The Hawk Chemist - Saint Joseph`s University

The Hawk Chemist
Fall 2013
Department of Chemistry
Table of Contents
Department News
P. 4 - 9
McGroddy Lecture
P. 15
New Instrumentation
P. 9
Student Profiles
P. 16 - 17
Summer Scholars
P. 10 - 11
Commencement 2013
P. 18
Alumni Updates
P. 12 - 14
Current Faculty and Staff P. 19
From the Chair
Dear Saint Joseph’s University
The Molloy Chemical Society maintained the momentum
Chemistry Alumni/ae, Benefactors and
established in the previous academic year, holding
Friends,
numerous events throughout 2012-2013 that you will read
about in this newsletter. The capstone and perhaps
Welcome to the Fall 2013 edition of
highlight was Molloy’s presentation and demonstration on
The Hawk Chemist! As I enter my fourth year as chair, I
“How Catalysts Work” at the Philadelphia Science Festival
am pleased to share with you some of the developments
Science Carnival on the Parkway on April 20, 2013. Rising
within the department during the 2012-2013 academic year.
seniors
Mary
Malloy
and
Elena
Montoto
led
In May, we graduated a strong class of nine American
demonstrations and impressed many children and their
Chemical Society-certified chemistry majors and four
parents. The 2014 Philadelphia Science Festival Science
chemical biology majors. Seniors earning Chemistry
Carnival on the Parkway moves to May this year, so mark
Department awards this year included EuTchen Ang
your calendars for Saturday, May 3, and come out and
(American Chemical Society Scholastic Achievement
support the Molloy Chemical Society as they participate in
Award) and Nicholas Murry (American Institute of
the carnival.
Chemists Award). EuTchen was inducted into the Phi Beta
Chemistry faculty and staff also enjoyed a busy and
Kappa Honor Society, and he also completed a
productive year. Congratulations go to Adjunct Instructor
Departmental Honors Thesis working with Dr. Mark
Terry Crossan for receiving a Faculty Merit Award for
Reynolds studying the oxygen sensing heme protein, FixL.
Teaching at the Fall 2012 Awards Ceremony. Special
EuTchen is attending graduate school in biochemistry at
recognition also goes to Dr. Jean Smolen for her trip to
Princeton University this fall. Nick Murry graduated Magna
Nicaragua with Peter Clark, S.J., Professor of Theology and
Cum Laude, and he has been performing research at the
director of the Institute for Catholic Bioethics (ICB) and 14
Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Chemical Biology
students as part of the semester-long course “Just Health
senior award recipient was Avery Vilbert. She graduated
Care in Developing Nations.”
Cum Laude and is attending graduate school in chemistry at
Cornell University in the fall.
Undergraduate research remains a hallmark of the
2
department, and this past summer we had 20 students
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia
participate in the Summer Scholars Program and engage in
Institute of Technology. Professor Reichmanis’ lab is
faculty-directed
with
exploring active, polymer and hybrid organic/inorganic
Chemistry Department faculty. It is only with your generous
materials chemistries and processes for plastic electronics,
donations that we are able to support such a large group of
photovoltaics
students. During the academic year, most of these students
Reichmanis’ many awards include the 2011 ACS Polymer
continued their research for course credit, typically devoting
Materials Science and Engineering Division Distinguished
10 to 12 hours per week to their research projects. In
Service Award, the 2001 Perkin Medal, the 1999 American
addition, these students continue to gain valuable
Chemical Society Award in Applied Polymer Science, 1998
experience by presenting their work at local, regional and
Photopolymer Science and Technology Award, the 1996
national scientific meetings. During the past year, the
ASM Engineering Materials Achievement Award. She has
venues at which students presented included the ACS
been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering
National Meeting in New Orleans, the National Organic
(1995), and is a Fellow American Association for the
Symposium in Seattle, the Philadelphia Organic Chemists
Advancement of Science and the American Chemical
Club Poster Day and the ACS Philadelphia Section Poster
Society. Most recently, Dr. Reichmanis was one of 11
Night.
women from around the world named a 2013 Distinguished
independent
research
projects
and
photonic
technologies.
