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Xinyi Lu: a Polymer Chemist in the Making

May 16, 2016 by chemweb

Xinyi Lu, a chemistry graduate student at The University of Tennessee Knoxville, recently received the Graduate Fellowship Award at the East Tennessee Section of the American Chemical Society 2016 Awards Banquet. Lu is also one of the winners at 2015 Board of Visitors Poster Competition and gave a seminar talk titled “Improving Carbon Nanotube Fibers through Crosslinking” on April 21, 2016 as part of the Department’s 501 seminar series.

Lu entered the chemistry graduate program at UT in fall 2012 and subsequently joined the Mays group to pursue a Ph.D. degree in polymer chemistry. In the past four years, Lu has grown from a student focusing on exam performances to a mature and independent researcher who’s confident to convey her research findings to a big audience. “I am proud of myself for being able to give a talk at the seminar in front of the entire department. I have always been shy and timid, and I definitely could not imagine this a few years ago.” Lu said.

Growing up in Dalian, China, Lu obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Polymer Science and Engineering from Dalian University of Technology in 2012. After joining the Mays’ group at UT, Lu was trained in the group’s traditions of glass-blowing techniques for high-vacuum anionic polymerization. Her research is focused on functionalization of carbon nanotubes and fullerenes using polymers for applications which included high-strength carbon fibers and polymer photovoltaics. She is also the current student operator of MALDI-ToF and ESI mass spectrometers in the Department.

On average, it takes 4 to 6 years for a student with a bachelor’s degree to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry. Planning on graduating this summer, Lu defintely falls on the short end of the spectrum. “I was lucky that the project proceeded smoothly and I was offered much help from my advisors and coworkers.” Lu said. “If there was something that one could control, I would say it is the choice to focus on the area of the dissertation, but it is more of a personal choice whether to stay focused in one area and finish early, or take their time and to explore various topics through their Ph.D. course.”

Lu has thus far published seven papers including one first-authored paper submitted for Carbon. Lu attributed her academic achievements to her mentor Mays, and other colleagues in the Mays’ group. “I feel humbled because it is fortunate for me to work in Dr. Mays’ group, and I would not have received the award without Dr. Mays’ solid support.” Lu commented. “The group provided us the opportunity to meet and learn from top polymer chemists, and extensive help from our research professor Dr. Kang. I also would like to attribute this honor to Dr. Kunlun Hong and Dr. Weiyu Wang, both former Ph.D. graduates from our group, who altruistically helped less experienced students in many aspects.”

As a mentor, Jimmy Mays, professor of chemistry and ORNL Distinguished Scientist, described Lu as an “truly outstanding scholar and person.”

Lu received $1,500 from the ETS-ACS Graduate Fellowship award that she plans to put towards travel to the Materials Rsearch Society 2016 fall meeting in Boston. Close to graduation, Lu has bigger plans for her future. “I tentatively plan to work in industry on research and development after graduation. Application of polymer nanocomposites in industry has attracted wide attention recently, and I believe this area will continue to prosper in the near future.” Lu said.

Chemistry Students, Alumni and Faculty Recognized at 2016 ETS-ACS Awards Banquet

May 6, 2016 by chemweb

Several students, alumni and faculty members in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville were recognized at the 2016 East Tennessee Section of the American Chemical Society (ETS-ACS) Awards Banquet on May 5 hosted at Calhoun’s on the River Restaurant. George Kabalka, Professor of Chemistry, was invited to give a talk titled, “Boron: Basic Science to Modern Medicine (A Personal Journey).”

During this year’s Awards Banquet, Xinyi Lu, Chemistry graduate student, received the Graduate Fellowship Award, Madeline Stark, Chemistry undergraduate student, received the Undergraduate Senior Award, and Department of Chemistry alumni, Rachel Glazener, was recognized as ETS-ACS Past-Chair and Elissa LaPointe was named the ETS-ACS High School Teacher of the Year. Several Emeritus Professors of the Department were also recognized for being members of ACS for 50 and 60 years. Click to view a complete list of awardees.

ETS-ACS covers 13 counties in East Tennessee and has approximately 600 members. The local section participates in the National Chemistry Week, the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day, the Chemistry Olympiad, and the ACS – Tennessee Government Affairs programs. The section’s annual S.C. Lind Lecture Series brings in outstanding scientists and world-renowned researchers.

Department of Chemistry Hosted UT/VT Polymer Workshop

May 4, 2016 by chemweb

The Department of Chemistry at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville hosted a UT/VT Polymer Workshop on April 18^th and 19^th. The workshop was attended by more than 70 faculty, students and researchers from UT, Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Lab and other institutions in the surrounding area.

