Skip Navigation

Keene State College Appoints New David F. Putnam Chemistry Chair

Dr. Paul Baures brings 20+ years of Bio and Medicinal Chemistry Research to Campus

Keene, NH, August 30, 2011: Keene State College (KSC) today announces the appointment of Paul Baures, Professor and David F. Putnam Chair to the Chemistry Department. Dr. Baures brings his expertise in Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry to our academic community. As a David F. Putnam Chair, Dr. Baures’s work is supported by the Putnam family, which has invested greatly in Keene and has deep roots in Keene. For more than two decades, Dr. Baures has been conducting applied and basic research and teaching in the field. He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants from institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, and the American Chemical Society.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Baures to our community. His demonstrated excellence and dedication to the field of Chemistry is commendable,” said Dean of Sciences and Social Sciences at Keene State College, Dr. Gordon Leversee. “Dr. Baures will add to the impressive portfolio of work the Keene State College Chemistry Department has already undertaken, and he is sure to advance the field of Chemistry with his proven record of effective teaching.”

Dr. Baures has a particular interest in antifreeze proteins that are found in some fish, insects, and plants - these proteins protect organisms from damage in cold temperatures. Dr. Baures is researching how to mimic these proteins with low-cost and environmentally-friendly coatings that could be used to keep power lines or airplane wings free of ice in storms. Dr. Baures is also interested in investigating the artificial sweetener sucralose and the physiological impacts of its consumption, as well as studying the prevalence of Lyme Disease in the Keene area, and the way in which the bacteria causing Lyme Disease is spread. He brings with him to Keene State College a project that includes working with other chemists in creating compounds with potential biological activity that are now being tested in labs across the country in order to learn more about how cells work and diseases occur.

“Work of great significance is being produced at Keene State College and I am proud to be part of it. Nature provides a lot of inspiration for what I do, and my goal is to impart my knowledge and inspiration on a new generation of students. I hope that by sharing my experience, students will go on to conduct their studies and research that will change the world for the better,” said Dr. Paul Baures.

Related Stories

Contact Keene State College

1-800-KSC-1909
229 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435