Professor
Woman in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering by the
We were pleased to make some significant improvements to
International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
our departmental infrastructure this year with the
She will be honored for this award during a special
renovation of the instrumental analysis teaching laboratory
ceremony at the 2013 IUPAC World Chemistry Congress in
(SC 434), one organic chemistry research lab (SC 414), and
Istanbul in August 2013.
three faculty offices. With the renovation of SC 434, all but
one of the department’s teaching labs has been renovated
Finally, I’d like to thank all of you for your continued
since the phased-in Science Center renovations began in
support of the Department of Chemistry. We are fortunate
2003. We were also able to add a new Agilent inductively
and grateful to have strong support from our alumni. We
coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES)
also greatly appreciate your communication and feedback,
to our departmental instrumentation. We are again grateful
and we are always pleased and proud to receive news of
for your continued support that allows us to keep our
your achievements in your respective fields. Please let us
instrumentation up-to-date.
know how you are doing by using the reply form on our
website, email, mail, phone, Facebook or any means you
This past November John T. Groves, Professor and Hugh
find convenient.
Stott Taylor Chair of Chemistry at Princeton University,
joined us to give the annual McGroddy Frontiers in Science
Best regards,
Lecture. During the day and before his lecture, Dr. Groves
Mark Forman
met with chemistry faculty and students from the Molloy
Chemical Society. It was a great opportunity for our
students to learn firsthand the role that chemistry can play
in probing cutting-edge biological problems. This year’s
McGroddy speaker will be Dr. Elsa Reichmanis, Professor
3
Science Center 414: Forman Research Laboratory
Department
News
Major Renovations to Chemistry
Laboratories and Offices
The ongoing phased renovation of Saint Joseph’s
University Science Center began in 2003 with interior
renovations
of
teaching
laboratories,
research
laboratories, classrooms and offices for the Biology,
Chemistry and Physics Departments. During this 10-year
project, all of the chemistry teaching labs have been
renovated except for the Chemistry Instrumentation
Laboratory (SC 411) and the Instrumental Analysis
Laboratory (SC 434). We are happy to report that students
taking Instrumental Analysis Laboratory will have a new
home this fall, as during the summer of 2013, SC 434 was
completely renovated. As the photos show, current space
will provide a more engaging and contemporary setting for
students taking Instrumental Analysis Laboratory as well
as other laboratory courses. Highlights of the renovated
lab include all new HVAC, a new 6-foot hood, new
cabinetry and new floors. The room has a state-of-the art
AV system and is fully ADA compliant.
research students will have a new home starting fall 2013.
After nearly four decades without significant upgrades,
SC 414 was renovated during summer 2013. Along with
two new hoods, cabinetry and floors, the renovation will fix
several problems in the lab, including extreme
temperatures, a noisy HVAC system and the lack of ADA
accessible work areas.
In addition to Instrumental Analysis Laboratory (SC 434),
organic chemistry professor Mark Forman and his
Meeting in New Orleans
Science Center 434: Instrumental Analysis
Laboratory
Finally, three faculty offices were renovated, providing Dr.
Smolen and Dr. Zurbach with new, expanded and
enhanced workspaces. All of the work was performed by
Irwin & Leighton, the contractor who started the
renovations in 2003, with architectural design of the
project provided by Ballinger and engineering design
provided by Bala.
Nine SJU Students Present at the
American Chemical Society National
SJU Chemistry was well represented at the 245th
American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting and Exposition
this past April 7-11 in New Orleans. Seven chemistry
majors and two chemical biology majors accompanied
department chair Mark Forman to the conference. The
participating undergraduate students were Avery Vilbert
’13, Michelle Piotrowski ’13, Dana Krajcsik ’13, Megan
Forman ’14, David Manion ’13, Meg Roeder ’13, Danielle
Houchins ’13, Brady Werkheiser ’13, and EuTchen Ang
’13. The SJU contingent gave a total of six presentations
at the conference, highlighting collaborations among a
combination of members from each group, including other
students who could not attend.
