In memoriam: Charles A. West, 98, pioneering biochemist and professor emeritus

Charles A. West, a member of the UCLA chemistry and biochemistry faculty since 1952, died May 5. He was 98.

A renowned expert in plant chemical defenses, West was instrumental in building UCLA's chemistry department. As the second biochemist hired by the university, he went on to recruit a majority of the 18 biochemists who joined before his retirement in the early 1990s.

West's research provided key insights into how plants' stress responses help them defend against pathogens in their environment. He was recognized internationally for his expertise in the biosynthesis and regulation of plant hormones involved in disease resistance and contributed to more than 80 papers published with over 50 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows.

During his time at UCLA, West was named vice chair and chair of the department of chemistry and biochemistry and served as acting dean of the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences. After retiring, he stayed active within the UCLA community by serving on the Phi Beta Kappa Council, the program committee and the executive board of the UCLA Emeriti Association and the Chemistry/Molecular Biology Institute Postdoctoral Awards Selection Committee.

In 2016, the department established an endowed fund in honor of West and his colleague Daniel E. Atkinson. The endowment now funds annual prizes for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as summer undergraduate research fellowships.

Read more at UCLA's chemistry and biochemistry department website.