In Brief

Chemist Donna Blackmond earns catalysis award

Professor Donna Blackmond, PhD, of the Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute, has been awarded the inaugural Irving Wender Award for Excellence in Catalysis from the Pittsburgh-Cleveland Catalysis Society (PCCS). The award recognizes Blackmond’s research into how complex organic molecules—which can include drug compounds—can be synthesized through catalytic routes.

“PCCS could not have wished for a more perfect inaugural Wender awardee,” says the society in a recent statement. “Dr. Blackmond is world-renowned for her research focusing on mechanistic aspects of the synthesis of complex organic molecules by catalytic routes, particularly asymmetric catalysis with application in pharmaceutical processes.”

Blackmond, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, says she is especially honored to receive the Wender award because of her past collaborations with chemist Irving Wender at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Irving was one of my earliest and most important mentors and a lifelong close friend. He served on my thesis committee, and we worked together after that. He was an exceptional chemist, synthesizing one of the very first organometallic complexes in the 1950’s. He died in 2016 at the ripe old age of 101, and I spoke at his funeral,” says Blackmond.

Blackmond will receive the award on June 8 at the meeting of the Pittsburgh-Cleveland Catalysis Society, where she will also give the inaugural Wender award lecture.

May 8: CA Society of Fellows Vendor Show

Featuring new research technologies, products and services, the 28th annual Scripps California Society of Fellows (SoF) Vendor Show will be held Tuesday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Beckman and Immunology Gallerias and the Immunology Plaza.

One of the largest life sciences industry shows in the area, the event is open to the public and attendees may enter a raffle with $1,000 worth of prizes. For the first time, attendees can also buy lunch at the show from food trucks from Chameleon Catering and Thai Burger. SoF will also be running a shuttle bus from Calibr, and along Torrey Pines Road, so if you would like to schedule a pickup please email them at tsrisofvendorshow@gmail.com.

Profits from the Vendor Show fund SoF events and programs. Additional event information, including a list of participating vendors, is available on the SoF website.

CA Onsite Clinic scheduled for May 16

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 16 in the Hazen Theory building, rooms 203/205. Appointments are not needed.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic will provide hepatitis B vaccination free of charge to all Scripps Research employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize all other procedures based on the employee's working conditions. These procedures include tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines and other titers, immunizations and procedures.

Send comments to: press[at]scripps.edu

Donna Blackmond

Donna Blackmond, PhD, professor at Scripps Research

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In Brief

Chemist Donna Blackmond earns catalysis award

May 8: CA Society of Fellows Vendor Show

CA Onsite Clinic scheduled for May 16