4
z
“Site-directed mutagensis and spectroscopic studies of
the oxygen sensing heme-PAS FixL protein,” Avery
Vilbert, EuTchen Ang, Dr. Mark Reynolds
Terry Crossan, MA, RD, LDN Named
“Saint Joseph's University Molloy Chemical Society”, Mr.
Brady O. Werkheiser, Ms. Avery Vilbert, Mr. EuTchen
Ang, Ms. Alaina Stockhausen, Mr. Nick Julian, Faculty
Advisor Dr. Jose Cerda
Terry Crossan, MA, RD, LDN, Adjunct Instructor in
Chemistry, was awarded a 2012 Merit Award for
Teaching at the Fall Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony.
Terry has been teaching courses in food chemistry to
SJU students for five years, and she is well-known
throughout the SJU community for her knowledge of food
chemistry as well as her effectiveness and enthusiasm in
organizing and presenting this material to students.
Before coming to SJU,
Terry
taught
undergraduate
and
graduate courses in food
chemistry and nutrition
for seven years at
Immaculata College, and
she served as an
Instructor in the Diabetes
Out-Patient
Education
Program and the Cancer
Support Group Program
for 15 years at Riddle
Memorial Hospital. In
addition, for the past 16
years, Terry has served
as
a
self-employed
Father Gillespie presents
Terry Crossan with
nutrition consultant to a
Teaching Award
variety of businesses
and groups in the
Philadelphia area. Terry brings this wealth of experience
and comprehensive knowledge of food chemistry to her
courses at SJU. Terry is also a registered dietitian with 20
years of experience in nutrition; she specializes in the
topics of weight management and disordered eating. She
is also very active in the community, as she often gives
lectures on dieting and nutrition to local community
groups. Congratulations Terry!
Merit Teaching Award Winner
“Industrial and agricultural pollutants in the Susquehanna
watershed of Pennsylvania,” Michelle Piotrowski, Megan
Forman, Catherine Blithe, Amy Dougher, Christopher
Millet, Michael Montemarano, Scott Niezgoda, Dr. Usha
Rao
“Reactions leading to pentacyclo[4.3.0.02,4.03,8.05,7]non-4ene”, David Manion, Dana Krajcsik, Mark A. Forman
“Heme loss in myoglobin and hemoglobin in the presence
of fluoride”, Danielle N. Houchins, Brady O. Werkheiser,
Margaret H. Roeder, Katherine C. McGovern, Victoria C.
Angelucci, Dr. Jose F. Cerda
“Effects of sodium fluoride binding on the electrochemical
properties of heme protein,” Margaret H. Roeder, Danielle
N. Houchins, Emily J. Amendola, Jacquelyn D. Castorino,
Andrea L. Fritz, Carmen Guzman, Dr. Jose F. Cerda
There were more than 15,500 attendees at the
conference, and the group joined them in attending
numerous enlightening scientific lectures such as a Kavli
Foundation Innovations in Chemistry Lecture by Daniel G.
Nocera on the world’s first artificial leaf. The meeting
theme was “Chemistry of Energy and Food,” and the
students were able to attend talks on the relationship
between chemistry and food in our society.
Left to right: Avery Vilbert ’13, Michelle Piotrowski ’13, Dana
Krajcsik ’13, Megan Forman ’14, David Manion ’13, Meg Roeder
’13, Danielle Houchins ’13, Brady Werkheiser ’13,
EuTchen Ang ’13, and Dr. Mark Forman
5
Dr. Jean Smolen Accompanies SJU
Students on Trip to Nicaragua
Jean Smolen, Associate Professor of Chemistry,
accompanied Peter Clark, S.J. and 15 Saint Joseph’s
University students for an immersion trip to the Central
American country of Nicaragua from January 5 through
January 12. The immersion trip is the capstone of a
semester-long course, “Just Health Care in Developing
Nations”, which is offered jointly through Theology and
Religious Studies and Interdisciplinary Health Services.
