Department of Chemistry » Awards and Honors

Graduation Information

cindy — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:29 +0000

Graduation Information

cindy — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:01:16 +0000

Department of Chemistry Newsletter, Spring 2013

cindy — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:34:39 +0000

UVA Science Outreach Newsletter, Spring 2013

cindy — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:24:52 +0000

Undergraduate Student Anna Brosnahan Receives International Precious Metals Instituted Student Award

cindy — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:48:26 +0000

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Anna Brosnahan, 3rd year undergraduate student, has been selected to receive an IPMI (International Precious Metals Instituted) Student Award. The International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) is the largest and most well known association focused on precious metals in the world. The IPMI Awards Program pays tribute to individuals who have made a significant contribution in the field of precious metals. This is a nationally competitive program with approximately four undergraduate recipients per year, and Anna’s award comes with a cash stipend and an invitation to present her research at the upcoming IPMI meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Anna is conducting research in Professor Brent Gunnoe’s lab.

Anna Brosnahan and Andrew Lankenau receive Beckman Scholarships

cindy — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:52:59 +0000

From UVAToday – http://news.virginia.edu/content/chemistry-biomedical-engineering-students-uva-receive-beckman-scholarships:

Research into cardiac regeneration and organometallic chemistry has netted three University of Virginia undergraduates Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation scholarships to assist undergraduate science research.

Anna Brosnahan, 20, of Arlington, and Andrew Lankenau, 20, of Herndon, both chemistry majors in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Tristan Jones, 21, of Reston, a biomedical engineering major specializing in cardiovascular systems biology in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, have been awarded the prestigious scholarships.

U.Va. was one of 10 universities to receive a 2013 Beckman Scholars Award from the foundation earlier this year. This is a three-year renewal of the Beckman Scholars grant, continuing the program at U.Va., which was selected largely because of its strong commitment to quality undergraduate research.

The award is worth approximately $120,000 and provides scholarships for two undergraduate researchers per year who are working in chemistry, biochemistry and the biological and medical sciences. The scholars are selected locally and the funds provide each undergraduate researcher $19,300 in salary and travel for two summers and one academic year. The Office of the Vice President for Research and the dean’s offices of the College and the Engineering School are funding a third scholar per year.

“The Beckman Scholarships are nationally coveted, and the highest award bestowed at U.Va. for undergraduate research,” said William H. Guilford, associate professor and undergraduate program director in biomedical engineering in the Engineering School and the School of Medicine, and director of U.Va.’s Beckman Scholars Program. “We sought the very best proposals from some of the most research-committed students, working with some of the most talented undergraduate research mentors, and we got them.”

A closer look at the scholarship winners:

Anna Brosnahan

Brosnahan, a fourth-year student focusing on organometallic chemistry, is researching new catalysts to produce alkyl or vinyl arenes, of which about 60 billion pounds per annum are used as precursors to products including fuels, plastics and detergents. She is working on methods that may reduce environmental impact, energy consumption and expenses compared to current processes.

Brosnahan is a volunteer at Madison House and a member of the College Science Scholars. A graduate of Washington-Lee High School, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry.

“Anna places at the top of her peers in classroom performance,” chemistry professor T. Brent Gunnoe said. “However, it is in the research lab where her talent, dedication and creativity shine. Anna is among the most skilled and motivated undergraduate students with whom I have worked. She balances the demands of her classes and research remarkably well.”

Gunnoe said Brosnahan has made substantial contributions to the lab’s research.

“Very few undergraduates exhibit her combination of work ethic, fundamental understanding of science and chemistry and skill set in the lab,” he said. “The research funded by the Beckman Scholarship will set the foundation for her future academic and research endeavors, and I have high expectations about Anna’s future achievements.”

Andrew Lankenau

Lankenau, a second-year student, is researching the separation of two chemically identical, but biologically different, tungsten fragments, working closely with W. Dean Harman, chairman of the Department of Chemistry.

