Fun news from UR! This week I was named as the new Clarence E. Denoon, Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences, an endowed professorship at the University of Richmond. No, that doesn’t mean I get to be the chairperson of all the departments Gottwald, but I think that’s a good thing. But it is a tremendous honor, and an amazing tribute to the excellence of our students in the classroom and especially in the research lab. All the great work the Downey group has done definitely contributed to making me eligible for this honor. The recognition comes with an annual expense fund that I can use to support great ideas in both teaching and research.
Three other professors in the Department of Chemistry also hold endowed positions (Kelling Donald, Mike Leopold, and Carol Parish), and I am thrilled to be part of that company, and even more thrilled to be part of what is such an astoundingly good department overall.
A huge, huge thank you to all the current and former members of the Downey Group who have made my job so fun, and made this honor possible.
Wade