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Welcome
Faculty Students Chemistry
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NEWS
Professor Nishimura Installed
into the Kathleen Smith Chair (4/2007) Recent Publications and
Presentations with Student Authors (10/2006) Powerpoint
Summary of the Department (December, 2004) Best viewed
with Internet Explorer More Publications by Professor
Nishimura Professor Nishimura is Awarded UC Davis Prize Professor Nishimura Receives Research Award Recent Publications by Professor Nishimura Professor Nishimura Receives Distinguished Professorship Award Professor Anderson Receives Research Award Professor Nishimura:
The New Kathleen Smith Chair of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Allan Nishimura, professor of
chemistry, has been installed in the Kathleen Smith chair of natural
and
behavioral sciences, the first endowed faculty chair in the sciences. A
reception and induction ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 11 on the
Westmont College campus.
Three former students gave short, personal descriptions of Dr. Nishimura as a professor, research mentor, friend and colleague, followed by a presentation by the awardee on his current research. Chancellor David Winter bestowed the award and gave the Kathleen Smith metal to Dr. Nishimura. Below is a picture of the three former students with Prof. Nishimura and the Academic Dean (middle) Dr. Warren Rogers.  In his 26 years at Westmont, Allan Nishimura has received many honors. The first recipient of the Faculty Research Award in 1984, he was named a Professor of the Year in 1998 and a Distinguished Professor in 2003. “It is a fitting tribute to someone who has done so much for the sciences at Westmont,” said former Provost Shirley Mullen when she announced the appointment. “You have not only done consistent research, but you have done this in a way that befits a liberal arts college.” The chair includes a stipend for research. Nishimura has continually been involved in his own work since coming to Westmont and has more than 50 publications on his vita. Specializing in physical chemistry and molecular spectroscopy, he has received more than 15 external grants, including funding from such sources as the American Chemical Society, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Pittsburgh Conference of National College Grants and the American Physical Society. Like many Westmont professors, Nishimura routinely includes his students in ongoing research — 56 of his undergraduate chemistry students have been coauthors in his publications over the years. Nishimura’s protégés are regularly and actively sought by the best graduate schools. “It’s impressive that so many chemistry students have been involved in his research,” Mullen said. “These graduates are now doing significant work in a wide range of areas including scientific research, high school teaching, missionary service and medicine. We all know at least one of the students who benefited from Allan’s summer research program — our own chemistry professor Niva Tro. “His goal of building a student research program has shaped Allan’s vision of his own vocational calling,” Mullen added. “He has chosen research that can go on in the context of a small liberal arts college with students. At times, his commitment to the program has meant that he has deferred his own sabbaticals to ensure that both the students and faculty in the department are getting what they need.” Besides his professional work outside the college, Nishimura has worked with the community through the CalSoap Program and various local schools to inspire young people to consider science as a career. Kathleen Smith left $1.7 million in
her will for Westmont when she died in 1988. A longtime neighbor of the
college, she hired students to work around the house and was impressed
by their character. In 1997, Westmont installed Robert Gundry as the
first Kathleen Smith professor of religious studies. But with his
retirement and the development of the Robert Gundry chair in biblical
studies held by Tremper Longman III, the college decided to award the
Smith chair to a professor in the natural and behavioral sciences.  The group with Chancellor Winter Recent Publications Chemistry professor Allan Nishimura has recently published several articles, coauthored by undergraduates: "Optical methods as probes of the surface dynamics during disorder-to-order transition in naphthalene adlayer on Al2O3 (0001)" in the Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, with Tim LeDoux, M. A. Evans, Katie Howard, and April Louie, "Temperature dependent non-radiative effects in the disorder-to-order transition in cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone films on Al2O3 (0001)" in Thin Solid Films with Tim LeDoux, Jon Rea, and K. A. Martin, and "Dynamics of disorder-to-order transition in bilayers: Formation of van der Waals molecular clusters by percolation of p-diflourobenzene through water adlayer on Al2O3 (0001)" in the Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research, with J. S. Brigham, A. J. Bishop, and K. A. Martin. Professor Allan Nishimura Receives UC Davis Prize Professor Allan Nishimura of the Chemistry Department has received the UC Davis Prize in Undergraduate Research Mentorship. He was given the award on June 8th, when he presented an invited seminar at UC Davis entitled: "Formation of Molecular Clusters by Percolation of Water Through para-Dihalobenzene Adlayer on Al2O3(0001)" The research presented at the seminar was the result of work done by several undergraduate students at Westmont. In its second year, the UC Prize is designed to recognize professors at primarily undergraduate colleges and universities who have been successful in mentoring undergraduates in research and inspiring them to continue research in graduate school. Several Westmont graduates in chemistry have recently gone on to graduate school at UC Davis and these include Scott Riley (1997), Mako Masuno (1997) and David Saiki (2000). The prize was given to Professor Nishimura by Professor William Jackson, chair of the chemistry department at UC Davis, and included a plaque and a modest cash honorarium. Professor Allan Nishimura Receives Research Corporation Award A Cottrell College Science Award of $36,218 will be received by Professor Nishimura from the Research Corporation in support of his research entitled "A study of water-halobenzene clusters on Al2O3(0001) surface by emission and cavity ringdown spectroscopy." The Award will enable Professor Nishimura and his research team to potentially help answer the question, "How do chemically stable polyhalogenated benzenes find their way into the groundwater supply?" Working in collaboration with him is his colleague from Point Loma Nazarene University, Dr. Ken Martin, three Westmont students (Tim LeDoux, Jonathan Brigham and Jonathan Rea) and Point Loma student Adam Bishop. Chemistry Graduate