rutgers university chemistry news

or years, scientists andresearchers worldwidehave confronted the daunt-

ing challenge of making sustain-able energy sufficiently costeffective to be mass produced.Recent testing at the U.S. Department of Energy’s researchcenter on artificial fuels may indicate a solution has beenfound in the lab of ChemistryProfessors Charles Dismukesand Martha Greenblatt.

“Developing chemicalprocesses that will facilitatemass production of economical,environment-friendly solar andwind electricity is one of thebiggest challenges of the en-ergy crisis,” said Dismukes. “Thenoble metal catalysts that arepresently used in electrolyzers,the devices that convert directelectric current harnessed bysolar panels into fuels, are veryexpensive. We have synthe-sized, patented and licensed acatalyst process that will benearly as efficient as the currentstandard and is comprised ofelements that are up to 10 million times more abundant in nature, and much less expensive.”

The Rutgers spinel catalyst,LiCoO2 (lithium cobalt oxide),has been licensed to a large in-ternational corporation seeking touse the catalyst to replace IrO2(iridium oxide), the most widelyused commercial catalyst, saidGreenblatt, Rutgers Board ofGovernors Professor in the Department of Chemistry andChemical Biology. Electrolyzersare used to separate hydrogenand oxygen from water via elec-trolysis, consuming electricity tomake fuels.

“In theory,” Dismukes said,“we will be able to build elec-trolyzers that will be much moreenergy efficient because thespinel catalysts can be used atmuch higher concentrations,thus reducing the amount ofelectricity consumed and wasteheat generated. We envisionelectrolyzers that will be so cost-effective they are disposable.Capital and operating expenseswill decrease significantly because electrolyzer design can be greatly simplified.”

continued on page 9

R U TG E R S , T H E S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N EW J E R S E Y • P I S C ATAWAY

Chemistry & Chemical BiologyNews

WINTER 2013VOLUME 13

This newsletter is published foralumni and friends by the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

610 Taylor RoadPiscataway, NJ 08854

For questions or suggestions,please contact:

Roger A. Jones, ChairPhone: 732/445-1554Email: [email protected]: chem.rutgers.edu

Coordinators: Karen Fowler and Kristina Wetter

Faculty Liaisons: Kathryn Uhrichand Eric Garfunkel

Writer/Editor: Fred Feiner

Dismukes, Greenblatt Research Moves Sustainable Energy Forward

Professors Martha Greenblatt and Charles Dismukes

F Nick Romanenko

elcome to the Winter2013 edition of Chem-

istry & Chemical Biology(CCB) News! It has been an

exciting start to the school yearfor both the department andthe university.

The university has welcomeda new President, Robert L.Barchi—a renowned neuroscien-tist, respected educator and aca-demic innovator, and successfulfundraiser. Prior to joining Rutgers, Dr. Barchi served aspresident of Thomas JeffersonUniversity, and previously asprovost of the University ofPennsylvania. We wish Dr. Barchigreat success as the university’s20th president and look forwardto working together as we advance the CCB research andeducation programs that are sovital to the future of New Jer-sey’s economy and some of the region’s largest and most important companies.

On Election Day, New Jerseyvoters approved a $750 millionbond issue that will help fundcapital improvements at NewJersey’s colleges and universities.We anticipate that part of thosefunds will be dedicated to a signature science building thatwill become CCB’s new home.The university and donors arerequired to fund at least 25 percent of the planned $115million building. Donations areessential for us to bring thebuilding to life, to continue tocreate scientific and technologi-cal breakthroughs in chemistry,and to educate both the industryleaders and technical workforcethat are vital to the future of theregion.

Another major New Jerseystate undertaking that will affectus is the integration of Rutgerswith the University of Medicineand Dentistry of New Jersey,which will result in the largest

Chemistry & Chemical Biology P I S C A T A W A Y

2

reorganization of New Jersey’suniversity system in decades. ForRutgers, the addition of a medicalschool is an historic milestonethat will result in enhanced pres-tige, greater access to federal research funding, much closer coordination of CCB’s researcherswith life science translational andclinical efforts.

Speaking of funding, we areproud to announce that CCBmoved into the number one position nationally in federal research grant support forchemistry departments as pub-lished in a recent Chemical &Engineering News article (seetable on page 8). The continuedexcellence of CCB in gainingfederal support for research is a tribute to the superb sciencethat takes place in the depart-ment every day.