Most of the students are biology or health service majors
and a number of them are chemistry minors.
replied that Nicaraguan hospitals do not have as much
overhead and do not pay hospital administrators milliondollar salaries like we do in the U.S.” The Vivian Pellas
Hospital also houses a burn clinic for children in Nicaragua,
where patients are treated free of charge. Vivian Pellas and
her husband Carlos were in a plane crash in which Vivian
suffered life-threatening burns. Since that time, she has
pledged to assist young burn victims in Nicaragua.
The group spent much of its time in Managua, the capital
of Nicaragua and a city that was mostly destroyed during
the Sandinista conflict. During the week, the students
learned about the history of Nicaragua and its relationship
with the United States. Since the main objective of the
immersion is to experience health care in a developing
country, most of the time was spent visiting many hospitals
and clinics. The group visited a women’s clinic, Centro
Acahual, which is nearby the city dump in Managua. Many
women and children make a living by sorting through the
material at the dump. As one might imagine, various
illnesses are associated with this life.
Later in the week, the group took a trip into the country
to Matagalpa and the community of La Reina where they
visited a coffee plantation. Here they witnessed how the
beans are harvested and then how they are processed and
dried before being sold. The coffee plantation sells fair
trade coffee and the coffee is shade-grown. The group
learned that the coffee is sold for about $1 per pound,
compared to the $7 or more per pound that we pay for
coffee in the U.S. The group visited many more sites such
One day, the group visited the Lennin Fonseca Public
Hospital in the morning and the private Hospital
Metropolitano Vivian Pellas in the afternoon. The students
were stunned by the conditions of the public hospital that
was sorely lacking even basic standards of hygiene. The
facility is normally overwhelmed by the large number of
individuals seeking care. In contrast, the private facility is
more sophisticated than many hospitals in the U.S. The
group learned that this facility is commonly used for
medical tourism. The hospital attracts patients from all over
the world who have an ability to pay for surgeries such as
hip and knee replacements and bariatric surgery. A
procedure that would cost more than $40,000 in the U.S.
would cost less than $10,000 at this hospital. Therefore,
these procedures become more affordable for individuals
without health insurance. “When I asked the hospital
representative how they could afford to perform these
procedures so inexpensively,” said Jean Smolen, “she
“For students
who have never visited a developing country, the
experience is tremendous. My favorite part is
interacting with the people and learning about
their lives,” Smolen said. She will accompany a new
as maternity clinics and local markets.
group of students next year, returning to Nicaragua in order
to build upon the relationships started with many of the
many communities on this trip.
6
SJU Chemistry Majors Design Candy
for NYC Candy Company
by Anna Kesaris
Dylan's Candy Bar needed to re-engineer Clodhoppers,
the fudge-covered graham
candy. A group of five SJU
Chemistry majors led by
Terry Crossan spearheaded
the effort to replicate the
treat's taste and texture in
just six months.
Founded in 2001 by Dylan
Lauren, daughter of famed
designer Ralph Lauren,
Dylan's Candy Bar is a candy supplier with a chain of
boutique candy shops in New York City, Los Angeles, and
Miami. For years one of Dylan's popular treats,
Clodhoppers, had been supplied by a Canadian company.
However, the supplier recently discontinued supplying
Clodhoppers, leaving Dylan's Candy Bar with the need to
develop their own version of the candy.