Awarded National Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has awarded Wesley Galliher, a chemistry major who graduated in early May from Westmont, a graduate fellowship for the 2004-05 academic year. Wesley will receive $5,000 to aid in his pursuit of a Ph.D. degree in bio-organic or medicinal chemistry. Only 60 students nationwide received the fellowship this year. The selection process for the Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowships is based on the applicants’ undergraduate academic performance; leadership and service on campus and in the community; evidence of graduate potential; personal statement of educational perspective, purpose and objectives; and the evaluation reports from three individuals who are in a position to attest to the student’s performance, citizenship and character. Wesley has an excellent record in each of these areas. Active in intramural sports, he also is a teaching assistant for general and organic chemistry, a manuscript editor and sings in the college, gospel and chamber singers choirs. Wesley’s professors praised his research abilities and experience. When he arrives at graduate school, he will be immediately ready to contribute to a research program,” Physics Professor Kenneth Kihlstrom said. Chemistry Professor Allan Nishimura added “Wesley combines hard work with natural ability and good time-management skills – all characteristics of an outstanding student.” Recent Publications Allan Nishimura has recently published three articles, all coauthored with Westmont students: "Quasi-Adiabatic Evaporation of Liquids on a Glass Surface as Observed by Optical Interference," with Daniel Arnold, R. Tristan Gingerich, Christopher Emerson, Taylor Ludwick, Andrew Ribbens, Jerome Santos, Joseph Taylor, Aaron Nudelman, in The Chemical Educator. "Crystallization Kinetics of Cycloalkanone Thin-Films on Al2O3 (0001)," with Timothy LeDoux, Jonathan Brigham, and K. A. Martin, in Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research. "Dynamics of Crystal Formation by Optical Detection: Multiple Disorder-to-Order Phase Transitions of Cycloalkanone Multilayers on Al2O3 (0001)," with Jerome Santos, Joseph Taylor, R. Tristan Gingerich, Adam Cavallero, Matthew Hanchett, Katherine Pointer, Amanda Pontius, Daniel Arnold, Carolyn Sharpe, and Kenneth Martin, in Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science. Allan Nishimura of the chemistry department was one of three longtime professors to receive the college’s first distinguished professorship award, an honor that recognizes their exceptional commitment to their students and Christian liberal arts education. The award, which will be given every two years, includes an additional $2,000 annual stipend to be used for their work at the college until retirement. Professors must have taught at the college for at least 20 years to be considered for the honor. Allan Nishimura came to Westmont in 1981 and specializes in physical chemistry and molecular spectroscopy. He received a Teacher of the Year honor in 1998. Like many of Westmont’s professors, Nishimura routinely includes his students in ongoing research – 20 of his undergraduate chemistry students have been co-authors in his publications over the years. Nishimura’s students are regularly and actively sought by the best graduate schools. “Besides his professional work outside the college, Allan has also sought to be available to the community through the CalSoap Program and various local schools to inspire young people to consider science,” Provost Mullen says. Chemistry Professor Stanley Anderson Receives National Research Award Professor Anderson of our Chemistry
Department has
been selected for a National Research Council Senior Research
Associateship
award, which has allowed him to conduct studies at the University of
California
Santa Barbara during a sabbatical. Stauffer Trust Awards Westmont $400,000 for Chemistry Equipment The John Stauffer Charitable Trust, based in Pasadena, has awarded Westmont $400,000 to purchase much-needed chemistry equipment that will enhance students’ ability to do first-rate research. Westmont, a liberal arts college similar to Pomona and Claremont-McKenna, has a long tradition of fostering undergraduate research in the sciences, a feature that ensures acceptance for many of our graduates into the best graduate schools in the country. In fact, more than a dozen of Westmont’s recent chemistry grads have completed or are completing doctorates this year at institutions such as Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, UCLA, UC Davis, UCSB, the University of Washington and the University of Pennsylvania. “This funding will help us replace aging equipment and bring the chemistry lab up to state-of-the-art status,” Chemistry Professor Allan Nishimura said. “Our students, who are required to do undergraduate research, will benefit greatly from this generous gift.” Students who do undergraduate research are better-prepared for graduate school. At Westmont, an emphasis on undergraduate research and personal relationships with professors gives our students an advantage when it comes to graduate school admission. Research indicates a larger percentage of Ph.D.s come from liberal arts colleges like Westmont than from other institutions of higher learning. “The John Stauffer Charitable Trust is pleased to be able to provide the dollars for upgrading chemistry equipment at Westmont,” trustee Michael Whalen said. “We have a long and productive relationship with Westmont, and believe this investment in equipment is an investment in producing some of the finest scientists in years to come.” “Westmont is so grateful to the Stauffer Trust for its recent award for chemistry equipment, but also for its long support of the college through its generous gifts,” President Stan D. Gaede said. This is the fourth major grant the Stauffer Trust has awarded Westmont over the years. The first was the establishment of the John Stauffer Memorial Scholarship for Academic Merit in 1982. Initially $50,000, the fund has nearly doubled, and provides scholarship money for a senior student in the top 10 percent of his or her class. The Stauffer Trust also provided $50,000 in 1986 to pay for computer system improvements, and another $50,000 in 1989 to establish an endowed chemistry equipment fund. For more information on the grant and the chemistry program at Westmont, contact Nishimura at (805) 565-6188, or e-mail nishimu@westmont.edu. Westmont College Chemistry Department Receives $30,000 Matching Grant The Camille and Henry Dreyfus
Foundation,
based in New York City, has awarded Westmont a $30,000 matching grant
to
enhance the capabilities of our nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
spectrometer.
The original purchase of the NMR instrument was made possible by a
$99,000
matching grant from the National Science Foundation two years
ago. |
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