Dr. David von Minden has announced his intention to retire at the end of this semester. He has served the Department of Chemistry for 24 years. Dr. von Minden grew up in La Grange, Texas, which is about halfway between Austin and Houston. After earning his BS degree in Chemistry from Texas Tech University, he began his graduate work at the University of Nebraska. He worked in organic chemistry with a focus on mass spectrometry. After completing his PhD, he served in post-doctoral positions for four years. He then began a 19-year career in the Navy focusing on toxicology. After retiring from the Navy he worked a few years as a toxicologist for a medical laboratory. He Joined the UCO Chemistry Department in 1996, filling a need for more support for the Department’s forensic science program. Early in his career at UCO, Dr. von Minden served as faculty advisor for the Chemistry Club, and students were enthusiastic about his devotion to the club. Dr. von Minden also helped students create the Forensic Science Club, which includes both undergraduate and graduate students. He enjoyed cookouts with the clubs. Dr. von Minden also contributed his time to the UCO chapter of the American Association of University Professors, including serving a term as President. Dr. von Minden is well-known for his chili, which he would bring to cookouts and department and college potlucks. For a long time, he enjoyed gardening in his back yard, and often shared his plentiful chile peppers and heirloom tomatoes with his colleagues. In his classes, Dr. von Minden enjoyed including the history of chemistry in his General Chemistry lectures, so students understood the human side of the discipline. He would also try to convince promising students to switch their majors to chemistry, and a few students did switch because of this encouragement. Dr. von Minden reports that he spent more time at UCO than any other job, and he has lived in Edmond longer than he has anywhere else. He plans to remain in Edmond upon retiring, so if you are in the area he would be happy for you to contact him.