Holden Thorp

Thorp's father, Herbert Holden "Herb" Thorp (d. 1996), was a native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.{{cite news |title=Thorp Dies at 64 |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=1996-12-13 |author=Reese, Pat}} He was an attorney who earned an undergraduate degree from UNC in 1954 and a law degree, also from UNC, in 1956.{{cite journal |title=The Art of the Possible |author=Egan, Bruce |pages=20–31 |journal=Carolina Alumni Review |url=http://www.unc.edu/chan/search/files/artofthepossible.pdf |access-date=June 28, 2011 |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215155637/http://www.unc.edu/chan/search/files/artofthepossible.pdf |url-status=dead}} His mother, Olga "Bo" Thorp (née Bernardin, 1933—2022),{{cite news |title=Bo Thorp (b. 1933) |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=2004-03-25}}{{cite web |url=https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/2022/10/15/fayetteville-cape-fear-regional-theater-co-founder-bo-thorp-dies-legacy/69563468007/ |title=Bo Thorp of Cape Fear Regional Theatre built one of Fayetteville's 'true jewels' |date=2022-10-17 |accessdate=2024-04-26 |author=Woolverton, Paul |work=Fayetteville Observer}} a 1956 UNC graduate, was a native of Columbia, South Carolina. Her parents were Italian immigrants who died when she was 15.{{cite web |url=http://www.unctv.org/goodolgirls/bo_thorp.html |title=Good Ol' Girls|website= UNC-TV |accessdate=2011-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404052624/http://www.unctv.org/goodolgirls/bo_thorp.html |archive-date=2010-04-04 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |title=Bo Thorp, First Lady of Community Theater |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=1989-11-05 |author=Thrasher, Alice}} Both of Thorp's parents were involved in creating Fayetteville Little Theater, now known as the Cape Fear Regional Theater, in 1962. Herb Thorp was its first president, and Bo Thorp was its creative director for 50 years until stepping down in April 2012.{{cite news |title=Thorp goes the extra step in return home |author=Johnson, Corey G. |date=2008-10-08 |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer}}{{cite web |url=http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/04/30/1172296 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123013436/http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/04/30/1172296 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |title=Bo Thorp steps down as artistic director for Cape Fear Regional Theatre |date=2012-04-30 |accessdate=2012-09-17 |work=The Fayetteville Observer |author=Mullen, Rodger }}

Thorp's parents moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1960 and Thorp was born there on August 16, 1964. He spent much of his youth involved with the theater, performing in productions led by his mother, and met his future wife, Patti Worden, in 1974 at the theater.{{cite news |title=In Thorp, UNC has 'a complete package' |author=Ferreri, Eric |author2=Stancill, Jane |date=2008-05-10 |newspaper=News & Observer |page=B1}} He attended St. Patrick Catholic School, a private middle school.

In summer 1981, at age 17, while studying guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Thorp won first place and a $500 prize in a northeast regional competition to solve a Rubik's Cube puzzle.{{cite news |title=He's got the solution |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=2007-04-02 |author=Thrasher, Alice}} His motivation for entering the competition was to earn money to buy jazz records. Winning the competition also earned him a trip to the national competition, which was shown on the television program That's Incredible!. He came fifth in the national competition and won first place again in a regional competition the following year, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After graduating from Terry Sanford High School in 1982, Thorp attended the only university he had applied to, the University of North Carolina. He was a pre-medical student initially, and later turned to chemistry and academia, earning a B.S. degree in 1986. He completed doctoral work in three years instead of the normal five at the California Institute of Technology in 1989, earning a Ph.D. under Harry B. Gray at the age of 24.{{cite news |title=Quick Fame Isn't What Drives Him |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=1998-02-14 |author=Barnes, Greg}}{{cite web |url=http://www.unc.edu/student/orgs/pbk/executive_committee/thorp.shtml |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |accessdate=2011-06-26 |title=Holden Thorp}} He completed post-doctoral work with Gary Brudvig at Yale University in 1990.{{cite news |title=Marriage, grant grace young chemist's life |date=1991-10-12 |work=The News and Observer |author=Mather, Tom}}

In 1991, Thorp began teaching as an associate professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University.

Thorp was awarded a Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1991 by the National Science Foundation, which provided $100,000 of research funding annually for five years.{{cite news |title=Researcher Gets Second Grant in Year |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=1991-09-21 |author=Walker, Suzanne}} Later that year, he was one of 20 people awarded a grant by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; the $500,000 fellowship was for research on compounds used in genetic therapy. Both grants were for research to develop cancer and AIDS drugs as alternatives to chemotherapy.

