Lachlan Roberts - January 26, 2018
Chemist Professor Lewis Mander is being made a Companion of the Order of Australia. Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong
As an 11 year old growing up in New Zealand, Lewis Mander was more interested in reading chemistry books for pleasure than the usual exploits of boys his age. Little did he know that decades later it would lead to a top honour in another country.
Professor Mander said he was delighted and it was very unexpected to be honoured with the Companion of the Order of Australia.
The renowned organic chemist was honoured for his outstanding service to science through "pioneering contributions to organic chemistry in the field of plant growth hormones, to higher education as an academic, researcher and author, and to national and international scientific societies".
Professor Mander's wife Stephanie Mander said that chemistry was well taught in New Zealand schools which also helped fuel her husband's interest in the subject.
"School standards are very high because there aren't many jobs for chemistry graduates, so teaching is a preferred profession, which obviously benefits the children."
Professor Mander's understanding of chemistry was noticed and he received a visit from the Professor of Botany at Auckland University in his last year of high school who tried to persuade him to use his knowledge of chemistry in biology.
Mr Mander took him up on the offer and completed his Bachelor and Masters degrees at the University of Auckland and obtained his PhD in 1965 at the University of Sydney.
It was there in the Sydney labs that he met Stephanie, who was also doing her PhD. "It was meant to be," she said. When asked if it was love at first sight, Stephanie laughed and said that "Lew was far too cautious for that".
After two years of postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan and at Caltech, Professor Mander returned to Australia as a lecturer in organic chemistry at the University of Adelaide and finally moved to Canberra in 1975 to work at the Research School of Chemistry at ANU.
When Professor Mander started looking at plant growth hormones it was to find a "wonder drug in the Australian trees" with lengthy research into Alzheimer's and blood thinning which didn't bear fruit. Now the research has changed from looking for medicine to looking to "continue feeding people in the future".
The 78-year-old said that the award reflected positively on the ANU because they "gave me the freedom to pursue my research activities". Professor Mander also acknowledged his extensive relationship with CSIRO which was "particularly valuable" and was a "fantastic collaboration".
Professor Mander retired in 2002 and was appointed Professor Emeritus at ANU, the Latin word emeritus meaning "veteran soldier".
Professor Mander has also struggled with Parkinson's disease for five years, after his son-in-law noticed a tremor in his right arm and that he wouldn't swing his arms when he walked - which is an early sign of Parkinson's disease. This didn't slow him down though, with the Professor continuing to work in the lab until he finally stopped two years ago.
After a career that spanned over 50 years, the professor thought that "he had his turn". It was time to retire and see the next generation take up the reigns, with research into a treatment into Parkinson's disease at Monash University which the Manders have a particular interest in.
According to Professor Mander, just as important as the research is the countless number of students around the world that Professor Mander has worked alongside. "It is like a big family", according to Mrs Mander, that has learnt a set of "tools and skills and most importantly patience and optimism".
http://www.theage.com.au/act-news/love-of-chemistry-grows-into-lifes-work-20180125-h0o8yn
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