Organic Chemistry in Nottingham
Mark Kurth
Chemistry
Mark Kurth is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the UC Davis Dept. of Chemistry. He grew up on a farm in Iowa and received his B.A. degree in Chemistry at the Univ. of Northern Iowa (with Speech and Coaching minors) in 1976, having done undergraduate research with Prof. J.G. MacMillan. His graduate studies in Synthetic Organic Chemistry were done at the Univ. of Minnesota (Prof. T.R. Hoye mentor; Ph.D. in 1980) followed by postdoctoral studies at the Université de Genève in Switzerland (Prof. W. Oppolzer; 1980-81). He joined the UC Davis Dept. of Chemistry in 1981 where his lab focused on (i) development of synthetic routes to medicinally relevant small molecules and heterocycles (primarily focused on cystic fibrosis and primary biliary cholangitis), (ii) diversity-oriented synthesis (solid-phase combinatorial chemistry), and (iii) synthetic methods development (for example, the Davis-Beirut Reaction).
A Message to Students and Parents
Having grown up in Iowa with undergrad and grad studies in the Midwest (Iowa and Minnesota), I decided in need to “break-the-mold” by doing my postdoc someplace exotic – like Switzerland. What a GREAT experience; one that added to my chemistry perspective and, equally importantly, broadened my view of the world and my understanding of me! That is exactly what the Nottingham study abroad program can afford you – you’ll learn new chemistry, make new friends, experience life in the UK, and broaden your view of you. I’ve had the privilege of being a study abroad instructor in Taipei, Taiwan (3 occasions) and Nottingham, England (3 occasions) and, each time, I enjoyed witnessing the personal growth of UC students and was proud of how they represented the UC. Nottingham is home to two major universities (60K students across the city) with lots of associated nightlife and activity. It is also affords extensive bus/tram service around the city and offers excellent train connections to major UK cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham. The Nottingham study abroad program has LOTS to offer!"