Faculty and Staff Directory
Tenure-Track Faculty
Noe T Alvarez
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
418T Rieveschl Hall
My research interests are focused on carbon nanomaterials synthesis, assembly into macroscopic materials and their applications. Among the nanomaterials synthesized in my Lab are carbon nanotubes that are assembled into nanometer films and microscopic fibers with unique properties compared to macroscopic materials. Current applications are oriented to electrochemical and physiological sensors, as well as energy storage devices. I collaborate with faculty from engineering, Biology, and UC Medical school for the development of useful technological applications. Students in my group will be exposed to engineering aspects of nanomaterials development besides of the fundamental chemistry such as synthesis and electrochemistry.
Noe Alvarez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry. He received his Ph. D. in Chemistry from Rice University (2010), where he worked at the Richard Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology under supervision of James M. Tour and Robert H. Hauge on multiple aspects of single-walled CNTs. He earned M.Sc. from McNeese State University (2004), and B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Mayor de San Simon (Bolivia). After graduating from Rice he spent 6 months working on nanotube synthesis at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST – Japan). He has received a NASA tech award (2011) for his contribution to the development of scientific and technical innovation.
More details about his research at UC can be found at: http://www.alvarezlab.com
Noe Alvarez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry. He received his Ph. D. in Chemistry from Rice University (2010), where he worked at the Richard Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology under supervision of James M. Tour and Robert H. Hauge on multiple aspects of single-walled CNTs. He earned M.Sc. from McNeese State University (2004), and B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Mayor de San Simon (Bolivia). After graduating from Rice he spent 6 months working on nanotube synthesis at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST – Japan). He has received a NASA tech award (2011) for his contribution to the development of scientific and technical innovation.
More details about his research at UC can be found at: http://www.alvarezlab.com
Neil Ayres
Associate Professor, Chemistry
704C Rieveschl Hall
The AyresLab website is at ayreslab.squarespace.com
Neil Ayres received his Ph. D. in chemistry from The University of Warwick in 2003 where he worked with Prof. David Haddleton. After a post-doc with Charles McCormick at The University of Southern Mississippi he worked with William Brittain at The University of Akron studying stimuli-responsive polymer brushes. From there he spent two years as a post-doc at The University of Utah with Prof. David Grainger before becoming an assistant professor at The University of Cincinnati in 2008.
His current research interests include preparing stimulit responsive hydrogels and synthesizing porous polymers.
Neil Ayres received his Ph. D. in chemistry from The University of Warwick in 2003 where he worked with Prof. David Haddleton. After a post-doc with Charles McCormick at The University of Southern Mississippi he worked with William Brittain at The University of Akron studying stimuli-responsive polymer brushes. From there he spent two years as a post-doc at The University of Utah with Prof. David Grainger before becoming an assistant professor at The University of Cincinnati in 2008.
His current research interests include preparing stimulit responsive hydrogels and synthesizing porous polymers.
Michael J. Baldwin
Associate Professor, Assistant Head, Chemistry
302 Crosley Tower
Michael Baldwin is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He is an inorganic chemist with research interests in catalysis, spectroscopy, bioinorganic chemistry, and oxygen activation. He received a BS degree in chemistry from Seattle University in 1986, and a PhD in chemistry from Stanford University in 1992 for work with Edward Solomon on spectroscopic studies of copper-peroxide complexes modeling the oxygen transport protein oxyhemocyanin and the enzyme oxytyrosinase. As a NIH postdoctoral fellow with Professor Vincent Pecoraro at the University of Michigan, he worked on models of the photosynthetic oxygen evolving complex. In 1997, he joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati.
Thomas L Beck
Professor, Chemistry
thomas.beck@uc.edu https://homepages.uc.edu/~becktl
https://homepages.uc.edu/~becktl
Tom Beck is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He is a physical chemist with research interests in theoretical and computational chemistry. After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1982 from the University of Minnesota, he studied at the University of Chicago, receiving his Ph.D. in 1987. His thesis concerned molecular dynamics simulations of phase transitions in atomic clusters. He then worked for two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where he helped to develop new Monte Carlo methods in quantum dynamics. In 1989, he joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati. His research in Cincinnati has included further work on atomic clusters and quantum dynamics, computer simulations of liquid chromatographic interfaces, simulations of phase equiliabria in liquids, development of new numerical methods for quantum chemistry, fundamental studies of ions in solutions, and modeling studies of biological ion channels.
Tom Beck is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He is a physical chemist with research interests in theoretical and computational chemistry. After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1982 from the University of Minnesota, he studied at the University of Chicago, receiving his Ph.D. in 1987. His thesis concerned molecular dynamics simulations of phase transitions in atomic clusters. He then worked for two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where he helped to develop new Monte Carlo methods in quantum dynamics. In 1989, he joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati. His research in Cincinnati has included further work on atomic clusters and quantum dynamics, computer simulations of liquid chromatographic interfaces, simulations of phase equiliabria in liquids, development of new numerical methods for quantum chemistry, fundamental studies of ions in solutions, and modeling studies of biological ion channels.
