Bunnett Lecture

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Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California
230 Physical Sciences Bldg.
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: (831) 459-4002
Fax: (831) 459-2935
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Previous Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lectures

This annual event was established in 2001 to honor and celebrate Professor Joseph F. Bunnett's seminal contributions to Organic Chemistry. Professor Bunnett has had an exceptionally distinguished career in Physical Organic Chemistry. His research has contributed understanding to a multitude of reaction mechanisms whose impact extends well beyond his specific field of research. The goal of this event is to gather for an afternoon and evening of reflection accompanied by exposure to ideas at the forefront of chemistry.

The annual Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture began thanks to the generosity of members of the Chemistry faculty. Our goal is to bring the endowment fund to a level sufficient such that this lecture will be a guaranteed annual event.

Ninth Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 2, 2009

Professor Carolyn Bertozzi
"Shedding Light on Glycans"

Eighth Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 2, 2008

Professor William Fenical
"The Changing Face of Natural Products Chemstry, integrating New Sources & Molecular Approaches "

Seventh Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 5, 2007

Professor Albert Eschenmoser
"The Search for Potentially Promordial Genetic Materials"

 Albert Eschenmoser, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) from 1965 to 1992 and now Professor Emeritus and Research Professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), is best known for his many contributions to synthetic methodology, structure elucidation, synthesis of natural products, physical organic chemistry and, more recently, experiments on the etiology of nuclei acids aimed at an understanding of chemical criteria by which nature chose nucleic acids as its genetic code. Among his contributions to natural products chemistry, his stereochemical interpretation of the biogenetic isoprene rule is particularly well known. Perhaps his overall most outstanding achievement has been the total synthesis (with R. B. Woodward) of vitamin B12, a molecule of incredible complexity and, at the time, the Holy Grail of synthetic chemistry.

Sixth Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 5, 2006

Professor Paul Wendell
"Molecular Evolution & Revolution: The Uinque Role of Chemistry in Creating New Therapies, New Reactions and New Drug Delivery Systems"

Professor Paul Wender presented the Sixth annual lecture. Professor Paul Wender is currently the Bergstrom Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology (by courtesy, Stanford Medical School), a cofounder of the Quantitative Chemical Biology Program, on the science advisory board of the Stanford Molecular Imaging Program, on the science advisory board of the Stanford Epithelial Biology Program, an associate of the Program for Molecular and Genetic Medicine and a member of the Cancer Pharmacology Program at Stanford. He is also a cofounder, science advisor and board member of CellGate, a biotech company pioneering new strategies for drug delivery. His research involves studies in chemistry, biology, and medicine. His group is interested in the design and mechanism of action of molecules that exhibit unique biological activity and therapeutic potential and in developing fundamentally new ways of synthesizing such compounds.

Fifth Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 13, 2005

Professor Larry E. Overman
"Asymmetric Construction of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters: Methods Development and Alkaloid Total Synthesis"

Professor Larry E. Overman presented the fifth annual lecture. Prof. Larry Overman received his early education in Richmond, IN, obtaining a B.A. degree from Earlham College in 1965 and completing his doctoral dissertation in 1969 at the University of Wisconsin. In 1971 he joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine where he is now Distingushed Professor of Chemistry. Professor Overman’s research centers on the invention of new reactions and strategies in organic synthesis and the total synthesis of natural products and their congeners. Early in his career, Professor Overman invented a broadly useful method for preparing allylic nitrogen compounds from readily available allylic alcohols. Using synthesis strategies developed largely in his laboratory, Professor Overman’s group has completed total syntheses of more than 90 structurally complex natural products.

The symposium was held at the UCSC University Center, located near Science Hill. The events began with Professor Smith's talk in the Bhojwani Dining Room and an award ceremony, followed by a reception in the Ringold Rotunda and Levin Lanai featuring taste treats and wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains and poster session of ongoing research in the department held in the Alumni Room, and a banquet in the Bhojawani Dining Room.

Fourth Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 7, 2004

Professor Amos B. Smith III
"Total Synthesis of Architecturally Complex Natural and Unnatural Products
Challenges, Excitement, and Frustrations"

Professor Amos B. Smith III presented the fourth annual lecture. Professor Smith's research interests encompass three diverse areas: natural product synthesis, bioorganic chemistry and materials science. To date more than 75 architecturally complex natural products have been prepared in his laboratory. He is Editor-in-Chief of Organic Letters, the first journal developed through a collaboration between the American Chemical Society and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition), which was established with the goal of distributing research results faster and at significantly less cost.

The symposium was held at the UCSC University Center, located near Science Hill. The events began with Professor Smith's talk in the Bhojwani Dining Room and an award ceremony, followed by a reception in the Ringold Rotunda and Levin Lanai featuring taste treats and wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains and poster session of ongoing research in the department held in the Alumni Room, and a banquet in the Bhojawani Dining Room.

Third Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 2, 2003

Professor Herbert C. Brown
"The Discovery and Exploration of a New Continent of Organic Chemistry"

Professor Herbert C. Brown presented the third annual lecture. Professor Brown is most famous for his studies on boron-containing organic compounds and his 1979 shared Nobel Prize in Chemistry with G. Wittig. It is incredible to realize that he has been actively engaged in scientific discovery at Purdue University for more than a half- century.

The symposium was held at the newly constructred UCSC University Center, located near Science Hill. The events began with Professor Brown's talk in the Bhojwani Dining Room, followed by a reception in the Ringold Rotunda, featuring taste treats and wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a banquet.

Professor George A. Olah presented the second annual lecture. Professor Olah is most famous for his research on carbocations which earned him the 1994 Nobel prize; however, he is also well known for his numerous contributions to synthetic and mechanistic chemistry.

The symposium was held at the UCSC Seymour Marine Discovery Center. The beautiful facility is located two miles from the main campus and overlooks the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The events began in the Seymour Center Auditorium, followed by a reception in the exhibit hall, featuring taste treats and wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a banquet.

First Annual "Joseph F. Bunnett Research Organic Chemistry Lecture"
Friday, May 4, 2001

Professor Claude F. Bernasconi
"What Every Chemist Should Know About Chemical Reactivity: Lessons Learned from the Study of Proton Transfers"

[Photo Gallery]

Professor Claude F. Bernasconi presented the inaugural lecture. The title of Professor Bernasconi lecture was "What Every Chemist Should Know About Chemical Reactivity: Lessons Learned from the Study of Proton Transfers."

The symposium was held at the UCSC Seymour Marine Discovery Center. The beautiful facility is located two miles from the main campus and overlooks the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The events began in the Seymour Center Auditorium, followed by a reception in the exhibit hall, featuring taste treats and wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a banquet.