“The goal of the workshop is to develop collaborations, enhance interactions, and provide the foundation for future joint research ventures, with a particular emphasis on developing large collaborative teams that can compete for large center type grants,” said Dr. Mark Dadmun, professor of chemistry at UT and Chair of the workshop organizing committee.

During the two-day workshop, faculty and students presented 20 talks and 41 posters focused on three areas in polymer chemistry – interfaces in nanocomposites, blends adhesives, and films; additive manufacturing; and transport in polymer membranes. “I was very happy with the workshop, and thought that it was a resounding success,” said Dadmun. “The participation, enthusiasm, and interactions during the talks and posters were exactly what I had hoped for.  I think that the format of the workshop engaged both students and faculty. I am certain that the UT and VT polymer program will continue these workshops in the future, and we may even bring in other polymer programs from the Southeast to broaden the interactions among the polymer community in this part of the country. I also believe that real scientific collaborations between the two universities will quickly emerge from these interactions.”

Dr. Tim Long, professor of chemistry at VT, was excited about this “renewed partnership” between the two polymer programs. “…our teaming will provide real scientific leadership in our region and across the nation. Great ideas emerged in our discussions, and I think this workshop will catalyze exciting new proposals in macromolecular science and engineering.” Long said.

The workshop, sponsored by the Office of Research at UT and the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at VT, attracted not only polymer chemists, but also researchers from various engineering departments to learn more about current research trends in polymer chemistry. “I got to know more about this type of research and it is the first time I presented a poster.” Nadim Hmeidat, a Graduate Research Assistant in the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering Department at UT commented. “We are dealing more with the mechanical and rheological properties of polymers,” Hmeidat added. “But I personally enjoyed the talks and am excited about the possible opportunities for collaborations in the future.”

Chemistry Students, Faculty and Staff Recognized at 2016 Honors Day

May 3, 2016 by chemweb

Department of Chemistry held 2016 Honors Day on Thursday, April 28^th .  More than 50 students, faculty and staff were recognized for their academic achievements and outstanding services. Dr. Diane Schmidt, alumna and a member of the Department’s Board of Visitors was invited to speak about her career as a chemist for more than 30 years in Procter & Gamble, where she helped develop some well-known products such as Head and Shoulders shampoo. Schmidt also shared her invaluable experience being the 2015 president of the American Chemical Society, the largest scientific society in the world.

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

CRC Press General Chemistry Award	John H. Hymel
C. W. Keenan Outstanding General Chemistry Student Award	Alexandra C. Brito
Halbert and Anne Carmichael Scholarship	Lauren A. Finney
Dr. Lucy E. Scroggie Scholarship	Carolyn E. Barnes
C. A. Buehler Chemistry Scholarship	Peymon C. Baghernejad
East Tennessee Section, ACS, Award	Madeline S. Stark
Hach Foundation Scholarships	Brittany A. Ramsey, Grace C. Wilson
Melaven-Rhenium Scholarship	Madeline S. Stark
Honors Chemistry Recognition	Rachael E. Barker, Carolyn E. Barnes, Isidora R. Beach, Wesley N. Cox, Katherine L., Krouse, Robert P. Ledbetter, Emily J. Liske, Ingram A. Northern, Ajay J. Patel

GRADUATE AWARDS

Outstanding Teaching Awards	Harkiran K. Dhah, Sara B. Isbill
Keenan Teaching Awards	Randi L. Beil
Second Year Candidacy Award	Kendall D. Hughey, Samantha J. Rinehart
Judson Hall Robertson Fellowship in Analytical Chemistry	Brianna R. Watson
Graduate Fellowship for Achievement in Inorganic Chemistry	Shelby E. Stavretis
Jerome Eastham Fellowship in Organic Chemistry	Lauren A. Brown
Eugene John Barber Fellowship in Physical Chemistry	Michael O. Yokosuk
Burchfield Burridge Warner Fellowship in Polymer Chemistry	Brian F. Morgan
East Tennessee Section, ACS, Graduate Fellow	Xinyi Lu
Gleb Mamantov Graduate Chemistry Scholar	Samuel M. Rosolina

STUDENT RECOGNITIONS

Chancellor’s 2016 Extraordinary Professional Promise Award	Samuel M. Rosolina
Chancellor’s 2016 Top Collegiate Scholar Award	Morgan A. Higgins, Madeline S. Stark
Chancellor’s 2016 Extraordinary Academic Achievement	Allison S. Poget
Graduate Student Poster Presentation Award and Societal Impact Award at UTK’s Women in STEM Research Symposium	Laura D. Casto
1st Place Oral Presentation Undergraduate at UTK’s Women in STEM Research Symposium	Lauren Finney
1st Place Oral Presentation Graduate at UTK’s Women in STEM Research Symposium	Ashleigh Barnes
2nd Place Oral Presentation at UTK’s Women in STEM Research Symposium	Lena Elenchin
2016 American Chemical Society Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy	Roberto A. Federico Perez
Joint Institute for Advanced Materials Fellowship	Daniele Paradiso
Eastman Chemical Company Summer Fellowship	Bethany M. Aden
Winners of the Board of Visitor’s Poster Competition	Lena Elenchin, Xinyi Lu

