Advancing Chemistry.Improving Life.

A N N U A L R E P O R T

2 0 1 4

11

R O B E R T A . W E L C H

The Welch Foundation is a legacy to the world from

Robert Alonzo Welch, a self-made man with a strong sense

of responsibility to humankind, an enthusiastic respect

for chemistry and a deep love for the state of Texas.

Born in South Carolina to a prominent family that fell on

hard economic times, Mr. Welch came to Houston as a youth

and later made his fortune in oil and minerals. Over the

course of his career and life, he became convinced of the

importance of chemistry for the betterment of the world.

Scientists, geologists and petroleum engineers were

among his close friends and associates as were the civic

and business leaders of the day. From these associations

and his own study, Mr. Welch determined that the pursuit

of chemistry and chemical research held great potential

for vast good and would continue to have a valuable

impact on business, industry, global leadership and the

human condition.

Mr. Welch gave serious thought to the disposition of his

estate. His decisions reflected his belief in science and the

role it would play in the future. In his will, Mr. Welch stated:

“I have long been impressed with the great possibilities

for the betterment of mankind that lay in the field of

research in the domain of chemistry.” With his death in

1952, Mr. Welch left a generous portion of his estate

to his employees and their families. The balance began

what is now The Welch Foundation.

2

Table of Contents 3 M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H A I R

4 T H E W E L C H F O U N D A T I O N

6 T H E W E L C H A W A R D

8 T H E H A C K E R M A N A W A R D

1 0 C O N F E R E N C E O N C H E M I C A L R E S E A R C H

1 2 P R O G R A M S

1 4 F O U N D A T I O N G R A N T S

1 8 P R I N C I PA L I N V E S T I G A T O R S

3 2 D E PA R T M E N T A L R E S E A R C H G R A N T S

3 3 E N D O W E D C H A I R S

3 4 F I N A N C I A L S

3

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR 2014Annual Report

Effective science education – long a topic near and dear to my own heart – is vital on so many fronts. In today’s environment, with challenges to research funding and the role of flagship research institutions, we need to continue to champion the crucial need for science education at all levels and ongoing support for research at the highest levels. We need more of our students choosing careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. We need to discover what works best in preparing them so they can continue advancing chemistry to improve lives.

And beyond those dedicated men and women who make their careers in chemistry or other areas of science, it is vital that all our young people get enough scientific grounding to understand and appreciate its value. Today’s students will be crucial in setting future policy and to our willingness as a nation to invest appropriately in the sciences – including in basic research – so that new findings and new understanding can continue to make a difference in human lives.

As part of its mission, The Welch Foundation has long supported science education. The Welch Summer Scholar Program introduces high school students to hands-on chemistry research. The departmental research grants program provides college scholarships and supports research programs for undergraduates at small- and mid-size Texas colleges and universities. The research grant program funds ongoing training for many graduates and postdocs.

In 2014, the Foundation made science education the focus of our annual research conference. The goal was to foster a dialog between teachers and learners on how to revitalize American STEM education, with a particular focus on chemistry at the pre- and post-secondary levels. Conference speakers explored their experiences with new methods of coursework delivery such as the laboratory as a venue for discovery science, peer-to-peer

teaching, “flipped” classes, online courses leading to degrees or certificates, massively open online courses (MOOCs) and STEM learning.

The conference was the brain child of

Marye Anne Fox, long-time Scientific Advisory Board member and outgoing SAB chair. While Dr. Fox passed the SAB reins at year end to Peter Dervan, another long-time SAB member, I am pleased that she continues as an SAB member. Our thanks to both of these outstanding science leaders for their time, expertise and passionate support for chemistry and the Foundation’s mission.

I also would like to welcome three incoming SAB members: James L. Skinner, University of Wisconsin, Madison, who joined the SAB Jan. 1, 2015; and Xiaowei Zhuang, Harvard University, and Jennifer A. Doudna, University of California, Berkeley, who will join us in July 2015.

Finally, effective May 2014, we were very pleased to welcome Robert C. Robbins, president and chief executive officer of the Texas Medical Center, to our board of directors. Dr. Robbins brings hands-on experience in research to complement his financial acumen and involvement with the state’s medical science community. He also has a tremendous record of giving back through service on the boards of other nonprofits.

My personal thanks to the Foundation’s boards – as well as the researchers, educators and academic leaders across the state – for their continuing efforts to make science and science education a priority. Together we can continue advancing basic research to improve life.

W i l h e l m i n a e . ( B e t h ) R o B e R t s o n

C H A I R , B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

4

THE WELCH FOUNDATION FullfillingFounder’s Vision

Created from an

endowment by

Texas oilman and

philanthropist Robert

Alonzo Welch,

The Welch Foundation

has grown into one

of the nation’s largest

sources of private

funding for basic

research in chemistry. For more than 60 years,

the Foundation has supported chemistry in

Texas through research grants and a variety of

other programs.

Following the dictates of Mr. Welch’s will,

the Foundation remains true to its mission of

supporting fundamental scientific exploration

that ultimately helps improve our world. The

Foundation’s endeavors are guided by a Board

of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board and

professional staff all committed to building

a robust scientific community in Texas that

advances basic knowledge.

The Board of Directors serves as stewards of

The Welch Foundation, overseeing its financial

health, operational direction and support for

chemistry.

FROM LEFT

Charles W. Tate, vice chair

Wilhelmina E. (Beth) Robertson, chair

Carin Marcy Barth, secretary

Ernest H. Cockrell, treasurer

Robert C. Robbins

Board of Directors

5

Led by Norbert Dittrich, president

and chief operating officer, the staff

oversees and implements the day-to-

day operations of the Foundation.

LEFT TO RIGHT

Sherry White, Carolyn Kahlich, Kathy Kirk, Colette Bleasdale and Reena Cegielski

BACK ROW

Carla Atmar, Ron Page and Norbert Dittrich

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) advises the Board of

Directors on scientific issues related to the Foundation’s

mission. In 2014, the board was composed of eight

renowned leaders in chemistry and the related sciences.

The SAB evaluates proposals for research grants, reviews

and recommends finalists for the Welch and Hackerman

Awards, and helps oversee the other Foundation programs

to promote chemistry in Texas. Each year, one member

presides over the annual Conference on Chemical Research.

SEATED FROM LEFT

Joseph L. GoldsteinThe University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Marye Anne FoxUniversity of California, San Diego

Ahmed H. Zewail California Institute of Technology

STANDING FROM LEFT

Peter B. DervanCalifornia Institute of Technology

Yuan T. Lee Academia Sinica and University of California, Berkeley

Richard R. Schrock Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Peter G. Schultz The Scripps Research Institute

Roger D. Kornberg Stanford University Medical School

Scientific Advisory Board

Foundation Staff

6

Robert G. Bergman

has made vital

breakthroughs to

expand our

understanding of

organometallic

chemistry, particularly

carbon-hydrogen bond

activation and its application to drug

development and cleaner energy.

The University of California, Berkeley,

professor was honored with the 2014

Welch Award in Chemistry at a black-tie

banquet in Houston Oct. 27.

Janiece Longoria, Steve Lasher, Judy and Charles Tate, and Donna Chapman Josey at the award banquet reception.

WELCH AWARD Researcher Spurs Advances in Green Energy, Medicine

“Dr. Bergman’s con-tributions to science have been far-reaching, leading to advances and insights in many areas of chem-istry, including physical, organic, organometallic, inorganic, supramolecular and catalysis,” says Wilhelmina E. (Beth) Robertson, chair of The Welch Foundation. “And beyond his broad and deep research impacts,

he has been a leader in science advocacy as well as in teaching and nurturing future generations of scientists.”

Drawing from organic and inorganic chemistry, Dr. Bergman has focused on synthetic chemical research to discover new materials containing both metal and organic components. His target has been organometallic compounds that are catalysts for organic transformations or that can be turned into catalysts. His goal has been to help build more complex molecules in more efficient ways that eliminate waste, such as to create a drug, or, more recently, to take large molecules and convert them into something more useful, such as a fuel.

In probably his most noted achievement, Dr. Bergman found what has been called the “Holy Grail” of the field of C-H bond activation by creating the first transition metal complex capable of breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds by inserting the metal in between the carbon and hydrogen atoms.

The carbon-hydrogen bond is one of the two most common bonds in organic compounds. Many useful compounds, such as plastics, fuels and drugs, could be produced more efficiently if methods could be found to break this bond and carry out chemistry at the carbon atom to which the hydrogen was attached. However, the carbon-hydrogen bond is also one of the strongest, and so it has historically been

7

Awardee Bob Bergman with Chair Beth Robertson.

Bobby Robbins (left), Bob and Wendy Bergman, and Beth Robertson.

difficult to break and replace the hydrogen attached to carbon with other, more reactive atoms (so called “carbon-hydrogen bond functionalization”). Traditional organic chemistry approaches require a number of steps and the use of hazardous reagents, and the process results in low levels of materials and a large amount of waste.

“Bob Bergman is a trailblazing researcher whose interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to science has led to significant contributions to chemistry throughout his career,” says Marye Anne Fox, chair of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board. “He was a pioneer in taking the methods and reasoning of physical organic chemistry and using them to help grow the new field of organometallic chemistry, where mechanistic insights were not always obvious until revealed by his work. His work has revolutionized the field of C-H activation, one of the most important in chemistry, and he continues to expand our insights in this area, providing the foundation of organometallic chemistry as we know it today.”

Early in his career, Dr. Bergman pinpointed a transformation in enediynes, a class of bacterial natural products. While scientifically interesting, it wasn’t until 15 years later that the “Bergman cyclization” was identified as a first step in a process that damages DNA in tumors. Thanks to Dr. Bergman’s basic research, today hundreds of synthetic enediyne compounds are being tested as cancer drugs.

In later research, he has explored organometallic chemistry in larger molecular

structures, and is currently working in “green chemistry,” specifically targeting the synthesis of metal complexes that remove oxygen groups from natural sources such as sugars and lignin, converting them to

higher energy products that can be used as fuels and specialty chemicals.

Within the past few years, Dr. Bergman has established new collaborations that have resulted in catalytic C-H bond activation methods with broad impact in synthetic organic and medicinal

chemistry. More recently, he has made major advances in the construction of self-assembled nano-sized molecular cages.

”I have found much joy in science, both in advancing fundamental human knowledge, and in the training of future scientists and informed citizens,” says Dr. Bergman. “Collaborations have been critical to my success – science today is so far-reaching that none of us can hope to master an area alone – and I’ve loved applying this in my teaching, both at the undergraduate level and with my research group. I’m very proud of the 220 or so students I’ve mentored and they are continually surprising me with their discoveries and contributions to the next generation of science.”

Growing up in Chicago, Dr. Bergman attended Carleton College where he edited the college newspaper and considered being a journalist before finally settling on chemistry as a career. He earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University. He spent 11 years on the faculty of California Institute of Technol-ogy before moving to the University of California at Berkeley where he is now the Gerald E. K. Branch Distinguished Professor.