In terms of recent researchsupport, Eddy Arnold spear-headed an effort with RonaldLevy, Joseph Marcotrigiano andmyself to win a five-year NationalInstitutes of Health grant with ananticipated allocation of $6.3 mil-lion. The project is entitled “HIVMacromolecular Interactions andImpact on Viral Evolution of Drug Resistance” and involves researchers from Scripps, Har-vard, Pitt, Ohio State, and theNIH. Eddy has also been notifiedthat his NIH Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Awardhas been extended for a secondfive-year period (2014-2019).The project title is “HIV-1 reversetranscriptase structure: function,inhibition, and resistance,” with atotal expected award of $3.8 million. NIH MERIT Awards are anhonor bestowed on fewer than 5 percent of investigators.

CCB’s reputation as a nationalleader in cutting-edge grant-funded research continues togrow stronger. Just a few of themany other recent noteworthy

grants include: Associate ProfessorDaniel Seidel, “Development ofStrategies for the Functionalizationof Amines,” NIH, $1.4 million over5 years; Professor Jean Baum,“NMR Studies of Collagen ModelPeptides and their Interactionswith Collagen Receptors,” NIH,$1.2 million over 4 years; Profes-sor Charles Dismukes, “Photo-assembly and Efficiency of Photo-synthetic Water and Oxidases:Probing the Catalytic Core Atomby Atom,” National Science Foundation (NSF), $350,000 over3 years; and Professor Gregory Herzog, “Studies of Argon Datingand Cosmogenic Nuclides inExtra -terrestrial Materials,” NationalAeronautics and Space Adminis-tration (NASA), $140,000 over 1 year.

The exciting grant news wouldnot be possible without the sup-port of our stellar CCB administra-tive team led by Donna Kohl; seestory on page 7). In this issue youcan also read about:• Prestigious national awards presented to Jing Li from theDepartment of Energy C3E Program, and to Alan Goldmanfrom the American Chemical Society’s Catalysis Lectureshipfor the Advancement of CatalyticScience.• The department’s first multi-student foreign exchange program with Jilin University in China.• Our new Graduate Student Association President MichelleOuimet.• An impressive energy catalystdeveloped by Martha Greenblattand Charles Dismukes. These are exciting times for

our department. We thank all ofyou for your support and look forward to a great year for theuniversity and CCB.

Sincerely,Roger A. JonesProfessor and Chair

CCB moved into the number one

position nationally in federal

research grant support.

An Action Packed Year for Rutgers & CCB

W

The 20 Chinese studentshave been brought to the U.S.as a result of an agreement between the Chemistry depart-ment, the Rutgers Program inAmerican Language Studies,and Jilin University’s College ofChemistry.

Their first eight weeks at Rutgers focused on developing

3

Chemistry & Chemical BiologyP I S C A T A W A Y

hen chemistry student Xin Zhang left

her home in HeilongjangProvince, China to come to

Rutgers for six months she waslooking forward to her first tripabroad even if her parents werehesitant. Three months into herAmerican adventure Zhang andmany of her 19 classmates fromJilin University in Changchun, the first chemistry students toparticipate in a special studentexchange program, were greatlyimpressed. Many are now considering coming back in thefuture for graduate study at Rut-gers or elsewhere in the U.S.

“I would like to study andlive here, but I would have toconvince my parents to comevisit to see what life is likehere,” Zhang said. “My motherwas very worried about me.She thinks I’m not eating rightand dressing warm enough.”

Bo Li, a student from HubeiProvince, is hoping to completehis chemistry graduate studies inthe U.S., but seemed equally

interested in the New Jerseybeachfront. “I was impressed bythe beach,” said Li, who hadnever seen an ocean or a beachbefore a faculty-sponsored trip tothe Jersey Shore in August.“Everyone seemed to enjoy thesunshine and I certainly did too.”

“And there were a lot ofpretty girls,” Zhang added. “Heliked that too.”

Chinese Students from Jilin University Participate in CCB Exchange Program

Nick RomanenkoW

Jilin student Qiuju Liang observes Rutgers Chemistry graduate student mentorNick Stebbins drawing the structure of the salicylic adipic diacid on the glass ofthe fume hood.

continued on page 10

Joseph Potenza Named ACS Fellowhemistry Professor Joseph Anthony Potenza has beennamed a Fellow of the Ameri-

can Chemical Society (ACS),recognizing over 44 years of service to the advancement ofchemistry and the education ofstudents. The honor was an-nounced during the organization’sFall Meeting in Philadelphia.

Potenza’s career at Rutgersspanned six decades, starting as

an Assistant Professor of Chem-istry in 1968 and culminatingwith his retirement as UniversityProfessor Emeritus in July. ThePiscataway resident also heldmultiple positions in the Rutgersadministration over the years, including Provost and Dean ofthe Graduate School, AssociateProvost for Academic Affairs inthe Sciences, and Chairman ofthe Department of Chemistry.

