The Arnold C. Ott Lectureship in Chemistry was created and endowed by a generous gift from Dr. Arnold C. Ott and Marion Ott. Dr. Ott received his Ph.D. in 1943 from Michigan State University in Chemistry/Physics/Bacteriology and was a leading chemist and entrepreneur in West Michigan. He was one of the co-founders of Grand Valley State University and served on the GVSU Board of Trustees for 28 years.  

This lectureship series was created for the purpose of providing our students and university with the opportunity to interact with world renowned scientists who are recognized as leaders in their specialty, known for their vision and passion for chemistry, and for inspiring students and faculty. Ott lecturers are invited to participate in a two-lecture series: one to our chemistry faculty and students focused on their scholarship, the second to the general public centering on the broader applications of their work and designed to increase science awareness in the community.

Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner carry on the vision of inspiring students and faculty in chemistry through their dedicated support of the Ott-Stiner Scholars program, providing financial support for students to engage in mentored undergraduate research.

Mr. and Mrs. Stiner have been married since 1969. They are privileged to be the son-in-law and daughter of Dr. Arnold C. & Mrs. Marion P. Ott. Dr. Ott was one of the original founders of Grand Valley State University and served on the Board of Directors for 29 years. Together Dr. & Mrs. Ott supported the University and in 2001 endowed the Ott Lectureship in Chemistry and in 2005 the Hilda Holder Scholarship for Women in Business. Through this family relationship Mr. & Mrs. Stiner became aware of GVSU from the time they first became a couple. Many holiday visits were spent with Dr. Ott talking with them about his work mentoring the University Board as Chair. This led them to become donors and supporters of the University. They have attended some 25 GVSU Enrichment Events as well as many other events in support of the University. As a family, they carry on the standards their parents set to foster the goals and direction of the Ott Lectureship and the Hilda Holder Scholarship.

Mr. and Mrs. Stiner are so happy to now be alumni of Grand Valley State University, because of their graduation on December 10, 2022, where they both received their Doctor of Public Service degrees.

Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Research Fellowship in American Thought, Language, and Music Endowment

The Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Fellowship for Investigating Ancient Human Life in the Great Lakes Region: Honoring Legacy and Exploration

Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas and Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Early Career Award for Undergraduate Mentorship Endowment

Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Research Fellowship Endowment in Physics, Biology, and Natural Sciences

Les & Jackie (Ott) Stiner Fellowship In Scientific Skeptical Reasoning and Logic

The Ott-Stiner Fellowship in Chemistry and Natural Sciences

Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Fellowship in Historical and Humanistic Studies

Hilda C. Holder Endowed Scholarship for Support of Women in Business

Vernon Ehlers, Ph.D.
U.S. Congress

Michael D. Parker, M.B.A.
Dow Chemical Company

Carl Djerassi, Ph.D.
Stanford University

Robin D. Rogers, Ph.D.
University of Alabama

Virginia W. Cornish, Ph.D.
Columbia University

Richard N. Zare, Ph.D.
Stanford University

Thomas H. Lane, Ph.D.
Dow Corning Corporation

Chad A. Mirkin, Ph.D.
Northwestern University

Gregory A. Petsko, Ph.D.
Brandeis University

Harry B. Gray, Ph.D.
California Institute of Technology

Gary M. Hieftje, Ph.D.
Indiana University

Roderick MacKinnon, M.D.
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
The Rockefeller University

Kevan Shokat, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco

Ada Yonath, Ph.D.
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Weizmann Institute of Science

W. Carl Lineberger, Ph.D.
University of Colorado, Boulder

Richmond Sarpong, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley

Jeffrey Moore, Ph.D.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Wilson Ho, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine

Geraldine Richmond, Ph.D.
University of Oregon

Sara E. Skrabalak, Ph.D.
Indiana University

Thomas J. Meyer, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Brian K. Shoichet, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco

Daniel M. Neumark, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley

Stephen L. Buchwald, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Melanie Sanford, Ph.D.
University of Michigan

Karen Trentelman, Ph.D.
Getty Conservation Institute

Anne McNeil, Ph.D.
University of Michigan

Tom Guarr, Ph.D.
Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute

Daniel Nocera, Ph.D.
Harvard University

Kent Kirshenbaum, Ph.D.
New York University 

Thomas J. Meade, Ph.D.
Northwestern University 

Dante Lauretta, Ph.D.
University of Arizona