Chemistry Department Held 2013 Honors Day

April 29, 2013 by chemweb

The Chemistry Department held its 2013 Honors Day on April 29 in Buehler Hall 555 to honor students, staff and faculty members for their academic achievements, service to the department as well as their teaching and research achievements. Dr. Arlene Allen Garrison, Vice President of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, attended the event as the guest speaker.

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

• CRC Press General Chemistry Award – Beini Chen
• C. W. Keenan Outstanding General Chemistry Student Award – Sara A. Stein
• Dr. Lucy E. Scroggie Scholarship – Russell T. Smith
• C. A. Buehler Chemistry Scholarship – Desta D. Bume
• East Tennessee Section, ACS, Award – Burton K. Mandrell
• Hach Foundation Scholarship – Maria C. Owens
• Melaven-Rhenium Scholarships – Desta D. Bume, Christopher E. Freye, Karson N. Lurie, Brittany L. Skyberg, James R. Smith, Russell T. Smith, Benjamin T. White
• Honors Chemistry Recognition – Zachary R. Austin, Nathan P. Crilly, Phoebe E. Fogelman, Phillip Mingola, Robert W.    Pedersen, Eric J. Oberding
• Chancellor’s Honors and Office of Research Summer Internships – Nicholas A. DiLoreto, Andrew P. Moss, Alexander C. Parrott, Brian R. Poore
• Chancellor’s Honors Extraordinary Academic Achievement – Rachel Naramore
• Chancellor’s Honors Extraordinary Professional Promise – Burton K. Mandrell
• Office of Undergraduate Research EURēCA Award – Desta D. Bume

STAFF AWARDS

• Outstanding Service Award – James A. Murphy, Linda C. Sherman
• Carol Moulton ACGS Service Award – Art D. Pratt
• James F. Green ACGS Service Award- Rachel Rui

GRADUATE AWARDS

• Second Year Candidacy Award – Samuel M. Rosolina, Hubert K. Turley
• Outstanding Teaching Awards -Tanei J. Ricks, Brian E. Sundahl
• Judson Hall Robertson Fellowship in Analytical Chemistry – Vighter O. Iberi
• Graduate Fellowship for Achievement in Inorganic Chemistry – Christopher R. Murdock
• Jerome Eastham Fellowship in Organic Chemistry – Yundi Gan
• East Tennessee Section, ACS, Graduate Fellow – Peng Chen
• Joint Institute of Neutron Sciences Fellowships – Seth C. Hunter
• Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship Award – Weiyu Wang
• Winners of the Board of Visitor’s Poster Competition – Vighter O. Iberi, Tara M. Michels-Clark

FACULTY AWARDS

• NSF Career Award – Dr. Jon P. Camden, Dr. David M. Jenkins
• Chancellor’s Award for Interdisciplinary Research – Dr. George K. Schweitzer
• College of Arts & Sciences: Junior Faculty Research and Creative Achievement Award – Dr. Jon P. Camden
• Extraordinary Service to the College as Director of the Govenor’s School for Science and Engineering (1994-2012) and Science Olympiad State Tournament (2008-2012) – Dr. Jeffrey D. Kovac
• Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: Faculty of the Year for professor/instructor for outstanding academic instruction and service – Dr. Christiane Barnes
• American Association for Advancement in Science Fellows – Dr. Jimmy W. Mays, Dr. Alexei P. Sokolov
• American Chemical Society Fellow – Dr. David C. Baker
• New Faculty – Dr. Steven R. Neal
• Gleb Mamantov Professorship in Chemistry – Dr. Jon P. Camden
• Ziegler Professor Announcement – Dr. Michael D. Best

Weiyu Wang Received Eastman Fellowship

April 25, 2013 by chemweb

Weiyu Wang, a chemistry graduate student in Professor Mays‘ group received 2013 Eastman Chemical Company Summer Fellowship.Established in 2001, the fellowship was designed to assist students in their research as well as help Eastman identify top performers who are in the early stages of their graduate careers.