“The Harman Lab utilizes this specific metal fragment to synthesize drug derivatives, and it is important that these two fragments be isolated from one another,” Lankenau said. “Otherwise, drugs created utilizing this metal may appear to be identical under ordinary chemical tests, but have unintended consequences when placed in a living system. If a method were to be devised to easily and efficiently separate these two fragments from each other, all created products could be safely and reliably used in biological systems. There is an enormous degree of pharmaceutical potential in this project.”

Harman invited Lankenau to join his laboratory in the middle of the student’s first year at U.Va. “Andrew is an extraordinarily dedicated young scientist who is astonishingly quick to pick up new ideas and concepts,” he said. “He has been a pleasure to work with and is widely respected in my research group.”

Lankenau is an Echols Scholar, a Harrison Undergraduate Research Award Recipient, a representative of the College Council’s Chemistry Department, a member of the Undergraduate Research Network symposium committee, a chemistry teaching assistant and a dean’s list student. He is also a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He tutors student-athletes through the Cavalier Academic Support Team. A graduate of Oakton High School, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and teach at a university.

“Andrew is a deep thinker,” Harman said. “He has a firm command of the basic principles of chemistry, has a healthy scientific curiosity, and always is looking to understand the physical world on a deeper level.”

Harman said Lankenau stands out even among top-flight undergrads in the lab.

“I consider Andrew to be in the very top echelon of these students,” Harman said. “He shows a determination and enthusiasm that makes me think that his success in graduate school and academics is all but certain.”

Professor Columbus receives All-University Teaching Award

cindy — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:13:26 +0000

Congratulations to Professor Linda Columbus who is the recipient of one of this year’s University Teaching Awards.

More information

Undergraduates Receive Harrison Research Awards

cindy — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:28:18 +0000

Congratulations to all of this year’s Harrison Research Award recipients. Special congratulations to our Chemistry Majors:

• Kylene Daily, 19, of Clifton, a second-year biochemistry major in the College, who is researching Neisseria gonorrhoeae and human neutrophils, examining the relationship between the human immune system and particular bacteria.

• Kathryn Kingsbury, 19, of Herndon, a second-year student in the College who intends to major in biology and biochemistry, who is researching the role of a class of retinal ganglion cells that are similar in some respects to the rods and cones of the mammalian retina, but are largely responsible for non-visual effects, such as pupil constriction and the maintenance of circadian rhythm.

• Andrew Lankenau, 20, of Fairfax, a second-year chemistry major in the College, who is researching the separation of the de-aromatizing enantiomers, which has potential pharmaceutical applications.

• Hyeon Jin Lee, 20, of Mechanicsville, a third-year biochemistry major in the College, who is researching the affects of directed bacterial movement in response to chemical gradients on the formation of biofilms.

• Nicholas Chien-Juei Lee, 19, of Winchester, a second-year biochemistry major in the College, who is researching the phosphorylated histone H2AX, a signal of DNA damage, and its role in the cell cycle to gain a better understanding of its effect on cancer.

• Tomihiro Ono, 21, of Gaithersburg, Md., a third-year chemistry major with a concentration in chemical physics in the College, who is researching how the structure and properties of a micelle vary under specific alterations in composition and solution parameters, with an aim to formulating a model for these variations to make solubilizing and studying the functions of membrane proteins using micelles much easier.

Click here for the full list of undergraduate research award recipients.

Professor Yates Wins Gerhard Ertl Lecturer Award for Surface Science and Catalysis

cindy — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:43:13 +0000

White House Science & Technology Adviser Visits

cindy — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:27:54 +0000

Click these links for the full story.

http://www.nbc29.com/story/18518392/white-house-science-technology-adviser-visits-uva

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=18560

Bradley McKeown recipient of 2012 Bright Futures Award

cindy — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:53:08 +0000

The International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) has selected Bradley McKeown as the recipient of the 2012 Bright Futures award. The award was established to recognize and encourage students in the area of precious metals research, and it provides recipients with the opportunity to interact with current industry leaders. Bradley, a graduate student in the Gunnoe laboratory, studies organometallic platinum complexes for the transformation of hydrocarbons into higher value materials. He will receive the award at the annual IPMI meeting June 9-12. Next year Bradley will be given an opportunity to present his research at the IPMI meeting.