The author of more than 500 papers, he has been recognized with numerous American Chemistry Society awards as well as the E. O. Lawrence Award in Chemistry from the U.S. Department of Energy and teaching excellence awards from both Caltech and Berkeley. He has served in many academic and research leadership roles, on editorial advisory boards and recently began a primary school outreach program with graduate students at Berkeley.

Dr. Bergman and his wife Wendy have two sons, David and Michael, and two grandchildren.

8

HACKERMAN AWARD Scientist Finds Links Between Metabolism, Cell Regulation

The Welch Foundation recognized the associate professor of biochemistry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center with the 2014 Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research. The award pays tribute to his pioneering research that has defined how the small molecules that are intermediates of me-tabolism also control cell growth and division.

“We salute Dr. Tu – a true ‘rising star’ – for his creativity, scientific ingenuity and passion for finding answers,” says Wilhelmina E. (Beth) Robertson, chair of The Welch Foundation. “This young researcher combines a fearless approach with detailed, methodical work. His scientific sleuthing is guided by broad knowledge, intuition and a knack for elegant experiments, and he is known for thought- provoking presentations, outstanding teaching and generosity in scientific collaboration.”

Before a cell grows and divides, it must first determine if there are enough resources available. It does this by sensing key metabolites and nutrients in the cell or in the environment. Dr. Tu is interested in learning how the nutri-ents are broken down, how they talk to the proteins in the cells and how they regulate important decisions.

Dr. Tu has pinpointed several metabolites that influence when a cell grows, divides or enters a survival state called autophagy, in which it consumes parts of itself. He has demonstrated the pathways by which these metabolites work, showing how cells sense nutrients in the environment and how that determines these important processes.

“Dr. Tu has shown that he is unafraid to challenge old paradigms,” says Marye Anne Fox, the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board chair. “Looking at metabolism and cell regulation – areas of science considered thoroughly explored – he has discovered unsuspected and important connections between the two. His work has detailed the mechanisms by which cells sense nutrient levels. The information signals the cell

Benjamin P. Tu has discovered new

connections between metabolism and

cell growth regulation, findings that

ultimately may have implications

for treating diseases including cancer

and neurodegeneration.

Norbert Dittrich (left), Beth Robertson and Charles Tate (far right) congratulate Hackerman Award recipient Ben Tu.

9

whether to grow and divide or to wait until times get better.”

In a breakthrough discovery, Dr. Tu has shown that Acetyl Coenzyme A, already known as a workhorse for its many roles in converting food into energy, also serves as the gatekeeper telling the cell when to divide and grow. He has demonstrated that Acetyl-CoA directs more than 1,000 genes to turn on when sufficient nutrients are available for growth.

In work that may have an impact on human health, Dr. Tu has identified and mapped one pathway by which a cell obtains nutrients. He has shown that the cell – at least in mice – does not need to use this method for normal growth. However, it is critical for some cancer cells that need alternative nutrients to support their proliferation and survival. Dr. Tu also discovered how to block this pathway, opening the door to a potentially exciting new avenue for limiting that growth.

“Basic research is the exploration of unknown territories – I compare it to going into a dark cave,” Dr. Tu says. “We don’t know where it’s going to lead, but we know at the end there’s going to be something very exciting that we hope could someday help human health. For me, it’s the thrill of figuring out how our cells are working and how all these processes in cells are ultimately tied to metabolism and metabolites themselves. And remarkably, there’s very little that we know about how metabolism and nutrients influence various cell processes.”

Working at the intersection of chemistry and biology, Dr. Tu applies analytical thinking, creative approaches and scientific rigor to major life questions. His lab recently published two other major discoveries. He detailed how the intracellular levels of sulfur-containing amino acids are sensed and their role in determining whether a cell grows or enters autophagy, a process by which a cell consumes part of itself to survive in response to nutritional stress

or starvation. The second finding showed how these amino acids also affect the rate at which a cell can make proteins by modifying a

nucleotide present in tRNA. In conjunction with collaborators, Dr. Tu is

demonstrating that many of the links between metabolism and cell regulation in yeast also apply in mammalian cells. A biotechnology spin-off he helped start is testing inhibitors of metabolic targets as a possible means of preventing unwanted cell growth, such as cancer.

“We are very interested in understanding metabolism and how small metabolites in our cells influence decisions that cells can make, like when to grow, when to divide, when to slow things down so that the cells can survive better,” says Dr. Tu. “And so essentially, we’re very inter-ested in understanding the chemistry of life.”

The son of two scientists, Dr. Tu earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a doctorate from the University of California-San Francisco and completed a postdoc at UT Southwestern Medical Center before joining the faculty there. He has received a number of honors including a Packard Foundation Fellowship and Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, among several others.

He is married to fellow scientist Helen Lai and they have two children, Eva and Evan.

The Hackerman Award is named in honor of Norman Hackerman, a noted scientist and long-time chair of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board. It is presented annually when warranted to scientists who are early in their careers and conducting basic research in chemistry in Texas. It includes $100,000, a crystal sculpture and a certificate.

Awardee Ben Tu and Chair Beth Robertson.

10

58TH ANNUALCONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL RESEARCH

Exploring Excellence in Science Education

“Virtually every aspect of government-

sponsored education and research involves

interdisciplinary expertise in STEM areas,

including energy, climate, education, defense,

homeland security, healthcare, nanoscience

and information technology, among others,”

notes Marye Anne Fox, conference chair, chair

of The Welch Foundation’s Scientific Advisory

Board and chancellor emerita of University

of California, San Diego. “And yet the relative

ranking of science education in K-12 schools and

in U.S. colleges and universities has been losing

ground relative to our competitors for the last

several decades. A consensus among educators

at all levels is building that the most important

technical problems now require a sound basis

in these STEM disciplines. In particular, a

sound grounding in chemistry is an absolute

requirement if American students are to compete

at the frontiers of science on a global basis.”

Conference speakers examined new

methods of coursework delivery such as the

laboratory as a venue for discovery science,

peer-to-peer teaching, “flipped” classes, online

courses leading to degrees or certificates,

massively open online courses (MOOCs) and

STEM learning.

Participants debated key questions: How can

we balance quality and excellence with access

and affordability? What works? What doesn’t?

How will emerging national education policies

affect classroom instruction? How can large

research universities enhance student learning?

How can small liberal arts institutions innovate

for student success? How will classroom size,

staffing and environment influence K-12

student performance?

“Effective science education is important

on so many fronts,” says Wilhelmina E. (Beth)

Robertson, Welch chair. “It is a goal the

Few challenges in education are as important

to our nation’s future as the quality of science,

technology, engineering and mathematics

(STEM) education. The 58th Welch Conference

on Chemical Research focused on this key area,

fostering an invigorating discussion on future

directions for secondary, post-secondary and

graduate chemical education.

Welch representatives Yuan Lee, Beth Robertson, Marye Anne Fox, Norbert Dittrich and Peter Dervan attend the 58th Welch conference.

11

Foundation has long supported, and we need to

continue to make it possible for the best and the

brightest to obtain the education and training

they need to continue pushing back the frontiers

of knowledge.

“But beyond those dedicated men and

women who make their careers in chemistry or

other areas of science,” she adds, “it also is vital

that all of our young people get enough scientific

grounding to understand and appreciate its

value. They are crucial to our ability to invest

appropriately in the sciences – including in

basic research – so that new findings and new

understanding can improve human lives.”

The conference included four sessions over

two days, Oct. 27-28, with discussions led by

Dudley R. Herschbach, Texas A&M University

and Harvard University; Keith J. Stevenson, The

University of Texas at Austin, who also directs

the Welch Summer Scholar Program; Maha

Zewail-Foote, Southwestern University; and

Marcy H. Towns, Purdue University.

Panelists shared their experiences with

attendees, tackling such issues as:

• Howcanweexpandthelaboratory

experience and make it a more engaging

venue for discovery science?

• Howdoespeer-to-peerteachingwork

and is it effective?

• Whatabout“flipped”classes,orblended

learning, in which students teach and

switch roles with teachers?

• Doesitimproveresultswhenstudents

watch video lectures online to learn

content and use class time working with

teachers to solve problems?

• Howeffectiveareonlinecoursesleading

to degrees or certificates in chemistry?

How are we building on early initiatives?

How successful are they? What can we do

differently? Better?

• Inalonger-livedinitiative,whatis

happening in STEM education? What is

the success rate in keeping students

interested in science, technology,

engineering and math?

“Over the course of my career, both as

professor and researcher and later with adminis-

trative responsibilities for research and teach-

ing, I’ve wrestled with many of these issues,”

adds Dr. Fox. “A key goal was to spark a dialog

between teachers and learners that I hope will

continue long after the conference was over. We

hope to encourage teachers, academic leaders

and scientists to work together to explore

new methods to enhance degree completion,

examine educational policies and support new

national standards for pre- and post-secondary

science education.”

“Virtually every aspect of government-

sponsored education and research involves

interdisciplinary expertise in STEM areas,

including energy, climate, education, defense,

homeland security, healthcare, nanoscience

and information technology, among others.”

12

PROGRAMS Spurring Research, Education Initiatives

Research Grants

The Welch Foundation awarded $28.6 million in grants to 109 researchers at 26 Texas institutions in 2014. Support included funding 31 new proposals and renewing support for 78 projects. Overall, 350 principal investigators currently receive Welch grants and the Foundation’s support for chemical research since its inception in 1954 now totals approximately

$779 million through August 31, 2014. Each three-year research grant provides a

minimum of $60,000 a year and may be renewed based on the proposal submitted by the principal investigator. The grant supports research in chemistry by a full-time faculty member with tenure or on the tenure track at institutions of higher education in Texas.

A list of principal investigators receiving Welch Foundation grants during its 2014 fiscal year, September 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014, begins on page 18. The listing includes researchers’ institutions and the titles of their research projects. More information is available in the research supplement available online at www.welch1.org.

Departmental Research Grants

Supporting access to chemistry education across Texas, The Welch Foundation provided funding for 42 chemistry departments at small- and medium-size colleges and universities last year. The support is designed to help build and strengthen the chemistry programs at these schools and provide opportunities for more students to take part in hands-on research.

“Research brings science and chemistry to life for students in ways that are impossible to duplicate in a classroom setting,” says Marye Anne Fox, Scientific Advisory Board chair. “Over the many years of our departmental grants programs, it is gratifying to see how many of these students go on to pursue graduate degrees

The Welch Foundation

supports basic research in

chemistry in Texas through

a variety of ongoing

programs each year.

“While our research

grants are the ‘bread and

butter’ of our work, we’re

proud of other initiatives, including

departmental grants, endowed chairs and the

summer program for high school students,”

notes Norbert Dittrich, Welch Foundation

president. “The goal is to nurture a vibrant

scientific community in the state through

programs that range from encouraging bright

students to study chemistry and providing

strong educational options in the field to

supporting our research community, and

attracting and retaining some of the best

scientific minds.”