Each year, selected universities are requested to submit nominations of students and encourage them to apply. A team of scientists from Eastman then rank all of the received applications and award either travel grant or full fellowship to several applicants. Wang received one of the three nation-wide full fellowship this year.

“Weiyu stood out as a candidate because the team felt he was a rising star.” Dr. Peter Chapman, Eastman Senior Chemist commented, “At this early stage in his career, he already has contributions to 3 publications.  He also is developing himself to have a very broad knowledge of polymer synthesis and characterization techniques.  Based on his early career performance, the team felt that Weiyu has a lot of potential as scientist.”

While excited to receive the fellowship, Wang is thankful for all the help he received from his mentors and staff in the Chemistry Department. “I’m sincerely grateful to Dr. Mays and Dr. Kilbey for the support they give to me and also Mr. Tom Malmgren for his help of polymer characterization.” said Wang.

Born and raised in a small town Baiyin in northwest of China, Wang attended Hunan University as a chemistry undergraduate student in 2007 and started research during his undergraduate studies. He participated in two projects in the field of Surface Enhanced Raman spectroscopy and gold nanoparticles and co-published three papers in different journals. After graduation in 2011, Wang applied to the University of Tennessee Knoxville and joined Professor Mays‘ research group. His research is now focusing on the project “Role of chain microstructure and branching on solution and thin film phase behavior”.

Previous recipients of Eastman Chemical Company Summer Fellowship from UT

• 2008 –  Michael Gilbert    Full Fellowship  (Dr. Frank Vogt)
• 2011 –  Rebecca Horton   Travel Grant  (Dr. Frank Vogt)
• 2012 –  Christ Bennett      Travel Grant   (Dr. Jon Camden)
• 2013 –  Weiyu Wang       Full Fellowship  (Dr. Jimmy Mays)

Professor Christiane Barnes Received TLSAMP Faculty of the Year Award

April 16, 2013 by chemweb

Professor Christiane Barnes, lecturer and Director of General Chemistry in the Chemistry Department, was awarded Faculty of the Year during the 3rd annual Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) Awards Banquet hosted in the University Center Ballroom on Monday, April 15 at 6pm.

More than 50 faculty, staff and TLSAMP scholars participated in the Awards Banquet. Barnes was nominated by Chandler Wallace, a senior in biomedical engineering, describing her as a professor who is making learning fun and interactive. “She is very passionate about Chemistry and it shows through lectures and effort brought to the classroom.” Wallace wrote in his nomination.

Born in Germany, Barnes came to the University of Tennessee in 1986 and obtained her Master’s Degree in Chemistry in 1988. She went back to Germany and received her Ph.D. degree in 1991 from the University of Bonn. Barnes was then hired back as a post-doc working in Dr. Baker‘s lab in 1992, and served as an Editorial Assistant for the journal, Carbohydrate Research during 2000-2011. She started her teaching career in the Department in 1993.

Awards also given out during the banquet include SHPE Awards, NSBE Awards, Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Research, Freshman of the Year and Scholar of the Year. TLSAMP is a program founded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the enrollment and graduation rate of underrepresented students (Hispanic, African-American, American-Indian, Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islander) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The University of Tennessee is one of six colleges and universities to receive a five year grant from TLSAMP, which represents one of 41 such programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The University of Tennessee is one of six colleges and universities to receive a five year grant from TLSAMP, which represents one of 41 such programs sponsored by the NSF.

Jeffrey Kovac Honored by the College of Arts and Sciences

April 15, 2013 by chemweb

By Lynn Champion

On Saturday, April 6, Theresa Lee, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented an award on behalf of the college to Jeffrey Kovac, professor of chemistry, acknowledging his extraordinary contributions to pre-collegiate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in the state of Tennessee through his long and distinguished service as director of the Tennessee Governor’s Schools for Sciences and Engineering (1994–2012) and Tennessee Science Olympiad State Tournament (2008–2012).

