Grad Student Earns NSF Fellowship

More than 13,000 graduate students applied for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Seven of those selected represented The University of Alabama, three of those have ties to the College of Arts and Sciences, and one — Jordyn L. Johnson — is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. Jordyn Johnson, originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., studies the regulatory mechanism of the enzyme alpha-isoproplymalate synthase in the lab of Dr. Patrick Frantom, an assistant professor in the Department […]

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Congratulations, Spring 2013 Graduates!

Congratulations to the chemistry students receiving degrees at the May commencement ceremony: PhD Mier An – Inhibition of an E. Coli Glycosylase, MutM, by Non-Native Metals Advisor: Dr. Laura Busenlehner Franchessa Maddox Sayler – Synthesis and Appilcation of Hierarchically Porous Metal and Metal Oxide Monolithic Materials Advisor: Dr. Martin Bakker Preethi Vennam – Study of Semiquinone Intermediate in Cyctochrome bc1 Complex Advisor: Dr. Michael Bowman MS Preston A. Beasley – Understanding the Effects of Molecular Additions in Energetic Ionic Liquids Advisor: Dr. Robin Rogers Akil Y. Foluke Advisor: Dr. Silas Blackstock Ebony D. […]

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Chem Students Win Awards at UA Conference

Congratulations to the chemistry students who received awards at the UA Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference. Sergei Wallace (Rogers) received second place in the A&S Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) Division Oral presentation competition. Karson Brooks (Pan) placed third in the A&S NSM poster competition. Lindsey Cobb (Nikles), Kevin Duque and Nick Laskay (Shaughnessy), and Shuwen Yue (Bakker) received honorable mention for their posters.

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Chemists Hold Diversity Conference

UA Chemistry Department to Host STEM Diversity Awareness Conference The University of Alabama’s chemistry department will host a day-long symposium featuring research contributions of faculty who are traditionally underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Saturday, April 27, symposium will be held from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. in 1093 Shelby Hall. The event’s goal is to “to increase the appreciation of diversity, to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to pursue education in fields in which […]

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Nobel Laureate Lectures at UA

Dr. Robert H. Grubbs won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his ground-breaking research in developing new compounds with commercial applications. This April, Grubbs visited with students and faculty in the Department of Chemistry. Grubbs gave a public lecture, “Bugs, Windmills, and Victoria’s Secret: Fundamental Science to Commercial Products,” on Friday, April 19, 2013, at 3:30 p.m. in 1004 Shelby Hall on the UA campus. Grubb’s visit was the 2013 Arduengo Lecture in Physical Organic and Main Group Element […]

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Gupta Named Distinguished Research Professor

A chemistry professor who is internationally known for his expertise in investigating thin films and nanostructured materials for use in information technology and energy applications has been named a Distinguished University Research Professor by The University of Alabama Board of Trustees. Dr. Arunava Gupta, a professor in the College’s Department of Chemistry, received the appointment at a recent meeting of the board. Gupta, who holds a joint appointment in the College of Engineering’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and […]

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Discovery Still Has Impact 20 Years Later

Dr. Anthony J. Arduengo, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, made a discovery more than 20 years ago that changed the way chemists understand highly reactive substances known as carbenes. As he continues his research, Arduengo’s breakthrough continues to influence some of the most cutting edge research being done today. Chemists once viewed carbenes as highly reactive, transient species that were important intermediates in some reactions. Prior to Arduengo’s discovery of an isolable carbine known as N-heterocyclic (NHC), scientists […]

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Fishing for Uranium

Chemistry Professor Researches Unlikely Resource in the Uranium Extraction Process More common than silver, tin, or mercury, uranium is found nearly everywhere on Earth — yet it is often difficult to obtain. On land, uranium mining is damaging to the environment and risky for workers. And though the world’s oceans contain some 4.6 billion tons of uranium, the element is found in very low concentrations there, making it expensive to collect. But a UA chemistry professor has developed a cheap, […]

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REU 2011 Participants

Name School Professor Research Focus Joshua Bauth Kennesaw State Dr. Frantom Characterization of Enzyme Mechanisms Adam Beg The University of Alabama Dr. Thrasher Measurement of Equivalent Weight and Other Properties of New Fluorine-Containing Ionomers Karson Brooks The University of Alabama Dr. Pan Surface Enhanced Optical Spectroscopy and Molecular Sensing Using Single Molecular Techniques Daniel Castillo The University of Alabama Daniel Goebbert Mass Spectrometry of Explosives Anthony Cesnik Gustavus Adolphus College Dr. Thrasher Synthesis of Fluoropolomers Based on Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) Stephen […]

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