Professor Burnett receives All-University Teaching Award

cindy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:40:34 +0000

Congratulations to Professor Robert Burnett who was the recipient of one of this year’s University Teaching Awards.

Please click here for the full article.

Chemistry Researchers Receive Double-Hoo Awards

cindy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:34:23 +0000

The University of Virginia has awarded eight “Double-’Hoo” research awards, which fund pairings of undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate on research projects.

Special congratulations to:

• Jennifer Tomlinson, 22, of Gainesville, Fla., a third-year chemistry major specializing in biochemistry in the College and Alexandra Marshall, 23, of Batavia, N.Y., a first-year chemistry graduate student. They are researching medicinal chemistry to developing antibiotics for combating infectious diseases.
• Colette Gnade, 21, of Waukee, Iowa, a third-year chemistry major specializing in biochemistry in the College and Aravinda Kuntimaddi, 28, of Sterling, a Ph.D. candidate in biophysics. They are researching the structural and functional properties of proteins driving the dysregulating of cells that lead to cancer, specifically leukemogenesis.

Click here for the full article.

Undergraduates Receive Harrison Research Awards

cindy — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:55:04 +0000

Congratulations to all of this year’s Harrison Research Award recipients. Special congratulations to our Chemistry Majors:

• Caleigh Azumaya, 20, of Chadds Ford, Pa., a third-year chemistry major in the College studying physiology, is researching mapping the synthesis and translocation of hyaluronan through its synthase.
• Rebecca Babski, 20, of Smithfield, a second-year biochemistry major in the College, is researching a manipulated form of curcumin, an antimutagent that can be made to fluoresce in the near-infrared region.
• Jennifer Bergner, 20, McLean, a third-year chemistry major in the College with an environmental engineering minor, is researching emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products, in water systems.
• Anna Brosnahan, 19, of Arlington, is a second-year chemistry major in the College, is researching tris(pyrazolyl)alkane ligands.
• Kelvin Chan, 20, of Brooklyn. N.Y., a third-year neuroscience major in the College, is researching developmental neuroscience.
• Nathanael A. Hirscher, 18, of Manassas, a second-year chemistry major in the College, is researching new transition metal catalysts for hydrocarbon functionalization.
• Michael Pokrass, 20, of Ashburn, a third-year biochemistry major in the College, is researching monoclonal antibody mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity of malignant cells.

Click here for the full list of undergraduate research award recipients.

University Academy of Teaching, Inaugural Member, 2011

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:37:50 +0000

Cassandra Fraser is among a group of 37 experienced faculty members participating in the University Academy of Teaching, a new program of U.Va.’s Teaching Resource Center that aims to provide an arena for faculty to focus on the “big questions in teaching and learning,” center director Marva Barnett said. The program will bring together master teachers who have already helped others reach a higher level of excellence, and who are interested in offering their expertise to colleagues across Grounds.

Department receives NSF MRI for new X-ray diffractometer

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:58:00 +0000

The Department of Chemistry has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program for the purchase of a new X-ray diffractometer. The diffractometer will be housed in UVa’s Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility and will be maintained by the Department of Chemistry. The new instrument, which will combine molybdenum and copper X-ray sources with a highly accurate goniometer, will serve a wide range of research groups including those that are focused on chemical synthesis and/or catalysis, working on structures of large biological macromolecules or that have efforts in materials science. Drs. Mura, Sabat and Gunnoe authored the proposal.

ACS Fellow, 2011

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:57:57 +0000

The ACS Fellows Program was created by the ACS Board of Directors in December 2008 “to recognize members of ACS for outstanding achievements in and contributions to Science, the Profession, and the Society.” This year, 213 ACS Fellows were named and Professor John T. Yates, Jr. was one of them. Professor John T. Yates, Jr. was named for his significant contributions to the field of modern surface chemistry. His major contribution is melding the approaches of surface physics and surface chemistry into a single discipline which has set the standard of the field. In surface science, where the vast majority of investigators are physicists, Yates’ work has had a clear central theme- the invention and use of physical techniques to understand the chemistry that occurs on surfaces.