Chair Beth Robertson and President Norbert Dittrich.

13

or careers in a scientific field. But even those who end up working in other areas gain an invaluable appreciation of the importance and power of basic research.”

Departmental grants allow the schools to offer research opportunities to students, support faculty work and enhance chemistry programs. Experience shows that such research opportunities can play a vital role in encouraging students to pursue advanced degrees and scientific careers.

The departments typically use Welch funding to provide scholarships or stipends for undergraduates and graduates, purchase laboratory supplies and equipment, and underwrite student travel to participate in industry conferences.

Welch Chairs

The Welch Foundation endows 45 chairs at 21 Texas universities. This support is designed to recruit and retain talented chemical researchers and teachers to Texas universities as well as strengthen the quality of higher education programs across the state. The Foundation provides ongoing research funding for chair holders, helping support graduate and postdoc-toral students working with the professors.

Three new chair holders were named in 2014: Eric V. Anslyn, Welch Regents’ Chair in Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin (see story on his work on page 14); Vadivel Ganapathy, Welch Chair in Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; and Olafs Daugulis, Welch Chair in Chemistry, University of Houston.

Welch Summer Scholar Program

The Welch Summer Scholar Program hosted 42 talented high school students, chosen from 170 applicants, in the summer of 2014. Held on five Texas campuses, the hands-on program

introduces students to university-level basic research in chemistry to spur their interest in science,

technology, engineering and mathematics as possible careers.

The program is continuing its recent drive to leverage digital technology and social media to recruit, connect and drive down costs. These efforts include expanding the WSSP website and Facebook page to create a database of applicants, participants and alumni. Ultimately, the goal is to create a networking tool, and allow program alumni to update their profiles and search for other WSSP participants who may be working in companies, fields or regions of interest.

“We hope to build on past participants’ experiences to inspire new students. We are especially proud that many of our Welch Summer Scholar Program alumni have gone on to great academic success, and hope to create an integrated network that extends the WSSP experience and connections,” says Keith Stevenson, program director and associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

He notes that one 2013 WSSP participant is now studying at Duke University, where she is the recipient of the Angier B. Duke Scholarship, an award given to only 19 students from around the world. The scholarship covers tuition, room and board, research stipends, and a summer abroad at Oxford University. She credits her WSSP experience for helping her succeed: “I have no doubt that my experiences as a Welch Scholar have had and will continue to have lasting contributions to my current and future accomplishments and interests.”

Other members of the 2013 class have enrolled at such prestigious institutions as Stanford, MIT, Harvard and Princeton, and one recent alumnus was selected as a 2015 Goldwater Scholar, an honor afforded only to the most highly qualified and promising students in the sciences.

“The Welch Summer Scholar Program continues to serve as a launch pad for some of the next generation’s most promising young scientists,” Dr. Stevenson adds. “The fact that WSSP remains a cost-free program for the participants means that it truly serves the purpose of opening doors and broadening futures for bright and ambitious chemistry students across the state, irrespective of their backgrounds or financial circumstances. It is extremely unique in this way – as well as many others – and we’re grateful for The Welch Foundation’s continued support in realizing this vision.”

The University of Texas at Arlington again played host to bright high schools students as part of the Welch Summer Scholar Program.

14

FOUNDATION GRANTS Welch Funding Supports New Science Across Texas

of tastes in a manner similar to how humans taste. Mammals taste and smell by cross-selectively binding many chemical structures and generating electronic signals that the brain organizes into the patterns we recognize as flavors or odors.

His lab also uses polymers and other large molecules to create multicomponent assemblies for sensing applications. This includes chemical arrays that can be used as sensors in industrial applications, to detect neurotoxins, and to analyze such complex beverages as wines and liquors. Dr. Anslyn currently is working to develop techniques to recognize complex analytes in blood, urine and saliva.

“This work started as basic science exploration to better understand how enzymes work. Over the years, we came to recognize its value as a diagnostic tool,” he says. “While our group works in many different areas, each of our projects relies upon the principles of supramolecular, organic and biological chemistry. It is fascinating work, and I appreciate Welch’s consistent support over the years.”

Banglin Chen

Principal InvestigatorThe University of Texas at San Antonio

Working across the fields of inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and nanotechnology, Banglin Chen focuses his research on solid-state multifunctional metal-organic and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks through the self-assembly of both organic and inorganic components.

His work explores how different components of chemicals with varying electronic, optical, magnetic and catalytic properties can be readily assembled. Because these hybrid materials offer predictable structures and porosities, they have a range of applications in such diverse areas as gas storage, gas separation, enantioselective separation, heterogeneous catalysis, photonics, and for sensors and electronics.

“Expanding our basic understanding of

Eric Anslyn

Welch Regents Chair in ChemistryThe University of Texas at Austin

Eric Anslyn is working to expand our understanding of taste and smell. How can we analyze complex liquid mixtures, whether wine and liquor or blood, urine and saliva? And how can we use these chemical insights as diagnostic tools? To answer these questions, his research group makes synthetic receptors that mimic how sensory protein receptors operate.

Dr. Anslyn is interested in the physical and bioorganic chemistry of synthetic and natural receptors, and in molecular recognition. The Welch chair holder and University Distinguished Teaching Professor uses a combination of syn-thesis, combinatorial techniques, NMR, kinetics, ultraviolet/visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, and computer modeling to study the develop-ment of receptors for real world applications. His research focuses on receptors for carbohydrates, proteins, cell surfaces and components of commercial beverages, as well as enantiomeric excess in synthetic procedures, by using single and multi-analyte sensing ensembles.

“About 15 years ago, I realized that synthetic receptors could be used in chemical diagnostics to monitor the compositions of complex mixtures, even without knowing the identity of the analytes,” he says. “Our early work focused on chemical sensors to understand how taste and smell operate – a new area at that time and one we continue to explore today.”

His research group forms combinatorial libraries of peptidic and non-peptidic structures augmented with elements of rational chemical design. The receptors are designed to generate fingerprints that differentiate between the individual members of a targeted class of molecules. They also can be used to determine the identity of mixtures, enantiomeric excess of an asymmetric transformation, or to identify individual analytes in mixtures.

For example, Dr. Anslyn created an “electronic tongue” that measures a complex mix

Eric Anslyn

15

these molecules is providing a platform to deepen our understanding of basic chemistry,” Dr. Chen says. “It is also leading to some very promising practical applications, particularly for gas storage and gas separation.”

Dr. Chen currently is working to synthesize materials to functionalize their nano-sized cavi-ties. His goal is to develop synthetic approaches using crystal design and pre-constructed building block strategies and then character-ize the structure of the resulting materials and evaluate their functional properties.

The professor of chemistry holds 10 U.S. patents for intellectual property related to metal-organic frameworks. Multinational companies have licensed one and optioned another for their potential practical applications in hydrogen and methane storage.

A native of China, Dr. Chen earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Zhejiang University and a doctorate in chemistry from the National University of Singapore. He joined the UTSA faculty from UT Pan American in 2009. With 164 papers cited more than 16,000 times, he was ranked as one of the Top 100 Chemists over the past decade based on citation impact factor in 2011. He also was named among the world’s 2014 Highly Cited Researchers in Chemistry by Thomson Reuters.

“I am very grateful to The Welch Founda-tion,” Dr. Chen says. “Their support gives me the freedom to do what I like to do and explore promising new avenues without the constraints of other funding sources.”

Nick E. Flynn

Departmental Research GrantWest Texas A&M University

Nick Flynn reports a new enthusiasm about chemistry on the West Texas A&M campus.

“In 2014, we hired a lab coordinator who helps organize freshman-level courses, prime recruiting grounds for chemistry majors,” he says. “It’s an uncommon student who arrives on campus wanting to be a chemist. We need to get them excited about the field and the opportunity to participate in research is a big draw.”

Welch funding provides stipends for students to participate in research with faculty. Dr. Flynn reports two keys benefits: It allows students to take part who otherwise wouldn’t be able to forego an outside job, and for faculty to recruit the best students to their projects.

The West Texas A&M math, chemistry and physics department includes two tenure-track and three tenured chemistry faculty, the lab coordinator and one instructor. The program included 69 chemistry majors in the fall 2014 semester and last year graduated 15 chemistry majors who went on to pursue graduate degrees or to industry jobs. The program offers three tracks: biochemistry, chemistry for teachers and a chemistry degree based American Chemical Society guidelines.

Dr. Flynn notes that the department recently re-initiated an ACS-affiliated student chapter, which helps further introduce and excite students about science opportunities. In fall 2014, the university opened a new chemical and physics help lab intended to support freshman- and sophomore-level educational success. In January Dr. Flynn was elected to serve as the local section chair of the ACS Panhandle Plains.

Six students participated with university faculty on departmental grant-supported research. Projects included the optical properties of carbon nanotubes and dye doped liquid crystal, and the in vitro studies of liposome-release kinetics in tumor microenvironments. Other faculty research explored the pharmaceutical delivery of drugs to cancer cells, sensor development, and the char-acterization and classification of capcaisinoids’ amino acid metabolism.

“We plan to continue growing our program, and Welch funding is very helpful in mak-ing progress toward that goal,” Dr. Flynn says. “Welch has made a world of difference for both us and our students.”

Kyriacos C. Nicolaou

Principal InvestigatorRice University

K. C. Nicolaou is intrigued by the therapeutic potential of scarce, naturally occurring substances. He starts by devising strategies to synthesize these rare natural products — plant, soil, marine — in order to study them. Then, building on these insights, he and his students design and create analogs to optimize the compounds’ chemical, biological and pharmacological properties.

The Nicolaou group is known for the synthesis of such complex molecules as anticancer drugs calicheamicin and taxol; antibiotics of last resort amphotericin B and vancomycin; and marine neurotoxins

Banglin Chen

Nick E. Flynn

16

associated with “red tides” brevetoxins A and B. He currently is working with several other natural products that show promise for the treatment of cancer as well as infectious and neurodegenerative diseases.

Born in Cyprus, Dr. Nicolaou was a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, San Diego and The Scripps Research Institute before joining Rice in 2013. He was lured to Texas by a grant from The Cancer Research and Prevention Institute of Texas – and a daughter who teaches at Rice and his two grandchildren.

“The Welch Foundation has been welcom-ing and supportive since day one,” he says. “Its funding allows us to pursue a number of projects directed toward the synthesis of antitumor agents, antibiotics and marine neurotoxins and their analogs and fragments.”

Dr. Nicolaou’s lab collaborates with biolo-gists and pharmacologists from academia and industry to hone biomedical research and clinical applications for the molecules they synthesize. Current research is exploring a number of antibacterial and antiviral agents.

