His record during this cohort cycle was six doctoral theses. Tom collaborated with colleagues in Chemistry to develop an inter-departmental Biochemistry program, which he directed for a number find more of years. He worked with fellow faculty members and students to solve

a wide range of problems from purifying sperm attractants from starfish (Punnett et al. 1992) to comparing chlorophyll protein complexes of plants and photosynthetic bacteria for environmental control of photosynthesis (Webb and Punnett 1989). He was a visiting professor at University College, London, U.K. (1968–1969), spent one sabbatical at the Research Institute for Advanced Studies (RIAS) in Baltimore with Bessel Kok (1961), another leave at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel VX-689 (1986), as mentioned above, and his last at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Beltsville, MD (1991). Tom enjoyed his students and he loved teaching, which was not a rote activity; he never gave the same lecture twice. He communicated the scientific process as a series of trials and errors undertaken by fallible human beings. Biographical

information about the researchers whose work he discussed enlivened his AZD0530 lectures. He prized critical thinking and was careful to make sure his students solved their own scientific problems. He instilled the ability to see multiple viewpoints and ask the pertinent questions. To his students, Tom Punnett was an innovator and a captivating (-)-p-Bromotetramisole Oxalate lecturer. His wicked wit was as evident as his strong sense of morality. He was a caring mentor, helping his students with everything from language skills to job and graduate school applications. Those completing their doctorates with him went on to successful scientific careers, often using his teaching techniques to stimulate students

of their own. He encouraged undergraduate students to join his research group. He took them to scientific meetings, along with graduate students, where they had the opportunity to hear results challenged and theories debated. He knew his students’ families and he enjoyed entertaining them at home. Tom’s enthusiasm for basic science questions was matched by his grasp of their “real-world” implications. Only a year before he died, he had applied for a patent (International Publication Number WO 2008/002448 A2: A method of maximizing methane production from organic material) to optimize anaerobic metabolism of municipal wastes. The process has the potential to greatly diminish solid waste while leading to high production of economically valuable methane. Additional benefits would be an increase in the purity of sewage plant output discharged into receiving waters, reduction of CO2 released to the atmosphere when biologically generated methane is used as fuel and production of a final sludge that, when pasteurized, could be used as a nutritious soil additive. Unfortunately, he did not live to complete the experimental validation procedures.