Jonathan M. Breiner
Associate Professor, Chemistry
600D Teachers College
Ruxandra I Dima
Professor, Chemistry
304 Crosley Tower
Ruxandra Dima has an interdisciplinary training in theoretical and computational physics and physical chemistry. She is working in the areas of computational biophysical chemistry and biocheminformatics. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Bucharest, Romania in 1994, she studied at the Pennsylvania State University where she obtained her PhD in 1999. Her thesis was concerned with the determination of mean field free-energy potentials between amino acids in proteins. She then took a postdoctoral appointment with Prof. D. Thirumalai at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland where she worked on problems related to protein aggregation, allostery, RNA folding and single-molecule biophysics. She joined the Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in the Fall 2006. Since 2020 she is a Professor in Chemistry.
The main areas of research in the Dima group are:
1) multiscale modeling of filamentous biomolecules
2) computational studies of the action of motors involved in cytoskeleton depolymerization
3) design and modeling of bio-inspired materials
4) development of machine learning methods for bio-design
5) GPU-based computing
We use a combination of molecular simulations, bioinformatics, data science, and theoretical modeling to address the various research problems.
The main areas of research in the Dima group are:
1) multiscale modeling of filamentous biomolecules
2) computational studies of the action of motors involved in cytoskeleton depolymerization
3) design and modeling of bio-inspired materials
4) development of machine learning methods for bio-design
5) GPU-based computing
We use a combination of molecular simulations, bioinformatics, data science, and theoretical modeling to address the various research problems.
Anthony Steven Grillo
Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Chemistry
902 Crosley Tower
Group Website
www.GrilloLabUC.com
Anthony Grillo joined the University of Cincinnati in the Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in 2022 with research interests in understanding the molecular underpinnings of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in disease with an emphasis on micronutrient (e.g. metals, oxygen, vitamins, etc.) metabolism.
Dr. Grillo obtained a B.S. in Biochemistry and B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 2011. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry (Organic Chemistry focus) in 2017 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the mentorship of Martin Burke as an NSF predoctoral fellow (NSF GRFP). His thesis centered on the discovery, development, and mechanistic understanding of small molecules that mimic protein function to restore physiology to organisms missing iron transport proteins, thereby acting as prostheses on the molecular scale. As an NRSA postdoctoral fellow and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Trainee in Matt Kaeberlein's Lab at the University of Washington, Dr. Grillo elucidated the mechanistic role of protein kinace C in promoting neuroinflammation in mitochondrial disease mice and the influence of iron status on disease progression.
Dr. Grillo's background in biochemistry, chemical biology, and metabolic physiology make him excited to perform interdisciplinary research centered on revealing how mitochondrial dysfunction alters micronutrient metabolism (e.g. metals, oxygen, vitamins, etc.) to elicit neurodegeneration in age-related, genetic, or environmental-induced disease in multiple in vitro and in vivo models.
www.GrilloLabUC.com
Anthony Grillo joined the University of Cincinnati in the Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in 2022 with research interests in understanding the molecular underpinnings of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in disease with an emphasis on micronutrient (e.g. metals, oxygen, vitamins, etc.) metabolism.
Dr. Grillo obtained a B.S. in Biochemistry and B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 2011. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry (Organic Chemistry focus) in 2017 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the mentorship of Martin Burke as an NSF predoctoral fellow (NSF GRFP). His thesis centered on the discovery, development, and mechanistic understanding of small molecules that mimic protein function to restore physiology to organisms missing iron transport proteins, thereby acting as prostheses on the molecular scale. As an NRSA postdoctoral fellow and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Trainee in Matt Kaeberlein's Lab at the University of Washington, Dr. Grillo elucidated the mechanistic role of protein kinace C in promoting neuroinflammation in mitochondrial disease mice and the influence of iron status on disease progression.
Dr. Grillo's background in biochemistry, chemical biology, and metabolic physiology make him excited to perform interdisciplinary research centered on revealing how mitochondrial dysfunction alters micronutrient metabolism (e.g. metals, oxygen, vitamins, etc.) to elicit neurodegeneration in age-related, genetic, or environmental-induced disease in multiple in vitro and in vivo models.
Hairong Guan
Professor, Chemistry
822 Rieveschl Hall
Hairong Guan is an organometallic chemist with research interests in homogeneous catalysis with first-row transition metals, catalysis on metal surface, and biomass conversion. He received his academic training from Peking University (with Prof. Zhenfeng Xi), Columbia University (with Prof. Jack Norton), and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (with Prof. Chuck Casey) before joining the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 2007. Currently, Hairong is a Professor of Chemistry. He has served as an Advisory Board Member of Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, and has been a recipient of an NSF CAREER award, an Alfred P. Sloan research fellowship, and a Humboldt research fellowship.