SJU students took on this project under the direction of
Adjunct Professor and dietician Crossan, who teaches
Food Chemistry at SJU. She enlisted sophomore
chemistry majors Allyson Langley, April Savarese, Casey
Adams, Alaina Stockhausen, and senior chemistry major
Dana Krajcksik to help with the project. The team set out
to reverse engineer the candy and reproduce as close as
possible the original Clodhoppers recipe, a fudge-covered
cluster of graham wafers.
thought they were going to take the candy. They really
wanted as similar taste to the [original] Clodhoppers as
possible,” said Crossan.
Despite the setback, Crossan and her team did not quit.
“We knew we had signed up and made a commitment,
and we wanted to make sure we did our school proud,”
said Crossan. The team went back to the drawing board
and focused on different aspects such as texture,
sweetness and balancing all the ingredients. “We walked
into this and it sounded like it was going to be very simple,
but the nuances were the hardest part,” explained
Crossan.
Crossan's Food Chemistry classes even got involved, “I
would walk in before starting class and say, ‘We had an
epic failure in chocolate world.’ My class knew about
whole project, and my students would send links about
what we could do to change recipes,” said Crossan.
Crossan was able to bridge a gap between Food
Marketing majors, Chemistry majors, professors and
students, and her family, so everyone could participate in
such a unique experience.
When Crossan and her team were finally able to match the
recipe in May, her students and Dr. Forman took their final
batch to New York, presented their work, met the
executives of Dylan’s Candy Bar, and took a tour of the
facilities. Reflecting on the experience, Crossan said: “It
was such collaboration. You hear so often about a
distance between faculty and students, but this project
bridged everything.”
“We were only provided with free samples and the labels
for the three different Clodhoppers varieties: vanilla,
chocolate, and cookies and clods,” Crossan said. Crossan
and her team began the project in early November 2012
and hoped to present their final product to Dylan’s Candy
Bar by February 2013. At first they used a make-shift
kitchen in one of the labs and the Biology freezer two
floors below to store their products. Realizing the
inefficiency of this system, Crossan decided to host her
research team at her house to bake the samples and test
recipes.
Crossan and her dedicated team were getting close to
their final recipe, and right before Christmas, believed they
had struck gold. “It was unbelievable, a fantastic candy.
We thought this was it. And we sent it up to Dylan’s Candy
Bar and the response was that it was ‘too good.’ We
7
With Brady Werkheiser (President) and EuTchen Ang (Vice
President) providing student leadership and Dr. Cerda
providing faculty mentorship, the Molloy Chemical Society
had another active and productive academic year in 2012Admitted Students Days.
2013. Molloy’s activities during the past year included:
 Holding a senior farewell event at Landmark
 Presenting a poster and giving a talk at the Spring
Americana restaurant in early May.
2013 ACS National Meeting in New Orleans entitled  Increasing the Molloy budget through the Student
“ACS Student Affiliate Chapter the Molloy Chemical
Leadership Office.
Society from Saint Joseph's University.”
As was the case in 2012, the highlight of the past year was
 Receiving a Student Travel Grant from the ACS to Molloy’s participation in and exhibition at the Philadelphia
attend the National Meeting in New Orleans.
Science Festival and Carnival on Saturday, April 20 that
 Sponsoring a Molloy Chemical Society seminar series Logan Circle on Ben Franklin Parkway. Members of Molloy
by hosting a fall lecture by Douglas J. Bucklin, Ph.D., interacted with crowds of onlookers while President-elect
J.D. Attorney-at-Law, Volpe and Koenig, P.C. entitled Mary Malloy and Elena Montoto gave a demonstration
“Patent Law Applied to Chemical Composition, entitled “How Catalysts Work.” Pictures and video of the
Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology” and a spring demonstration may be viewed by going to Molloy’s
seminar by Kadine Mohomed, Ph.D.
(Thermal
Applications Scientist at TA Instruments) entitled
“Applying
Thermal
Analysis
Techniques
to
Understanding Materials.”

Holding a two-day Valentine’s Day Fundraiser by
selling colorful M&M-filled test tubes.
