Updated: 4/18/01
Science News Reports on CSB/SJU Research: The April 11, 1998 issue of Science News contains a report on the undergraduate research project done by Jenny Davis under the direction of Phil Karjala. The research, performed for Ansul Corportation of Martinette, WI, studied the effectiveness of Ansul products in extinquishing grease fires.
ACS Reevaluation Successful. Brian Johnson, chemistry chair, was recently informed by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training that the CSB/SJU Chemistry Department has been re-certified for another five years.
Minnesota Academy of Science:On May 1 Kate Graham and Mike Ross attended the Minnesota Academy of Sciences (Winona State University) at which their students Sarah Henderson and Ryan Jense presented their research results.
Meetings Attended:Brian Johnson and Chris Schaller attended the Minnesota Inorganic Chemists Association Meeting on May 1. Mike Ross and Bob Fulton attended the Minnesota Analytical Professors Association Meeting. Kate Graham and Mike Ross will attend the Minnesota Chromatography Forum. At this meeting, Kate Graham will attend a course entitled "Fundamentals of LC/MS: Theory and Applications". Mike Ross will attend a course entitled "Method Validation and Documentation for the Regulated Laboratory".
Henry Jakubowski and Dave Mitchell have been awarded $60,000 by The Merck Company Foundation to establish a new fellowship program offering students year-round research projects in biology and chemistry. The research program will augment the development of a biochemistry major, now under way, and it will establish collaborative projects between biology and chemistry faculty and students.
Chris Schaller, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, was recently awarded a PRF-G grant from the Petroleum Research Fund (PRF). The PRF is a trust that was established in 1944 by seven major petroleum companies. The American Chemical Society administers several grant programs using this trust. This award, for $25,000, will make it possible for four undergraduates to conduct summer research with Dr. Schaller over the next two years. Schaller's research is in the area of organometallic chemistry, and focuses on the syntheses of alkyl metal hydride complexes that are relevent to industrial catalysis.
This grant follows another recent award to Schaller from Research Corporation for $26,000. The Research Corporation grant will support six additional undergraduates in their summer research with Schaller over the next two years.
Kate Graham has been granted tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Chemistry. Kate has also received the CSB/SJU Teacher-Scholar Award for 1999-2000. Congratulations Kate!
Chris Schaller, assistant professor of chemistry, has been awarded a Cottrell College Science Award from Research Corporation. The grant of $26,000 will be used to support research students and purchase equipment over the next three years. The research supported is entitled "Synthesis and Behavior of Ruthenium Alkyl Hydride Complexes". The aim of the project is to synthesize compounds that will model the behavior of alkyl hydrides on metal surfaces, reactive intermediates believed to play a role in industrial processes such as catalytic hydrogenation and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of fuels. This project has involved several undergraduates over the past four years (Elizabeth Nessett, Daniel Ferraro, Adam Westman, Daniel Welna, Nicole Tuma, Eric Moldestad and Amy Geissler) and has received previous support from the National Science Foundation, the Council on Undergraduate Research, the Merck Company Foundation, Sigma Xi, and CSB/SJU.
NSF Grant Received. Henry Jakubowski (principle investigator), Chemistry Department, and Mani Campos coinvestigator), Biology Department, have just received a $21,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to purchase a spectrofluorometer that will be used by students and faculty in biochemistry course laboratory research and in individual faculty-mentored research. The instrument will allow users to measure fluorescent properties of biological molecules. The chemistry and biology departments do not have a license to use radioisotopes. The specificity and sensitivity offered by fluorescence spectroscopy will offer the departments the advantages of radioisotope use, but without the cost or infrastructure development required for its use. Faculty and students will use the spectrofluorometer to investigate membrane and protein structure/function, as well binding interactions among biological molecules and cells. Students and faculty will be trained in fluorescence theory and instrument use in biochemistry class, lab, in workshops (for faculty) and in a January-term course.
MacPherson Grant Awarded to Graham: Kate Graham received $4,000 in funding to purchase an autoclave from a MacPherson grant. The autoclave will be used in summer research by many faculty and will be used in nutrition and biochemistry classes.
Nesset/Schaller Research Funded: Liz Nesset, junior chemistry major, has received two grants to fund her summer research project under the direction of Chris Schaller. Liz received a $4000 Grant in Aid Research from Sigma Xi. The grant money will be used to buy equipment and supplies for the synthesis of organometallic compounds containing ruthenium. Liz also was awarded a Council on Undergraduate Research Summer Research Fellowship of $3000 to support her research with Dr. Schaller.
Graham Receives Research Grant from ASP: K. Graham, American Society of Pharmacognosy, Research Starter Grant, "Isolation and Characterization of Potential Antifungal Agents from Fungal Sources",1997. Funding $4,000.
Improved MS Analysis at CSB/SJU: We were informed January 27, 1997, by the Dreyfus Foundation that they would support our request at the $30,000 level. We are about to order the new system and should have it installed by October 15, 1997. We are still trying to sell our HP-GC/MS to help with the replacement costs.