For more details, please visit the Guan Research Group webpage: http://www.guanresearchgroup.com
For more details, please visit the Guan Research Group webpage: http://www.guanresearchgroup.com
Anna D. Gudmundsdottir
Professor , Chemistry
821 Rieveschl Hall
Gudmundsdottir's research is focused on photochemistry, studying reactive intermediates such as triplet nitrenes and biradicals, to determine their reactivity in solution and the solid-state. We use our understanding of photochemistry to develop applications such as sustainble synthesis to form new C-N bonds, photoremovable protecting groups and sunscreens. Currently, we are elucidating the factor that control photodynamic behavior of organic azido crystals, our goal is to make .inflatable devices and explosives that are driven by light.
More details on her research program can be found at
https://www.annaresearch.com/
More details on her research program can be found at
https://www.annaresearch.com/
Jianbing Jiang
Assoc Professor, Chemistry
717 Rieveschl Hall
For more information, please visit www.jianbingjiang.com
Jianbing “Jimmy” Jiang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati since August 2018. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Jiangnan University, China in 2007. He attained his Master’s degree from East China University of Science and Technology in 2010, where he worked with Prof. He Tian on the design and synthesis of a series of polymeric chemosensors for the detection of environmentally hazardous ions (e.g. Hg2+). Then he moved to the US in 2010 to peruse his Ph.D. degree at North Carolina State University (Ph.D. advisor: Jonathan S. Lindsey), and his research was concentrated on the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of various property-tunable photosensitizers and incorporation of these chromophores into self-assembled materials for light-harvesting and energy-transfer studies. In 2015, he joined Yale University as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Chemistry and Yale Energy Sciences Institute, working with Professors Gary W. Brudvig and Robert H. Crabtree, where he designed, synthesized and characterized novel inorganic catalysts and organometallic materials for small molecule activation, specifically for water oxidation and proton reduction to value-added products. He was promoted to an Associate Research Scientist in 2017.
Jianbing “Jimmy” Jiang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati since August 2018. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Jiangnan University, China in 2007. He attained his Master’s degree from East China University of Science and Technology in 2010, where he worked with Prof. He Tian on the design and synthesis of a series of polymeric chemosensors for the detection of environmentally hazardous ions (e.g. Hg2+). Then he moved to the US in 2010 to peruse his Ph.D. degree at North Carolina State University (Ph.D. advisor: Jonathan S. Lindsey), and his research was concentrated on the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of various property-tunable photosensitizers and incorporation of these chromophores into self-assembled materials for light-harvesting and energy-transfer studies. In 2015, he joined Yale University as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Chemistry and Yale Energy Sciences Institute, working with Professors Gary W. Brudvig and Robert H. Crabtree, where he designed, synthesized and characterized novel inorganic catalysts and organometallic materials for small molecule activation, specifically for water oxidation and proton reduction to value-added products. He was promoted to an Associate Research Scientist in 2017.
In-Kwon Kim
Assoc Professor, Chemistry
802 Crosley Tower
Lab homepage: https://www.inkwonkimlab.com/
In-Kwon Kim is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry with research interests in ADP-ribosylation metabolism, DNA damage response, and cancer drug discovery. After completing a B.S. degree from Seoul National University in 1998, he obtained his M.Sc (2000; Microbiology) and Ph.D. (2005; Biochemistry and Structural Biology) degree under the direction of Prof. Sa-Ouk Kang from Seoul National University. In 2006, he joined the research group of Prof. Tom Ellenberger at Washington University School of Medicine as a post-doc and was promoted into (Research) Assistant Professor. Since then, his research has been focused on the mechanistic structural biochemistry and drug discovery of key enzymes in ADP-ribosylation cycle and DNA damage responses. He also worked in the Washington University Drug Discovery Program. He joined the faculty at University of Cincinnati in 2016 and was promoted into Associate Professor with Tenure in 2022. His long-term research goal is to develop new tumor-selective therapeutics.
In-Kwon Kim is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry with research interests in ADP-ribosylation metabolism, DNA damage response, and cancer drug discovery. After completing a B.S. degree from Seoul National University in 1998, he obtained his M.Sc (2000; Microbiology) and Ph.D. (2005; Biochemistry and Structural Biology) degree under the direction of Prof. Sa-Ouk Kang from Seoul National University. In 2006, he joined the research group of Prof. Tom Ellenberger at Washington University School of Medicine as a post-doc and was promoted into (Research) Assistant Professor. Since then, his research has been focused on the mechanistic structural biochemistry and drug discovery of key enzymes in ADP-ribosylation cycle and DNA damage responses. He also worked in the Washington University Drug Discovery Program. He joined the faculty at University of Cincinnati in 2016 and was promoted into Associate Professor with Tenure in 2022. His long-term research goal is to develop new tumor-selective therapeutics.
