Award-winning chemist to speak at Ott Lectureship

A research scholar and award-winning chemist will be the featured speaker at the Arnold C. Ott Lectureship in Chemistry at Grand Valley.

Richmond Sarpong, associate professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, will give a public lecture on April 15 and a chemistry seminar for students and faculty April 16.
 
Tuesday, April 15
Topic: “Nitrogenous Natural Products: Suppliers of Life’s Quality”
Reception at 5 p.m.
Lecture at 6 p.m.
Loosemore Auditorium, GVSU Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Free and open to the public
 
Wednesday, April 16
Topic: “Strategies and Tactics for Chemical Synthesis Inspired by Alkaloids”
Chemistry seminar at 1 p.m.
Cook DeWitt Center, GVSU Allendale Campus

Richmond Sarpong was born in Ghana, West Africa, and lived in various countries in Africa including Zambia and Botswana. He received a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and a doctorate from Princeton University, where his research centered on organic synthesis. Sarpong has received several awards including a Sloan Research Scholar award and a Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar award. His current research interests span the development of new strategies for natural product synthesis.
 
The Arnold C. Ott Lectureship in Chemistry was created and endowed by a gift from Arnold C. and Marion Ott. Arnold Ott was a leading chemist and entrepreneur in West Michigan. He was also one of the co-founders of Grand Valley State University and served on the GVSU Board of Trustees for 28 years.

For more information contact Felix Ngassa, GVSU associate professor of chemistry, at (616) 331-3803.