January 21, 1998 Contact: Elizabeth Latt 615-322-2706 elizabeth.p.latt@vanderbilt.edu

Noted Duke chemistry scholar to join Vanderbilt faculty

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Ned Allen Porter, recognized as one of the best physical organic chemists in the country, will join Vanderbilt University next fall as the first holder of the Stevenson Chair in Chemistry.

Porter will come to Vanderbilt from Duke University, where he has served on the faculty for 28 years, the past 14 as the James B. Duke Professor of Chemistry.

"Ned Porter is an individual who has a track record of doing outstanding science while, at the same time, being an excellent and supportive colleague," said David Hercules, chair of Vanderbilt's Department of Chemistry. "While at Duke he worked tirelessly to build the department there, and he will fulfill the same role here."

Hercules noted that the Vanderbilt Department of Chemistry is undergoing "a metamorphosis aimed at raising its national and international stature. The hiring of Ned Porter is a major step toward accomplishing this goal. He is known as an outstanding researcher and teacher, and both graduate and undergraduate education will benefit from his presence."

Porter said the fact that the chemistry department is in a rebuilding mode was one of its attractions, along with "the general scientific atmosphere" and the new Chemistry Building. "I am excited about developing the possibilities within the department."

He noted that there is a strong tradition of chemistry study at Vanderbilt and emphasized the opportunity to collaborate with veteran faculty such as Hercules and Centennial Professor of Chemistry Thomas M. Harris as well as other younger faculty members. He also said he was attracted by the potential to develop programs involving both the College of Arts and Science and the School of Medicine, specifically the Department of Biochemistry.

Hercules said Porter's strong scholarship will strengthen the department. Noting that Porter's colleagues have characterized him as "among the very best physical organic chemists in the country," Hercules said Porter's research "has provided fundamental understanding of the reactions that lead to formation of free radicals. This information is of fundamental importance to such diverse areas as polymer development, chemical syntheses, health care and biotechnology."

Porter received his B.S. in 1965 from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in 1969 from Harvard University. In addition to serving on the faculty of Duke since 1969, he has held visiting professorships at the University of Nijmegen, California Institute of Technology, Technishe Hochshule Darmstadt and the University of Freiburg.

He is the author of more than 150 publications and co-author of a 1996 book with D.P. Curran and B. Giese on "Control of Stereochemistry in Free Radical Reactions; Concepts, Guidelines and Synthetic Applications."

He has been the recipient of a National Institutes of Health Career Award, a Humboldt Senior Fellow and recipient of an NIH MERIT Award.

The Stevenson Chair in Chemistry is one of four chairs in the sciences endowed at Vanderbilt as a result of a gift from the late Eldon S. Stevenson Jr., a member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and president of National Life and Accident Insurance Co. Gifts from Stevenson also helped make possible the construction of the Vanderbilt science complex, which bears his name.

Vanderbilt University is a private research university of approximately 5,900 undergraduates and 4,300 graduate and professional students. Founded in 1873, the University comprises 10 schools, a public policy institute, a distinguished medical center and The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center. Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education and human development, engineering and music, and a full range of graduate and professional degrees.

-VU-

Vanderbilt University is a private research university of approximately 5,900 undergraduates and 4,300 graduate and professional students. Founded in 1873, the University comprises 10 schools, a public policy institute, a distinguished medical center and The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center. Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education and human development, engineering and music, and a full range of graduate and professional degrees.

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