Patrick A Limbach
Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar, Chemistry
540 University Hall
Pat Limbach is a Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar at the University of Cincinnati. He is a bioanalytical chemist with research interests in mass spectrometry, modified ribonucleic acids (RNAs), ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and protein translation. After earning an undergraduate degree from Centre College in 1988, he studied under the direction of Dr. Alan G. Marshall at The Ohio State University. While there, his graduate research focused on instrumentation improvements to Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry. He received his PhD from OSU in 1992. He then took a postdoctoral position at the University of Utah working with Dr. James A. McCloskey. While in Utah, he worked in the areas of RNA chemistry and nucleic acid mass spectrometry. In 1995, he joined the faculty at Louisiana State University as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1999. In 2001, he moved to his current position in Cincinnati, being promoted to Professor in 2005. He has served as Department Head in Chemistry at UC from 2005-2010 and as Interim Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Science of Arts and Sciences in 2013. Dr. Limbach and his group seek to advance the area of mass spectrometry within modified RNAs and RNPs and collaborate extensively with researchers inside the state of Ohio and throughout the world. Dr. Limbach is an active member of the American Chemical Society, American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Sigma Xi and a lifetime member of Phi Kappa Phi. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for RiboNova, Inc.
You can learn more about Dr. Limbach's research program at his group's website - http://bearcatms.uc.edu
You can learn more about Dr. Limbach's research program at his group's website - http://bearcatms.uc.edu
Wei Liu
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
431 Rieveschl Hall
Wei completed his undergraduate studies at Peking University under the supervision of Prof. Gu Yuan. In 2008, he moved to Princeton University for the doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. John T. Groves, focusing on metalloporphyrin-catalyzed C-H halogenation reactions. Wei then joined the Chang lab at Berkeley as a postdoctoral researcher. Before moving to the Department of Chemistry at University of Cincinnati in August 2020 as an assistant professor, he spent three years at Miami’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
James Mack
Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean, Division of Natural Sciences, Chemistry
150 ARTSCI
James Mack is a Professor of Chemistry. After completing his Bachlor’s degree at Middlebury College in 1995 he went to graduate school at the University of New Hampshire where he conducted his doctoral research under the supervision of Glen P. Miller working in the area of fullerenes. After earning his doctoral degree in 2000, he was a postdoctoral fellow with Lawrence T. Scott developing a bench top synthesis of fullerenes and nanotubes. Since joining the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 2003, Professor Mack has been interested in the development of environmentally benign organic reactions and the synthesis of novel organic materials.
Allan R. Pinhas
Professor, Chemistry
602 Crosley Tower
Allan Pinhas is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. After his BS degree from the University of Rochester, he went to Cornell University where he earned a PhD. It was at Cornell, working under the direction of Prof. Barry Carpenter, that he became interested in experimental organometallic chemistry. In addition, while in graduate school, he studied theoretical chemistry with Prof. Roald Hoffmann. He then went to Yale University as a postdoctoral fellow, working with Prof. Jerry Berson on the photochemistry of molecules in their triplet state. He took a second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina, working with Prof. Maurice Brookhart on the reactivity of organometallic complexes. Dr. Pinhas joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati in 1982. He is a physical-organic chemist who is interested in the effect metal complexes have on organic molecules, especially organic compounds that contain small rings. In addition, he is interested in new methods for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds.
Ashley Elizabeth Ross
Assoc Professor, Chemistry
418A Rieveschl Hall
Ashley Ross is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry. She is a bioanalytical chemist with expertise in electrochemistry, microfluidics, neurochemistry, and ex vivo experimentation. After obtaining her B.S. in Chemistry at Christopher Newport University in 2009, she went on to receive her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Virginia under Dr. Jill Venton in 2014. During her PhD, she focused on developing electrochemical methods to detect rapid adenosine changes in the brain. She worked as a post-doctoral scholar under Dr. Rebecca Pompano at the University of Virginia from 2014 until 2017 developing microfluidic methods to study local stimulation and diffusion within the lymph node. There she was awarded the American Association of Immunologists Careers in Immunology Fellowship for her work focused on developing methods to probe brain-immune interactions. She joined the University of Cincinnati faculty in 2017, with research interests focused on developing methods to probe brain-immune communications and methods for quantifying neurotransmitter signaling between the brain and immune system. Snice 2017, her work has been recognized by an NSF CAREER Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the RCSA Microbiome, Neurobiology, and Disease Fellow Awards. In addition, she has been awarded two NIH R01's to study the mechanism of neurochemical signaling in the lymph node and to develop methods to study guanosine signaling during brain ischemia.
