Professor of Chemistry Cliff Berkman joins us from San Francisco State University where he was professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Cliff earned his bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois in 1986 and his doctorate in chemistry from Loyola University in Chicago in 1993. He completed postdoctorates at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and IGEN Research Institute in Seattle. The focus of Berkman’s research group is on developing diagnostic and therapeutic agents for cancer and heart disease. His group is particularly interested in targeting enzymes or biomarkers unique to these diseases. Applications of his work include in vitro and in vivo imaging technologies as well as cell-capture devices for cancer and heart disease. Students in his research group learn techniques in organic synthesis, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and computational modeling. Berkman is joined in Pullman by his wife, Noreen Ryan, and their 17 month-old son Evan. For more than 10 years, the Berkmans hosted annual pizza barbeques in San Francisco, where they grilled up to 25 pizzas in one night. “We look forward to continuing that tradition and breaking our record of 70 guests and hopefully incorporating live music.”

Professor of Chemistry Philip Garner comes to WSU from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Garner was raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where he developed an early interest in science. He received both his bachelors degree in chemistry (1977) and doctorate degree in organic chemistry (1981) from the University of Pittsburgh. He did postdoctoral work at Indiana University. In 1983 Garner took up his first faculty position at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and then joined the Department of Chemistry at Case in 1985. His research focus is the building of molecules, which is akin to architecture on the molecular scale. He has established a broad research program that includes the total synthesis of natural products, the development of new methodology for organic synthesis, and the invention of novel drug platforms. His scientific accomplishments include the development of a widely-used synthetic building block, now called “Garner’s aldehyde.” Garner’s move West brings him closer to his two children, Alex and Naomi, who live in Seattle and attend UW. When away from Fulmer Hall digs, he enjoys international travel, fishing, backpacking, exploring the Palouse, reading and cooking.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ming Xian, obtained his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Wayne State University and his B.S. at Nankai University, China. He did a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focus is examining and solving medical and biological problems by combining organic synthesis with bioorganic chemistry, particularly in the areas of (1) synthetic methodology development and natural product synthesis; (2) protein molecular recognition and interaction; and (3) the development of new therapeutic agents.

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