To honor Dean John Bear’s legacy at NSM, alums, faculty, staff and friends are invited to contribute to the John L. Bear Presidential Endowed Fellowship in Chemistry.

Gifts will be matched by the University of Houston Presidential Endowed Fellowship Program once we reach $25,000 in donations. When fully funded, the endowment will provide annual support for top Chemistry PhD students at NSM.

To give online, visit: https://giving.uh.edu/nsm/.

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. Since then he has helped position UH as a world-class leader in scientific research and education. Under his leadership the college’s research funding nearly doubled and so 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 new support programs to improve student success and retention.

Bear received an undergraduate and master’s degree from Southwest Texas State University and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. Before joining UH in 1963, he served as a post-doctoral researcher and faculty member at Florida State University.