Author: Carlos Garcia

We are extremely proud to announce the latest addition to the team: Dr. Thanh Thao Tran, who will join the Department of Chemistry in the Fall 2019 as Assistant Professor. 

The Tran Laboratory will focus on understanding and overcoming fundamental challenges in energy and information technology research by applying the approaches of synthetic inorganic solid-state chemistry. Chemically controlled synthesis and design will be used to target new systems, and structure and property characterizations (e.g., advanced synchrotron X-ray, time-of-flight neutron scattering, spectroscopic methods and electronic properties) will aid in understanding of materials. The group will then correlate structural details of materials with their physical properties in the development of materials to meet the demands of our future society in energy, for example, new materials for quantum computation and semiconductors for solar energy conversion. Our research program allows each graduate student to learn synthetic techniques, characterize their materials, and collaborate with scientists in the field.

You can read more about Dr. Tran’s contributions here.

Congrats to Prof. Dan Whitehead who will receive the 2019 Dr. Fred Bisplinghoff FPRF Innovation Award from the Fats & Proteins Research Foundation and the National Renderers Association for his group’s work on functional nanomaterials for odor mitigation and environmental remediation.

The award presentation will be part of the fall convention to be held October 28 – November 1, 2019 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Carlsbad, CA.

Following an annual tradition,  the Department of Chemistry held its 2018 Student Honors and Awards ceremony on April 13 in the Auditorium of Hunter Hall.

“Our students worked very hard for many years and we would like to recognize not only their efforts but also the incredible support from their families and friends” said Bill Pennington, chair of the department of chemistry and professor of inorganic chemistry at Clemson University.

For Anthony Spyropoulos, recipient of the American Institute of Chemists Award, this was a particularly important milestone. His father, who was present at the event, had also received the award back in 1981 from the University of Maryland.

Without a question, this is one of the most important days for the Department and we are extremely proud of their accomplishments.

The recipients of this year’s awards are:

1. Outstanding Student in General Chemistry Award
Megan Noonan
2. Outstanding Student in Introductory Chemistry Award
Isabell Boomhower
3. Chemical Rubber Company Award
Pamela Bretscher
4. Outstanding Student in Organic Chemistry Award
Ashley Jacoby
5. Houghton Mifflin/ICUC First Year Chemistry Award
Nicholas Coradi
6. Outstanding Sophomore Chemistry Major Award
Judson (Blake) Parker
7. Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry
Harrison Howell
8. Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry
Joseph Ondus
9. Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry
Victoria Iannelli
10. Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry
Mary Lentz
11. American Institute of Chemists Award
Anthony Spyropoulos
12. Merck Index Award
Morgan Duffy
13. Senior Researcher Award
Lauren Skrajewski
14. Chemistry Faculty Award
Rebecca Fantone
15. American Chemical Society Award
Rebecca Fantone
16. Chemistry Outreach Award
Katherine Youmans
17. Graduate Faculty Award
Monica Gordillo
18. Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in Chemistry
Tatiana Estrada-Mendoza and Erina Mills
19. Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award in Chemistry
Chandima Narangoda
20. Warwick Chemical Foundation Award in Chemistry
Laura McCann
21. Mark Bernhard Hardin Award in Chemistry
Monica Spritzky

If you want to see all the pictures from the event, please visit this link.

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Dr. Byoungmoo Kim has accepted the tenure-track position of Assistant Professor. Dr. Kim will join Clemson on the Fall semester.

As a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University, Dr. Kim pioneered the development of chiral, peptide-based ligands for transition metals and applied them to challenging enantioselective cross-coupling reactions of drug-like compounds via remote asymmetric induction. He also discovered and studied unique molecules bearing a carbon stereocenter that enantiomerize in a fundamentally distinct pathway. Dr. Kim said that his research has “cultivated in me an eagerness to pioneer new and exciting chemistries, contribute to interdisciplinary programs, and foster an intellectually stimulating culture. I am eager to embark on this journey with Clemson University.”

Dr. Kim received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 2014.

Image:
Dr. Byoungmoo Kim (right) poses with Drs. Carlos Garcia and Bill Pennington.

The department of Chemistry would like to invite all graduate students to apply to the Mandel Fellowship, an award made possible by a gift established in honor of Dr. Frederick Mandel. In line with his intention, all graduate students demonstrating financial needs are eligible to apply. Previous recipients of this fellowship are not eligible to apply.

Students interested is being considered should submit a single PDF file containing:
– Application form
– 2-page CV in NSF format (include bio, grad GPA, honors, publications, presentations, etc)
– Summary of the Graduate Program information including a short summary of the thesis project, GPA, number of years in the program, and projected graduation date (up to 1 page). Must be signed by applicant and current advisor.
– 1-page letter of reference from advisor

Please send applications to chemistry@clemson.edu by Oct 21, 2018.

Should you have any questions, please contact Heather Shelton <sheathe@clemson.edu>.
Results are expected to be announced by December 1, 2018.

The Department of Chemistry would like to invite all graduate students to apply to the Mandel Fellowship, an award made possible by a gift established in honor of Dr. Frederick Mandel ’78. In line with his intention, all graduate students demonstrating need are eligible to apply. Those interested in being considered should submit as single PDF file containing:
– Application form
– 2-page CV in NSF format (include bio, grad GPA, publications, presentations, etc)
– 1-page statement describing research experience at Clemson and career goals
– 1-page letter of reference from advisor

Please send applications to chemistry@clemson.edu by Nov 1, 2017. Should you have any questions, please contact Heather Shelton . Results are expected to be announced by December 2017.

Congratulations to Rhett Smith (PI) and Andy Tennyson (Co-PI) for their new NSF award entitled  “SusChEM: Sustainable Chemistry from Combined Inorganic and Organic Waste Precursors”. The award is for $315k over three years, with a start date of July 1.

Clemson University’s Dr. Jeff Anker (right) received the Dr. Wallace R. Roy Distinguished Professorship award on March 31 at the Greenville Health System’s Community Room at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Thomas Pace (left), a physician in the GHS orthopedic surgery department, was the presenter.

Anker is an associate professor in the department of chemistry in C.U.’s College of Science. As Roy professor, Anker will seek out broader collaborations to advance his research using X-rays for biomechanical measurements and chemical sensing, especially to monitor fracture healing and study implanted medical device-associated infection.

Anker is working with Pace on several National Institutes of Health grants, including developing a noninvasive technique to monitor strain on hip screws, as well as a method of using X-ray technology to noninvasively detect orthopedic device infection.

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Brown / GHS