In 1996, Thorp co-founded the biotechnology company Alderaan Diagnostics, later renamed Xanthon, Inc., to commercialize a technology he co-developed. The technology involved using electricity to test compounds that could later become new drugs. It was intended to turn a process that previously took months into an electronic process that would instead take hours. In 2001, Thorp was recognized by Fortune Small Business as a Small Business Innovator for the work that led to the founding of the company.{{cite news |work=Fortune Small Business |date=2001-05-01 |volume=11 |issue=4 |page=44 |author=Smith, Lee |author2=Dreyfuss, Joel |author3=Grimes, Brad |author4=Keeney, Jennifer |author5=Pendleton, Jennifer |author6=Solomon, Karen |author7=Spanbauer, Scott |author8=Roberts-Witt, Sarah |author9=Witt, Louise}} Xanthon raised several rounds of venture capital, totaling $25 million, before closing in 2002, after technical glitches had delayed release of its commercial product and it could not find further funding.{{cite news |title=Holden Thorp's world of discovery |newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer |date=2001-10-20 |author=Williams, Allison}}{{cite news |title=Only Xanthon's technology left |newspaper=Triangle Business Journal |author=Vollmer, Sabine |date=2002-09-30 |accessdate=2011-06-26 | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2002/09/30/story4.html}}{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2008/06/16/story12.html |title=New UNC chancellor Thorp doesn't plan to sever business ties |author=Linker, Adam |date=2008-06-16 |accessdate=2011-06-26}}

In 2005, Thorp co-founded Viamet Pharmaceuticals, another biotechnology company, to develop treatments for cancer and other diseases.{{cite web |url=http://www.viamet.com/viamet.asp?id=282&category=2 |title=Founders |publisher=Viamet |accessdate=2011-06-26 |archive-date=January 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105073153/http://www.viamet.com/viamet.asp?id=282&category=2 |url-status=dead }} It raised $4 million in venture capital funding in 2007, and an additional $18 million in 2009.{{cite news |title=Biotech raises $4 million |date=2007-06-08 |newspaper=News & Observer |page=D6}}
- {{cite news |title=Drugmaker Viamet raises $18 million |author=Cox, Jonathan B. |newspaper=News & Observer |date=2009-07-08 }}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/07/06/daily20.html |title=Viamet Pharmaceuticals raises $18M |newspaper=Triangle Business Journal |date=2009-07-09 |accessdate=2011-06-26}} He is no longer involved in the operation of the company.{{cite news |title=Viamet taps former FDA official |author=Ranii, David |newspaper=News & Observer |date=2011-01-20}}

Thorp is a member of the scientific advisory board of Ohmx, a biotechnology firm based on technology developed by his doctoral mentor, Harry B. Gray.{{cite web |url=http://ohmx.com/company/index.html |title=Overview |publisher=Ohmx Corporation |accessdate=2011-06-27}}
- {{cite web |url=http://ohmx.com/team/sab.html |title=Scientific Advisory Board |publisher=Ohmx Corporation |accessdate=2011-06-27}} He was previously a venture partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, co-founded by his brother Clay.{{cite web |title=Holden Thorp '86 Named 10th Chancellor |url=http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=5829 |author=Brown, David E. |accessdate=2011-06-26 |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}}{{cite web |url=http://www.hatterasvp.com/c_thorp.htm |title=Clay Thorp, General Partner |accessdate=2011-06-27 |publisher=Hatteras Venture Partners |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014233905/http://www.hatterasvp.com/c_thorp.htm |archive-date=2011-10-14 |url-status=dead }} He gave up that role after being named chancellor of UNC in 2008, and his equity stake in the firm was transferred to a blind trust.{{cite news |title=UNC chancellor cuts ties with Hatteras Venture Partners |newspaper=Triangle Business Journal |author=Coletta, Chris |date=2008-08-26}}

Thorp is a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.{{cite web |title=Holden Thorp, Ph.D. |url=http://cancer.unc.edu/research/faculty/displayMember_plone.asp?ID=191 |accessdate=2011-06-28 |publisher=UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326082111/http://cancer.unc.edu/research/faculty/displayMember_plone.asp?ID=191 |archive-date=2012-03-26 |url-status=dead}}

Thorp returned to his alma mater in 1993 to teach, rising from visiting assistant professor to professor in six years. In 1998, he received a Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.{{cite web |url=http://provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards/previous-winners |title=Previous Winners – Tanner, Friday, Sanders, Sitterson, and Johnston Awards for Excellence in Teaching |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |accessdate=2011-06-26 |archive-date=October 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003172240/http://provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards/previous-winners |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite web |url=http://provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards/tanner-award-for-excellence-in-undergraduate-teaching |title=Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |accessdate=2011-06-26 |archive-date=October 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003172512/http://provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards/tanner-award-for-excellence-in-undergraduate-teaching |url-status=dead }}

