In Memoriam: Paul Hiemenz

Beloved chemistry professor emeritus and SEES founder Paul C. Hiemenz passed away on November 8, 2023. He was 87 years old. Hiemenz was the son of Charles P. Hiemenz and Corinne Dowbridge. He received his BS degree from LMU in 1958 and his Ph.D. from USC in 1964. He began teaching at CPP in 1964 and in 1987 founded Science Educational Enhancement Services (SEES).

The SEES program has been the model for several CPP programs aimed at supporting student success. It’s self-supporting and still going strong after 36 years.

Hiemenz wrote two chemistry textbooks, Polymer Chemistry, and Principles of Colloid and Surface Chemistry. He was a world traveler who enjoyed making pastel drawings of the places he visited.

Hiemenz was a mentor to generations of STEM students at CPP and continued supporting students, and the SEES program he founded, long after his retirement in 1999. He regularly attended SEES events and since 2000 an annual $2,000 Hiemenz Award has been given to a SEES student who demonstrates academic excellence, leadership, and financial need.


More Than a Mentor

“He was a father figure to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” Professor and SEES Director Steve Alas said. Alas points out that hundreds of alumni could say the same thing about Hiemenz’s contribution to their success.

Hiemenz started SEES to create a community where students who are underrepresented in STEM would find peer and faculty support, advice, workshops, faculty mentoring, and career development opportunities.

Alas recalls slipping a SEES application under Hiemenz’s door after a friend showed him the community room and introduced him to other students. Hiemenz said, “Who’s this Steve Alas guy?” Alas was a biology major, and when Hiemenz found out he was interested in research, he told him about a summer research program at UCR. He insisted Alas use his office phone to call about the opportunity which had to do with frog genetics and fertilization. He was accepted and began his research career.

While pursuing his Ph.D. at UCLA, Alas called on Hiemenz for support. “Grad school was hard. He was the one I called. He’s the reason I didn’t quit.” Hiemenz was genuinely interested in student success, providing opportunities that matched the interests and needs of students. He didn’t just help them, he also got to know them. 

A mentor provides encouragement, support, and opportunities. A great mentor is a person who, through their example, inspires others to become a mentor. Paul Hiemenz was that kind of person.