The new GC/MS has now been ordered. We are buying a Varian Saturn 2000 MS with a Varian 3800 GC. The Gas Chromatograph comes with two injection ports, both with on-column capabilities, one configured with a 48 sample autosampler and the other will be the standard manual injector which can be easily converted to the Varian Chromatoprobe sample introduction system for solid samples. One of the injectors will be configured with CO2 Cryogenic cooling to allow sample introduction at low temperatures. The chromatograph comes with electronic pneumatics allowing for complete unattended flow controls. The Saturn 2000 Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer is a move for us away from the traditional Quadrupole type of Mass Spectrometer. With the Saturn 2000 we will be getting a sensitivity about 1000 times more sensitive than our existing system, with the possibility of doing MS/MS analysis in the future. The Saturn will allow us to do both EI and CI ionization through simple software switching. The new system will come with the complete NIST Mass Spectrum Library and the Mass Spectral Library Search Program, which will allow our students to compare their mass spectra with that of reference spectra. The new system comes with internet connectivity so that students will be able to do spectra retrieval and data analysis from any PC on campus. It will allow for the simultaneous acquisition of data and data analysis by students. We expect delivery of the system by September 30, with use by students in Organic Lab this semester.
Curriculum Grant Funded: "Network Chemical Drawing Software for Student and Faculty Use", submitted to the CSB/SJU Curriculum Development Grant program; $900. The grant will provide a software program on the PC network that can be used by students and faculty in preparing reports and presentations that require the use of molecular structures. Grant submitted by Dr. Kate Graham
Schaller and Johnson Recieve Grant: "Acquisition of an Inert Atmosphere Drybox for Organometallic Chemical Research; submitted to the NSF-MRI/OSTI program; $28,650. The instrumentation is a single-user drybox which would allow most standard laboratory manipulations with chemicals to be performed in an inert atmosphere. The research proposed involves highly air- and moisture-sensitive compounds. Grant submitted by Dr. Brian Johnson and Dr. Chris Schaller.
ALL SEMINARS ARE AT 4:30 PM in ASC142 - UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Speakers will meet with interested students at 4:00 PM to discuss graduate programs at their institutions or to answer any other questions that you might have. Refreshments will be available.
Stephanie Eckerman. Steph has just accepted a position with the BCA crime lab in St. Paul. She will begin as a trainee firearms and toolmarks examiner and advance to Forensic Scientist I after a year. In December she graduated with a masters in forensic science from Michigan State University. Congratulations Steph!
Chris Molitor graduates from U of M.
Hello everyone at the CSB/SJU Chemistry Dept. I have finished the 3-2 program in Chemical Engineering at the U of Mn this past June. I am now working for a small, but growing, water purification company in West St Paul called PentaPure Inc. My position is the Application Engineer, and as such I am in charge of setting up a lab and serving as the connection between sales and manufacturing. With the task of setting up a lab I may request some of the departments expertise on the matter in the future. I can be reached at cmolitor@pentapure.com
Best Regards
Chris Molitor
Class of '98
Professor Michael Gross, Class of '62, has received the ACS's Frank H. Field & Joe L. Franklin award for outstanding achievement in mass spectrometry. Click here to read the announcement in January 18 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. Mike is director of the National Institutes of Health's Mass Spectrometry Research Resource at Washington University in St. Louis, where he is also Professor of Chemistry.
Mark Heinzig says hi....
I am currently a third-year graduate student here at Iowa State, and I am working towards my Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry (with a minor in Physical Chemistry and an area of specialization in Materials Chemistry). I just successfully finished my written preliminary exams two weeks ago, so I have my oral exam to finish in the near future. (Yeah!)
I work for Professor Patricia Thiel, and my research work focuses on the surface properties of quasicrystals and bulk metallic glasses. Typically, our group uses a host of surface analytical techniques (in UHV, a.k.a ultra-high vacuum) to study these materials including auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), low energy ion scattering (LEIS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Most recently I've been examining the wetting properties of the surfaces of bulk metallic glasses, so it is nice to get away from UHV every so often.
If anyone is interested in our work, check out our group web page at...
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pthiel/
or the quasicrystal page at...
http://www.quasi.iastate.edu
mheinzig@iastate.edu
From Amy Shambarger...
Dr. Ross,
An update on life in Denver: I have just accepted a new position at SOS Technologies as a CPR/first aid instructor. I am no longer working with Immunological Associates of Denver. Decided to try something different.
This summer I completed a 22-day backpacking/canoeing/rock climbing expedition with Voyageur Outward Bound in the Boundary Waters. Came home wiser and thinner! Hope all is well up there. E-mail: shambo72@hotmail.com
Amy Shambarger, CSB '94
Brenda (Weyer) Sorenson Class of '92 has completed her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa and is now an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa.
Eric Olson Graduates: Eric writes: Good news to pass along from the U. Yesterday I successfully defended my thesis, entitled "Ultrafast Charge Transfer Processes in Ordered Molecular Systems."
My wife and I, along with our two sons Luke (5) and Peter Isaak (2.7), will be moving to Upstate New York next week. Our new address will be:
2448 Brookshire Dr.
Niskayuna, NY 12309
(518) 372-6867
I will be working for GE, and my business mailing address will be at:
GE Plastics
One Noryl Ave.