C

Janet and Joseph Potenza

Andrea Kane


4

hemistry Professor Jing Liwas honored by the U.S.Clean Energy Education and

Empowerment (C3E) women’sinitiative in September with the2012 U.S. C3E Award for out-standing contribution to scien-tific research in innovation andtechnology development. Li wasone of six women to be hon-ored by the U.S. Department ofEnergy led program.

Li was also recently elected aFellow of the American Associa-tion for the Advancement of Sci-ence, a prestigious peer honor.

Li’s research interests and activities are primarily in theareas of solid-state inorganicand inorganic-organic hybridmaterials that possess interest-ing and useful properties forclean energy applications. Shehas led extensive research on

developing and advancing rare-earth free white light phosphors,which have the potential to beused as an alternative low-costand energy-efficient generallighting source.

“The ever-increasing energydemands and the concernsabout global warming have underscored the importance of developing high-efficiency lightsources to reduce consump-tion,” said Li, a Cranbury residentand mother of two. “Solid-statelighting (SSL) technology in theform of light-emitting diodes(LEDs) can convert electricityinto light much more efficientlythan conventional lightingsources. It has been predictedthat a nationwide move towardSSL for general illumination inthe U.S. would reduce electricenergy consumption for lightingby roughly 25 percent, saving$120 billion in energy expenses,and reduce CO2 emissions by246 million metric tons over thenext 20 years. Low-cost andhigh-efficiency LEDs are beingintensely explored, especiallywhite LEDs (WLEDs), which areconsidered a potential lightsource to replace conventionalincandescent or fluorescentlighting.”

Li’s most recent research onhybrid white light phosphorswas published in the January2012 issue of AngewandteChemie International Editionand April issue of Chemistry ofMaterials. She has publishedover 220 scientific papers, in-cluding 12 invited reviews.

The U.S. C3E Awards are intended to recognize risingwomen in clean energy whohave demonstrated leadershipand high achievement withinone of the six award categoriesand have the potential for signif-icant future contribution. Theawards were administered bythe MIT Energy Initiative, whichrecognized each of theawardees with a $10,000 cashprize. The Clean Energy Educa-tion and Empowerment (C3E)program, led by the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy, is designed tohelp increase the number ofwomen engaged in clean en-ergy disciplines, from scienceand academia, to industry, topolicy, to advocacy.

Li is a member of the Ameri-can Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, theMaterials Research Society, andSigma Xi. She has received anumber of awards, including the Presidential Faculty FellowAward; National Science Foun-dation CAREER Award; CheungKong Guest Chair ProfessorAward from the Ministry of Edu-cation of China; OutstandingAchievement Award from theChinese Association of Scienceand Technology; and the Boardof Trustees Fellowship for Schol-arly Excellence from RutgersUniversity. She is currently anAssociate Editor for the Journalof Solid State Chemistry and amember of the Editorial Advi-sory Board of Crystal Growthand Design.

Professor Jing Li Honored by U.S. Department of Energy Program

Chris Pedota

C

Chemistry Professor Jing Li

f Organic ChemistryPh.D. candidate Michelle

Ouimet pursues her poly-mer research with the enthusi-

asm and energy of a cheerleader,there’s a good reason: beforecoming to Rutgers three yearsago, she could be found on thesidelines as an undergrad atClemson University.

Today, Ouimet is bringing thatenergy to the table as the newPresident of the Chemistry Grad-uate Student Association (GSA).Ouimet is hoping to reinvigoratethe GSA with new programssuch as an industrial lecture series with Rutgers’ Chemistryalumni. Former GSA PresidentEric Klauber, a CCB alumnus whoworks at BASF, started the lectureseries in November, discussingthe transition from graduateschool to industry.

This past summer GSAbrought in a career consultantwho volunteered his time tomeet with students. GSA alsoheld its first tailgate event at therecent homecoming footballgame that attracted 35 currentand former students.

“The career consultant wasreally valuable for many be-cause he coached us on how tonetwork as we get closer to en-tering the business world,” saidOuimet, a Mount Olive resident.As for GSA activities: “We wantto try new and different pro-grams to get a better level of interaction with the graduatestudent community. A lot ofgraduate students don’t realizewhat a great school we haveand one of the real advantagesis the access to industry we areprovided through our alumni aswell as research collaborations.”