UVa chemistry graduate students host Forensic Day at the Charlottesville Discovery Museum

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:56:22 +0000

On Saturday July 16, LEAD, an outreach group formaed by UVa chemistry graduate students, hosted a Forensic Day at the Charlottesville Discovery Museum. The chemistry Ph.D. students demonstrated and assisted with hands-on activities such as DNA extraction and scientific analysis of soil samples.

Department of Chemistry announces recipients of the AES Graduate Fellowship in Energy Research

cindy — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:50:46 +0000

The Department of Chemistry and College of Arts & Sciences are pleased to announce four recipients of the AES Graduate Fellowship for the 2011-2012 year. This year’s recipients are Scott Donald, Isabel Green, Jared Pienkos, and Joanna Webb. Through the efforts of Ms. Victoria Harker and a generous gift from AES Corporation, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Virginia have created the AES Graduate Fellowships in Energy Research Program. This program will fund up to five graduate fellowships per year in the Department of Chemistry for students performing fundamental research focused on the energy sciences.

Cafiso and Tamm renew $5 million NIH Program Project Grant

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:48:08 +0000

National Institute of Health program project grants (PPGs) represent synergistic research programs that are designed to achieve results not attainable by investigators working independently. The program project grant is organized around a set of closely related projects bearing on a well-defined scientific problem. UVa professors Cafiso (Chemistry) and Tamm (Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics) are co-principal investigators on a PPG entitled “Structural Dynamics of Presynaptic Membrane Fusion” that focuses on determining the mechanism of nerotransmitter release. Their initiative also includes a third co-PI, Rienhard Jahn, at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany.

Material developed in the Fraser laboratory featured on The Journal of Materials Chemistry cover

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:55:30 +0000

Scratch the Surface Ink^TM Featured on the Cover of a Special Mechanoresponsive Materials Issue

An image from the Fraser laboratory’s Chromogenic Materials exhibit in the Architecture School with Rosana Rubio Hernandez was selected as the cover of a special issue of The Journal of Materials Chemistry focused on mechanosensitive materials. Three articles from the group appear in this special issue, including an article by Tiandong Liu, a study with MIT collaborators Ned Thomas, Jon Singer and Steve Kooi, and first papers by Nguyen Nguyen, a first year graduate student, and Alan Chien and Arianna Sherman, undergraduate and high school coauthors.

Graduate student Jen Patterson receives Virginia Academy of Sciences poster award

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:36:50 +0000

Jennifer Patterson, a second-year graduate student in the Mura Lab, received the “Best Graduate Poster Presentation” award in the Structural Biology, Biochemistry & Biophysics section of the Virginia Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, held this May 26^th in Richmond, VA. Jen’s poster was entitled “Towards the Characterization of Nucleic acid-Binding by Hfq in Ancient Bacterial Species“, and was coauthored by graduate student Tomasz Kabzinski and Prof. Cameron Mura.

Third year chemistry major receives UVa Double-’Hoo Research Grant

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 21:33:34 +0000

Olivia Sullivan, a third-year physics and chemistry major in the College, and Zongyi Gong, a fourth-year graduate student working in medical physics in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, received one of the eight UVa Double ‘Hoo Research Grants awarded by the Center of Undergraduate Excellence. The team (with Mark Williams, an associate professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology) is developing methods for breast cancer imaging.

Prof. Gerrans receives All-University Teaching Award

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:29:49 +0000

Professor Gerrans received one of the nine UVA All-University Teaching Awards for his excellence in teaching chemistry. He has taught organic chemistry at UVA for over fifteen years and has contributed significantly to the departments undergraduate education initiatives.

Two chemistry undergraduate majors receive Beckman scholarships

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:54:09 +0000

Vladislav Sviderskiy and Mengxun “Monica” Li, third-year majors in the University of Virginia’s College of Arts & Sciences, have received Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation scholarships designed to promote research in chemistry.

The Beckman Scholars program at U.Va. provides one or more $19,300 scholarships to highly talented, research-oriented students who will work in mentors’ laboratories for two summers and the intervening academic year. In addition to summer salary and academic year financial support, these scholarships sponsor participation in professional and national scientific meetings.

