Professor Jenkins to Speak at Pregame Showcase

August 20, 2014 by chemweb

Football fans and the public are invited to attend the College of Arts and Sciences’ 25^th annual Pregame Showcase lecture series, held two hours before all home game kickoffs in the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center, Room 213. Featuring award-winning teachers of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Pregame Showcase offers fans the unique experience to learn from some of UT’s most exceptional faculty members through timely and informative lectures guaranteed to stretch the mind.

This year chemistry professor David Jenkins, recent NSF CAREER award winner, will be featured at the November 15 pregame showcase before UT’s game with Kentucky (Kickoff Time: 4:00pm). Jenkins will be talking about “Expanding the Synthetic Toolbox for Pharmaceuticals”.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://chem.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Jenkins.pdf”]

Chemistry Alumnus Carver Named 2014 ACS Fellow

August 13, 2014 by chemweb

James C. Carver, an alumnus and member of Board of Visitors at the Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee Knoxville, was named 2014 American Chemical Society Fellow in recognition of his achievements in science, his service to the community and his service to ACS.

Carver received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1963, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee in 1972, and a JD degree from the Louisiana State University Law Center in 1989. He is now principal of the Carver Law Firm, LLC, founded in 2011.

After graduating from UTK, he conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Georgia under the direction of Professor David M. Hercules.  Carver remained at UGA as an instructor in the chemistry department for a year, after which he accepted a position as assistant professor of chemistry at Texas A&M University.  After three years at TAUM, Carver was recruited to EXXON Research and Development Laboratories in Baton Rouge, LA to build a surface science lab at the EXXON Labs in Baton Rouge. In 1986, Carver ‘retired’ from EXXON and entered law school at Louisiana State University Law Center. He graduated with a J.D. degree in 1989.  He spent about 20 years with the law firm of Taylor Porter Brooks and Phillips in Baton Rouge, and in 2011 he opened his own firm, The Carver Law Firm.

Carver, one of the early researchers in electron spectroscopy (ESCA) and surface analysis, published some of the pioneering work on understanding the relationship between ESCA ‘chemical shifts’ and chemical bonding. He also successfully applied electron spectroscopy and other surface science tools to the study of corrosion and catalysis.  As a lawyer, Carver has specialized in science-base law, including environmental law, toxic tort litigation, patent law, and regulatory law. He is a registered patent attorney.

Carver has been an active member of ACS for over 40 years.  He is past-chair of the Division of Chemistry and Law, a counselor for ACS, and will be chair of the ACS standing committee on Constitution and Bylaws beginning in 2015. Over the years, Carver has organized a number of symposia at the National ACS meeting, including a number of “mock trials” involving the interface of science and law.  In addition, Carver serves on the Board of Visitors for the Department of Chemistry of the University of Tennessee, the Alumni Board of Trustees of LSU Law Center, and coaches several LSU law school mock trial extramural competition teams.

The 2014 ACS Fellows were inducted at the 248th ACS National Meeting held from August 10 to 14 in San Francisco, CA. Above picture shows Carver (first from right) with Diane Schmidt (center, UT chemistry alumna, ACS president, UT chemistry Board of  Visitors member), and Arlene Garrison (first from left, UT chemistry alumna, Vice President of ORAU, UT chemistry Board of Visitors member).

Related news: Arlene Garrison Named 2014 ACS Fellow

Larese Organizes Neutron Molecular Spectroscopy Symposium for 2014 SERMACS

August 5, 2014 by chemweb

John Larese, professor of chemistry, has organized a symposium “Neutron Spectroscopy And Scattering At The Spallation Neutron Source: Opportunities For Chemists In The Southeast And Beyond” for 2014 Southeast Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society (SERMACS) that will be held  from October 16 to 19 in Nashville, Tennessee.

This symposium will bring together identified experts in the field of neutron molecular spectroscopy, including Larese who spearheaded the effort to bring such spectroscopy to the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS).

“It will not only increase the University’s visibility as a leader in performing cutting edge science with neutrons but also extends our professional relationships beyond the borders of Tennessee.” Larese said. “Furthermore, it allows us to introduce the Universities intellectual and professional expertise to a diverse group of students, faculty and scientific professionals not typically assembled in a concentrated forum within the Tennessee borders.”

The SNS is located on Chestnut Ridge within the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) complex, about 30-minutes drive from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) campus. It represents the most intense source of pulsed neutrons world-wide. Neutron scattering techniques are unrivaled in their ability to characterize the structure and dynamics of condensed matter.

The aim of this symposium is to illustrate the opportunities for chemists to use neutrons to address both fundamental and applied problems in molecular spectroscopy, geochemistry, biochemistry, energy and nanomaterials, catalysis, etc.