This summer, Ouimet got agreat taste for those connec-

tions—literally. She had an in-ternship with Kraft Foods NewTechnology Group in Whippany,N.J., which is an integral part ofthe company’s $15 billion gumand candy product portfoliowith brands such as Trident,Halls, Stride, Dentyne, SwedishFish, and Sour Patch Kids.Ouimet interned with a groupthat drives product innovationwith developments such aslong lasting taste and flavorchanging technologies.

“I was very interested inlearning more about rheology,or the flow of matter, and how I could implement that knowl-edge within my research at Rut-gers,” said Ouimet, who workedon refining a gum with longerlasting taste. “The Kraft experi-ence was great because itopened me up to the possibili-ties of working in the food in-dustry. I also picked up somenew experiences and skills that Icould bring back to my team.”

Ouimet is part of the groupled by Kathryn Uhrich, Professor

and Dean of Mathematical andPhysical Sciences at Rutgers,which focuses on the synthesisand characterization of biocom-patible polymers for medicaland dental applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.

“My research focuses onsynthesizing, characterizing, andformulating bioactive-containingpolymers for cosmetic, personalcare, wound-care, and food-based applications,” saidOuimet. “I came to Rutgers be-cause I wanted to learn from aworld renowned polymer scien-tist like Kathryn and the experi-ence has just been outstandingin every possible way. My goalhas always been to continuelearning and to consider newapproaches and possibilitiesand our group really fosters thattype of environment.”Ouimet, afellow of both the U.S. Depart-ment of Education and the Rut-gers’ Predoctoral Leadership

5


GSA Features New Energy, Programs

I

GSA leadership (from left) are Co-Vice President Allison Faig, President MichelleOuimet, Treasuer Matt Richers and Co-Vice President Katie Field.

Sabrina Snyder

continued on page 6


6

cleaner energy. Goldman hasconducted extensive researchduring his 25-year career focused on the conversion ofhydrocarbons—organic com-pounds found in fossil fuels—and other small molecules.Goldman has developed aprocess to use low valuebyproducts that may be ob-tained from coal, natural gas orplants, into a synthetic dieselfuel that is more environmen-

tally friendly than traditionaldiesel fuel.

“We hope to one dayeliminate our dependenceon foreign fuels,” saidGoldman. “The U.S. has40-times more coal energythan oil, large reserves ofnatural gas, and manysources of biomass includ-ing agricultural byproducts,so if we are successful, the impact could be quite significant. Obviously, acleaner, more cost-effectivefuel supply would producetremendous economic andenvironmental benefits.”

Goldman’s research hascontributed to the develop-ment of novel catalyticmethods for hydrocarbonconversions, which are required to use fossil fuelsmore efficiently and createsustainable fuel resources.His research has also pro-vided important insightsinto the fundamental stepsunderlying hydrocarbonprocesses, vital to advanc-ing the technology.

hemistry Professor AlanGoldman was recentlyawarded the first AmericanChemical Society (ACS) Catal-ysis Lectureship for the Ad-vancement of Catalytic Science,recognizing Goldman’s ground-breaking research on the manipulation of hydrocarbonsfocused on the development of cleaner, more efficient fuels.

Goldman’s work is particu-larly important in the search for

Goldman received his Ph.D.from Columbia University andwas an IBM Postdoctoral Fellowat the University of Chicago. During his career, he has re-ceived many other awards andhonors for his research achieve-ments and dedication to scienceeducation, including the: Camilleand Henry Dreyfus Distin-guished New Faculty Award;Union Carbide InnovationRecognition Award; Alfred P.Sloan Fellowship; Camille andHenry Dreyfus Teacher-ScholarFellowship; Rutgers Board ofTrustees Fellowship for ScholarlyExcellence; DuPont Aid-to-Edu-cation Award; and New JerseySection of the American Chemi-cal Society Pro Bono Award.

The lectureship is co-sponsoredby the ACS Division of CatalysisScience & Technology and theACS Publications journal ACSCatalysis. The ACS Catalysis Lec-tureship for the Advancement ofCatalytic Science honors currentgroundbreaking research that enables better understanding ofthe links among the various sub-disciplines of catalysis and alsoadvances the field of catalysis as a whole. The lectureship may beawarded to an individual or a collaborative research team.

The inaugural ACS CatalysisLectureship for the Advance-ment of Catalytic Science waspresented at the Fall 2012 ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia. A symposium was held in theGoldman’s honor and he received a monetary award.

Chemistry Professor Alan Goldman

Nick Romanenko

Development Institute, has co-authored several journal articles, including “Tunable drugrelease profiles from salicylate-

based poly (anhydride-ester)matrices using small moleculeadmixtures,” recently publishedin the Journal of Bioactive andCompatible Polymers.