STAFF AWARDS

Outstanding Service Award	Eddie F. Bishop III, Deedee D. Wilder
Carol Moulton ACGS Service Award	Neal A. Fischer
James F. Green ACGS Service Award	Linda C. Sherman

FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

New Faculty	Christopher A. Baker, Bhavya Sharma
Retiring Faculty	George W. Kabalka
Elected At-large Senator of the Phi Beta Kappa Society	Jeffrey D. Kovac
Mortar Board Society Invited Speaker	George K. Schweitzer
Fellow of the American Chemical Society	Mark Dadmun
Francon Williams Endowed Faculty Award in Chemistry	Brian K. Long
Gleb Mamantov Professorship in Chemistry	David M. Jenkins
Ziegler Professor Announcement	S. Mike Kilbey II
In Memoriam	George Pedro “Pete” Smith

Chemistry Faculty and Students Recognized at 2016 Chancellor’s Honors Banquet

April 26, 2016 by chemweb

2016 Research and Creative Achievement—Professional Promise – Professor Shawn Campagna

Research and Creative Achievement — Professional Promise awards honor faculty members who are early in their careers for excellence in research, scholarship, and creative achievement.

Shawn Campagna, associate professor of chemistry, pioneered the use of mass spectrometry for the analysis of metabolytes—an area that has application across several disciplines, including biology and agricultural science. With resource support from several UT departments, he built the Biological and Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, a model facility that consists of six mass spectrometers. He was recently awarded funds to purchase a seventh instrument. In just five years, Campagna has attracted more than $5.5 million in funding. His drive and creativity have had a huge impact on multiple departments across the university.

View the full list of 2016 recipients

2016 Extraordinary Professional Promise

Sam Rosolina

Extraordinary Professional Promise honors are awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate professional promise in teaching, research or other contributions.

View the full list of 2016 recipients

2016 Top Collegiate Scholar Awards

The Top Collegiate Scholar Awards honor undergraduates who exhibit extraordinary scholarship.

Arts and Sciences

• Aaron Gregory Baer
• Natalie Christine Blocher
• Erica Mechelle Davis
• Lauren Elizabeth DeBusk
• Desiree Renate Dube
• Megan Lee Faust
• Matthew Drury Frieling
• Kelsey lyssa Fritz
• Morgan Alexandra Higgins (Chemistry)
• Christina Namkyung Kihm
• Anthony Cole Micetich
• Madeline Shea Stark (Chemistry)
• Emily Browning Webb
• Jacob Louis Wessels
• Wesley Daniel Whisenant

View the full list of 2016 recipients

2016 Extraordinary Academic Achievement

Extraordinary Academic Achievement honors are awarded to undergraduates who exhibit extraordinary scholarship.

Arts and Sciences

• Victoria Banks
• Natalie Blocher
• Erica Davis
• Desiree Dube
• Caroline Duer
• Blake Erickson
• Megan Faust
• David Housewright
• Adam LaClair
• Cheyanne Leonardo
• Rachael MacLean
• Zachery Markland
• Ryan McDonald
• Allison Poget (Chemistry)
• Taylor Thomas
• Louis Varriano

View the full list of 2016 recipients

Going the Extra Mile: Arts and Sciences Spotlights Professor Xue

February 25, 2016 by chemweb

As part of  Faculty Appreciation Week 2016, four College of Arts and Sciences faculty members, including chemistry professor Ben Xue, were highlighted in Tennessee Today for “going the extra mile” in their teaching, research and outreach.

Article from TN Today by Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Ben Xue

“Science is not only what you see on papers and do in the lab, but also what you can use when faced with everyday problems,” said Ziling (Ben) Xue, a professor of chemistry.

Xue, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science whose areas of expertise are analytical chemistry and inorganic chemistry, puts that philosophy into practice by incorporating many elements of experiential learning into his courses and labs.

“I am a firm believer that putting students in real-life situations and engaging them to solve critical problems can enhance their learning experiences and lead to value-added educational outcomes,” he said.

When the Kingston Fossil Plant had a catastrophic coal fly ash slurry spill more than seven years ago, millions of pounds of coal ash overtook residences and businesses in the area. Xue and a team of students took samples from the Emory River in order to analyze the heavy metal content in the water.

