lab during my 4 years here, and I am so happy I had the opportunity to take it."