Chemistry Facility Expanding with NIH Support and Private Grants
In June 2009, the University of Utah Department of Chemistry received $8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) toward construction of an addition to the south tower of the Henry Eyring Building (HEB) specifically to support biological and biophysical chemistry research.
Holding an architect’s rendering of how the new Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry could appear are, (l-r) Tom Thatcher, Teri Flanders, Craig Thatcher, Helen Thatcher, Diane Barlow, and Lawrence Thatcher.
This NIH grant is further testament to the chemistry department’s expertise in these areas, and will enhance the department’s position as a national and international leader in biological and biophysical chemistry, two of the fundamental sciences for advancing medicine and biotechnology.
Constructing and equipping the new facility is estimated at $20 million.
In addition to the NIH grant and university funds, private contributions are being sought.
In recognition of a major gift toward this project by the Lawrence and Helen Thatcher family of Salt Lake City, the newly expanded south chemistry tower will be named the Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry. The Thatchers and their four children, Diane T. Barlow, Craig N. Thatcher, Teri H. Flanders, and Thomas F. Thatcher, are all alumni of the U.
“We are extremely grateful to the Thatcher family and the NIH for their support,” said Henry S. White, department chair. “The new building will increase collaboration between research groups that specialize in organic and biochemical synthesis, spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and biophysical modeling and simulation, and thereby attract and retain high-profile researchers to the faculty.”
Architect’s rendering of the new Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry
The new building will include a mass spectrometry facility; advanced undergraduate laboratories; two floors for imaging and spectroscopy, biochemistry, and organic synthesis; and a floor for theory and modeling. All these facilities provide naming opportunities for interested donors.
This funding comes at a crucial time for the department, as the north tower of HEB is now more than 40 years old. Space for research is already stretched to capacity, and the department’s undergraduate population is projected to increase over the next several years. “Our department has a great track record of producing undergraduates who go on to graduate school and to medical school, but it will be extremely difficult to maintain that high standard with 40-year-old facilities,” says Distinguished Professor of Chemistry C. Dale Poulter.
Associate Professor (Lecturer) Greg Owens has recently been named the department’s director of development and charged with implementing fund-raising priorities and strategies for chemistry.
“Given the department’s stellar history and reputation for producing high-quality research as well as top-notch graduates at all levels, we believe our seeking of private funds will be well received by our alumni and by leaders in our community,” says Owens.
An event is scheduled for February 2010 to more fully describe this project to friends and alumni and to recognize donors to the building. Contact Greg Owens at (801) 581-6232, gowens@chem.utah.edu, for more information on the Thatcher Building project.
A site map provided by Prescott Muir Architects shows phase 1 and phase 2 of the chemistry building expansion.
Thatcher Company
Thatcher Company is a diversified chemical manufacturer and distributor. Founded in 1967, Thatcher Company has grown to be a major chemical supplier and distributor in the United States. The company now employs more than 250 people with many employees having been with the company in excess of 20 years. The corporate headquarters and main plant facility are located on 25 acres in the industrial heart of Salt Lake City, Utah, with operations in six other states.
Thatcher’s diversification, ever broadening product offerings, exemplary service, and customer focus show the ability to respond to the changing needs of customers and the dynamics of the marketplace.
Thatcher Company has product lines that are sold throughout the United States and exported to Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. As a custom chemical manufacturer, they supply important needs in industries such as medical and pharmaceutical, photographic, mining, food processing, and household goods.
The Thatcher Family
The Thatcher family’s involvement in the chemical industry stretches back to the early 1900s, and their connection to the U goes back nearly as far.
Family patriarch Nathan D. “Dee” Thatcher, Jr., co-founded Wasatch Chemical Company in Salt Lake City, becoming a major chemical producer and distributor. Along the way, Dee’s two sons, Winston (BA 1943, Chemistry) and Lawrence (BS 1945, Chemical Engineering) joined the company. Winston’s wife, Lucille, and Lawrence’s wife, Helen, also are U alumni, both in Education.
In 1967, Lawrence and Winston founded Thatcher Chemical, later renamed The Thatcher Company.
Lawrence and Helen have four children: Diane T. Barlow (BS 1970, MED 1977, Education), Craig N. Thatcher (BA 1974, Chemistry), Teri H. Flanders (BS 1977, Education), and Thomas F. Thatcher (BA 1985, Chemistry). The six of them comprise the board of directors of The Thatcher Company, and Diane, Craig, and Tom all serve as officers of the company, under Lawrence who retains the title of Chairman and CEO and continues to go to the office each day – having just celebrated his 85th birthday hasn’t slowed him down in the least!
In 2008, The Thatcher Company established an unprecedented scholarship with the College of Science: A four-year, full-tuition plus books award for an incoming Utah freshman studying chemistry or chemical engineering.
Tom Thatcher serves on the College of Science Advisory Board, where he chairs the Legislative Task Force.