ROBERT Y. NING


OPEN LETTER TO BROTHERS OF THE ZETA CHAPTER

Thank you Jack Berger for starting this website. I think you have always had your priority straight - investing in people and friendships. As I recall you, Doug Relyea and J.W. Carmichael were always lounging around the house while the rest of us disappeared. Thank you and Larry Gundersen for this opportunity to catch up. I remember that 1962 photo-session (that I almost missed) like yesterday. Hope that is not too late to revisit with everyone.

The pictures I have sent to Larry to include on the photograph page were taken in 2000 and 2001. You may not know that my wife, Mary Jane, is a blessing from my stay at the ΑΧΣ house. About the same time the group picture was taken, there was a Saturday evening exchange with graduate women from their dorm. I came back late from another social when I saw this gorgeous Chinese gal from Hawaii getting her coat to leave. I offered to walk her back, and we have stuck togehter ever since! Mary Jane finished her MLS (Library Science) In Urbana. She typed my Ph.D. thesis, we married on campus in the spring of 1966, and left in September for my one year postdoc at Caltech in Pasadena, CA.

After this postdoctoral year with Prof. Robert Ireland in terpene synthesis, I spent 18 years at Hoffman-La Roche in Nutley, NJ doing tranquilizer R&D, vitamin production process optimization, and finally recombinant interferon production scale-up. When Roche lost commercial interest in interferons, we had our opportunity to head west to Southern California to product monocolnal antibodies for clinical trials at Hybritech, which eventually was purchased by Eli Lily. When Lilly sold Hybritech and Mary Jane was gainfully employed in the biotech industry here, I had learned to deal with the FDA as a regulatory affairs person. A quite unexpected opportunity came to become responsible for Science and Business Development at King Lee in San Diego (see the web site at www.kingleetech.com). King Lee is a private chemical company specializing in the operation of large reverse osmosis water purification plants. The development of a broad new product line and an international network of technical representatives to service more than a thousand plants, the last six years of my career have been most rewarding.

We, of course, are looking forward to retirement, and to devote more time to people and relationships. I have recently obtained a Masters degree in Pastoral Theology in a local Foursquare Gospel Bible College, and am attending a Pastors Training Class in Maranatha Chapel in Rancho Bernardo, a Calvary Chapel. Fellowship has been wonderful in this mega-church.

We sure would like to hear from you.

Robert Ning

Robert Ning
2005 Elk Lake Drive
Escondido, CA 92029

Telephone:
760-740-0704


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