Ouimet is particularly inter-ested in hearing from alumni in-

terested in speaking at GSAevents. To learn more about theGSA, please contact her [email protected].

Alan Goldman Receives First ACS Catalysis Lectureship

C

GSAcontinued from page 5

7


‘Tis the Season, to be Shopping for Grantsf Black Friday in the re-tail world is the busiestshopping day of theyear, the days leading upto the busy national grants

deadlines in September andOctober probably deserve aname of their own.

Donna Kohl, Chemistry andChemical Biology Executive Director of Administration, andBonnie Emigholz, Chemistry Associate Director, don’t exactlyhave customers lining up attheir doors in the wee hours ofthe morning, but the grantsprocess would not be a successwithout an all hands on deckapproach similar to the day afterThanksgiving.

“CCB now ranks numberone nationally in federal grantsreceived—over $30 million annually—and while the inspira-tional work of our faculty drivesthat process, we are very fortu-nate to have a very dedicatedand knowledgeable administra-tive staff coordinating theprocess,” said Chemistry Chair-man and Professor Roger A.Jones. “We had a record-settinggrants season last year and alarge part of that success goesto Donna, Bonnie and the administrative team.”

Kohl has been with CCB forover 10 years and was directlyresponsible for the grantsprocess before taking over hercurrent responsibilities in 2007.Emigholz has been with the department for over sevenyears. Their combined expertiseis put to good use when nearlyevery faculty member is submit-ting grant requests to the Na-tional Science Foundation or the National Institute of Healthin September and October.

“Chemistry submits about80 grant requests to NSF andother agencies every year sothe volume of proposals can besignificant,” said Emigholz, whonoted that the staff also coordi-

nates grants forthe faculty of theEarth and Plane-tary Sciences Department (formerly Geol-ogy). “Every grantsprogram has dif-ferent rules andsome proposalswill get rejectedimmediately forreasons that bog-gle the mind—for example thewrong typeface or the wrong margins! Our department isworking on veryimportant issuessuch as curing disease or enabling sustainableenergy. We want to make surethe faculty get the resourcesthey need.”

The most recent grants season was a challenge sinceEmigholz had been on maternityleave until recently with the birthof her third child. As with manyCCB projects, the whole depart-ment pitched in to ensure asmooth process, particularly Pur-chasing Manager Lydia Haynes,Business Specialist Cynthia Howell and Senior AdministrativeAssistant Kristina Wetter.

Kohl and Emigholz advisefaculty to plan early for thegrants deadline by contactingthem at least 30 days before aproposal is due.

“Our goal is to make theprocess seamless for the fac-ulty,” said Kohl. “CCB staff takecare of all the administrativework for the faculty because weare a full-service department.The researchers should onlyconcern themselves with thescience of any proposal andleave us to worry about the rest.Even if faculty members don’thave all the creative scientificideas of a proposal worked out

until the last day, we encouragethem to contact us early with allthe other information so we canbe proposal ready when the sci-ence is finalized.”

Proposals can be anywherefrom 10 to 200 pages in length,with the administrative andbudgeting components usuallymore than 50% of the pro-posal.

Kohl notes that the adminis-trative staff’s work doesn’t endwhen the proposal is filed oreven when the grant award isreceived. With many of CCB’sapproximately 300 employeespaid from the resources ofgrants, the staff has extensivepost-award responsibilities.

“Ten years ago our depart-ment received about $8 millionannually in grants and now thatnumber is more than $30 mil-lion,” Kohl said. “As the sayinggoes, ‘the devil is in the details,’and we want to make sure thedepartment maximizes the re-sources provided through thegrants. From coordinating thepayroll to communicating withPurchasing and other depart-ments, it’s a rather large under-taking to ensure the mostefficient use of resources.”

I Karen Fowler

CCB administrative staff (from left): Bonnie Emigholz,Lydia Haynes, Cynthia Howell, Kristina Wetter andDonna Kohl.

“We had a record-setting

grants season lastyear and a large

part of that successgoes to Donna,Bonnie and the administrative

team.”


8

“Reprinted with permission from Chem. Eng. News, October 22, 2012,90(43), pp 30-36. Copyright 2012 American Chemical Society.”

9

LiCoO2 is arguablyone of the most

effective, if not thebest OER catalyst

presently.


Earlier this year, the LiCoO2catalyst for oxygen evolution re-action (OER) was described inan article published in Ange-wandte Chemie Internationalby Dismukes, Greenblatt and colleagues. The catalyst was recently tested at the Joint Cen-ter for Artificial Photosynthesis(JCAP), the nation’s largest research program dedicated tothe development of an artificialsolar-fuel generation technology. Established in 2010 by the U.S.Department of Energy, JCAP isled by the California Institute ofTechnology and aims to find acost-effective method to producefuels using only sunlight, water,and carbon dioxide as inputs.

