Professor to speak at annual symposium

Chemistry could be more efficient

By Icess Fernandez Caller-Times
June 15, 2004

Apurba Bhattacharya, assistant chemistry professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, has been invited to present his research at the American Chemical Society's anniversary symposium in August.

The American Chemical Society, founded in 1944, is the largest scientific society in the world with about 159,000 members. Usually presenters have to submit an abstract or a sample of their research to be considered. But Bhattacharya was selected by the society to be one of five speakers at the anniversary event.

"I was very excited," he said. "When I got the e-mail I saw the other people who were invited and two of them I grew up learning from."
Just five people nationwide were chosen, and Bhattacharya is the first from Kingsville to be chosen.

Bhattacharya, who holds 26 U.S. patents, will presen this research on green chemistry, or environmentally friendly chemical processes that don't use solvents and are also economical. He also will present a process designed to cut several steps in the manufacturing of drugs.

Bhattacharya said his research could help reverse some outsourcing, or companies moving their business to countries with cheaper labor and more lax environmental laws than in the United States.
"The cost of producing drugs is too high," he said. "We have to practice green chemistry that is economically competitive. To reverse the trend, we have to make the process more efficient and more environmentally friendly."

But more importantly to the professor is the exposure of A&M-Kingsville to the scientific world.

"Once I give the talk everyone will know about us," he said. "This will be a testament to the academic community that we gave good research credentials and good students."

The top chemists in the nation including those from academia and the private sector hold the organization in high regard, said Mauro Castro, associate dean of the Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy and former chemistry department chairman.

"As scientists, we all try to present our research work," he said. "But Dr. Bhattacharya was actually asked. It's a big honor to be selected because of your work. For him to be invited is an honor that few of us will have."

Rumaldo Z. Juarez, university president, said the exposure will put A&M-Kingsville on the radar screen among science students, researchers and others.

"Anytime you have a person speak to an international organization with 159,000 members you have a heck of a captive audience," he said.