Bailey named Scholar of the Week
Joseph Bailey was named UT Quest Scholar of the Week on May 2, in recognition of his forthcoming visiting professorship at the Center for Ecological Research at the University of Kyoto, Japan.
by armsworth
Joseph Bailey was named UT Quest Scholar of the Week on May 2, in recognition of his forthcoming visiting professorship at the Center for Ecological Research at the University of Kyoto, Japan.
by armsworth
Jiang Jiang (NIMBioS fellow and Classen Lab postdoc) and Don DeAngelis (adjunct) have received the Ecological Society of America’s 2014 Outstanding Ecological Theory Paper Award. Their winning paper, “Strong species-environment feedback shapes plant community assembly along environmental gradients,” was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution in 2013 (3: 4119–4128).
“In their clearly-written paper, the authors make direct linkages to problems in plant ecology, while building a general theoretical model that addresses a key issue, not just in plant ecology, of feedbacks between organisms and their environment. Through well-designed analyses of an elegant model, they found that “ecological engineers” (species that modify the environment to their own benefit) can affect the diversity of the competitive community they inhabit, and that the direction of this effect depends critically on the extent to which the community is closed to immigration and on the spatial heterogeneity of the environment. These novel results should are likely to foster further theoretical research and generate some fine hypotheses that will motivate experimental and field studies.”
“The Theoretical Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America sponsors an annual award for an outstanding published paper in ecological theory. Papers with a print or electronic publication date in either of the two years preceding the year of the award are eligible.”
by newframe
In picture (left to right): Jonathan Fong, Matt Dembo, Amanda Clune, Nolan Mitchell, Alexis Dale, Tanei Ricks, Amber Moody, Sam Rosolina, and Eric Barrowclough.
A group of chemistry graduate students won Top Fundraising Team Award given by the American Cancer Society during the 2014 Tennessee Relay for Life event held on April 11th in Circle Park on the University of Tennessee Knoxville campus.
Chemistry team members include: Amanda Clune, Sam Mattern-Schain, Nolan Mitchell, Sam Rosolina, Jonathan Fong, Tess Kirchner, Amber Moody, Matt Dembo, Alexis Dale, Tanei Ricks, Eric Barrowclough, and Adam Carr.
“I want to stress that we had a lot more people than that come out to walk with us, and we had over 100 individual monetary donations to our team.” Rosolina, a third year graduate student in Xue’s Group and the Community Service Chair of Association of Chemistry Graduate Students said.
The chemistry team raised over $6,000 for the American Cancer Society which put them into third place out of forty teams for amount of money raised for the event. Out of a total of 1221 participants, Amanda Clune, a first year graduate student in Musfeldt’s Group, received the honor of top individual participant for most money raised. Overall, the entire event raised over $65,000 for the American Cancer Society.
by newframe
by newframe
The Larese’s group at the UT Chemistry Department prepared the chemistry examination for the Tennessee State Science Olympiad on Saturday, April 12. High school students from all across Tennessee came to UTK and were challenged experimentally with a reaction set in which the oxidation state of manganese was altered, as well as chromatography of fountain pen inks. The students were then given a set of advanced questions in various aspects of chemical reactions.
The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. High school students participate in pre-designed events in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computers and technology to develop their teamwork and problem solving skills.
This was the second consecutive year the Larese’s group has organized this event. Previous years, other chemistry research groups such as the Camden’s Group also participated in preparation of Science Olympiad.
by newframe
Derek Mull, a first year graduate student in the Jenkins’ Group, received National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship. Mull is one of the three students at the University of Tennessee Knoxville received the GRFP Fellowship this year.
The GRFP 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. Mull was selected because of his “outstanding abilities and accomplishments”, as well as his “potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the US science and engineering enterprise”, stated by his award email.
“I was thoroughly surprised and delighted.” Mull said, “I had spent the previous month keeping my hopes down by enumerating the reasons why I probably wouldn’t get it…so it was very much an ‘I can’t believe it’ moment.”