Xue and his graduate students also volunteer with the UT Math and Science Center where they mentor high school students who are on their way to becoming first-generation college students.

In 2013, the Xue Group developed a quick and easy-to-use sensor that can detect trace amounts of biodiesel contamination in diesel fuel. The project was then funded by the UT Research Foundation to help commercialize the technology.

“Dr. Xue is committed to helping us reach our full potential as scientists,” said Shelby Stavretis, a doctoral candidate who works in Xue’s laboratory. “He is always willing to put in extra time and effort to ensure we are successful.”

Xue came to UT in 1992 after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University College of Pharmacy, completing his doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles, and doing postdoctoral research at Indiana University. He serves as the College of Arts and Sciences representative on a university-wide committee, the China Scholars Program, which seeks to recruit graduate students from China to UT.

His service also extends beyond the UT campus.

In December, Xue completed his term as membership chair in the Inorganic Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, where he sought to recruit undergraduate and graduate students as members of the organization. He is also an associate editor of Science China Chemistry, a renowned comprehensive chemistry journal in China.

During the holidays, Xue volunteers with the Empty Stocking Fund to provide food and holiday gifts to those in need.

Read about other highlighted faculty members on TN Today

Larese Lab Looks into “The Curious Case of Silk”

February 22, 2016 by chemweb

The next medical breakthrough may be found in an Easter egg-sized silk ball.

It is these balls, spun by silkworms, that scientists — including UT’s John Larese and David Kaplan from Tufts University — are currently seeking to unravel and understand.

Silk has been a part of the human economy for centuries, so much so that silkworms have become entirely domesticated. However, according to Larese, there is much that remains unclear regarding the unique properties of this material.

Read the full article on Daily Beacon

Chemistry Professor Campagna Participated in Research to Reduce Severity of Malaria

February 9, 2016 by chemweb

Microorganisms in the gut could play a role in reducing the severity of malaria, according to a new study co-authored by UT researchers.

Steven Wilhelm, the Kenneth and Blaire Mossman Professor in the Department of Microbiology, and Shawn Campagna, associate professor of chemistry, partnered with Nathan Schmidt, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Louisville, to examine the gut microbiomes of mice. They discovered that the severity of malaria is not only a function of the parasite or the host but also is influenced by the microbes in the infected organism.

Read full article in TN Today.

The Physical Chemist: Professor Emeritus Bob Compton

February 4, 2016 by chemweb

From CrossSections, UT Physics and Astronomy, Fall 2015/Winter 2016

Bob Compton retired in Summer 2015 after almost 20 years being a Professor of Chemistry and Physics at UT Knoxville.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://chem.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/xsections-fall2015.pdf”]

Curtis Anderson Publishes Paper in JACS

January 27, 2016 by chemweb

Curtis Anderson, a third year graduate student in the Long Research Group, recently published a paper titled “Redox-Active Ligands: An Advanced Tool To Modulate Polyethylene Microstructure“ in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the flagship journal of the American Chemical Society.

Anderson’s research is focused on the development and utilization of transition metal-based catalysts bearing redox-active ligands. In this report, Anderson found that a particular class of well-known nickel-based catalysts could readily be reduced in situ, providing a controllable and predictable route to polymers with tailored branching content. “This work represents the first example of using a single catalyst to generate more than one distinct polymer microstructure using redox-activity,” said Anderson. This work was performed by Anderson, along with Dr. Jennifer Rhinehart and Professor Brian Long of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Professor Andrew Tennyson, an assistant professor at Clemson University.

“For years, researchers have probed the effects of ligand electronics in catalytic olefin polymerization by meticulously synthesizing libraries of discrete catalysts,” said Long. “While those studies are foundational to our work, Curtis’ recent report provides fundamental, proof-of-principle evidence that the catalytic activity and reactivity of a single olefin polymerization catalyst can be easily modulated via the addition or removal of a single electron.”

JACS is the world’s preeminent journal in all of chemistry and interfacing areas of science. It is devoted to the publication of fundamental research papers and publishes approximately 19,000 pages of Articles, Communications, and Perspectives a year. Published weekly, JACS provides research essential to the field of chemistry.*

Anderson was raised in Hiram, Georgia. He obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, GA. During his time at SPSU, Anderson performed undergraduate research in forensics under Dr. Wei Zhou. Following that experience, he worked for Dr. Rajnish Singh, studying the interaction of cancer cells with natural antioxidants. Anderson joined the Department of Chemistry at UTK in Fall 2013 to pursue a Ph.D. degree in inorganic chemistry and became a member of the Long’s Research Group in December, 2013. His current research focuses on homogeneous catalysis for polyolefins.

*From JACS website