Richmond Sarpong

Abstract

ChemCatChemVolume 11, Issue 13 p. 2942-2942 InterviewFree Access Richmond Sarpong First published: 30 May 2019 https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201900804AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Professor Sarpong was interviewed in celebration of his SSOCJ Mukaiyama Award 2019. Richmond Sarpong Professor Sarpong was interviewed in celebration of his SSOCJ Mukaiyama Award 2019. Date of birth: April 23rd, 1974 Position: Professor of Chemistry and Executive Associate Dean, University of California, Berkeley (USA) E-mail: rsarpong@berkeley.edu Homepage: http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/rsgrp/ ORCID 0000-0002-0028-6323 Education: 1995 B.A. Chemistry, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota (USA) 2000 PhD in Organic Chemistry with Prof. Martin Semmelhack, Princeton University (USA) 2000–2004 UNCF-Pfizer Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Brian Stoltz, California Institute of Technology (USA) Awards: 2019 SSOCJ Mukaiyama Award 2015 ACS Arthur C. Cope Award 2015 RSC Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award Hobbies: Tennis, listening to music The thing I like most about my work is collaborating with incredibly passionate and talented coworkers, and always learning something new. When I was eighteen I wanted to be a professional tennis player or a movie script writer. Clearly, I have moved in a very different direction! I admire people that show a high level of honesty and integrity. My favorite time of day is the evening, when I go home and get a big hug from my daughter. Next to family time, I also love 7:00 in the morning when I open the ASAPs to see what is new. These days, thanks to social media, word about the latest papers gets out there so much more quickly! The most important lesson I have learnt is to be respectful to each person you interact with, and to embrace diversity and change. I would like to have a year off to learn a new language and some biology. During my PhD studies I always dreamt of making a major discovery to help humankind. I chose Chemistry as a career because I thought it presented the best opportunity for me to make a difference. I also love how objective and how creative it is. My 3 top papers: 1“A Short Synthesis of Delavatine A Unveils New Insights into Site-selective Cross-coupling of 3,5-Dibromo-2-pyrone”: V. Palani, C. L. Hugelshofer, I. Kevlishvili, P. Liu, R. Sarpong, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 2652. (This paper highlights a symmetry-inspired approach to the synthesis of a natural product that also required insight and execution of a selective cross-coupling reaction.) CrossrefCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 2“Deconstructive Diversification of Cyclic Amines”: J. B. Roque, Y. Kuroda, L. T. Göttemann, R. Sarpong, Nature 2018, 564, 244. (The idea of achieving diversification of molecules at a framework level opens up a new way to achieve late-stage molecular editing.) CrossrefCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar 3“Network-Analysis-Guided Synthesis of Weisaconitine D and Liljestrandinine”: C. J. Marth, G. M. Gallego, J. C. Lee, T. P. Lebold, S. Kulyk, K. G. Kou, J. Qin, R. Lilien, R. Sarpong, Nature 2015, 528, 493. (Highlights the use of network analysis for generating viable retrosynthesis of complex polycyclic molecules.) CrossrefCASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar Volume11, Issue13July 4, 2019Pages 2942-2942 This article also appears in:Catalysis Awards ReferencesRelatedInformation