Many years ago now, I’ received an e-mail from Mark Linz and Neil Hewison at American University in Cairo Press. The manuscript they were awaiting when I was there in May of that year had come in, it was being edited and put in page-proof book form, i.e., ready to be indexed–and quickly! I was thoroughly exhausted after having been leading the “history of Wyoming on-the-road tour” followed by conducting two, two-week NEH Teaching workshops (one on pioneer trails with UNLV history professor David Wrobel and the next one on women suffrage with our late friend Dr. Paula Petrik, then at George Mason U.), testifying as an expert witness in a trial for a big oil and gas company against a bigger competitor (our side won), about to do my usual bit for Bill Schilling’s Leadership Wyoming, and preparing to teach a summer “short course” on libel law for the new BI staff.
But it was exciting as I always learned so much from indexing–I’d done many for them, and I’d promised in May to do the index for this one, too. What would I be learning from this one? It was the memoir of Ahmed Hasan Zewail, “father of femto-chemistry” and first Egyptian to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. First, I’d learn what femto-chemistry was! Then, I’d be “introduced” (by e-mail) to a Nobel Prize winner (and maybe meeting him at the book launch in Cairo over the holidays. He also taught in the U. S. so our schedules might coincide). Turned out to be a challenging index, but I beat the deadline, while learning some of the intricacies of using lasers and powerful electron microscopes to chart tiny chemical reactions.
I was on a UWyo committee that fall with a chemistry professor and it happened that his department was seeking to hire a new faculty. The chemist did a thorough job of arguing his case, but never mentioned femto-chemistry. When he finished, without even thinking, I said to the committee, “I know why — needs a new hire–he didn’t mention it, but they probably need someone who does femto-chemistry.” I explained, in some detail, what it was and what it would require in resources, “but sure worth it, just for what it would bring to students and to the prestige for the university.” I saw many heads nod approvingly, and, later, — gained committee approval to hire. As the meeting adjourned, — walked over with a smile on his face. “Nice work, professor!” he said to me, “Wow! I’m impressed, but how the hell does a history professor know so much about femto-chemistry?”