Larese joined the chemistry faculty at UT as a Professor with a joint appointment at ORNL in 2001. In addition to his work in surface science and condensed matter he is also the principal investigator for the recently completed VISION neutron vibrational spectrometer at the SNS.

“One particular focus of the session will be to illustrate the capabilities of VISION a newly commissioned instrument at the SNS.” Larese wrote in the symposium abstract. “This spectrometer is the neutron analogue of a Raman-IR spectrometer with simultaneous diffraction capabilities. This next generation spectrometer conservatively offers 500 times higher throughput than the best comparable instrument in the world. VISION has been characterized by experts around the globe as a game changer.”

To date, confirmed speakers and their talk titles are listed below:

Yongqiang Cheng- Spallation Neutron Source
Interpreting INS Spectra via Computer Simulation: The Integrated Approach At VISION

Mike Crawford – Dupont Central Research Station
Neutron Scattering Studies Of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes, Polymer Nanocomposites And Other Industrial Materials

Luke Daemen – Los Alamos National Laboratory
Neutron Vibrational Spectroscopy Applied To Energy-Related Materials

Juergen Eckert – University of South Florida
Neutrons As Microscopic Probes Of Catalytic Reactions

Bruce Hudson – Syracuse University
Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS) Vibrational Spectroscopy As A Molecular Spectroscopic Method

J. Z. Larese – University of Tennessre
Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS) Studies of Hydrogen Spillover on Metal Oxide Surfaces

Nancy Ross – Virgina Tech
Energetics of Nanomaterials: Insights from Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS)

Christoph Wildgruber – Spallation Neutron Source
The VISION Spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source

Picture credit: Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL. Picture from SNS web site. 

UT Chemistry Faculty and Students to Give Talks at 248th ACS

August 4, 2014 by chemweb

Department of chemistry faculty and students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will be giving multiple talks at the 248^th American Chemical Society national meeting and exposition held in San Francisco, California from August 10 to 14. View a complete list of presentations below.

The UTK chemistry department will also attend the ACS graduate school fair held from 2:30pm to 5:30pm, on Sunday, August 10, in the Moscone Convention Center, Room 134. Recruiting coordinator Rachel Rui would like to invite everyone to visit the booth.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://chem.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2014ACS_Pre_UTK_SF.pdf”]

Arlene Garrison Named 2014 ACS Fellow

July 15, 2014 by chemweb

Dr. Arlene Garrison, an alumna and a member of Board of Visitors of the department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, was named 2014 American Chemical Society Fellow along with other 98 members.

Garrison received her Bachelor’s degree in college scholars in 1975 and earned her Ph.D. in chemistry in 1981 both from UTK. In her 40 years of experiences as a scientist and educator, Garrison served as the associate vice president of research at UT, a program director for the National Science Foundation assigned through an interagency agreement with UT, and was appointed as the vice president of university partnerships at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) in May, 2010.

View full press release on ORAU web site

Cameron Lee Received TN-SCORE Best Poster Award

July 3, 2014 by chemweb

Cameron Lee, a fourth year graduate student in Dadmun’s group, received one of three best poster awards from the annual TN-SCORE conference for his titled work “Conditions for the Formation of P3HT Organogel During Spin-Coating: Tuning Electrical Properties of Thin Films.” Lee was presented the award along with a $1000 travel stipend.

Lee’s poster highlighted research and results from a novel static light scattering instrument used to monitor the in situ onset and morphological evolution of a low bandgap, conjugated polymer used in organic photovoltaics and organic electronics, poly(3-hexylthiophene), during spin coating. Using this novel apparatus, specific processing conditions, such as solvent choice and composition, were correlated to the formation of organogel aggregates, aggregate size, and resultant electronic properties of the final film.

Lee’s research funding comes from TN-SCORE (Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storage using Outreach, Research and Education), a National Science Foundation EPSCoR RII Track I Research Infrastructure award. The program goal is to provide competitive research initiative to smaller undergraduate institutions in the state of Tennessee, but more importantly to provide a culture of collaboration among smaller schools and flagship schools like Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee Knoxville. The research is themed around three main thrusts: Advanced Solar Conversion, Devices for Energy Storage and Conversion, and Nanostructures for enhancing Energy Efficiency.

Lee was raised in the rural Appalachian town of Romney, West Virginia, a region known for its apple orchards and rolling hills. He earned his B.S. in chemistry at Wheeling Jesuit University, also receiving scholarship money to compete as a NCAA Division II multi-events athlete on the track and field team. Lee continued his interest in the sport after he joined UT chemistry department in 2010. He is now volunteering on the Vol and Lady Vol track and field team in his spare time. Enjoying all Knoxville has to offer, he has moved out of traditional housing, deciding instead to reside on a houseboat on the Tennessee River. After joining the Dadmun’s Group in 2011, Lee’s research has focused on the structure-property relationships of conjugated polymers for use in organic photovoltaics and electronic devices.