“LiCoO2 is arguably one ofthe most effective, if not the bestOER catalyst presently,” saidGreenblatt. “Nevertheless, wecontinue our research to discovernew materials that are abundant,inexpensive and environmentally

green, and highly efficient catalysts for splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.”

“We are very encouraged bythe research because it has thepotential to change the way elec-trical energy is stored and recov-ered—in covalent chemicalbonds rather than charged ionsor batteries,” said Dismukes, a Rutgers faculty member inChemistry and Chemical Biology,the Waksman Institute of Micro-biology, and Biochemistry andMicrobiology. “This step will re-quire a new design of a low-costelectrolyzer that can work withthese catalysts. This advancecould be applied to both elec-trolytic energy storage—usingsolar or wind electricity—and renewable hydrogen generation.For example, as a replacementfor batteries, this technologycould help solve the energy storage problem that limits theadoption of solar panels. Also,hydrogen derived from watermeans a source of clean fuelthat is both renewable and sustainable.”

The recent licensure of theLiCoO2 catalyst is Dismukes’ andGreenblatt’s latest opportunity totranslate their fundamental re-search into a commercial appli-cation in collaboration with anindustrial sponsor. The re-searchers have also worked withother corporate partners such asBASF to explore other applica-tions of these materials. Addition-ally, Dismukes said Rutgers is afounding member of a new investigator consortium calledthe Solar Fuels Institute (SOFI),which hopes to accelerate thepace of technological advancesneeded to transition to solar produced fuels.

“Solar energy has becomemore attainable for propertyowners, but the challenge is producing a cost-effectiveprocess that results in mass pro-duction of renewable electricity,”said Dismukes. “We are commit-ted to working with colleaguesworldwide to find solutions thatensure cleaner energy for futuregenerations.”

DISMUKES, GREENBLATTcontinued from page 1

alumni event held at the ACS2012 Winter Meeting in Denver,organized by one of our lead-ing alumni, Suresh Damle, a retiree of PPG Industries. Sureshand his colleagues also joinedus in Philadelphia. Suresh’scommitment to the future ofCCB and to strengthening therelationships between alumni,faculty and students was self-evident.

Alumni had the opportunityto hear department and univer-sity updates from CCB faculty

he Chemistry andChemical Biology

Department sponsored analumni reception at the 2012

Fall National Meeting of theAmerican Chemical Society(ACS), attracting graduatesfrom across the country, somewho travelled to the confer-ence just for the Rutgers program.

The event, held at the poshLe Meridien Hotel in Philadel-phia, was a successful follow-up to the department’s first

members Kathryn Uhrich (alsoRutgers Dean of Mathematical& Physical Sciences) and EricGarfunkel. Attendees learnedabout the department’s plansfor a new state-of-the-art chemistry building to be builton the Busch Campus.

To learn about the fundrais-ing campaign CCB haslaunched to support the newbuilding, please send us anemail at [email protected] call (732) 445-1554.

TAlumni Join Chemistry in Philadelphia at ACS

10


Starting with this exchange of students, we areopening a new erafor the relationshipbetween Rutgers

and Jilin.

writing, speaking and listeningskills in English, which many ofthe students had been studyingin China for the last 10 years.The remaining time at Rutgers isprimarily focused on chemistrycourse and lab work.

“Our English has improvedgreatly since we arrived,” saidLing Ling Liu, a Jilin studentfrom Heilongjang Province. “Wemet people from many differentcountries in our English classesand have learned about manydifferent cultures.”

Professor John Brennan,Vice Chair of the CCB Under-graduate Program, manages thestudents’ chemistry experiencewith Professor Eric Garfunkel.

“Colleges and universitiesthroughout the U.S. are globaliz-ing their educational programs,”said Brennan. “Jilin University is agood match for us because theyare our primary ‘sister school’ inChina, and are one of the fivestrongest chemistry educationand research programs in China.Our goals are to offer the stu-dents an excellent research andeducation experience, help themdevelop their English skills, andopen them up to the possibilityof studying or working abroad inthe future.”

Jilin University’s ProfessorGuangsheng Pang noted that theprogram is valuable for both thestudents and the universities.

“I think it’s a great opportu-nity for some of our leading students to study in a new envi-ronment and to gain confidencewhile strengthening their scien-tific and language skills,” saidPang. “The students will experi-ence a different academic atmosphere and culture. It’s atransformational learning experi-ence that allows the students todevelop a fresh perspectiveboth in science and on interna-tional issues.”