Please visit www.rosslabuc.com for more information
Twitter Handle: @RossLabUC
Please visit www.rosslabuc.com for more information
Twitter Handle: @RossLabUC
David B. Smithrud
Associate Professor, Chemistry
603 Crosley Tower
David Smithrud is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. He received his BS degree in chemistry at the University of Washington. From there, he attended the University of California, Los Angeles and received his PhD. Under the guidance of Prof. Diederich, he developed synthetic host-guest complexes; with special emphasis on the effect solvents have on complexation. He joined Prof. Benkovic's group at the Pennsylvania State University. As a post-doctoral student and NIH fellow, he further investigated and exploited molecular recognition events through the development of catalytic antibodies. These studies included constructing phage display libraries of M13 and lambda bacteriophages, synthesizing haptens, and performing molecular cloning and kinetic analysis. He joined the Chemistry Department at UC. Our research group uses mimetic chemistry to investigate the intricate interplay that exist between functional groups at protein binding domains in order to determine the underlying forces that give proteins their unique ability to recognize molecules and to develop novel synthetic devices. This research has produced novel binding agents, cell transport agents, and compounds that bind the major groove of DNA.
George Stan
Associate Professor, Chemistry
1501B Crosley Tower
George Stan is a physical chemist with research interests in computational biophysical chemistry. He received his undergraduate degree in 1994 at the University of Bucharest, Romania. He obtained his PhD in 1999 at the Pennsylvania State University for work on absorption of gases in carbon nanotubes and wetting of alkali surfaces.
His postdoctoral work in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology at the University of Maryland (2000-2001) and the National Institutes of Health (2002-2006) focused on chaperonin mediated protein folding. His research involves application and development of computational methods within the CHARMM molecular modeling program, as well as bioinformatics methods.
In 2005 he was awarded the Lenfant Biomedical Fellowship at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
He joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 2006.
Pietro Strobbia
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
201 Crosley Tower
The research in the Optical Sensors Group is largely directed towards bridging the gap between current state-of-the-art sensing technologies and the actual requirements for their application in clinical settings or in the field. Our group works on multidisciplinary projects leveraging expertise in optical systems and sensing technologies development, as well as on plasmonics and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We apply this expertise to current relevant issues in clinical diagnostics and environmental analysis, with a particular focus on the development deployable technologies. Our long-term goal is to benefit the developing and developed world through the dissemination of new cost-effective and practical analytical tools.
Please visit our website for more information.
Pietro Strobbia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry since August 2020. Pietro received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Sapienza University of Rome (2011) and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (2016). Prior to his appointmet at UC, Pietro was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University.
Please visit our website for more information.
Pietro Strobbia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry since August 2020. Pietro received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Sapienza University of Rome (2011) and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (2016). Prior to his appointmet at UC, Pietro was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University.
Yujie Sun
Associate Professor, Chemistry
722 Rieveschl Hall
Group page: www.yujiesun.org
Yujie Sun (孙宇杰) received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Fudan University in 2005. He then pursued graduate studies in inorganic photochemistry with Prof. Claudia Turro at The Ohio State University and obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2010. Subsequently, he joined the group of Prof. Christopher J. Chang at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral scholar, working on renewable energy catalysis. Yujie started his independent career as an assistant professor at Utah State University in 2013 and moved to the University of Cincinnati as an associate professor in 2018. His group is interested in developing and understanding inexpensive materials and complexes for energy catalysis and biomedical applications.
Yujie Sun (孙宇杰) received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Fudan University in 2005. He then pursued graduate studies in inorganic photochemistry with Prof. Claudia Turro at The Ohio State University and obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2010. Subsequently, he joined the group of Prof. Christopher J. Chang at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral scholar, working on renewable energy catalysis. Yujie started his independent career as an assistant professor at Utah State University in 2013 and moved to the University of Cincinnati as an associate professor in 2018. His group is interested in developing and understanding inexpensive materials and complexes for energy catalysis and biomedical applications.
Pearl Tsang
Associate Professor, Chemistry
701 Crosley Tower
Pearl Tsang obtained a BA from Barnard College, followed by a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. After her postdoctoral positions in biological NMR, Dr. Tsang joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at UC. Professor Tsang is one of the several biochemists in this Department and as such her general research interests entail elucidation of structure-function relationships of proteins, nucleic acids and biomolecular complexes. One particular class of proteins studied in the Tsang lab corresponds to the aminoacyl tRNA (transfer RNA) synthetaseses. These are enzymes which are crucial for correct covalent linkage of a given amino acid to its corresponding tRNA molecule; this process is also known as 'charging' of the tRNA and is essential for accurate protein translation. These investigations are conducted in order to enhance our understanding of how these proteins carry out their function since their structural and dynamic properties are relevant to their functions. The research conducted in this lab typically involves the production, purification and characterization of the proteins and peptides studied and this involves use of molecular biology and protein purification techniques. The characterization of these molecules involves biophysical and spectroscopic (primarily solution NMR) techniques.