Sviderskiy, 20, of Henrico, is specializing in biochemistry and researching metal catalysts for water oxidation to allow more efficient storage of solar energy in chemical fuels.

Li, 21, of Centreville, is specializing in environmental chemistry. Her research focuses on using metal complexes to synthesize new organic compounds that may possess biological activity.

Prof. Grimes publishes “Carboranes Second Edition”

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:29:44 +0000

Professor Russell Grimes’ new book entitled Carboranes Second Edition was released last month and published by Elsevier. The book provides an introduction to the basic principles underlying the synthesis, structures, reactivity, and applications of carboranes and metallacarboranes at a level suitable for readers in industry and academe and detailed information for researchers active in carborane science and associated technologies.

Li and Landers Win Inauguration Poster Competition

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:54:22 +0000

In the recent grounds-wide Presidents Inaugural Research/Poster Competition, where research posters were submitted from all departments involved in research across all disciplines, Graduate student Jingyi Li and Professor James Landers’ poster on “The Pinwheel Effect: A Rapid and Inexpensive Method of DNA and Cell Quantification for Clinical Diagnostics” was selected as the winner in the Physical & Environmental Sciences & Engineering category.

Oxygen sensing smart bandage high school science fair project wins top prizes

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:13:28 +0000

A collaborative project between Prof. Shayn Peirce-Cottler‘s lab in Biomedical Engineering and the Chemistry Department Fraser Lab in oxygen sensing wound diagnostics served as inspiration for Emily and Charlotte Keeley, tenth grade twins at Charlottesville High School, for their high school science fair project, entitled “Creating a Smart Bandage: A Nanoparticle Embedded Polymer to Detect Local Oxygen Levels in Wounds.” They won seven prizes at the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair held at John Paul Jones Arena, including first place in Materials and Bioengineering category, several other engineering awards, and the Grand Award for Best Innovation including a $500 award from the fair sponsor. They were even featured on TV! See: Charlottesville Sisters Stand Out at Science Fair on CBS19. Graduate students Scott Seaman (Peirce-Cottler Lab, BME) in collaboration with Alex Zestos and Nguyen Nguyen (Fraser Lab) played key mentoring roles. Congratulations Emily and Charlotte!

Gus Gerrans receives 2011 All University Teaching Award

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:40:52 +0000

Prof. Gus Gerrans received a 2011 All University Teaching Award for his excellence in teaching. Prof. Gerrans teaches Organic and General Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry. He has taught undergraduate chemistry at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and here at the University of Virginia. He has held visiting professorships at the California Institute of Technology (1972), the University of Illinois (1979), the University of East Anglia, England (1986) and the University of Virginia (1990). Amongst the awards that he has received are the Convocation Distinguished Teacher’s Award (University of the Witwatersrand) and the Education Medal (South African Chemical Institute). He has published over 80 papers and is the co-author, together with P and R Hartmann-Petersen, of “Encyclopedia of Science and Technology,” (New Africa Books, 2007).

Most recently, Prof. Gerrans was a faculty in the Spring 2009 UVA Semester at Sea Program.

Mura, Columbus, and Price receive NSF funding for undergradaute science education development

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 02:43:51 +0000

Prof. Mura, Prof. Columbus, and Dr. Price received an NSF grant entitled “Known Structure, Unknown Function: An Undergraduate Research Curriculum. The grant provides funds for re-designing biochemistry laboratory courses, from the traditional structured experiments based on laboratory manuals to a more exploratory, project-based approach. To that end, this project is (i) designing a year-long, research-based biochemistry laboratory course for immediate implementation, (ii) developing the course as a series of individual units, or modules, which can be easily transferred to other institutions, and (iii) developing and publishing a website that disseminates the infrastructure to others interested in improving their undergraduate biochemistry programs. The long-term educational goal is to enhance the scientific education of undergraduate students, and to provide other biochemistry educators with a framework by which they can transform their own programs, thereby having a broader impact on the quality of education of biochemistry students. The goal is to educate scientists, not science majors.