Over the last 18 months,seven Rutgers faculty membershave visited Jilin University tohelp design the student ex-change program. Former JilinUniversity President and Chem-istry Professor Tang Aoqinghelped initiate a cooperative relationship with Rutgers some30 years ago, but the new pro-gram represents the first formalchemistry student exchange between the universities. Thestudents, the top 20 among250 senior chemistry under-graduates at Jilin, are supportedboth in China and the U.S. by afund established in China inProf. Tang’s memory.

“Starting with this exchange ofstudents, we are opening a newera for the relationship betweenRutgers and Jilin,” said Pang. “Welook forward to strengthening ourcollaboration on research initia-tives, and increasing opportuni-ties for the exchange of studentsin both directions at the under-

graduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels.”

Since 1984, Garfunkel, theimmediate past Chair of Chem-istry, has been visiting China,where he has a long term rela-tionship as a visiting professorat Fudan University in Shanghai.Three Chemistry faculty mem-bers of Chinese descent—Kuang-Yu Chen, Jing Li andXumu Zhang—have also beenactively involved in promotingstudent exchanges and joint research initiatives. They all emphasize the importance ofcontinuing to build a strong rela-tionship with leading universitiesin China such as Jilin.

“We hope to reciprocate bysending Rutgers students to Jilinin the very near future,” Gar-funkel said. “Jilin University is avery strong partner for the Rut-gers Chemistry Department andtogether we can offer both Chinese and U.S. students anexceptional educational and cultural experience.”

The partnership seems to be producing results already.

“We understand chemistry,but Chinese people often have a different way of thinking aboutthings,” said Qiuju Liang, a stu-dent from Jilin Province. “We arelearning more about the scientificprocess and how to analyzethings from beginning to end,and at the same time we are becoming more independent.”

JILIN UNIVERSITYcontinued from page 3

STUDENT AWARDSSPRING 2012

Undergraduate Awards

CRODA AWARDS: Presented foroutstanding undergraduate activities.For excellence in General Chemistry,Victor Hernandez, David Rehe, Kelley Steitz, and Jeffrey Yang; forOutstanding Sophomore/Chemistry

Major, Excellence in Organic Chem-istry, Brian A. Chang and Meera P.Trivedi; for Outstanding Junior, Excellence in Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Jimmy Patel.

COURSEWORK AWARDS: MarkLeste V. Quilon and Justin W. Marson received The Rufus Kleinhans Award for Excellence in General Chemistry.

Precious O. Tabansi received TheRoger Sweet Award for Excellencein Organic Chemistry.

Jessalyn A. Devine received ThePhyllis Dunbar Award for Excellencein Physical Chemistry.

Sarah A. Goodman received theACS Inorganic Division Award forExcellence in Inorganic Chemistry.

11


Byungkoo Park received the ACSAnalytical Division Award for Excellence in Instrumental Analysis.

Patrick L. Kramer received The Hypercube Award for Excellence in Chemical Physics.

Aaron X. Sun received The NingMoeller Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement for aChemistry Major in the Junior Year.

Monica A. Hajduk received TheMerck Award for General AcademicExcellence and Research.

Timothy J. Susko received theBruce Garth Award for general academic excellence and research.

Kristen M. Reale received the Van Dyke Award for Academic Excellence and Research in Chemistry.

Gina S. Chang, Kevin Lu, PatrickRogler, and Stephen L. Zieminskireceived the Chemistry and Chemi-cal Biology Department Undergrad-uate Service Award presented to aChemistry major with a strongrecord of participation, outreach,and departmental service.

CHEMICAL RESOURCESAWARDS BY PAUL KEIMIG:Jessalyn A. Devine, Sarah A. Goodman, Kareem J. Holligan, andDiana X. Sun received the ChemicalResources Award for Distinction inResearch.

Jon Ahn, Patrick L. Kramer, AlbinA. Mammen, Aaron L. Petronico,and Chun M. Tong received theChemical Resources Award for Highest Distinction in Research.

CHEMDOODLE AWARD DONATED BY KEVIN J.THEISEN:James Huynh, Alex Lo, and Mohammed Malik received the Chemdoodle Award for Excellence in computational chemistry and informatics.