Lee said Kovac’s talents as an educator in the undergraduate and graduate classrooms found expression beyond the traditional university classroom through his leadership of these two programs designed to educate pre-collegiate students. At a time when improving STEM education has become both a state and national priority, Kovac has been a leader in the college and the university in STEM education and successfully led these two important statewide STEM educational initiatives for a number of years.

“Jeff’s  leadership of these programs has produced remarkable outcomes and touched many students,” Lee said. “We are very grateful for his service on behalf of the college.”

As director of the Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering, Kovac designed an appropriate curriculum and complementary co-curricular activities for 100–150 of Tennessee’s best and brightest students each year, recruiting appropriate faculty instructors and teaching at least one seminar himself. His steadfast commitment to educational excellence, passionate advocacy for pre-collegiate education, skillful negotiation, and documentation of student success enabled the university to obtain a total of $4,424,058 in funds and contracts to sponsor the program and provided a high-quality academic educational experience for more than 2,000 talented Tennessee high school students. One scholarly publication stems from his work in pre-collegiate education: Scientific Ethics for High School Students, co-authored with P. A. Frase and L. M. Barden.

In 2009, Kovac was invited to direct the Tennessee Science Olympiad State Tournament. For each year that he served as director, Kovac recruited and trained dozens of event coordinators and more than fifty student volunteers for the one-day event that brought thirty-six teams of middle school and high school students to campus to compete in twenty-three individual events per division. About 1,000  students participated each year.  Kovac’s knowledge of pre-collegiate education and administrative experience was a critical factor in the planning and execution of highly successful tournaments throughout his tenure as director.

Science Olympiad is a powerful program for introducing middle and high school students to science and engineering concepts and their applications through competitive events, but the number of schools in Tennessee that participate is much smaller than in comparable states. As a member of the Tennessee Science Olympiad Board of Directors, Kovac took a leadership role on the board to expand participation by schools in Tennessee.

Kovac earned a PhD in 1974 from Yale University. After completing two years as a postdoctoral research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1976. In the course of his career here, he earned tenure and then promotion to full professor and has become an all-around successful member of the academic community. His outstanding academic career has been an integration of his excellence in research, teaching (including advising and mentoring students), and outreach and public service. While serving as the director of the undergraduate instructional program in the Department of Chemistry and carrying a regular faculty load, he has maintained an active program of scholarship that includes the publication of six books, eight chapters of books, more than seventy articles, and more than fifty book reviews.

Numerous campus awards acknowledge his success in the university’s missions of teaching, research, and outreach. Among the awards he has received are the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Services Award, the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Outreach Award, and the College of Arts and Sciences Senior Faculty Teaching Award. At the campus level, he has been awarded the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Teaching, the L. R. Hesler Award for Superior Teaching and Outstanding Service, the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Advising, the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Outreach and Engagement, and the University Honors Program Outstanding Service Award.

Chemistry Faculty and Students Lauded at Chancellor Honors Banquet

April 9, 2013 by chemweb

The Chancellor’s Honors Banquet is held each spring to recognize students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University of Tennessee for their extraordinary achievements.The 2013 banquet was held April 8th at the University Center. Following chemistry faculty and students are recognized during the banquet.

Professor George Schweitzer received a Citation for Success in Multidisciplinary Research.

Rachel Narramore received a Citation for Extraordinary Academic Achievement.

Rachel Naramore is a senior at the University of Tennessee double majoring in Honors Chemistry and History and is the outstanding graduate in Chemistry for Spring 2013 Commencement. She currently works in Dr. Baker’s lab in synthesis of novel sultams with potential as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for HIV. Last year she worked as a TA in Chemistry 120 and 130. Next fall she will begin medical school at the University of Florida College of Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, singing, and spending time with her family and friends.

Burton Mandrell received a Citation for Extraordinary Professional Promise.

Mandrell is from Knoxville, TN where he went to Bearden High School and graduated as a salutatorian of his class. At UT, Mandrell is a senior in the Chancellor’s Honors program pursuing an Honors BS in Chemistry (ACS certified) with a biology minor. He was recognized for Extraordinary Professional Promise at the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet and will be recognized as an Outstanding Graduate of the Chemistry Department at commencement this May. Currently, Mandrell works with Drs. Best and Camden on synthesizing deuterium labeled dyes for use in Hyper Raman Spectroscopy as part of his honors thesis.

