The Department of Chemistry is proud to relaunch a new electronic version of its alumni and community newsletter, Distillations, after a long hiatus.
In his welcome message for the May 2025 relaunch issue, Department Chair Mark Lautens wrote, "It has been over a decade since we last published news from the Department of Chemistry, and so much has happened during that interregnum."
Lautens went on to celebrate new faculty who have joined the department, offer thanks to former chair Professor Rob Batey for his long service both before and through the Covid pandemic, and note the retirement of University Professor and Nobel Laureate John Polanyi.
The print version of Distillations was published annually from 1993 to 2012, featuring profiles of prominent members within the Chemistry community, detailed insights into research labs, and updates on awards, special events, and significant career milestones of alumni. The magazine also documented the establishment of student organizations such as the Green Chemistry Initiative and WICTO, and covered notable developments like the construction of the Davenport Wing at Lash Miller Hall and the landscaping of the courtyard behind the building.
Although the magazine format was discontinued in 2012, there was an attempt to revive it electronically, resulting in a brief reappearance in 2016 online.
Present day themes in the relaunch issue echo the stories in the print issues, as the Chemistry community, program offerings and physical facilities at U of T all continue to evolve. Our May 2025 relaunch issue, publicly available online, discusses the building of the Acceleration Consortium, currently underway at Lash Miller, as well as the renaming of the John C. Polanyi Research Wing. Other stories in the first issue celebrate creation of a new graduate student award by the Sood Family, and a look at two Chemistry alumni, Nimrat Obhi and Jonathon Moir, whose paths crossed briefly during their studies at U of T before they were both hired by Beyond Benign, an organization that provides educators with tools, training and support to make green chemistry an integral part of chemistry education.
Future plans for Distillations include moving to a twice-yearly publication schedule and creating a publicly accessible archive of back issues.