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

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

Chemistry Graduate Student’s Manuscript Accepted at Nano Letters

January 5, 2016 by chemweb

Kenneth O’Neal, a fourth year graduate student in Musfeldt’s Group, first-authored a manuscirpt that was accepted at Nano Letters, a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by American Chemical Society.

O’Neal’s study, titled “High pressure vibrational properties of WS₂ nanotubes“, focuses on the high-pressure response of Tungsten Disulfide (WS₂) nanotubes. “WS₂ nanotubes are some of the world’s best solid-state lubricants.” O’Neal said. “We used the synchrotron light source at Brookhaven National Lab to take infrared spectra of the nanotubes with up to 20 GPa of applied pressure, as well as Raman data to the same pressures. Comparing the two techniques revealed that a Raman-active mode is twice as pressure sensitive as every other mode, making it a strong candidate as part of the nanotube breakdown pathway. We also observed some percolation effects as the nanotubes were compressed.”

Nano Letters publishes studies in all branches of the theory and practice of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nano Letters ranked number four among journals in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology based on its 2013 impact factor of 12.94, and ranked number one based on its 2013 Eigenfactor® Score of 0.37484. “It is quite exciting to be accepted at such a high profile journal.” O’Neal said.

O’Neal obtained his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Baldwin-Wallace University. After working an entry-level industry job, O’Neal joined the Department of Chemistry in 2011 to purse a Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry. His current research focuses on two main areas: (i) size-dependent optical properties of nanoparticles and (ii) structure-property relations in molecule-based magnets. O’Neal has been the main student involved in Musfeldt’s research group’s new high pressure spectroscopy initiative.

Chemistry Graduate Student Receives WCC/Eli Lilly Travel Award

December 30, 2015 by chemweb

Lauren Brown, a fourth year chemistry Ph.D. student in the Long Research Group, was awarded the ACS Women Chemists Committee and Eli Lilly & Company Travel Award. As part of this award, Brown will present a poster titled “Enhancing Lactide Polymerization Control through the use of Redox-active Catalysts” at the Spring 2016 ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA.

Brown grew up in upstate South Carolina. After earning her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Wofford College, she worked at Milliken & Company in Application Development for Performance Colorants and Additives. In 2012, Brown joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to pursue a Ph.D. degree. Later that year, she became part of the Long Research Group.

“Lauren has quickly become a leader within the Long Research Group.” Brian Long, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, said. “A portion of her hard work was recently published in the high-impact journal ACS Catalysis, and will be the topic that she will present at the upcoming ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA.”

Awarded biannually, the Travel Award is intended to provide funding for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral female chemists to travel to meetings to present the results of their research. Including Brown, a total of 11 researchers from all around the country received this award that will allow them to attend scientific meetings between Jan. 1^st and June 30^th, 2016. Awardees were selected on the basis of scientific merit and financial need.

“I am so proud of Lauren’s accomplishments to date,” said Long. “Lauren was selected to present her work at the Excellence in Graduate Polymer Science Symposium, which in itself is quite an honor. I expect that she will receive many more before she completes her doctoral work here at UT.”

UT-ORNL Professor Dai Ranked Among World’s Most Influential Scientists

December 28, 2015 by chemweb

Sheng Dai, a professor of chemistry with a joint appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named to a list of the most highly cited researchers in the world.

Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers is an annual list that recognizes some of the world’s leading researchers in the sciences and social sciences. About three thousand researchers were named to the 2015 list.

Read the full article on TN Today

UT and Y-12 Chemical Sensing Technology Wins National R&D100 Award

November 16, 2015 by chemweb

A low-cost chemical sensor invented by a UT chemistry professor in partnership with the Y-12 National Security Complex has been recognized by R&D Magazine as a top technology product in the marketplace.

The invention, the product of Chemistry Professor Michael Sepaniak and collaborators at Y-12, was selected this weekend for the 2015 R&D100 Award—known in the field as the “Oscars of innovation.” The award recognizes the top 100 technology projects of the year and honor the inventors.

Read full article on TN Today