Dr. Lester A. Mitscher, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Kansas, received his Ph. D. degree in Chemistry in 1958 from Wayne State University, Detroit, where he worked on the structure of coffee oil diterpenes and on optical rotatory dispersion under Carl Djerassi. He continued his work on natural product chemistry at Lederle Laboratories from 1958-1967 where he rose to group leader in antibiotic discovery until he accepted an assistant professorship in Natural Products Chemistry at The Ohio State University (1967), rising soon to the position of Professor. In 1975 He accepted a University Distinguished Professorship and Chairmanship in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Kansas University. He returned to the faculty in 1992 where he remains. He has conjoint academic appointments at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Victorian College of Pharmacy, Melbourne, Australia. His academic studies have centered about spectroscopy, synthesis, screening and structure determination primarily of naturally occurring antimicrobial, anticancer and antimutagenic agents, and development of combinatorial methodologies. He has published actively in the field of herbal medicines. Overall he has published more than 270 research publications and authored or coauthored seven technical books on drug discovery and properties and is on the editorial board of several technical journals. He is a member of the executive committee of the International Organization for Chemistry in Developing Countries and has traveled extensively internationally lecturing and performing research. He consults extensively in the Pharmaceutical Industry and for the National Institutes of Health. His research awards include the Smissman Award in Medicinal Chemistry (American Chemical Society), Volweiler Award (American Association for Pharmaceutical Education), the Research Achievement Award in Natural Products Chemistry (American Pharmaceutical Association), the Award in Medicinal Chemistry (Medicinal Chemistry Division, American Chemical Society), The Norman Farnsworth Research Achievement Award (American Society for Pharmacognosy) and is an Elected Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Medicinal Chemistry Roll of Honor of the American Chemical Society. .