Mull received his BS in chemistry and BS in biology from the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, in 2011. He interned at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) from January to August 2011 through the Higher Education Research Experience program through Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), before relocating to Los Angeles in September of that year to join the research group of Prof. Omar Yaghi. Prior to commencing his graduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Derek worked in the nonprofit and healthcare sectors in Tampa, FL.
by newframe
Chemistry Department held 2014 Honors Day on Thursday, April 24 in Buehler Hall 555. Gerald DeVault, Project Manager for Technology at Y12 Uranium Processing Facility, also an alumnus of the Department, gave an invited speech before the awards ceremony. Following is a list of this year’s awardees.
by newframe
Shelby Stavretis, first year graduate student in Professor Xue’s group, was recently admitted to the National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering after a nationwide competition. The school is a Department of Energy program and only selected students in physics, chemistry, materials science, or related fields across the country are admitted.
Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Stavretis went to Butler University (Indianapolis, IN) for her undergraduate degree in chemistry. In 2013, Stavretis joined the UT Chemistry Department, pursing PhD studies in inorganic chemistry under Professor Xue. Her research currently focuses on the determination the zero field splitting parameters of metalloporphyrins by Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS). Xue group is using the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“I’m excited to have hands on experience with the sophisticated instrumentation at Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories so early in my graduate career.” Stavretis said. “I plan on using the techniques and analysis tools I learn to assist my current research and to devise future research goals.”
by newframe
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 2014 banquet was held April 23rd at the University Center. Following are the chemistry faculty and students who received this year’s honors.
AL HAZARI
Science is for students ages two to 102 — that’s the motto of Al Hazari. A lecturer and director of the undergraduate chemistry laboratories, Hazari is a champion for science. His chemistry “magic shows” have been enjoyed by countless kids and adults for over twenty-two years. It started with grant from the American Chemical Society, which allowed him to visit local schools to demonstrate hands-on activities. Since then, hundreds of people of all ages have flocked to see Hazari demonstrate the wonders of chemistry. The real magic in the shows comes from his presentation, which brings an element of fun and excitement that many people would not associate with a scientific lecture. A fixture in the Knoxville community, Hazari has presented for schools, museums, civic organizations, assisted-living facilities, and organizations reaching underserved groups. The American Chemical Society has recruited him for their national speaker tour, so he now presents throughout the United States.
JON CAMDEN
Jon Camden, assistant professor of chemistry, is pioneering plasmon imaging studies of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, or SERS, a technique that enhances light-particle scattering either by molecules adhering to rough metal surfaces or by nanostructures. In this rapidly expanding field, his research is providing solid connections between experiment and theory, which will advance fundamental understanding of SERS enhancement mechanisms. He has developed a comprehensive research program, and his group has imaged structures with single molecule SERS activity and, through experiment and electrodynamic calculations, established conditions of electron activation of SERS hot spots.
by newframe
Hobbie Turley, a chemistry graduate student in Professor Camden’ group received 2014 Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship Award. 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.
“Hobbie was selected as a fellowship winner because the team was impressed with his track record in his graduate studies at UT.” Dr. Peter Chapman, Eastman Principal Chemist commented, “The team also understood the high degree of difficulty presented by his current research project. Members of the team felt that Hobbie has a promising career as a scientist ahead of him.”
“I was both thrilled and honored to find out they had selected me.” Turley said, “I deeply appreciate their support, but I can’t forget that I couldn’t have done it without the help of my advisor Jon Camden and my fellow lab mates.”
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Turley attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After he graduated in 2011 with a B.S. in chemistry, Turley returned to Tennessee to pursue a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at UTK under Professor Jon Camden. His current research is focused on developing a nonlinear surface-enhanced spectroscopy (Surface-Enhanced hyper-Raman or SEHRS) for ultrasensitive detection. Since Turley joined the Department, his reserch has rendered two publications. The first was a second author for his contributions to the first observation of single-molecule SEHRS. The second was a first author for his work on exploring these of SEHRS with short-wave IR (SWIR) excitations. Turley also recently presented the SWIR work in a talk at the ACS meeting in Dallas.
Previous recipients of Eastman Chemical Company Summer Fellowship from UT