“Bacteria and viruses are constantly mutating into drug-resistant strains that evade our known medications so we have to be on our toes to discover and develop new drugs to fight infections caused by these dangerous pathogens,” he says.

He and his students recently completed the total synthesis of the newly discovered antibiotic viridicatumtoxin B that has demonstrated potent antibacterial properties against drug-resistant bacteria, and also recently synthesized Δ12-prostaglandin J3, another rare natural product with activity against cancer cells. The team has designed and synthesized several variations of these natural products which are currently undergoing biological evaluation.

Dr. Nicolaou’s group also is pursuing the synthesis of large domains of maitotoxin, the largest secondary metabolite and the most potent non-proteinoic neurotoxin isolated from nature to date. Some of the synthesized fragments appear to inhibit maitotoxin’s calcium ion influx properties while others exhibited antitumor properties. His team is working to construct even larger domains of this giant molecule, including its entire 32-ring polycyclic system, and suitable affinity molecular probes. The goal is to use their biological properties as tools to

pin down the biological receptor of maitotoxin, which they believe to be an ion channel.

“We hope that these investigations will increase our neurobiological knowledge and facilitate the discovery and development of analytical tools to detect the neurotoxin in contaminated seafood and perhaps lead to cures of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s,” he says.

Susan P. Oxley

Departmental Research GrantSt. Mary’s University

“Research is vital in helping our students develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills,” says Susan Oxley, associate professor and chair, department of chemistry and biochemistry, St. Mary’s University. “It is so rewarding to see students experiencing the thrill of discovery, of doing something they have not done before. Our goal is to involve all our undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students in hands-on research.”

St. Mary’s, a private Catholic school in San Antonio, is among the nation’s leaders in educat-ing Hispanics and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It received its first Welch departmental grant in 2014. A third of St. Mary’s undergraduates are STEM majors, with 73 percent of them Hispanic and 52 percent female.

“We firmly believe that increasing the participation of minority and underrepresented students in research is critical to broadening diversity in the sciences and enhancing the nation’s technology and economic competitive-ness,” Dr. Oxley says.

St. Mary’s offers five undergraduate degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and forensics, with many of its students continuing on to graduate school or industry. Traditionally, the depart-ment focused on undergraduate education, but over the past decade, St. Mary’s has placed an increasing focus on faculty and student research involvement. Currently all six chemistry professors have research underway either on campus or with off-campus partners.

Welch funding is used to support a 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program for five students and a faculty member. In addition to 40 hours a week of research, the program includes weekly lunch seminars that focus on developing skills in literature review

Kyriacos C. Nicolaou

17

and oral and written presentations. During the first year of the program, one student presented his research as a poster at the American Chemi-cal Society’s southwest regional meeting and another at the national meeting. ACS Nano published a paper co-authored by two Welch grant-supported students and faculty member Dimitry Khon. Welch funding for supplies also allows students to continue their research during the school year.

Student research projects include the synthesis of core shell nanoparticles for use in optical thin films; the development of fluorescent chemosensors for determination of metal ions in aqueous solution; the cloning of human poly-amine oxidase for expression, purification and crystallization; and the development of mixed metal catalysts.

“The cultural shift here has been so excit-ing,” Dr. Oxley says. “Eight years ago we weren’t doing any chemistry research, and now all faculty are active and engaging with students. While we have excellent research collaborations with other institutions, Welch funding allows students to do research on campus. Students get excited about doing research, learning to design experiments and seeing the results – sparking their interest in pursuing science as a career.”

John L. Wood

Welch Chair in ChemistryBaylor University

Baylor’s John Wood relishes the challenge of putting “puzzle pieces” together to create synthetic molecules. He loves his work in natural products chemistry and praises the contributions of his students in developing laboratory syntheses of a variety of molecules with interesting properties.

“I consider myself a consultant helping to create expert molecule makers – similar to how the Culinary Institute of America focuses on turning out master chefs. It’s part art and part science,” Dr. Wood says.

The Robert A. Welch Distinguished Profes-sor and Cancer Prevention Research Institute Scholar says the most gratifying aspect of his work is watching students develop and evolve. He finds satisfaction in watching young chemists create sophisticated strategies and designs and then seeing their hard work come to fruition.

“I take considerable pride not only in the accomplishments of my students while in my laboratories, but also in their success after they leave,” Dr. Wood says. “Essentially all of the nearly 100 graduate and postdoctoral students who have trained in my laboratories have moved on to successful careers in both academics and industry.”

His group members take a target-driven approach to synthesis, selecting natural products with structural complexity. Rather than focusing on the use of any particular method, they approach each target in a unique way and develop novel strategies that often lead to the discovery of new techniques and useful reactions.

Dr. Wood has completed synthesis of 17 target molecules and authored 60 papers.

“Starting with Wohler’s total synthesis of urea almost two centuries ago, the chemical synthesis of naturally occurring molecules has inspired creativity and led chemists to make important advances in areas ranging from drug development to materials science,” Dr. Wood said in a Nature Chemistry paper in 2012. “These intriguing products from nature represent a vir-tually limitless source of inspiration to chemists; no matter how many times they are targeted for synthesis or successfully prepared, they continue to fuel creativity and scientific achievement in our field and beyond.”

Dr. Wood spent the first 13 years of his academic career on the faculty at Yale University before moving to Colorado State University in his home state. During a seminar visit to Baylor, he was amazed by both the facilities and the commitment to research excellence.

“Following my visit, I was asked if I would consider filling the Welch Chair position that had previously been occupied by the late Gordon Stone. The clear commitment Baylor was making to research coupled with the Welch Chair made this the opportunity of a lifetime,” he says. “The Foundation provides stable research monies not subject to the ebb and flow of other funding sources, giving me the ability to launch new ideas.

“When you work at the forefront of synthetic chemistry, you inevitably discover new things and move that forefront forward. That is what’s so intriguing about basic research,” he adds.

Susan P. Oxley

John L. Wood

18

Artem G. Abanov Texas A&M University Quantum Coherent Synthesis and Decomposition

Alfred K. Addo-Mensah Texas A&M International University The Design, Synthesis, Characterization and Binding Studies of Multivalent Polypyridine Based Macrocyclic Carbohydrate Receptors in Aqueous Solutions

Jung-Mo Ahn The University of Texas at Dallas Tailoring Small Molecules to Mimic Protein Helical Surfaces

William R. Alley, Jr. The University of Texas at San Antonio Synthesis of Liquid-Chromatographic Affinity Columns to Isolate Glycoproteins and Glycopeptides with Highly- Branched Glycans

Hal S. Alper The University of Texas at Austin A Synthetic Biochemistry Platform for Alkane Synthesis in Yeast

Neal M. Alto The University of Texas Post-Translational Modification of Host Enzymes by Bacterial Southwestern Medical Center Effector Proteins

Steven J. Altschuler The University of Texas Mechanism and Zonation of Hepatic Crosstalk between Southwestern Medical Center Lipogenesis and Canonical Wnt-Signaling

Andrea Alù The University of Texas at Austin Enhanced Optical Magnetism and Chirality in Plasmonic Metamaterials: Strong Molecular Sensitivity and Broadband, Giant Circular Dichroism

Eric V. Anslyn The University of Texas at Austin High-Throughput Screening (HTS) of Enantiomeric Excess Values

Aaron B. Baker The University of Texas at Austin Nanodisc-Based Delivery of Membrane Protein Therapeutics

Vemuri Balakotaiah University of Houston Effect of Heterogeneities on Spatiotemporal Patterns in Chemical Reactors

Steven Baldelli University of Houston Structure and Orientation of Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids at the Electrified Graphene Interface

Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr. The University of Texas at Dallas Zeolite Encapsulated Metal Complexes

Zachary T. Ball Rice University New Strategies for Catalytic Bond Formation

Jiming Bao University of Houston Understanding Nanocrystalline CoO as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Solar Water Splitting

David P. Barondeau Texas A&M University Fluorescent Probes for Interrogating Fe-S Cluster Transfer Chemistry

Jeffrey E. Barrick The University of Texas at Austin Discovering Functional Nucleic Acid Families by Deep Sequencing and Fold Sampling

Bonnie Bartel Rice University Novel Peroxisomal Processes in Plants

Mikhail A. Belkin The University of Texas at Austin Plasmonic-Enhanced Nanoscale Mid-Infrared Microscopy with Monolayer Sensitivity

Nicole A. Benedek The University of Texas at Austin Understanding the Crystal Chemistry of Bi-Based Perovskites

Matthew R. Bennett Rice University Dynamical Consequences of Protein Chemistry in Synthetic Gene Circuits

David E. Bergbreiter Texas A&M University Thermally Responsive Multiphasic Catalyst Systems

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

19

Ricardo A. Bernal The University of Texas at El Paso Elucidation of a Novel Mechanism Used by a Virus Encoded Chaperonin

John W. Bevan Texas A&M University Structure and Dynamics of Prototypical Hydrogen Bonded and Related Interactions

Ilya B. Bezprozvanny The University of Texas Novel Amyloid-Binding Peptoid Ligands as Alzheimer’s Southwestern Medical Center Therapeutic

W. E. Billups Rice University Chemistry of Carbon Nanomaterials

David M. Birney Texas Tech University Studies of Pseudopericyclic and Pericyclic Reactions

Sibani L. Biswal Rice University Controlling Nanoparticle Assembly via Steric Forces

Eric R. Bittner University of Houston Theory and Simulations of Electronic Dynamics in Organic Solar Cells

Paul Blount The University of Texas Determining Lipid-Protein Interactions for a Channel Gated by Southwestern Medical Center Membrane Tension

Janet Bluemel Texas A&M University The Sonogashira Catalyst System for C-C Coupling Reactions: New Mechanistic Insights and Improved Recyclability

Jennifer S. Brodbelt The University of Texas at Austin Fundamentals of Photo- and Electron-Based Activation of Ions in the Gas Phase

Kathlynn C. Brown The University of Texas Design and Synthesis of Tumor Targeted Drug Delivery Southwestern Medical Center Systems for Lung Cancer Therapy

Richard K. Bruick The University of Texas Analytical Approaches to Characterize Iron- and Oxygen- Southwestern Medical Center Sensing Mechanisms Governing Cellular Iron Homeostasis

Kevin Burgess Texas A&M University Hydrogenations of Stereochemically Complex Substrates: The End of a Messy Divorce and the Beginning of a New Romance

Shawn C. Burgess The University of Texas Dysregulation of Intracellular Lipid Synthesis During Disease Southwestern Medical Center

Walter G. Chapman Rice University Structure and Properties of Complex Fluids in the Bulk and Interfacial Regions

James R. Chelikowsky The University of Texas at Austin Simulating Direct Images of the Covalent Bond from Atomic Force Microscopy

Banglin Chen The University of Texas at San Antonio Functional Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks for Recognition of Small Molecules

Chuo Chen The University of Texas Mechanistic Studies on the Vanadium-Catalyzed C−H Southwestern Medical Center Hydroxylation Reactions

