People

Academe

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Troy, N.Y.

Linda Baine McGown, a faculty member at Duke University since 1987, has been appointed professor of chemistry and chair of the department of chemistry and chemical biology at Rensselaer. Her research interests are in the field of analytical chemistry of biological and environmental systems. McGown holds a B.S. in chemistry from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Christiana X. Zhang has joined the department of chemistry and chemical biology as assistant professor. She was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She did her undergraduate studies at Nankai University, Tianjin, China, and holds an M.A. and a Ph.D., both in chemistry, from Johns Hopkins University. Her interests are in bioinorganic chemistry, particularly the areas of copper-containing proteins and anion recognition.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS (UNT)
Denton

Weston T. Borden has been selected as the university's first Welch Chair in Chemistry. Currently a professor of chemistry at the University of Washington, Seattle, Borden will begin his service to UNT on Nov. 1. After serving as an instructor and assistant professor at Harvard University from 1968 to 1973, he joined the faculty at the University of Washington, where he has been for the past 31 years. Borden holds a bachelor's in chemistry and physics, and a master's and a doctorate in chemistry, all from Harvard University.

Associations

RESEARCH CORPORATION
Tucson, Ariz.

James M. Gentile, an internationally recognized scientist in the area of chemical mutagenesis and risk assessment, has been named president of this foundation for the advancement of science. Since 1988, Gentile has been dean for the natural sciences and professor of biology at Hope College, Holland, Mich. His transition from these posts to his new role is expected to be completed in early 2005. Gentile received a B.A. in biology/chemistry from St. Mary's University, Winona, Minn., as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in genetics from Illinois State University.

Business

Vin Caraher has been named president and CEO of Thomson Scientific, headquartered in Philadelphia and London. He was most recently executive vice president of pharma/chemistry markets. Caraher earned a B.S. in marketing from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Adelphi University, Garden City, N.Y.

Michael Cook has been hired by Fusion UV Systems, Gaithersburg, Md., as general manager for all UV curing operations and business activities in Europe. Cook has worked as group technical director and as director and general manager of Nordson UV. He also spent 10 years at Raychem. Cook holds a master's of science and engineering from the University of Warwick, Coventry, England, and has participated in the advanced management and international marketing programs at INSEAD, France.

Thierry Materne has been hired as global technology and business development manager for Midland, Mich.-based Dow Corning's new Surface & Interface Solutions Center in Seneffe, Belgium. He will work on organosilane- and silicon-containing chemicals. He comes from Goodyear Tire & Rubber, where he was manager of the advanced materials department. Matterne earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Liege, in Belgium.

Matthew J. Monroe has been promoted to plant manager at the Grand Junction, Colo., plant of Sartomer, based in Exton, Pa. Before coming to Sartomer, he worked for Ricon Resins, which was acquired by Sartomer in 2000. Monroe holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

Micheal Murphy is now head of the exclusive synthesis and catalysts business at Degussa Corp., the Parsippany, N.J.-based North American subsidiary of Degussa. He brings to the position more than 11 years' experience with the company and its predecessors. Murphy earned a B.S. in biotechnology from Dublin City University, in Ireland, and a postgraduate diploma in business studies from Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, Dublin.

Avinash Nangia has been appointed vice president of R&D at Lincoln, R.I.-based Spherics Inc. Nangia has accumulated more than 13 years of drug delivery experience while holding research management positions at Alza Corp., Glaxo Canada, and most recently Andrx Pharmaceuticals. He received a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Delhi, in India; an M.S. in pharmaceutics from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, in India; and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics from the University of Otago, in New Zealand.

Paul J. Nowak has joined Symyx Technologies, Santa Clara, Calif., as senior vice president, chief operating officer, and executive committee member. He held a variety of positions at VWR, including CEO and president for North America at VWR Scientific Products and, most recently, president and chief operating officer at VWR International. Nowak earned a B.S. in biology from the State University of New York, Geneseo.

Nikolaos H. Petousis has been appointed regional director of East Coast business development at Dottikon, Switzerland-based EMS Dottikon. Petousis will be stationed in Cleveland. He has more than 12 years' experience in the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries, including roles in R&D, process development, project leadership, and business development. Petousis holds a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from Judson College, Elgin, Ill.; an M.S. in inorganic chemistry from Western Illinois University, Macomb; and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Toledo, in Ohio.

Kristine Ramsay-Schnor has been hired as laboratory leader for bioanalysis services at Midwest BioResearch, Evanston, Ill. She has spent more than 12 years working in the pharmaceutical and contract research industries at companies such as Pharmaceutical Products Development and Pfizer/Pharmacia. Ramsay-Schnor holds a B.S. in chemistry from Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo., and an M.S. in chemistry from DePaul University, Chicago.

This section is compiled by Deanna Miller .
Announcements of promotions and new hires may be sent to d_miller@acs.org.