CHEMISTRY SOCIETY OUTREACH PROGRAM: The following students were recognizedfor their participation in the OutreachActivities of the Rutgers UniversityChemistry Society: Mina Aknouk,Denisse Arevalo, Kristina Carney,Walter R. Drake, Andrea Fawzy,David Figueroa, Frank P. Fumo,Marielle Jamgochian, PrabhdeepKaur, Jayswinder Kaur, Adam Kornmehl, Yung-Jae Lee, HelenLopez, Kevin Lu, Sandra Ministro,Apexa Modi, Valerie S. O’Besso,

Agnesa Redere, Jennifer Redona,Maria Riego, Bryant M. Ruano,Melissa Valarezo, Samantha S.Vidal, and Aileen Zaydel.

CHEMISTRY 499 INTRODUCTIONTO TEACHING CHEMISTRY LAB:The following students were recog-nized for their contribution to the department in the teaching of afreshman chemistry lab: Monika A.Hajduk, Alvin A. Mammen, JimmyPatel, Tejas U. Shah, and Aaron X.Sun.

GRADUATE AWARDSWINTER 2011

REID AWARDMingxi ChangFuguo JiangMojgan RoushanJunling SunDavid Wang

VAN DYKE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCHDeepankar DasKexuan HuangRoselin Rosario-Meléndez

KRISHNAMURTHY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PAPER ORTHESIS IN SYNTHETIC ORGANICCHEMISTRYHiyun Kim

DEGREES CONFERREDOCTOBER 2011M.S.Rebecca AllisonLynn CallisonYu-Chu ChenJennifer Inghrim

PH.D.Princy AbrahamJoseph CusickChandrakanta DeRoberto DelgadoTatiana FadeevaEric KlauberMin LiuSanhita PramanikNirmala Shankar

JANUARY 2012B.A.Joseph CioffiAmy DeighanSpandan DesaiNicholas EwankovKatherine KohCristina LattaruloMichael LeeXavier O'ConnellChristine PerezAaron PetronicoMaia SaitoNikolai StreltsovShaotang Yuan

PH.D.Xianglan HeHiyun KimMaria Hanshella Magno

MAY 2012B.A. Jon AhnIsita AminJohn BalaesJinwhan ChaSohyung ChoeDaniel CoiroBenjamin DeibertAshley DyeChristopher EspositoLee EunsolShanice GrantGregory GuadagnoNancy GuillaumeMonika HajdukBenjamin HoMatthew HuestonKathleen JillionsKyle KramerPatrick KramerIlona Litvak

Albin MammenZachary MaronNicole MasiukChristopher MichalsMichael MokenEmily NeringByungkyoo ParkPatrick RoglerTejas ShahRowena SimmonsTimothy SuskoChun TongCraig Zelazny

M.S.Matthew LaughlandRobin Lefkowitz

OCTOBER 2012M.S.Sergey BuryachokShraboni GhoshalKevin A. MemoliLaura A. O’GradyNicholas RueZhexun SunSisi Zhang

PH.D.Erkan Z. CiftlikliSayantani DasWojciech JankowskiLijuan KangJames J. LalloHeather Y. LeeKai LiuAnna MichelsonAlexander L. Reznichenko

Mojgan Roushan

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Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyRutgers, The State University of New Jersey610 Taylor RoadPiscataway, NJ 08854

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PAIDNew Brunswick, NJ Permit No. 157


RIEMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A TAJames LalloNisha MittalPrasad Subramaniam

CHEMISTRY 171 EXCELLENCEIN TEACHING AWARDAleksandra Biedron

CHEMISTRY SERVICE AWARDDavid Laviska

SPRING 2012DEAN’S RESEARCH AWARDFuguo Jiang

CHINESE GOVERNMENTAWARD FOR OUTSTANDINGSELF-FINANCED STUDENTSABROAD IN 2011Fuguo Jiang

WINTER 2012REID AWARDMu ChenRafael da SilvaMichael C. Haibach Nisha MittalRojita Sharma Haohan Wu

THOMAS REID FELLOWMichael C. Haibach

VAN DYKE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCHGraeme P. GardnerJason D. HackenbergLijuan Kang

KRISHNAMURTHY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PAPER ORTHESIS IN SYNTHETIC ORGANICCHEMISTRYLongle Ma

STANLEY MANDELES GRADUATE AWARDMu ChenAnand RamanthanLijuan Kang

RIEMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A TARoselin Rosario-Melendez Birju P. ShahAniruddh P. SolankiNicholas D. Stebbins

Honorable MentionHiep N. NguyenPrasad SubramaniamRobert YoungLibing Yu

CHEMISTRY 171 EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARDAllison M. FaigJacqueline R. Sikora

CHEMISTRY SERVICE AWARDKathleen D. FieldMichelle A. Ouimet

AWARDScontinued from page 11