Zheng Chen The University of Texas Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Clock-Modulating Small Health Science Center at Houston Molecules

Zhijian J. Chen The University of Texas Biochemical Mechanism of MAVS Activation by Prion-Like Southwestern Medical Center Polymerization

Cheng-Ming Chiang The University of Texas Mechanistic Action of BET Compound Inhibitors in Cancer Southwestern Medical Center Therapeutics

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

20

Wah Chiu Baylor College of Medicine Structural Studies of Viruses by Cryo-EM

Yuh Min Chook The University of Texas Quantitative Characterization of Nuclear Export Inhibition Southwestern Medical Center

David T. Chuang The University of Texas Mitochondrial Signaling by Reversible Phosphorylation Southwestern Medical Center

Abraham Clearfield Texas A&M University Metal Phosphonates as Crystal Engineered Solids and Platforms for Drug Delivery

Cecilia Clementi Rice University Mapping the Free Energy Landscape of Proteins by Combining Theory and Experiment

Melanie H. Cobb The University of Texas Regulatory and Catalytic Properties of MAP Kinase Cascades Southwestern Medical Center

Jeffery L. Coffer Texas Christian University Hollow Semiconductor Nanotubes: Structural and Compositional Control

Don M. Coltart University of Houston New Catalytic Asymmetric Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Methods

Nicholas K. Conrad The University of Texas Biochemical Analysis of a Nuclear Poly(A)-Dependent RNA Southwestern Medical Center Decay Pathway

Lydia M. Contreras The University of Texas at Austin In Vivo Structure Characterization of Catalytic RNAs by Fluorescence

David R. Corey The University of Texas Recognition of DNA by Synthetic Oligomers Southwestern Medical Center

Anthony Cozzolino Texas Tech University Photoisomerizable Ligands for Light Harvesting by Transition Metal Complexes

Luis G. Cuello Texas Tech University Health Crystallographic and Functional Studies in KcsA-Kv Channel Sciences Center Chimeras that Differ in C-Type Inactivation Properties

Pengcheng Dai Rice University Spin Dynamics in Single Molecular Magnets

Kevin N. Dalby The University of Texas at Austin Targeting MELK for Cancer Therapy

Gaudenz Danuser The University of Texas Probing Oncogenic Functions of Vimentin Filaments by Small Southwestern Medical Center Molecule Screens

Donald J. Darensbourg Texas A&M University Design and Reactivity Studies of Metal Catalysts for the Production of Polycarbonates from Novel Oxiranes and Carbon Dioxide

Marcetta Y. Darensbourg Texas A&M University Synthetic Analogues and Reactivity Studies of Iron, Nickel, and Zinc Biomimetic Complexes Containing Histidine, Cysteine, and Nitric Oxide as Ligands

Olafs Daugulis University of Houston New Methods for Carbon-Hydrogen Bond Functionalization

Jef K. De Brabander The University of Texas Novel Heterocyclizations for Natural Product Synthesis Southwestern Medical Center

Ralph J. DeBerardinis The University of Texas Glutamine-Dependent Reductive Carboxylation: A Metabolic Southwestern Medical Center Achilles’ Heel in Cancer

George N. DeMartino The University of Texas Regulation Proteasome Function by Reversible SUMOylation Southwestern Medical Center

H. V. Rasika Dias The University of Texas at Arlington Metal Complexes of Fluorinated Ligands

Michael R. Diehl Rice University Activated Spatial Regulation of Intracellular Chemistry

Guangbin Dong The University of Texas at Austin Site-Selective C-H Bond Functionalization

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

21

Iván D’Orso The University of Texas Cooperative Assembly of HIV Transcription Elongation Southwestern Medical Center Complexes

Michael C. Downer The University of Texas at Austin Femtosecond Nonlinear Spectroscopy of Column IV Nano- Interface Chemistry

Rebekah Drezek Rice University Preparation and Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) Using CO Reduction

Rui-Rui Du Rice University Infrared and Millimeterwave Spectroscopy of Graphene and Topological Insulators

Kim R. Dunbar Texas A&M University Magnetic and Electronic Properties of Molecular Materials: Investigation of Factors that Effect Bistability

F. Barry Dunning Rice University Studies Involving Molecules in High Rydberg States

Ron Elber The University of Texas at Austin Passive Transport Through Membrane

Andrew D. Ellington The University of Texas at Austin Thermostable T7 RNA Polymerase for Diagnostic Applications

Christopher J. Ellison The University of Texas at Austin Chemistry and Properties of Self-Assembly Directed Nanomaterials

Stefan K. Estreicher Texas Tech University Dynamics of Impurities in Semiconductors

Donglei L. Fan The University of Texas at Austin Investigation of a General Mechanism for Rational Synthesis of Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanosuperstructures by Designed Chemical Catalysts

Walter L. Fast The University of Texas at Austin Chemical Probes for Biological Catalysts

Michael Findlater Texas Tech University Base Metal Catalyzed Olefin Metathesis Reactions

Ilya J. Finkelstein The University of Texas at Austin Molecular Mechanisms of Replicating Through DNA Lesions

Paul F. Fitzpatrick The University of Texas Mechanisms of Oxidative Enzymes Health Science Center at San Antonio

Charles M. Folden III Texas A&M University First Chemical Investigation of Element 113

Matthew S. Foster Rice University Topological Matter Phases Under Extreme Duress: Dynamics and Disorder

Doug E. Frantz The University of Texas at San Antonio Development of Non-Traditional Catalytic Pathways of Stereodefined Enol Triflates

François P. Gabbaï Texas A&M University Cationic Gold-Antimony Complexes − Lewis Acidic and Catalytic Properties

Venkat Ganesan The University of Texas at Austin Fundamental Studies of Self-Assembly in Mixtures of Organic and Inorganic Molecules

Kevin H. Gardner The University of Texas Comparative Studies of the Signaling Mechanisms of Flavin- Southwestern Medical Center Based Protein Photosensors

William T. Garrard The University of Texas Formaldehyde Cross-Linking for Discovery of Novel Southwestern Medical Center Regulatory Elements Exhibiting Long-Range Interactions Within and Between Chromosomes

John A. Gladysz Texas A&M University Werner Complexes as “Organocatalysts”

Margaret E. Glasner Texas A&M University What Makes an Enzyme Promiscuous? Structure-Function Relationships of o-Succinylbenzoate Synthase/N- Succinylamino Acid Racemase Enzymes

Vishal M. Gohil Texas A&M University Phospholipid-Protein Interactions in Energy Transformation Reactions

Ido Golding Baylor College of Medicine Quantifying Transcription Kinetics in Individual Cells at Single-Event Resolution

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

22

Elizabeth J. Goldsmith The University of Texas Docking Interactions between the MAP3Ks, ASK1/TAO2 and Southwestern Medical Center B-Raf with their Cognate MAP2Ks, MEK6 and MEK1

John B. Goodenough The University of Texas at Austin Influence of Counter Cation in Mixed-Metal Oxides

David G. Gorenstein The University of Texas Combinatorial Selection and Design of Next Generation Health Science Center at Houston X-aptamers

Kayla N. Green Texas Christian University Probing Surface Interactions of Ferrocene Peptide Conjugates and Interfacial Responses with Biomolecules

Paolo Grigolini University of North Texas Ergodicity Breaking in Chemical, Biological and Cooperative Systems

Nick V. Grishin The University of Texas Structure Mechanism of Circadian Clock-Mediated Southwestern Medical Center Transcription Activation

Arnold M. Guloy University of Houston Chemical Bonding and Properties of “Electron-Poor” Intermetallics Along the Zintl Border

Jason H. Hafner Rice University Analytical Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Biological Interfaces

Naomi J. Halas Rice University Chemical and Photophysical Properties on Complex Nanoparticles and Nanoparticle Complexes

P. Shiv Halasyamani University of Houston Advanced Second-Harmonic Generating Materials

Michael B. Hall Texas A&M University Computational Chemistry on Transition Metal Systems

Tracy A. Hanna Texas Christian University Intramolecular Bismuth and Antimony-Carbon Bond Formation and Reactivity

John C. Hardy Texas A&M University Nuclear Decay Studies

Rasika M. Harshey The University of Texas at Austin Structural Characterization of a Novel Regulator of H+ Flow Across the Bacterial Membrane: A Potential Antimicrobial Drug Target

P. John Hart The University of Texas Structure and Action of a Schistosoma mansoni Health Science Center at San Antonio Sulfotransferase Implicated in Drug Resistance

Jeffrey D. Hartgerink Rice University Synthesis of Nanostructured Organic Materials via Self- Assembly

Adam Heller The University of Texas at Austin Design of Polymeric Binder-Carbon Particle Composites of Lithium Ion Battery Electrode

Graeme Henkelman The University of Texas at Austin Design of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

Ryan E. Hibbs The University of Texas Structural Basis of Chemical Transmitter Recognition by Southwestern Medical Center Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Peter R. Hiesinger The University of Texas The Role of the V0 ATPase in SNARE-Mediated Membrane Southwestern Medical Center Fusion

Christian B. Hilty Texas A&M University Structure and Folding of Membrane Targeted Peptides

Andrew P. Hinck The University of Texas Structural and Mechanistic Studies of TGF-Beta Superfamily Health Science Center at San Antonio Signaling Proteins

David M. Hoffman University of Houston Synthesis of Metal Complexes with Sterically Encumbered Ketimide Ligands

Bradley J. Holliday The University of Texas at Austin Seeded Growth of Inorganic Materials within Organic Templates

Lora V. Hooper The University of Texas Biochemical and Structural Studies of a Novel Retinoid Binding Southwestern Medical Center Protein Family

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

23

Jenny Hsieh The University of Texas Chemical Regulation of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis Southwestern Medical Center

Julia W.P. Hsu The University of Texas at Dallas Sulfur Poisoning of Complex Oxide Catalysts for Nitric Oxide (NO) Oxidation: Effect of Crystal Structure and Stoichiometry

Huey W. Huang Rice University The Free Energy Pathway for Lipid Transformations in Membrane Fusion

Randall G. Hulet Rice University Matter Wave Solitons: Collisions, Coherence, and Atom Interferometry

Simon M. Humphrey The University of Texas at Austin New Poly-Carboxylated Aryl Phosphines for the Designed Synthesis of Coordination Complexes and Polymers

Gyeong S. Hwang The University of Texas at Austin First-Principles Investigation of the Structure, Chemistry and Properties of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials

Tatyana I. Igumenova Texas A&M University A Novel Interaction Within Protein Kinase C Enzyme

Brent L. Iverson The University of Texas at Austin Understanding a New Family of Reporting Molecules

Makkuni Jayaram The University of Texas at Austin Complex Active Sites for Phosphoryl Transfer: Continued Chemical, Biochemical, Biophysical and Structural Analyses