Ryan J White
Associate Professor, Department Head and Ohio Eminent Scholar, Chemistry
Crosley Tower
My research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of nanoscience, electrochemistry and the biological interface. The research interests in our group focus on the development of new (bio)analytical methods to probe chemical and biological systems with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions afforded by working at the nanoscale. The scope of this research is quite broad, ranging from studies of fundamental chemical and biological phenomena to the development of applied sensor technologies. As such, students in the group can expect to gain valuable interdisciplinary laboratory experience.
Ryan J. White is an Associate Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in the Department of Chemistry with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems. Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina (2003) and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Utah (2007). He was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara. Ryan started his academic career as an assistant professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMBC in 2011, and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2016. Ryan joined UC in the fall of 2017. Ryan is also the recipient of the Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Ryan J. White is an Associate Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in the Department of Chemistry with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems. Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina (2003) and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Utah (2007). He was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara. Ryan started his academic career as an assistant professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMBC in 2011, and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2016. Ryan joined UC in the fall of 2017. Ryan is also the recipient of the Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Peng Zhang
Professor of Chemistry & Materials Science, Chemistry
702 Crosley Tower
Professor of Chemistry & Materials Science
Research interests: Photodynamic therapy against bacteria and cancers; plasmonics; sensing; nanomaterials
http://homepages.uc.edu/~zhangph
Research interests: Photodynamic therapy against bacteria and cancers; plasmonics; sensing; nanomaterials
http://homepages.uc.edu/~zhangph
Research Faculty
Educator Faculty
Anne Marie Pawlecki Vonderheide
Professor - Educator and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Chemistry
508 Rieveschl Hall
Professor -- Educator and Undergraduate Director
Daniel Waddell
Associate Professor Educator, Chemistry
509 Rieveschl Hall
Assistant Professor of Chemistry - Educator
Courses taught
Fall 2014: CHEM 2041, CHEM 1041
Spring 2015: CHEM 2041, CHEM 1040, CHEM 2031L
Summer 2015: CHEM 1041
Fall 2015: CHEM 1040, CHEM 2041
Spring 2016: CHEM 1041
Fall 2016: CHEM 1040
Spring 2017: CHEM 1041
Fall 2017: CHEM 1040
Spring 2018: CHEM 1041
Courses taught
Fall 2014: CHEM 2041, CHEM 1041
Spring 2015: CHEM 2041, CHEM 1040, CHEM 2031L
Summer 2015: CHEM 1041
Fall 2015: CHEM 1040, CHEM 2041
Spring 2016: CHEM 1041
Fall 2016: CHEM 1040
Spring 2017: CHEM 1041
Fall 2017: CHEM 1040
Spring 2018: CHEM 1041
Visiting Faculty
Roger William Kugel
Dr., Chemistry
Crosley Tower
Roger Kugel received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at Stanford University under Dr. Henry Taube. He did post-doctoral research at Argonne National Laboratory studying laser isotope separation. He worked at Nalco Chemical Company in Chicago in their Fuel Treatment Group for three years before joining the faculty at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota, where he taught General and Physical Chemistry for 33 years. During his time at Saint Mary's, Dr. Kugel also held a W.A.E.research position at the US Bureau of Mines working on advanced mining and mineral handling techniques. He is currently visiting Scholar and Adjunct Professor at University of Cincinnati. His research interests are in the areas of Chemical Education and Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy. He also currently serves as the Chief Reader in the AP Chemistry Program.
Adjunct Faculty
Megan Elizabeth Bucks
Assoc Dir Academic, Chemistry
2612 French Hall
Richard Duffy Farris
Instructor - Adjunct, Chemistry
404C Rieveschl Hall
Diane Schmidt
Adjunct Research Professor, Chemistry
604 Crosley Tower
Patrick Jon Slonecker
Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry, Chemistry
404A Rieveschl Hall
As an Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati (UC), I teach Analytical Chemistry I and Analytical Chemistry II (Instrumental Analysis Lecture) and Instrumental Analysis Laboratory for third, fourth, and fifth year students, and General Chemistry Laboratory for first year students. In addition, I co-teach a graduate level specal topics course on Seprations. I have thirty-six years of experience in industrial chemistry and thirty three years of experience in Analytical Research and Method Development and Applications in polymers, synthetic lubricants, oleochemicals, ultra-trace pollutants, product de-formulation, and complex problem solving. I have special research interests in multi-dimensional separation analysis, characterization of totally new standards, computer applications in complex analysis, and high energy physics. I also have interests and experience in mentoring, performing chemical demonstrations and judging school science fairs.
