Dr. John L. "Jack" Spencer

LAKELAND, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2010) -- The Florida Southern College Department of Chemistry will sponsor a symposium from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 10 to honor the contributions of the late Dr. John L. "Jack" Spencer, professor emeritus of chemistry. The symposium will be held in the Hollis Room on the FSC campus.

At the symposium, Dr. Ed Turos, chemistry professor at the University of South Florida and a noted researcher who specializes in the synthesis and evaluation of new antibacterial and anticancer agents, and Dr. Jeffrey Dodge, senior research fellow at Eli Lilly, will present lectures. Dr. Turos will speak on "Antibiotics and Nanobiotics for Pathogenic Drug-Resistance Bacteria;" and Dr. Dodge, on "Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment by Modulating the Estrogen Receptors."

Dr. Spencer died April 27, 2010, of cancer. He joined the FSC Chemistry Department in 1988 after a very successful career at Eli Lilly. At FSC, he held the Jessie Ball duPont Chair in the Natural Sciences. He was a 50-year member of the American Chemical Society, and in his spare time, he cultivated prize-winning camellias.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by Sept. 3 to Penny Snoke, 863.680.4316 or psnoke@flsouthern.edu.