Research Focus Areas

ResearchFaculty in the Department of Chemistry are conducting research that involves undergraduate and graduate students in a wide array of research areas.  Below are the research focus areas in the Department of Chemistry. Click on a professors name to learn more about the research going on in their lab.

 

 

Analytical Chemistry

  • Ngee Sing Chong - Professor - Environmental analysis; Materials characterization; Studies of atmospheric pollution
  • Charles Chusuei - Assoc. ProfessorCarbon nanomaterials; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Electrochemical sensing
  • Chengshan Wang - Assoc. Professor - Peptide synthesis; FTIR spectroscopy to study Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
  • Mengliang ZhangAssoc. Professor - Mass spectrometric analysis of forensic samples, food materials, and natrual products

Biochemistry

  • Donald Andrew Burden - ProfessorMechanism of action of DNA Topoisomerase II and anti-cancer drugs
  • Paul Kline - Professor - Bioorganic and Biophysical Chemistry; Mechanistic enzymology; Enzyme transition state analysis
  • Justin M. MillerAssoc. ProfessorATP-dependent molecular motors; transient state enzymology; Biophysical chemistry
  • Beng Guat OoiProfessor - Cigarette smoke mutagenicity; Yeast metabolomics; Fermentation and wine quality

Chemical Education

  • Katy HosbeinAssist. Professor - Investigating the influence of STEM learning environments on student STEM identity using equity-centered methods
  • Judith Iriarte-GrossProfessor - Increasing the involvement of girls and women in STEM fields
  • Patricia Patterson - ProfessorDeveloping outreach and resource programs for teachers and students
  • Amy PhelpsProfessor - Studying and improving the teaching and learning of chemistry
  • Greg RushtonProfessor - Conceptual change in tertiary chemistry learning environments; classroom discourse practices; policy reform in K-16 chemistry education; pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in chemistry
  • Michael SangerProfessorDesigning and evaluating instructional methods to identify and confront student misconception

Computation/Theoretical Chemistry

  • Jing Kong - Professor - Ab initio quantum methods to study many-atom systems based on electronic structure theory
  • Preston MacDougallProfessor - Quantum chemistry-based design tools; Molecular geometry/chemical reactivity models
  • Anatoliy Volkov - Professor - Density-normalized spherical harmonics

Environmental Chemistry

  • Ngee Sing Chong - Professor - Environmental analysis; Materials characterization; Studies of atmospheric pollution
  • John DiVincenzoProfessor - Pervious concrete quality studies; Detection of petroleum products in water

Inorganic Chemistry

  • Keying Ding - Professor - Organometallics; Catalysis; Bioinorganic chemistry
  • Greg Van PattenProfessor - Quantum dots; Nanotechnology; Photophysics

Materials Chemistry

  • Andrienne FriedliProfessor - Synthesis of organosilanes, organic polyelectrolytes, and liquid crystalline organic dyes
  • Dwight Patterson - Assoc. Professor - Synthesis and characterization of organic polymers and polymeric materials
  • Greg Van PattenProfessor - Quantum dots; Nanotechnology; Photophysics

Organic Chemistry

  • Souvik BanerjeeAssist. Professor - Medicinal Chemistry, Computer Aided Design and Syntheis of Small Bioactive Molecules, Enzyme and Organo catalysis, Peptidomimetics 
  • Kevin Bicker - ProfessorBioorganic chemistry; Solid-phase synthesis; Assay development; Enzymology
  • Keying Ding - Professor - Organometallics; Catalysis; Bioinorganic chemistry
  • Andrienne FriedliProfessor - Synthesis of organosilanes, organic polyelectrolytes, and liquid crystalline organic dyes
  • Scott HandyProfessor - Organic synthesis, Deep eutectic solvents; Synthesis and isolation of biologically active natural products 

Physical Chemistry

  • Charles Chusuei - Assoc. ProfessorCarbon nanomaterials; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Electrochemical sensing
  • Greg Van PattenProfessor - Quantum dots; Nanotechnology; Photophysics

Polymer Science

  • Dwight Patterson - Assoc. Professor - Synthesis and characterization of organic polymers and polymeric materials