Jean X. Jiang The University of Texas Identification of Sodium and Glutamine Binding of SNAT1 Health Science Center at San Antonio Amino Acid Transporter Using Matagenesis Scanning Approach

Jin Jiang The University of Texas Study of Chemical Modification in Cell Signaling Southwestern Medical Center

Ning Jiang The University of Texas at Austin Error-Free High-Throughput Gene Sequencing

Qui-Xing Jiang The University of Texas Structural Basis for the Ligand-Gating of a Type 1 IP3 Receptor

Southwestern Medical Center

Youxing Jiang The University of Texas Structural and Functional Studies of RCK-Regulated Southwestern Medical Center Potassium Channel

Jianping Jin The University of Texas Dissection of Mechanisms of Polyubiquitin Chain Synthesis Health Science Center at Houston

Kenneth A. Johnson The University of Texas at Austin Kinetics of Nucleotide Binding by HIV Reverse Transcriptase

Keith P. Johnston The University of Texas at Austin Tuning Inorganic and Organic Nanoclusters Assembled from Primary Nanoparticles

Richard A. Jones The University of Texas at Austin Molecular Precursors for New Functional Materials

Karl M. Kadish University of Houston Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry of Compounds with Multiple Redox Centers

Craig D. Kaplan Texas A&M University Biochemical and Biophysical Determination of Conserved RNA Polymerase Domains Function in Catalysis, Abortive Initiation and Template Interaction

Adrian T. Keatinge-Clay The University of Texas at Austin Preparative In Vitro Biosynthesis of Complex Polyketides

Kevin F. Kelly Rice University Investigating the Nanoscale Surface Chemistry of Graphene

Sean M. Kerwin The University of Texas at Austin Rearrangements of Alkynylazoles

Ching-Hwa Kiang Rice University Single Molecule Studies of Molecular Interactions of Biological Macromolecules

Thomas C. Killian Rice University Creation of Halo Molecules with an Optical Feshbach Resonance

Chongwoo A. Kim The University of Texas Structure of an Epigenetic Regulatory Complex Health Science Center at San Antonio

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

24

Tae-Kyung Kim The University of Texas Biochemical Characterization of a Novel Class of Noncoding Southwestern Medical Center RNAs

Douglas J. Klein Texas A&M University at Galveston Chemical Models: Classical to Quantum-Theoretic

Steven A. Kliewer The University of Texas Characterization of the Endogenous Ligand for the Southwestern Medical Center Immunomodulatory Orphan Nuclear Receptor RORγ

Che Ming Ko Texas A&M University Theoretical Studies of Heavy Ion Collisions

Jennifer J. Kohler The University of Texas New Chemical Tools to Study Extracellular Glycan Southwestern Medical Center Remodeling by Sialidases

Anatoly B. Kolomeisky Rice University Theoretical Understanding of Chemical Mechanisms of Selectivity in Transport through Channels

Junichiro Kono Rice University Optical, Infrared, and Terahertz Dynamics of Carbon Nanomaterials

Brian A. Korgel The University of Texas at Austin Nanomaterials of Earth Abundant Elements for Energy Storage and Harvesting

Donald J. Kouri University of Houston Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics: Accurate Excited State Energies and Wave Functions

László Kürti The University of Texas Synthesis of Complex Natural Products via Novel C-C Bond- Southwestern Medical Center Forming Processes

Jaan Laane Texas A&M University Molecular Conformations and Vibrational Potential Energy Surfaces

Keji Lai The University of Texas at Austin Electrical Imaging of Chemically Intercalated Nano-Materials

David L. Lambert The University of Texas at Austin The Chemical Composition of Stars

Alan M. Lambowitz The University of Texas at Austin DNA Target Site Recognition by Mobile Group II Introns

Christy F. Landes Rice University Exploiting Molecular Fluorescence to Probe Local Chemical Dynamics

Oleg Larionov The University of Texas at San Antonio New Enantioselective Strategies for the Synthesis of HPI Natural Products

Seongmin Lee The University of Texas at Austin Developing Potent Solamargine Analogs

T. Randall Lee University of Houston Aliphatic Dithiocarboxylates, Xanthates, and Dithiocarbamates on Metal Substrates and Metal Nanoparticles

Xiangyang Lei Lamar University New Nickel(II) o- -Aryl Complexes as Catalysts for Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reactions

Bing Li The University of Texas Biochemical and Functional Analysis of Histone Clipping Southwestern Medical Center

Guigen Li Texas Tech University Chiral N-Phosphonylimines-Controlled Asymmetric Reactions of Halo Enolates

Pingwei Li Texas A&M University The Structural Basis of Microbial DNA Sensing in Innate Immunity

Wei Li Rice University Nuclear Chemistry at Trillion Degrees

Xiaoqin (Elaine) Li The University of Texas at Austin Surface Plasmon Enhanced Spectroscopic Rulers

Roger L. Lichti Texas Tech University Energies and Defect Chemistry for Muonium in Oxide Semiconductors

Paul A. Lindahl Texas A&M University Characterization of Low-Molecular-Mass Iron and Manganese Complexes in Eukaryotic Cells

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

25

Stephan Link Rice University Chemistry Meets Surface Plasmons

Jen Liou The University of Texas Novel Imaging Probes for Investigating ER-Plasma Membrane Southwestern Medical Center Junctions

Hung-wen Liu The University of Texas at Austin Mechanistic Studies of Novel Enzymes

Jun Liu The University of Texas High-Resolution Structure Determination of Molecular Health Science Center at Houston Machines in situ by Cryo Electron Tomography

Qinghua Liu The University of Texas Mechanistic Studies of the Drosophila RNA Interference Southwestern Medical Center Pathway

Wenshe Liu Texas A&M University Biosensors for Small Molecules and Enzymes

Xin Liu The University of Texas Structural and Biochemical Studies of Gene Repression by Southwestern Medical Center Polycomb Repressive Complex 2: Catalysis and Recruitment

Yi Liu The University of Texas Biochemical Mechanisms of Small RNA Production Pathways Southwestern Medical Center

Steve W. Lockless Texas A&M University The Structural Basis for Lipid Regulation of Membrane Protein Function

Jun Lou Rice University Development of Nanomaterials for Low Cost Solar Energy Harvesting

Carl J. Lovely The University of Texas at Arlington Total Synthesis of Imidazole-Containing Natural Products

Vassiliy Lubchenko University of Houston New Type of Electronic States in Vitreous Chalcogenides and Pnictides

Robert R. Lucchese Texas A&M University Reaction Dynamics Probed by Molecular-Frame Photoionization

Lawrence Lum The University of Texas Modulation of Canonical Wnt Pathway Activity Using Small Southwestern Medical Center Molecules

Jodie L. Lutkenhaus Texas A&M University Template-Synthesis and Solution-Assembly of Polyaniline for Organic Energy Storage

Igor Lyuksyutov Texas A&M University Chemical Dynamics of Cold/Ultracold Molecules and Atomic Hydrogen

Jianpeng Ma Baylor College of Medicine Biochemical Study of the Fusogenic Conformational Transition of Influenza Hemagglutinin

Allan H. MacDonald The University of Texas at Austin Electronic Properties of Graphene

Frederick M. MacDonnell The University of Texas at Arlington Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Mechanisms of DNA Cleavage by Photoexcited and Ground-State Ruthenium Polypyridyl Complexes

John B. MacMillan The University of Texas New Methodology for the Determination of Absolute Southwestern Medical Center Stereochemistry

Dmitrii E. Makarov The University of Texas at Austin Theory and Simulations of Single-Molecule Dynamics

David J. Mangelsdorf The University of Texas Ligand Binding Properties of Nematode Orphan Nuclear Southwestern Medical Center Receptors

Arumugam Manthiram The University of Texas at Austin Synthesis and Properties of Transition Metal Oxides with Unusual Valence States

Edward M. Marcotte The University of Texas at Austin A Mass Spectrometry-Based Map of Universally-Shared Animal Protein Complexes

John T. Markert The University of Texas at Austin Synthesis, Magnetochemistry, and Superconductivity of Metals and Oxides

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

26

Paul Marshall University of North Texas Kinetic and Product Studies of Complex-Forming Reactions in the Gas-Phase

Angel A. Marti-Arbona Rice University Ruthenium(II) Photoluminescent Probes for Sensing Amyloid- B Oligomers in Real-Time

Caleb D. Martin Baylor University New Powerful Lewis Acids as Metal-Free Catalysts

Stephen F. Martin The University of Texas at Austin Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Molecules

Andreas Matouschek The University of Texas at Austin Structure and Function of a Nano-Scale Biological Machine

Seiichi P.T. Matsuda Rice University Terpene Biosynthesis

Kathleen S. Matthews Rice University Genetic Regulatory Proteins: Structure-Function Relationships

Jeremy A. May University of Houston The Total Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Products via Novel Strategies

Jennifer A. Maynard The University of Texas at Austin Control of Protein Folding Quality in the Bacterial Periplasm

Kevin McBride The University of Texas Small Molecule Inhibitors of Epigenetic Effector Proteins M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Ognjen Š. Miljanic University of Houston Conjugated Benzobisoxazole Cruciforms as Fluorescent Sensors in Solution and Solid State

Delia J. Milliron The University of Texas at Austin Plasmonic Transparent Conducting Oxide Nanocrystals: Dopant Chemistry and Heterogeneity

Nancy S. Mills Trinity University Novel Approaches to the Synthesis of Antiaromatic Dications and Dianions

Hamid Mirzaei The University of Texas Development of a Fully Automated 3D Separation Platform for Southwestern Medical Center Deep Proteome Fractionation: Application in Novel Drug Discovery Towards Detection of Low Abundance Targets of Small Molecules

Daniel Mittleman Rice University Terahertz Spectroscopic Investigation of the Co2–CH4 Hydrate Replacement Reaction

Emilia Morosan Rice University Novel Phases and Ground States in Valence-Fluctuating Intermetallics

Charles B. Mullins The University of Texas at Austin Nano-Structured Materials for Chemistry

Siegfried Musser Texas A&M University Structure of the Nuclear Pore Permeability Barrier by Super- Health Science Center Resolution Microscopy

Yunsun Nam The University of Texas Structure and Function Relationship of microRNA Precursors Southwestern Medical Center

Douglas Natelson Rice University Novel Single-Molecule Vibrational Spectroscopies

Joseph B. Natowitz Texas A&M University Nuclear Reaction Studies

Donald G. Naugle Texas A&M University The Influence of Reduced Dimensionality, Disorder, and Interfaces on the Properties of Solids

Andriy Nevidomskyy Rice University Magnetic Anisotropy and Ordering in Molecular and Solid-State Magnets: First-Principles Calculations and Effective Spin Theory

Kyriacos C. Nicolaou Rice University Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules

Qian Niu The University of Texas at Austin Gap Opening by Symmetry Breaking in Graphene Systems

Peter J.A. Nordlander Rice University Theoretical Investigations of Chemical Properties of Nanosystems