Kenneth Robert Wehmeyer
Visiting Scholar, Chemistry
Crosley Tower
Emeriti Faculty
Bruce S. Ault
Distinguished Teaching Professor , Chemistry
401 Crosley Tower
Bruce Ault received his BS degree in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1970 and his PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973, under the supervision of Professor George Pimentel. After a postdoctoral instructorship at the University of Virginia, working with Professor Lester Andrews, he joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati in 1976 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1980 and professor in 1984. He served the department as assistant head from 1982-87 and as head from 1987 to 1997. His area of specialization is physical chemistry, with applications in inorganic and organic chemistry. He has worked actively in the field of matrix isolation since graduate school, using cryogenic temperatures to stabilize highly reactive chemical intermediates. These intermediates are subsequently characterized by high-resolution infrared spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations. He has won several awards for his activities, including “Cincinnati Chemist of the Year” from the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society, the Distinguished Research Awards from the Sigma Xi Society (Cincinnati Chapter) and the George Barbour award from the University of Cincinnati. Since 1979, the National Science Foundation has continuously funded nearly all his work. In addition to the research described above, Dr. Ault served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry, helping to develop new curriculum and degree programs as well as serving as head advisor to undergraduate chemistry majors. He actively taught physical chemistry courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as freshman chemistry when time permits. He was also the lead faculty member directing the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the NSF in the Department. He retired in 2016 and is now Professor Emeritus.
Albert M Bobst
Professor, Chemistry
903 Crosley Tower
Dr. Albert M. Bobst is a Professor of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. After receiving his PhD at the University of Zurich in 1965, where he synthesized, and characterized Tetrahydropterins by nuclear magnetic resonance, he studied for one year Quantum Biochemistry as a postdoctoral fellow with Professor Pullman at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris, France. Subsequently he was awarded a Swiss National Science Fellowship to study Photosynthesis and Nucleic Acid Chemistry under the guidance of Professors Calvin and Tinoco, at Berkeley, CA. In 1968/69 he worked at Princeton University as a Research Associate before joining the Chemistry faculty as an Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati in 1969, where he was promoted to Professor of Chemistry in 1978. In 1975, he was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry at UC’s College of Medicine, and promoted to Adjunct Professor in 1982. He was a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health in 1975/76, 1983/84, and at the ISREC in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1979. In 2007/08 he was a visiting scholar at OSU.
His research interest is focused on the application of electron spin resonance (ESR) to: 1) Study the dynamics of nucleic acids and nucleic acid – protein complexes, and 2) Detect genes by PCR/ESR. In 2006 he was awarded US Patent 7,126,665 for “Detection of Nucleic Acid Target Sequences by ESR.” Presently, he has ongoing collaborations to design Micro – ESR sensors for magnetic resonance – based gene detection in personalized medicine.
His research interest is focused on the application of electron spin resonance (ESR) to: 1) Study the dynamics of nucleic acids and nucleic acid – protein complexes, and 2) Detect genes by PCR/ESR. In 2006 he was awarded US Patent 7,126,665 for “Detection of Nucleic Acid Target Sequences by ESR.” Presently, he has ongoing collaborations to design Micro – ESR sensors for magnetic resonance – based gene detection in personalized medicine.
William R Heineman
Distinguished Research Professor, Chemistry
120 Crosley Tower
Currently not accepting any graduate students
William R. Heineman received a BS in Chemistry from Texas Tech University in 1964 and a PhD in Chemistry in 1968 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the direction of Professor Royce Murray. He was a Research Chemist at Hercules Research Center for two years before becoming a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Professor Ted Kuwana in 1970 at Case Western Reserve University and then at The Ohio State University. He joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 1972 where he is now Distinguished Research Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry.
Professor Heineman’s research interests include spectroelectrochemistry, chemical sensors, analytical chemistry of radiopharmaceuticals, polymer modified electrodes, electrochemical immunoassay, and microfluidic systems for chemical analysis. He has published over 400 research papers and patents and has presented over 500 lectures at conferences, universities, and government/industrial laboratories. He is coauthor of the laboratory manual Chemical Experiments for Instrumental Methods, the instrumental analysis textbook Chemical Instrumentation: A Systematic Approach; and coeditor of the textbook Laboratory Techniques in Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Professor Heineman has received numerous awards including Sigma Xi Research Recognition Award, Cincinnati Chemist of the Year,Japanese Government Research Award for Foreign Scientists, George Rieveschl, Jr. Award for Distinguished Scientific Research, Humboldt Prize from Germany, Charles N. Reilley Award in Electroanalytical Chemistry from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry, Chemical Sensors Award from the International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, Torbern Bergman Medal 1999 from the Analytical Section of the Swedish Chemical Society, Fields of Analytical Chemistry award by the Eastern Analytical Association, and the Outstanding Achievement in Sensors Award from the Electrochemical Society . nd He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2001 and chosen for the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Chemical Society in 2009.
Heineman has served on numerous advisory boards for journals including Analytical Chemistry, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Analytica Chimica Acta, and Electroanalysis. He was a co-founder and the first President of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry and was a member of the Board of Directors. Heineman has been active in the American Chemical Society. In the Cincinnati Section he served as Cintacs Editor, Secretary, Chair, Trustee, and Councilor. In the Division of Analytical Chemistry he served as Treasurer, Councilor, and Chair.
