Kenan Professor of Chemistry Alan Katritzky began his tenure at UF in 1980 and continued working in the Department of Chemistry until his death in 2014. A professor who supervised more than 300 graduates, he also worked with more than 700 postdoctorals over 60 years. He founded the first online journal of organic chemistry, Arkivoc, and initiated an annual conference (now run by UF) in his field of heterocyclic chemistry, a branch of organic chemistry that deals with molecules that have at least two different elements in a ring. “He was completely devoted to his study,” says his wife of 61 years, Linde.
Oxford-educated, Alan became the dean of chemistry at England’s University of East Anglia in 1963. The move to the United States brought a higher income — and savings for a foundation. “We were both frugal and didn’t go in for fancy things,” says Linde. The Katritzky Foundation made it possible for a pledge of $1.5 million to establish the Alan R. Katritzky Chair of Heterocyclic Chemistry. It also provided Alan with the means to start Arkivoc, which aids scholars abroad who can’t afford access to such research. “His academic work and journal were very important to Alan. We both wanted to see them continue on to help others,” says Linde, who continues to contribute to UF Chemistry.
— Gigi Marino
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