Gilbert, professor of organic chemistry, will remain in Austin through the fall semester to teach and help during the transition to a new associate dean.
Gilbert joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin in 1965. He has served as associate dean for the college since 2000.
Gilbert also has held the positions of interim chairperson for the Department of Human Ecology and chairperson for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He won the College of Natural Sciences Advisory Council Teaching Award in 2003 and delivered the commencement address to the college in 2005.
"Jack has been an invaluable colleague and a great teacher and mentor during his 40 years of service to the college," said Mary Ann Rankin, Dean. "He will truly be missed."
Gilbert attended the University of Wyoming as an undergraduate and received his master’s degree and doctorate from Yale University. His research interests include physical organic chemistry, pericyclic reactions, reactive intermediates and synthetic methodology.
"He has done a tremendous job as a scholar and educator," said Stephen Martin, chair of chemistry and biochemistry. "He always has the best interests of students, faculty and the department in mind. He is always forward thinking, trying to think out of the box, in terms of what might be improved and how those goals might be achieved. His teaching, collegiality, wisdom and advice will be missed by us all.""
Martin said that, in the more than 30 years they have known and worked together, Gilbert promoted a number of important causes, one of which was to promote women in chemistry and biochemistry as well as in the college and the university. Also, Gilbert and Martin together endowed an undergraduate scholarship using the proceeds of a chemistry laboratory textbook they co-authored, he said.
Gilbert's articles have appeared in publications such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Journal of the Chemical Society Chemical Communications, Journal of Chemical Education, Tetrahedron and Tetrahedron Letters.
His research program focuses on the development of theoretical and experimental approaches to define the nature of strained cycloalkynes and the development of synthetic approaches to biologically active terpenoids.
Gilbert's wife, Dr. Lucia Gilbert, vice provost for undergraduate studies at UT-Austin, will begin a new position as provost at Santa Clara on Oct. 1, 2006. She has been a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology since 1986 and has served as vice provost since 1999.
Comments