William R. Heineman received a BS in Chemistry from Texas Tech University in 1964 and a PhD in Chemistry in 1968 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the direction of Professor Royce Murray. He was a Research Chemist at Hercules Research Center for two years before becoming a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Professor Ted Kuwana in 1970 at Case Western Reserve University and then at The Ohio State University. He joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 1972 where he is now Distinguished Research Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry.
Professor Heineman’s research interests include spectroelectrochemistry, chemical sensors, analytical chemistry of radiopharmaceuticals, polymer modified electrodes, electrochemical immunoassay, and microfluidic systems for chemical analysis. He has published over 400 research papers and patents and has presented over 500 lectures at conferences, universities, and government/industrial laboratories. He is coauthor of the laboratory manual Chemical Experiments for Instrumental Methods, the instrumental analysis textbook Chemical Instrumentation: A Systematic Approach; and coeditor of the textbook Laboratory Techniques in Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Professor Heineman has received numerous awards including Sigma Xi Research Recognition Award, Cincinnati Chemist of the Year,Japanese Government Research Award for Foreign Scientists, George Rieveschl, Jr. Award for Distinguished Scientific Research, Humboldt Prize from Germany, Charles N. Reilley Award in Electroanalytical Chemistry from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry, Chemical Sensors Award from the International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, Torbern Bergman Medal 1999 from the Analytical Section of the Swedish Chemical Society, Fields of Analytical Chemistry award by the Eastern Analytical Association, and the Outstanding Achievement in Sensors Award from the Electrochemical Society . nd He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2001 and chosen for the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Chemical Society in 2009.
Heineman has served on numerous advisory boards for journals including Analytical Chemistry, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Analytica Chimica Acta, and Electroanalysis. He was a co-founder and the first President of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry and was a member of the Board of Directors. Heineman has been active in the American Chemical Society. In the Cincinnati Section he served as Cintacs Editor, Secretary, Chair, Trustee, and Councilor. In the Division of Analytical Chemistry he served as Treasurer, Councilor, and Chair.
Carl J Seliskar
Emeritus Faculty, Chemistry
Carl Seliskar is Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Chemical Sensors Group at the University of Cincinnati. He is a physical chemist with research interests in molecular spectroscopy, applied optical spectroscopy and optical chemical sensors. His PhD work with Professor Ludwig Brand concentrated on making and evaluating the spectroscopic properties of fluorescent molecular probes for biomolecules. As a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow he continued his studies at Louisiana State University (with Sean P. McGlynn) and at University of Western Ontario (with John C. D. Brand) working on the molecular orbital calculations of spectroscopic properties of small organic molecules and the high resolution spectra of small molecules. He joined the Chemistry Department of the University of Cincinnati in the autumn of 1972.
Estel D Sprague
Professor, Chemistry
Rieveschl Hall
Estel Sprague received a BA in chemistry from Asbury College in 1966, followed by a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Tennessee in 1971. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institut fuer Kohlenforschung, Abteilung Strahlenchemie, in Germany from 1971-1973 and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison from 1973-1974. He joined the University of Cincinnati chemistry faculty in 1974, and is now Professor of Chemistry. He served the department as assistant head from 1988-1997.
Staff
John T. Baker
Technical Assistant, Management Professional II, Chemistry
410 Crosley Tower
Alexander Ian Greenwood
Research Associate, Chemistry
123C Crosley Tower
Jack Henry Hinders
Mgr College Laboratory, Chemistry
514 Rieveschl Hall
Jeanette Krause
Research Professional, Chemistry
306 Crosley Tower
Deborah Lieberman
Academic Director, Associate Professor-Adjunct, Chemistry
511 Rieveschl Hall
run the undergraduate Organic Chemistyr Labs
teach the evening sections of Organic Chemistry Lecture and Lab
• Work with the PPAC (Pre-Professional Advising Center)
• Run Organic portion of the UC MCAT Review
• Member of the Connections and Cincinnatus selection committees AND give my best effort at getting students through organic chemistry
• Run Organic portion of the UC MCAT Review
• Member of the Connections and Cincinnatus selection committees AND give my best effort at getting students through organic chemistry
Stephen F. Macha
Research Professional, Chemistry
412A Rieveschl Hall
Amanda N Newton
Financial Administrator 1, Chemistry
Crosley Tower
Peter A Padolik
Research Professional, Chemistry
510 Rieveschl Hall
Larry Sallans
Research Professional, Chemistry
412 Rieveschl Hall
Sharon Ann Stith
Financial Administrator 2, Chemistry
400 Crosley Tower
Robert T Voorhees
Research Professional, Chemistry
416 Rieveschl Hall