The Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois
Allerton Conference - History and Awards
The Seemon Pines Award. The Seemon Pines Award is sponsored by Dr. Seemon Pines, alumnus of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois who went on to establish an illustrious career at Merck after receiving his Ph.D. with Prof. Nelson Leonard. At Merck he helped develop a large number of life-enhancing therapeutic drugs, such as cortisone, easing the suffering of millions. He served as Vice President of Pharmaceutical Process R&D and was awarded Merck's highest scientific honor, the Director's Scientific Award. Dr. Pines used this cash prize to establish the Seemon Pines Award and the Pines Travel Award to foster student development at UIUC. The Seemon Pines award is granted each year for the most outstanding research presentation at the Annual Allerton Research Conference.
- LAS Alumni Spotlight on Dr. Seemon Pines
- Spring 1991 SCS Newsletter article about Dr. Seemon Pines (pdf)
- More detailed history of the Allerton Conference
- Images of 2006 Allerton Conference
- Images of 2005 Allerton Conference
- Images of 2004 Allerton Conference
- Images of 2003 Allerton Conference
Seemon Pines Award recipients in recent years:
1996 - Jim Nelson
1997 - Ryan Prince
1998 - Ewa Fredette
1999 - David Anderson
2000 - Matthew Epperson (D. Gin)
2001 - Anobel Tamrazi (Katzenellenbogen)
2002 - Gregory Beutner (Denmark)
2003 - Joseph Rule (Moore)
2004 - Rebecca Coppins (Silverman)
2005 - Benjamin Leslie (Hergenrother)
2006 - Kenneth J. Fraunhoffer (White)
Seemon Pines Travel Award recipients
| Each year a number of students receive a travel grant to present their Ph.D. research in the form of a seminar at the institution from which they received their undergraduate degree in chemistry. This award is made possible by the generous donation of Dr. Seemon Pines. Recent awardees and their undergraduate institutions are: | |
| 2001 | |
| Jeremy Cottell (Denmark) | University of Richmond |
| Stephen Jarboe (Beak) | Transylvania University |
| Kevin McCauley (van der Donk) | Southeast Missouri State |
| Laura Schultz (Zimmerman) | University of Evansville |
2002 | |
| Gregory Beutner (Denmark) | Tufts University |
| Margaret Collins (Katzenellenbogen) | Hope College |
2003 | |
| Kim Deaton (M. Gin) | Carthage College |
| Shinji Fujimori (Denmark) | Lake Forest College |
| Justin Montgomery (Denmark) | Miami University |
| Mary Smalley (Silverman) | University of Northern Iowa |
| Matthew Stone (Moore) | Michigan State University |
2004 | |
| Ramil Baiazitov (Denmark) | University of Minnesota, Duluth |
| David Goode (Hergenrother) | Mercer University |
| Jennifer Heemstra (Moore) | University of California, Irvine |
2005 | |
| John Baird (Denmark) | Allegheny University |
| Brandon Miles (Coates) | University of Texas, Dallas |
| Dinty Musk (Hergenrother) | Taylor University |
| Ephraim Parent (Katzenellenbogen) | Brigham Young University |
2006 | |
| William Collins (Denmark) | New Mexico Institute of Technology |
| Chuck Hickenboth (Moore) | University of Richmond |
| Ben Leslie (Hergenrother) | Colgate University |
| Greg Patton (van der Donk) | Miami University at Ohio |
2007 | |
| Erin Elliott (Moore) | University of Alberta |
| Eric Gillis (Burke) | Grinnell College |
| Matthew Levengood (van der Donk) | Elizabethtown College |
| Jackie Murphy (Hartwig) | University of Massachusetts |
| Amanda Nottbohm (Hergenrother) | Albion College |
| Stephanie Potisek (Moore) | Cornell University |
| Chris Regens (Denmark) | Lake Forest College |
