Researcher, educator remembered for dedication

Orville Chapman, a distinguished researcher and educator in the
UCLA chemistry department, died last month. He was 71.

Colleagues say he was unique in his equal dedication to both
aspects of his career ““ teaching and researching.

“Dr. Chapman was a nationally acclaimed research chemist
known for his strong commitment to quality undergraduate
education,” said Arlene Russell, a colleague in the chemistry
department.

She said the most telling proof of his dedication to teaching
came near the end of his career.

Though Chapman required the aid of an oxygen tank due to an
advanced pulmonary illness, he taught environmental chemistry to
undergraduates during spring quarter of 2003.

Born on June 26, 1932 in New London, Conn., Chapman earned a
bachelor’s degree in chemistry and English at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Va., and his doctorate in
chemistry at Cornell University in 1957.

He was a professor at Iowa State University before joining the
UCLA faculty in 1974, the same year he was admitted to the National
Academy of Sciences.

The academy is an elite organization consisting of distinguished
scholars dedicated to the use of science and technology to promote
general welfare.

Russell attributed Chapman’s selection by the academy to
his research on pheromones, the chemicals that insects emit to
attract sexual partners.

The successful identification and synthesis of these chemicals
could help scientists develop environmentally safe pesticides.

Chapman’s other research interests included
photochemistry, matrix isolation spectroscopy and chemical
communication.

Besides being honored for his research contributions, Chapman
also garnered national acclaim for his efforts as a teacher.

In 1989 Chapman was appointed associate dean for educational
innovation. His successful integration of technology into
undergraduate curricula earned him the Computer World/Smithsonian
Institute Award for best use of computers in education in 1991.

Chapman is survived by his mother Mabel; wife, Susan; two sons,
Kevin and Kenneth; and three grandsons, David, Daniel and
Timothy.