Mandrell has been working in the Camden lab for 3 years, but he also spent a summer internship doing C-11 radiochemistry at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the NIH funded Pediatric Oncology Education program. In his free time, Mandrell enjoys live music and playing cards, especially bridge for which he represented UT along with 3 other UT students at the North American Collegiate Team Bridge Tournament in Philadelphia in July 2012 placing 7th out of 8th (beating Harvard!). After graduation, Mandrell will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry.

The Banquet program also announced that Desta Bume, a College Scholar working with Professor Craig Barnes as one of the winners of a EUReCA award.

Desta Bume is from small village of Wotera in southern Ethiopia. After completing his education through 8^th grade in Wotera, he went to high school in Hawassa city and graduated as valedictorian of his graduating class of nearly 1000 students. During his high school career in Ethiopia, Desta had an opportunity to come to the United States through an exchange program and he spent his junior year at Signal Mountain High School in Chattanooga, TN.  Being an exchange student provided him with priceless experiences that helped him return to the University of Tennessee Knoxville as a Haslam Scholar, one of fifteen students accepted to the program from entering freshmen, in 2010. He is also a member of Chancellor Honors program. Currently, Desta is doing his course work through the College Scholars Program under Chemistry and Biological Sciences major.

Since the summer of his freshmen year in the College, Desta has been working with Dr. Craig Barnes on the project titled “Controlled Formation of Silicate Monolayers on Silicon Wafers.” In addition, he is working on “Expression, Purification and Characterization of Human Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) with Dr. Nitin Jain in BCMB Department.  For last two summers, Desta worked as a teaching assistant in Chemistry and Biology for Governor School of Sciences and Engineering and is planning to teach again this summer. At the end of his sophomore year, he received a top rising junior in Chemistry (ACS) and also won EUReCA award for his project with Dr. Barnes. After graduating in May 2014, Desta is planning to attend graduate school in Medicinal Chemistry.

In his spare time, Desta enjoys running, playing soccer, volleyball and volunteering for various charitable organizations. Partnered up with his former host high school, Desta raised money to build water wells, classrooms and bought library books for elementary school in home village of Wotera.

Chemistry Undergraduate Received NSF Predoctoral Fellowship

April 5, 2013 by chemweb

Chemistry undergraduate student Britta Johnson, who graduated last year, recently received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP). Johnson was also the receipient of 2012 Outstanding Graduate in College Scholars at the University of Tennessee, College of Arts and Sciences and the winner of Best Presentation Award in 2012 EUReCA.

The NSF GRFP  will provide Johnson with funding for three years ($30,000 per year) along with a full tuition waiver. Johnson is now a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Chemistry Department, Physical Chemistry Division. While looking forward to start her research project at the beginning of this summer, Johnson is currently focused on completing her first year of classes and teaching.

When Johnson entered UT, her concentration was Mathematical and Chemical Physics. As a freshman, Britta won the C. W. Keenan Prize given to the best student in Honors General Chemistry and in 2011 she was one of three UTK students to be awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Johnson began her research in computational quantum chemistry with Professor R. J. Hinde in the Department of Chemistry as a freshman, an experience she described as most rewarding. “I wanted to thank Dr. Hinde for all of the support and opportunities that he provided me that made this (NSF GRFP) possible. I could not have gotten this without him!” Johnson said.

Her work with Professor Hinde has resulted in one peer-reviewed publication to date: B. Johnson and R. J. Hinde, “Pairwise Additive Model for the He-MgO(100) Interaction,” Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2011, 115, 7112-7119. During the summers Britta worked as a resident advisor for the Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering while carrying on research in chemistry or mathematics.

Founded in 1952, NSF GRFP is a program that recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.This year, they awarded 2000 graduate students out of the 13000 who applied.

For more information about their program, check out NSF GRFP website.