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

27

Michael V. Norgard The University of Texas Structure and Function of a Novel Bacterial Regulator Southwestern Medical Center

Simon W. North Texas A&M University Fundamental Imaging Studies of Chemical Reactivity

John S. Olson Rice University Chemical Mechanisms of Ligand Binding to Heme Proteins

Mohammad A. Omary University of North Texas Molecular Spectroscopy and Bonding of Coordination Compounds: More Outstanding Issues and New Advances

José Onuchic Rice University Expanding the Protein Folding Landscape Toward Biomolecular Machines

Kim Orth The University of Texas Elucidate the Biochemical Mechanism used by Vibrio VopQ to Southwestern Medical Center Induce Autophagy

Oleg V. Ozerov Texas A&M University Highly Unsaturated Cationic Group 10 Transition Metal Pincer Complexes

Keith H. Pannell The University of Texas at El Paso Catenated Group 14 Complexes

Chandrashekhar Pasare The University of Texas Biochemical Role of IRAK-1 in Regulating Caspase-1 Southwestern Medical Center Activation and Cleavage

Matteo Pasquali Rice University Physical Chemistry of Graphene Fluids

Jean-Philippe Pellois Texas A&M University Determination of the Mechanisms by Which Lytic Peptides Disrupt Lipid Bilayers

Margaret A. Phillips The University of Texas Enzyme Catalyzed Hypusine Modification in the Protozoan Southwestern Medical Center Pathogen Trypanosoma brucei

Lionel W. Poirier Texas Tech University New Methodologies for Accurate Quantum Calculations of the Dynamics of Atomic Nuclei

Patrick Ryan Potts The University of Texas Therapeutic Targeting of Melanoma Antigen (MAGE) Genes Southwestern Medical Center

B. V. Venkataram Prasad Baylor College of Medicine X-ray Crystallographic Studies on Viruses and Viral Proteins

Han Pu Rice University Exotic Molecules from Spin-Orbit Coupled Ultracold Atoms

Florante A. Quiocho Baylor College of Medicine Structure-Function Relationships in Proteins

Arun Radhakrishnan The University of Texas Fluorescent Sensors for Measuring Cholesterol in Live Cells Southwestern Medical Center

Mark G. Raizen The University of Texas at Austin Study of Molecular Fluids and Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena with Optical Tweezers

Rama Ranganathan The University of Texas Structural Principles of Protein Robustness and Evolvability Southwestern Medical Center

Hai Rao The University of Texas The Last Leg of p53’s Journey to Death Chamber Health Science Center at San Antonio

Frank M. Raushel Texas A&M University Enzyme Reaction Mechanisms

Asok K. Ray The University of Texas at Arlington A Density Functional Study of the Surface Electronic Behavior of Actinide Metals

Joseph M. Ready The University of Texas Catalytic Synthesis and Application of Substituted Ynol Ethers Southwestern Medical Center

Linda E. Reichl The University of Texas at Austin Relaxation Processes in Small Molecules and Quantum Coherent Systems

Pengyu Ren The University of Texas at Austin Multiscale Modeling of RNA 3D Structure

Michael G. Richmond University of North Texas Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of Polynuclear Clusters

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

28

Jeffrey D. Rimer University of Houston Physicochemical Factors Governing Protein Inhibition of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Crystallization

Jose Rizo-Rey The University of Texas NMR Methods to Study Membrane Proteins in Lipid Bilayers Southwestern Medical Center

Jon D. Robertus The University of Texas at Austin Mechanism of Folate-Dependent Methylation

Grigory Rogachev Texas A&M University The Origin of Chemical Elements in the Universe

Daniel Romo Texas A&M University Novel Strategies for Bioactive Natural Product Synthesis via β-Lactone Intermediates and New Methodology for Asymmetric Alkylations

Michael J. Rose The University of Texas at Austin Ligation of Heavy Atom Donors to First Row Transition Metals

Michael K. Rosen The University of Texas Phase Transitions in Multivalent Macromolecular Assembly Southwestern Medical Center

Daniel M. Rosenbaum The University of Texas Stabilization of Active and Inactive Conformations of Orexin Southwestern Medical Center Receptors for Crystallization

Joseph H. Ross, Jr. Texas A&M University Magnetism and Anharmonic Lattice Vibrations in Clathrates and Related Materials

Rick Russell The University of Texas at Austin Investigation of RNA Misfolding during Transcription

Sandra L. Schmid The University of Texas Conformational Dynamics and Regulation of Dynamin Southwestern Medical Center

J. Martin Scholtz Texas A&M University Forces Involved in Protein Folding and Stability Health Science Center

Hans A. Schuessler Texas A&M University Optical Studies of Ultra Cold Molecular Ions Using Femtosecond and XUV Laser Radiation

Marlan O. Scully Texas A&M University Studies in Laser and Quantum Chemistry

Laura Segatori Rice University Physicochemical Properties of Nanoparticles at the Interface with Biological Systems

Philip Serwer The University of Texas Structural Chemistry of Viruses Health Science Center at San Antonio

Jonathan L. Sessler The University of Texas at Austin Molecular Recognition via Base-Pairing

Libo Shan Texas A&M University Biochemical and Regulatory Constraints of Immune Sensors

Bryan F. Shaw Baylor University Asparagine Deamidation in Motor Neurons: A Molecular Clock or a Ticking Time Bomb?

Jason B. Shear The University of Texas at Austin Creating 3D Cell Cultures Using Multiphoton Photofabrication with Dynamic Electronic Masks

A. Dean Sherry The University of Texas at Dallas Lanthanide-Based CEST Agents for Molecular Imaging

Xiaobing Shi The University of Texas Molecular Mechanisms of JARID1B PHD Fingers in M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Recognition of Histone Methylation

Chih-Kang Shih The University of Texas at Austin Quantum Control of Light-Matter Interactions in Metallic Quantum Structures

Ok-Ho Shin The University of Texas Kinetics and Equilibria of the SNARE Complex Assembly Medical Branch at Galveston

Qimiao Si Rice University Theoretical Studies of Electronic Dynamics and Correlations in Carbon-Based and Related Nanostructures

Dionicio R. Siegel The University of Texas at Austin Syntheses of Regenerative Natural Products

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

29

Daniel J. Siegwart The University of Texas Smart, Linear-Dendritic Block Copolymers to Increase siRNA Southwestern Medical Center Release in Response to pH

Jonathan J. Silberg Rice University Regulation of Hsp70 Catalytic Activity by the Zinc-Finger Protein DNLZ/HEP

Alexei V. Sokolov Texas A&M University Applications of Molecular Coherence in Ultrafast Optics

Dong Hee Son Texas A&M University Dark Exciton in the Energy Transfer Process of Semiconductor Nanocrystals

Zhou Songyang Baylor College of Medicine Novel Activity of the Telomere Regulator TIN2 in the Mitochondria

John F. Stanton The University of Texas at Austin Studies in Quantum Chemistry

Mihaela C. Stefan The University of Texas at Dallas Polythiophene Block Copolymers: A Systematic Investigation of Morphology-Optoelectronic Properties Dependence

Keith J. Stevenson The University of Texas at Austin Synthesis of Mesoporous Carbon and Metal Oxide Architectures

Paul D. Straight Texas A&M University Identification of Antibiotic Resistance and Modifying Enzymes from Bacterial Competitive Interactions

Wu-Pei Su University of Houston A Real Space Approach to the Macromolecular Phase Problem

Jeffrey J. Tabor Rice University Characterizing the Ligand Binding Properties of Bacterial Sensor Histidine Kinases from the Human Gut

Uttam K. Tambar The University of Texas Stereoselective Allylic Functionaliztion of Olefins Southwestern Medical Center

Yizhi Jane Tao Rice University Catalytic Mechanism of Astrovirus RNA Replication

Jonathan R. Terman The University of Texas Chemistry and Enzymology of MICAL Family Oxidoreductases Southwestern Medical Center

Isabell Thomann Rice University Advanced Femtosecond Optical in situ Probes for Photocatalysis

Randolph P. Thummel University of Houston The Design and Synthesis of Azaaromatic Ligands and the Study of their Metal Complexes

Chin-Sen Ting University of Houston Study of Superconductivity and Related Subjects in Strongly Correlated Electron Systems

Frank K. Tittel Rice University Application of Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade and Diode Lasers to High-Precision Atmospheric Trace Gas Monitoring

Zachary J. Tonzetich The University of Texas at San Antonio Coordination Chemistry of Hydrogen Sulfide Relevant to Biology

Thomas M. Truskett The University of Texas at Austin Liquids Near Interfaces: Single-Molecule and Collective Dynamics

Francis T.F. Tsai Baylor College of Medicine Structural and Mechanistic Studies of ATP-Driven Protein Machines

Benjamin P. Tu The University of Texas Selective Regulation of Autophagy by Metabolic State Southwestern Medical Center

Adam R. Urbach Trinity University Protein Recognition and Labeling via Supramolecular Protease Inhibition

Kosaku Uyeda The University of Texas Biochemical Mechanism of the Glucose Sensing and Southwestern Medical Center Regulation of ChREBP Activity

Ambro van Hoof The University of Texas Exosome Activation by the ATPase and Poly(A) Polymerase Health Science Center at Houston Activity of the TRAMP Complex

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

30

Navin Varadarajan University of Houston Engineering Chymotrypsin to Selectively Cleave after Phosphotyrosine

Yihong Wan The University of Texas Biochemical Characterization of PAFAH Regulation by Southwestern Medical Center Macrophage VLDLR

Jin Wang Baylor College of Medicine Plasmon Assisted Photonanomedicines for Cancer Therapies

Qinghua Wang Baylor College of Medicine Chemical Mechanisms of Coordinated Epigenetic Regulations in Cells

Yuhong Wang University of Houston The Kinetics and Conformational Changes During Peptidyl Transferase Reaction in Single Ribosome

Zhigao Wang The University of Texas Biochemical Identification of Proteases Involved in Necrotic Southwestern Medical Center Cell Death

Coran Watanabe Texas A&M University Streptomyces sahachiroi: A Rich Treasure Trove of Unique Biosynthetic Reactions

Lauren J. Webb The University of Texas at Austin The Physical Chemistry of Biological Interfaces

R. Bruce Weisman Rice University Photostudies of Carbon Nanostructures

Kenneth D. Westover The University of Texas Characterization of Covalent K-Ras Inhibitors Southwestern Medical Center

Steven E. Wheeler Texas A&M University Non-Covalent π-Stacking Interactions in Organocatalysis

Robert L. Whetten The University of Texas at San Antonio Clusters as Molecular Surfaces: Selected Noble-Metal Thiolates, {A25-145;X18-60}

Michael A. White The University of Texas Analysis of the Functional Significance of Complex Southwestern Medical Center Protein/Protein Interactions

Christian P. Whitman The University of Texas at Austin Structure Function Relationships in Enzymes