In 2001, Thorp became the director of the Morehead Planetarium, part of UNC. That fall, he co-led a student focus group responsible for exploring and providing feedback on the university's consideration of a branch campus of the Kenan–Flagler Business School in Qatar. In 2005, he was named a Kenan Professor and chair of the chemistry department of the College of Arts and Sciences.{{cite web |url=http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb05/thorp021005.html |title=Thorp to lead chemistry department, become Kenan professor in July |date=2005-02-10 |accessdate=2011-06-26 |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}} He led the 2005 committee that selected the book as recommended reading for that fall's incoming freshmen, Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story, by a North Carolina native Timothy B. Tyson.{{cite news |title=UNC recommends a book; In it, a North Carolina native recounts a racial slaying and the uprising that followed |author=Stancill, Jane |date=2005-01-20 |newspaper=News & Observer |page=B6}}

He became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2007, after a nationwide search. A year later, he was named chancellor of the University after being nominated by Erskine Bowles, president of the University of North Carolina System, and unanimously chosen by the Board of Governors.{{cite news |title=Dr. Holden Thorp Director |url=http://www.idb.org/uploads/Thorp.pdf|publisher=Institute for Defense & Business |accessdate=2011-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007031208/http://www.idb.org/uploads/Thorp.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-07 |url-status=dead}}

In 2013, Thorp resigned from the position of chancellor amid allegations of widespread academic fraud, which were later outlined in the Wainstein Report.{{Cite web|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1344054-full-wainstein-report.html|title=Investigation of Irregular Classes in the Department of African and Afro-American Studes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|first1=Kenneth L|last1=Walstein|first2=A Joseph|last2=Jay|first3=Colleen Depman|last3=Kukowski|date=October 16, 2014|publisher=Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft L |access-date=June 4, 2022}} The Wainstein Report describes the findings of an independent investigation conducted by the former federal prosecutor Kenneth Wainstein. It describes abuses spanning over 18 years, which included "no-show" classes that had little to no faculty oversight. Approximately half of those enrolled in these classes were athletes.

Beginning with his first theater appearance at age 3 in Carnival!, Thorp has been involved with many aspects of performance. He worked in lighting for productions at the theater company directed by his mother and later took on the music. He took piano and guitar lessons and formed a garage band as a teenager.{{cite news |title=New UNC Chancellor a Renaissance Man - His Successes Range From Rubik's Cube to Research, Science to Jazz |date=2008-05-14 |page=8B |author1=Ferreri, Eric |author2=Stancill, Jane |work=The Charlotte Observer}} While doing post-doctoral work, he wrote some music for the Yale Cabaret and a musical production for the River Renaissance on the Cape Fear River. He has written several musicals and has played piano with his local church. He has also played with Equinox, a local jazz band.

In 1998, Thorp was the musical director for a performance of The Sound of Music, in which his wife played Maria von Trapp, and as a result, missed the ceremony at which the Tanner award recipients were recognized.

Thorp was named a Distinguished Young Alumnus in 2002 by the UNC General Alumni Association.{{cite web |url=http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=4#young |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |title=Awards |accessdate=2011-06-27}}

In 2010, Thorp and Buck Goldstein wrote a book on entrepreneurship called Engines of Innovation, in which they insist that the world's biggest problems can be solved through innovation at large research universities. They also created a website to encourage innovation on college campuses.{{cite web|url=http://www.revupinnovation.com/ |title=Engines of Innovation |website=Revving up the Entrepreneurial University|access-date=2011-03-29|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913094200/http://www.revupinnovation.com/|archive-date=2012-09-13|url-status=dead}}

Thorp has been married to Patti Worden since 1991. They have two children.

In 2024 Thorp revealed he has autism, using the announcement to make the case that the scientific community can benefit from better recognition and nurturing of individuals with the condition.{{Cite web |last=EIC |first=Holden Thorp, Science |date=2024-04-25 |title=How I decided to disclose my autism diagnosis |url=https://holdenthorp.substack.com/p/how-i-decided-to-disclose-my-autism |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Science Forever}}{{Cite journal |last=Thorp |first=H. Holden |date=2024-04-26 |title=Science needs neurodiversity |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq0060 |journal=Science |volume=384 |issue=6694 |pages=365 |doi=10.1126/science.adq0060|pmid=38662825 |bibcode=2024Sci...384..365T }}

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• [http://www.unc.edu/chan/ UNC Office of the Chancellor]

{{University of North Carolina leaders}}

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Category:1964 births

Category:21st-century American chemists

Category:Living people

Category:Leaders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Category:People from Fayetteville, North Carolina

Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni

Category:People from Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Category:California Institute of Technology alumni

Category:North Carolina State University faculty

Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty

Category:Washington University in St. Louis faculty

Category:Yale University fellows

Category:Autistic people