Inspiring Students One Molecule at a Time
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Inspiring students
ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME M
I
remember my first conversation with Dr. Richard “Dick” Dr. Lagow was the first—and only—professor I ever had who Lagow like I remember every detail of my first apartment: boldly stated that science students “should be breaking laboratory It was a pivotal moment in my life. As a junior biochemistry equipment,” as he adamantly felt these unfortunate mishaps were major at The University of Texas at Austin, I asked him about a normal part of the learning process. Given that the competitive serving as my mentor for Chemistry 369K—an upper division, climate of science enhanced my nervous tendencies, I found his undergraduate research elective course available to students candor both revolutionary and liberating. lucky enough to find a professor willing to supervise them. Most importantly, Dr. Lagow gave me the opportunity to Although I originally encountered Dr. Lagow as the instrucconduct undergraduate research in his laboratory when other tor of my first year chemistry laboratory a couple of years prior, professors had told me no. In the 20 years since his passing in I had never actually talked to him. In fact, had not my organic 2010, I have often contemplated why Dr. Lagow was willing to chemistry professor suggested I ask him about undergraduate take a chance on an often-misunderstood biochemistry student. research, I never would have mustered up the courage to speak He thought highly of his students and encouraged us to think to the discoverer of the fourth outside the box. allotrope of carbon and one My story of self-discovery of the world’s leading fluorine because of Dr. Lagow’s tutechemists. lage is just one of many. The I remember tiptoeing into year was 1984—an era that his office, where I found him siftbore witness to a deluge of ing through papers at his desk. scientific breakthroughs and “Hi, Dr. Lagow. My name tragedies. The introduction is Frieda Wiley, and I was of DNA fingerprinting would a student in your freshman eventually revolutionize forenchemistry lab,” I said. “I’m sic science. A Union Carbide now a junior wanting to take plant explosion in Bhopal, 369K, and I was wondering if India, released 30-plus tons of you would be willing to let me toxic gases into the air in what work in your lab.” My voice remains the deadliest chemical trailed off in anticipation of plant “explosion” in history. Richard Lagow stands behind his research team. (From left to right): Paul Capano, Sharon Hoffman holding a laboratory rabbit implanted with the imminent rejection. After AIDS earned both a name bone replacement material developed by the research team, Dagmar all, several other professors and an identity before transRosa, and future physician Jay Bender. Reprinted with permission from The Alcalde (The University of Texas at Austin alumni magazine) 77 (4) had turned me down, so why forming into a global health (March/April 1988). Source: Call Number: LH1A432. should this encounter be any crisis. Apple would unveil its different? Macintosh personal computer He looked over, mak