Kenton H. Whitmire Rice University The Chemistry of Nanomolecules

Katherine A. Willets The University of Texas at Austin Characterizing Site-Specific Ligand Binding on Metal Nanoparticle Conjugates by High Resolution Far-Field Optical Microscopy

C. Grant Willson The University of Texas at Austin Programmed Self-Assembly of Nanostructures

Richard C. Willson University of Houston Physical Chemistry of Biomolecular Recognition

Lon J. Wilson Rice University Carbon Nanocapsules as MRI Contrast Agent Platforms

Sebastian E. Winter The University of Texas Metabolism of Salmonella Typhimurium in the Inflamed Gut Southwestern Medical Center

Lani F. Wu The University of Texas On the Evolution of Drug-Resistant Lung Cancer Southwestern Medical Center Subpopulations

Robert E. Wyatt The University of Texas at Austin Computational Investigation of Electron Dynamics in Light- Matter Interactions

Blerta Xhemalce The University of Texas at Austin Regulation of Gene Expression Through Chemical Modification of MicroRNAs

Miguel Jose Yacaman The University of Texas at San Antonio Controlling the Shape and Particles Using Wet Chemistry Methods: The Case of Bimetallic Nanoparticles

Boris I. Yakobson Rice University Science of Nearly-1D Materials: From Nanotubes to Nanowires

Nan Yan The University of Texas Tail-Anchor of a Critical Innate Immunity Regulator TREX1 Southwestern Medical Center on the ER

Ding-Shyue Yang University of Houston Ultrafast Structural Dynamics of Molecular Assemblies at Interfaces

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

31

Jiong Yang Texas A&M University Development of New Reagents for Selective Enolization of Carbonyl Compounds

Felix Yarovinsky The University of Texas The Structural Basis of Parasite Recognition by TLR11 and Southwestern Medical Center TLR12 Receptors

Jin Ye The University of Texas Saturated Fatty Acid-Induced Lipotoxicity Southwestern Medical Center

Danny L. Yeager Texas A&M University Developments and Studies using Several Complex Scaled Multiconfigurational Methods for Electron Atom/Molecule Resonances

Hsin-Chih Yeh The University of Texas at Austin NanoCluster Beacons for Highly Specific DNA Methylation Detection

Sherry J. Yennello Texas A&M University The Equation of State for a Two-Component Nuclear System

Hye-Jeong Yeo University of Houston Structural Studies of Novel Surface Polypeptides

Gang Yu The University of Texas Atomic Structure and Mechanism of the γ-Secretase Complex Southwestern Medical Center

Guihua Yu The University of Texas at Austin Probing the Charge Storage Mechanisms of Molecularly- Assembled Two-Dimensional Nanochalcogenides

Hongtao Yu The University of Texas Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Sister-Chromatid Southwestern Medical Center Cohesion

Yonghao Yu The University of Texas Large-Scale Isolation and Identification of Poly-ADP- Southwestern Medical Center Ribosylated Proteins

Anvar A. Zakhidov The University of Texas at Dallas Photochemical Reactions in Dye Sensitized Solar Cell with Biscrolled Graphene Quantum Dot Electrodes

Chengcheng Zhang The University of Texas Small Molecule Modulators of Angptl Receptor for Stem Cell Southwestern Medical Center Expansion and Leukemia Treatment

Chun-Li Zhang The University of Texas Biochemical Regulation of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor TLX Southwestern Medical Center

David Yu Zhang Rice University Native Characterization of DNA and RNA Structure Thermodynamics

Junjie Zhang Texas A&M University The Structural Basis of Ribosomal Silencing in Tuberculosis

Renyi Zhang Texas A&M University Chemical Kinetics and Mechanism of Hydrocarbon Oxidation Reactions

Xiuren Zhang Texas A&M University Biochemical Basis of Arabidopsis Argonaute 10 as a Decoy for microRNAs

Xuewu Zhang The University of Texas Autoinhibition of Plexin by a New Conformation-Mediated Southwestern Medical Center Dimer

Yan Jessie Zhang The University of Texas at Austin Chemical Sensors to Determine Proline Isomeric Specificity of RNA Polymerase II

John C.-G. Zhao The University of Texas at San Antonio Expeditious Modification of Organocatalyst Structures for Improved Stereoselectivities

Aleksei M. Zheltikov Texas A&M University Optical Detection of Ultrafast Electron Dynamics and Electron- Initiated Chemical Processes

Junrong Zheng Rice University Multiple-Dimensional Optical Spectroscopy

Qing Zhong The University of Texas Regulation of the Class III PI3K by Nutrient-Sensing Kinases Southwestern Medical Center in Autophagy

Hong-Cai Joe Zhou Texas A&M University Efficient Carbon Capture with Functionalized Porous Polymer Networks (PPNs)

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION TITLE OF RESEARCH

32

Abilene Christian University Texas A&M University-Commerce

Angelo State University Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Austin College Texas A&M University at Galveston

Hardin-Simmons University Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Houston Baptist University Texas Lutheran University

Jarvis Christian College Texas State University

Lamar University Texas Wesleyan University

LeTourneau University Texas Woman’s University

Lubbock Christian University Trinity University

McMurry University University of Dallas

Midwestern State University University of Houston-Clear Lake

Our Lady of the Lake University University of Houston-Downtown

Prairie View A&M University University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

St. Edward’s University University of St. Thomas

St. Mary’s University The University of Texas at Brownsville

Sam Houston State University The University of Texas at Tyler

Schreiner University The University of Texas-Pan American

Southwestern University The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Stephen F. Austin State University University of the Incarnate Word

Tarleton State University Wayland Baptist University

Texas A&M International University West Texas A&M University

DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH GRANTS

33

Baylor College of Medicine M. Zouhair Atassi, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Baylor College of Medicine David D. Moore, The R. P. Doherty, Jr.-Welch Chair in Science

Baylor College of Medicine Theodore G. Wensel, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Baylor University John L. Wood, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Rice University Andrew R. Barron, The Charles W. Duncan, Jr.-Welch Chair in Chemistry

Rice University Gustavo E. Scuseria, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Rice University Peter Wolynes, The D. R. Bullard-Welch Chair in Science

Texas A&M University Tadhg P. Begley, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas A&M University James C. Sacchettini, The Roger J. Wolfe-Welch Chair in Science

Texas A&M University Karen L. Wooley, The W. T. Doherty-Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas A&M University* Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas A&M University Health Science Center Vytas A. Bankaitis, The E. L. Wehner-Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas A&M University Health Science Center Cheryl Lyn Walker, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas Christian University Eric E. Simanek, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas Tech University William L. Hase, Welch Chair in Chemistry

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Vadivel Ganapathy, Welch Chair in Biochemistry

University of Houston Olafs Daugulis, Welch Chair in Chemistry

University of Houston Jan-Åke Gustafsson, Welch Chair in Chemistry

University of Houston Allan J. Jacobson, Welch Chair in Science

University of North Texas Weston Thatcher Borden, Welch Chair in Chemistry

University of North Texas Health Science Center Laszlo Prokai, Welch Chair in Biochemistry

The University of Texas at Arlington Daniel W. Armstrong, Welch Regents Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin Eric V. Anslyn, Welch Regents Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin Allen J. Bard, The Norman Hackerman-Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin Alan H. Cowley, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin Richard M. Crooks, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin Michael J. Krische, Welch Chair in Science

The University of Texas at Austin Steven Weinberg, The Jack S. Josey-Welch Chair in Science

The University of Texas at Austin* The Marvin K. Collie-Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin* The Richard J.V. Johnson-Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Austin* The R. P. Doherty, Jr.-Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Dallas Ray H. Baughman, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at Dallas* Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at El Paso Luis Echegoyen, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas at San Antonio* Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Zhiqiang An, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston John L. Spudich, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Bettie Sue Masters, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio* Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Andrew Futreal, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center William H. Klein, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston James C. Lee, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston B. Montgomery Pettitt, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center J. Russell Falck, Welch Chair in Chemistry

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Eric N. Olson, Welch Chair in Science

ENDOWED CHAIRS

INSTITUTION CHAIRHOLDER AND CHAIR NAME

*Chair not filled

34

STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS OF AUGUST 31,

2014 AND 2013

ASSETS 2014 2013 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,242,412 $ 2,462,655 INVESTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694,405,266 624,583,000 RECEIVABLES: Investment transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,836,131 728,192 Interest and dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465,335 516,248 Other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389,328 385,416 Total receivables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,690,794 1,629,856 OTHER ASSETS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,577,670 1,337,532 TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 699,916,142 $ 630,013,043 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

LIABILITIES:

Unpaid grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 22,562,250 $ 16,694,250 Deferred federal excise tax payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,583,949 1,411,661 Accounts payable and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551,114 259,650 Investment transactions payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792,465 47,643 Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,489,778 18,413,204

NET ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673,426,364 611,599,839 TOTAL .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 699,916,142 $ 630,013,043

35

STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES AS OF AUGUST 31,

2014 AND 2013

2014 2013 REVENUES:

Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,748,947 $ 1,817,118 Dividends .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,561,036 4,264,228 Oil and gas royalties and other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,308,839 4,024,860 Total revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,618,822 10,106,206 EXPENSES: Investment advisory and custodial fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,343,513 3,194,975 General and administrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,694,555 2,556,874 Federal excise tax provision on net investment income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104,232 211,483 Property and production taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209,845 228,189 Advisory board fees and expenses ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460,000 460,000 Total expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,812,145 6,651,521 GRANTS APPROVED - Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (34,194,525) (28,051,141) NET REALIZED GAINS ON SALES OF INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,219,873 40,774,305 UNREALIZED APPRECIATION OF INVESTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66,707,458 17,239,529 CHANGE IN RECORDED COST OF INVESTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – 121,557 INCREASE IN PREPAID PENSION COST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103,807 281,739 FEDERAL EXCISE TAX ON REALIZED CAPITAL GAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (644,477) (668,490) DEFERRED FEDERAL EXCISE TAX ON UNREALIZED CAPITAL GAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1,172,288) (447,701) CHANGE IN NET ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,826,525 32,704,483 NET ASSETS, beginning of year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611,599,839 578,895,356 NET ASSETS, end of year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 673,426,364 $ 611,599,839

For the Foundation’s complete audited financial statements, please visit www.welch1.org.

36

2014 ANNUAL REPORTSUPPLEMENT

The Supplement to the 2014 Welch

Foundation Annual Report is available

online at www.welch1.org and includes:

58th Conference on Chemical Research Program

Welch Conference on Chemical Research 1957-2014

Welch Award Recipients 1972-2014

Hackerman Award Recipients 2002-2014

Principal Investigators Listed Alphabetically

Abstracts of Current Investigations

Publications by Principal Investigators Reported During 2013-2014

5555 San FelipeSuite 1900Houston, Texas 77056-2730713.961.9884www.welch1.org