John L. Bear Presidential Endowed Fellowship in Chemistry
John Bear’s career as a scientist, teacher and administrator
at the University of Houston spans five decades, starting with his 1963
appointment as an assistant professor of chemistry. He rose to full professor,
and in 1975, became chair of the Department of Chemistry, a post he held for 17
years. In 1992, he was named dean of the College of Natural
Sciences and Mathematics. He held that position for 18 years, stepping down at the
close of the fall 2010 semester, and continues to be an active UH faculty member.
While serving as dean, Bear helped position UH as a world-class leader in
scientific research and education. Under his leadership the College’s research
funding nearly doubled as did the number of degrees conferred annually by the College.
Bear also led efforts to diversify NSM’s faculty and student body and created
innovative support programs to improve student success and retention. Bear received his bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from Southwest Texas State University and his Ph.D. from
Texas Tech University. Before joining UH in 1963, he served as a postdoctoral
researcher and faculty member at Florida State University. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Gifts will be matched by the University of Houston
Presidential Endowed Fellowship Program once the endowment reaches $25,000 in
donations. When fully funded, the endowment will provide annual support for top
Chemistry Ph.D. students at NSM. To give online, visit https://giving.uh.edu/nsm/.
Honor John Bear’s legacy at NSM with a contribution to the
John L. Bear Presidential Endowed Fellowship in Chemistry.
