Matteson Biographical Sketch
Professor Matteson earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1954 from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in Organic Chemistry in 1957 from the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign, where he did this thesis research with Professor Harold Snyder. Professor Matteson then worked as a research chemist at Du Pont investigating hydrocarbon pyrolysis.
He joined WSU’s Department of Chemistry faculty in 1958 and attained the rank of professor in 1969. In 1966, he was the first WSU faculty member to receive an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship. Throughout Professor Matteson’s career, he has lectured extensively throughout Europe, Russia, India, Mexico, Canada, and Asia. He has served on the editorial advisory board of the journals Organometallics and Heteroatom Chemistry.
Although Professor Matteson's research has been broadly based, he is best known for his seminal developments in the fields of boronic ester chemistry and asymmetric synthesis. He has developed reactions that provide precise and general tools for stereoselective and asymmetric syntheses. As an example of the far-reaching impact of his research, Professor Matteson's chemistry is providing the key part of “Velcade,” a new anticancer drug in clinical use for treating multiple myeloma.
He is the author of two books, co-inventor on five patents, and author or co-author of 203 technical articles. In addition, Professor Matteson has served as thesis advisor for 31 doctoral students, supervised six master’s students and more than two dozen postdoctoral research associates, and sponsored numerous international visitors. Although Professor Matteson is semi-retired, he manages a vibrant research lab where he still develops methods of asymmetric synthesis.
Professor Matteson and his wife Marianna are generous donors to Washington State University supporting endowed chairs, graduate research assistanceships as well as undergraduate scholarships. He and his wife Marianna live in Moscow, Idaho and they travel extensively.