Chemistry Professors Participated in eVOL10 Program

June 13, 2014 by chemweb

Chemistry Professors Michael Best and Brian Long participated in a high school outreach program eVOL10. They mentored students to design, build and test vehicles that were propelled through the combination of sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid. The final runs of the cars were held on Thursday, June 12 at the Buehler Hall loading dock at 8:30 am. A total of 32 students participated in this year’s eVOL10 program. Evolved from a previous program: Introduction of Sophomores To Engineering Principles (INSTEP), eVOL10 is a one-week summer program started in 2013. It introduces participants to applied sciences and ACT math preparation, and provides opportunities for them to compete in challenges involving the interplay between chemistry and engineering, and tour an engineering industrial plant. The program was provided to students at no major cost and is projected to continue in future years. This is the second year that Best and Long participated. They both received eVOL10 Service Awards after last year’s program.

Professor Emeritus Lee Magid Became NSSA Fellow

May 30, 2014 by chemweb

Lee Magid, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was selected as one of 2014 Neutron Scattering Society of America Fellows, for her “outstanding leadership in cold neutron research on complex fluids and critical service to the neutron field.”

Magid received her PhD degree in chemistry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1973, and joined the faculty that same year. She retired in 2006.

In her research she studied the structure and dynamics of organized assemblies such as micelles and polyelectrolytes via (among other techniques) small-angle neutron scattering, neutron spin-echo spectroscopy and neutron reflectivity. She served as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Arts and Sciences from 1987 to 1990, and as Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, 1990-91; she was Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Kentucky from 1991 to 1994. She also served as Executive Officer and Science Advisor in the National Science Foundation’s Chemistry Division from 2004 to 2006.

Magid has held several short-term research appointments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zuerich, and the Max Planck Institute in Goettingen, Germany. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and chaired the Solid State Sciences Committee of the National Academies/National Research Council. She also led or participated in numerous studies and planning activities for the Spallation Neutron Source and for a planned European spallation source.

Biology Across the Disciplines

May 29, 2014 by chemweb

Researchers interested in systems biology now have a new resource on campus that provides novel bioanalyses. The Biological Mass Spectrometry Center provides state-of-the-art capabilities in metabolomics and lipidomics, which allow simultaneous detection of thousands of metabolites and lipids. This facility engages a number of faculty from the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Engineering; Education, Health, and Human Sciences; and Veterinary Medicine at UT, as well as the UT Institute of Agriculture and the UT Medical Center. Although the center is only a few years old, data generated from this effort has already been incorporated into several successful proposals to the National Science Foundation and has led to joint publications with faculty from the departments of Microbiology; Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology; Chemistry; Nutrition; Animal Science; and Food Science, as well as the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Shawn Campagna, associate professor of chemistry, directs the program with the assistance of an eight-member advisory council of faculty representatives from the participating units. The center also engages undergraduate junior and senior chemistry majors through mentored research. Currently, the facility employs and provides tuition waivers for two graduate students who help maintain the instrumentation and execute experiments. The center also acts as a managed user facility that provides training on the use of and access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for graduate students from a number of departments.

Article from Higher Ground 2013 Annual Report. Picture by Jeremy Hughes.

Professor Williams Retired After 53 Years of Service

May 29, 2014 by chemweb

The Chemistry Department held a party for Professor Williams on May 17, 2014 at the University Visitors Center to celebrate his retirement after 53 years of services to the University.

Williams joined the Department in 1961 as an Assistant Professor. His tenure at the University and continuous funding from the Department of Energy for almost 40 years have allowed Williams the chance to do what he loves most – research. He has also been active in teaching, however, and was the recipient of the Student Associates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) Outstanding Chemistry Professor Award in both 2009 and 2010.

Williams has been engaged in research on various aspects of radiation chemistry and intermediate species in chemical reactions for over 60 years. One of his most-proud-of research projects was conducted in the 1970s. He was the first one to demonstrate quantum-mechanical tunneling and “all-or-nothing” deuterium isotope effects in hydrogen-transfer reactions at low temperatures. Williams has generated more than 200 journal articles, among which many are cited for more than 100 times.

During his years at UT, Williams has directed 18 Ph.D. dissertations and 7 M.S. theses. He has received numerous awards and honors, including being a National Science Foundation Visiting Scientist, which allowed him to conduct research in Kyoto University, Japan; and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow, a fellowship that nowadays seems “almost impossible to get” with 4,000 applications each year for some 200 awards. He has also chaired the Gordon Research Conferences on Radiation Chemistry (1971) and Radical Ions (1984).