Selkirk, NY 12158
My new e-mail address will be: Eric.Olson@gep.ge.com. I hope all is well -- I will try to stay in touch!
Matt Christopherson: Matt writes: Been browsing and I thought I would give you an update on where I am now. I am currently doing method development and validation work for the pharmaceutical industry at PPD Pharmaco in Madison, WI. My new address is: Matthew Christopherson 2117 Muir Field Road Apt 6 Madison, WI 53719
Bob Quandt: Bob writes: I received my Ph.D. from North Dakota State University in 1996 under Dr. John Hershberger. The title of my thesis was "Kinetic Studies of Main Group Hydride Radicals" Since then I have been a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University in New York City with Dr. Richard Bersohn. In just a few weeks, I will be starting at Illinois State University as an assistant professor. The position at ISU is in physical chemistry. I study gas phase kinetics and dynamics. Dr. Bob Quandt Department of Chemistry Columbia University 3000 Broadway, Mail Code 3143 New York, NY 10027 Phone: (212) 854-8564
Vander Louw Graduates: Steve Vander Louw, Class of 92, defended his Ph.D. thesis this summer. He is presently a Senior Product Development Chemist in the Automotive Aftermarket Division at 3M.
Thieu Graduates: Last April, Vu Thieu, Class of 91, received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Florida. He completed his degree under the direction of Professor Samuel O. Colgate and the title of his thesis was "Novel Apparatus and Technique for the Determination of Clathrate Hydrate Phase Equilibria." Vu is currently a post-doctoral associate at the Colorado School of Mines at Golden, Colorado.
Temple Publishes: Dan Temple, Class of 93, has published "Living Plymerization of alpha- Olefins Using Ni(II)-alpha-Diimine Catalysts. Synthesis of New Block Polymers Based on alpha-Olefins" in Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1996, 118, 11664-11665. The paper was co-authored with C. M. Killian, L. K. Johnson, and M. Brookhart. Dan is at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and anticipates finishing his Ph.D. by next March.
Pfeiffer Graduates: Joann Pfeiffer (Class of 91) has received her Ph.D. of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The title of her dissertation is "Using Vibrational Excitation to Control Reactions and Determine Reaction Mechanisms." You can read a message from Joann by clicking on her name above.
Cleveland Honored: Tom Cleveland (Class of 91) has received the Hoechst Celanese Excellence Award at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Summer is here and the Chemistry Department continues to be active. We have twelve students working with us this summer on a variety of projects.
Click on the student's name to view picture.
| Student | Advisor | Project Title |
| Huong Nguyen | John Klassen | Total Synthesis of (R) and (S) E-3,7-dimethyl-1,6 nonadien-3-ol |
| Dorian Nelson | John Klassen | Total Synthesis of (R) and (S) E-3,7-dimethyl-1,6 nonadien-3-ol |
| Bridget Charbonneau | Kate Graham | Isolation of Antifungal Natural Products |
| Mesa Ulwelling | Kate Graham | Isolation of Antifungal Natural Products |
| Debra Wentz | Kate Graham | Isolation of Fungal Photoinduced Autoinhibitor |
| Dan Ferraro | Chris Schaller | Synthesis of Ruthenium Alkyl Hydride Complexes |
| Adam Westman | Chris Schaller | Synthesis of Ruthenium Alkyl Hydride Complexes |
| Jessica Odenthal | Henry Jakubowski | Acid Phosphatase Structure and Function |
| Jason Bartos | Henry Jakubowski | Interaction of Acid Phosphatase with Liposom |
| Kevin Peterson | Kate Graham | Determination of Genetic Variation in Goldenrod Antifeedant Compound |
The following student academic achievement awards have been made by the Chemistry Department Faculty for Academic Year 2000-2001.
Undergraduate Award for Achievement in General Chemistry; sponsored by the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics have been awarded to:
Shenique Albury
Laura Furda
Lyndsay Hoemberg
Thomas Johnson
Justin Kelly
Alexi Young
Undergraduate Award for Achievement in Organic Chemistry
Sponsored by the ACS POLYED Committee has been awarded to:
Monica Hurtubise for the College of Saint Benedict
Dustin Lorentz for Saint John's University.
The American Institute of Chemists Foundation Student Award has been awarded to:
Sara Wilcox for the College of Saint Benedict
Nathan Schultz for Saint John's University
The ACS Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry has been awarded to:
Becky Guza for the College of Saint Benedict
Tom Tekavec for Saint John's University
The Sister Rogatia Sohler Scholarship has been awarded by the Chemistry Department to:
Jennifer Klein
The Glen Arth Scholarship has been awarded by the Chemistry Department to:
Ben Steil
The Chemistry Department's Distinquished Service Award goes to:
Karla Ziegelmann and Jason Bartos
The Father Matthew Kiess Award goes to:
Bryan Johnson
Send any news items you have to:
Frank Rioux
Chemistry Department
College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5385
E-mail news to: frioux@csbsju.edu