Andrew Duncan

For as long as he can remember, Drew has been fascinated by the idea of assembly: creating structural complexity out of simple materials. As a child, he frequently manifested this interest by turning piles of Legos into spaceships. Much to his chagrin, this did not turn out to be a viable career path. Happily, he eventually discovered chemistry, where he set about developing methods for the controlled transformation of simple chemical precursors into more complex, structurally interesting, functional molecules. Over the course of his career, Drew’s interests have included the synthesis of organometallic compounds, the development of catalytic asymmetric methods, and the design of biopolymer-pharmaceutical conjugates. Professionally, Drew feels most at home in the classroom, where he continues to pursue—against long odds—his dream of convincing undergraduates that studying organic chemistry can be an amazing, profoundly illuminating experience. (No, really.) Outside of work, Drew can often be found running, climbing, or skiing in the mountains and forests of the Pacific Northwest. Closer to home, his interest in transformations of matter often leads him into the kitchen, where he and his partner enjoy transforming ingredients into delicious meals.