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June 2003

Venkat mixes teaching, research

By Amy Parmelee
Staff Writer

Dr. Kunisi Venkatasubban

Dr. Kunisi Venkatasubban empties his pockets to avoid the strong magnetic field's effect on his wallet as he enters the cold, sparse room containing one of the main instruments of his research, the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, or NMR.

Just the name is enough to make some blanch or have unpleasant flashbacks to a science class.

Venkat, as he is known, understands his field of organic chemistry is challenging, but he encourages students to participate and understand the processes involved with the NMR project he oversees.

His dedication to undergraduate teaching and research is why he was awarded the Distinguished Professor Award this year.

The NMR Analysis of Drugs project began in the early 1990s after the Natural Sciences Department purchased the NMR. Venkat and the students use it to analyze drug mixtures provided by pharmaceutical companies to determine how much of the actual drug molecules are present in relation to inactive enantiomeric molecules that exist after synthesis.

The information is important because the inactive molecules may cause health problems. Students also get to work on state-of-the-art equipment and the opportunity to co-author research papers.

"Venkat has introduced a generation of UNF students to what seems to me to be the inscrutable world of organic chemistry; he has inspired them through his own ongoing research; and he has been a stalwart of the UNF community through his years of dedicated service," said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Mark Workman.

Another project Venkat works on involves understanding how enzymes in living systems change the rate of biochemical reactions in the body. His work, done in collaboration with Professor David Silverman at the University of Florida, focuses on a particular enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, that aids the conversion between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, a process that occurs in lungs.

In addition, Venkat holds a visiting scientist position in Professor Rosenberry's lab at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and focuses on some aspects of the chemistry of the enzyme acetylcholine esterase, which plays a critical role in nerve impulses.

Venkat grew up in India with an interest in mathematics and chemistry. He chose chemistry because he thought it presented more job opportunities. After receiving his undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Madras in India, Venkat received his doctorate at the University of Kansas. He has worked at Emory University, Texas A&M University and UF.

He speaks highly of his teachers in India and Kansas and understands the importance of a good mentor, particularly in organic chemistry, often a "make or break" course for students wanting medical career.

"What makes it difficult is there is a lot of information that students have to learn in a very short time," Venkat said.

Venkat, who started teaching at UNF in 1981, said it is gratifying to see his former students, many of whom complained about organic chemistry, become pharmacists, physicians and dentists in the Jacksonville area. He also is happy that several former students have received doctorates in chemistry and related fields.

On the Distinguished Professor Award, Venkat said, "I am sure there's lots of faculty at UNF who do equally good work. Awards are good, but I'm here to teach and mentor undergraduate students."