Left to right: Megan Forman, EuTchen Ang, Dr. Jose Cerda, Mary
Malloy, Elena Montoto, Avery Vilbert, Brady Werkheiser




Facebook page: facebook.com/MolloyChemicalSociety.
Contributing Molloy members included EuTchen Ang,
Brady Werkheiser, Megan Forman and Avery Vilbert.
Encouraging new members to join early in the
Molloy also increased its fundraising activities during the
academic year by promoting the Society at the Fall
past year, increasing donations by over 300 percent. The
SJU Activities Fair.
increased funds were used to sponsor the seminar series
Finding a sponsor for and creating Molloy Chemical
and to support Molloy and research students attending the
Society T-Shirts.
ACS National Meeting in New Orleans. Special thanks go
Celebrating Pi day by holding the monthly meeting and to donors Blue Ash Therapeutics (the parents of Mary
election of new officers for 2013-2014 on March 14.
Malloy ’14), Locks Law Firm, Mastermelt America LLC and
Leading tours of the Science Center during the SJU the parents of Rachel Troxel ’16.
8
Toward the end of the spring semester, the Molloy officers summers as a Summer Scholar doing research with
helped oversee the election of new officers for the professor and chair Mark Forman.
upcoming academic year. For 2013-2014, in addition to
Brady Werkheiser ’13 Named to
Mary Malloy as President the new officers will be Alaina
Stockhausen (Vice President), Ally Langley (Secretary) and Philadelphia ACS YCC
Rachel Troxel (Treasurer). Congratulations to the new
The Philadelphia Local Section Younger Chemists
officers!
Committee (YCC) is starting a council
for the 2013-2014 academic year, and
Elena Montoto ’14 Selected to
Brady Werkheiser (BS Chemistry ’13)
Participate in the DOW-MIT ACCESS
has been named one of its inaugural
members. The YCC committee is
Program
dedicated to introducing young
Rising senior Chemistry major Elena Montoto was selected
professionals
to
the
expansive
to participate in the DOW-MIT ACCESS Program (http://
chemistry network in the Philadelphia
access.mit.edu/). The DOW-MIT
area. Their goal is to create
ACCESS Program is an allopportunities for students, graduates
expenses
paid,
weekend-long
and young professionals to get involved in their community
symposium aimed to expose
and network with employers and local organizations. New
underrepresented minority students
council members will be responsible for spreading
to the benefits of a graduate
information about YCC events to colleagues, coworkers
education in chemistry, chemical
and friends. In addition, council members would pair up to
engineering and materials science.
host one event a year for the YCC community at large.
Elena traveled to Cambridge this
past October for the event and Hailing from Dublin, PA, Brady was the President of the
spent a weekend on MIT’s campus. Molloy Chemical Society in 2012-2013 and was integral in
Elena’s selection was based on her outstanding academic Molloy’s involvement in the Philadelphia Science Festival
record and accomplishments, as well as her potential to this past April and the Society’s involvement in local ACS
contribute to strengthening the vitality of the U.S. science events. Brady also conducted research with Dr. Jose
and engineering enterprise. Elena spent the 2012 and 2013 Cerda, investigating spectroscopic properties of myoglobin
in the presence of fluoride.
New Instrumentation
An integral component of the chemistry curriculum at Saint
Joseph’s University has been and remains the opportunity for
students to have hands-on experience with modern
instrumentation and sophisticated equipment within the context of
their coursework and independent research projects. Much of the
equipment and instrumentation is incorporated into students’
coursework as early as the sophomore year. The Chemistry Department is indebted to its alumni and
benefactors for making donations that have helped provide funds for the recent purchase of a new
Agilent inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The Agilent 710 ICP-OES
will be utilized in the instrumental analysis and inorganic chemistry laboratory courses as well as faculty
research and will allow the determination of elemental composition below the parts per million range.
With the Agilent 710, ICP-OES many elements can be screened per single sample run of less than three
to four minutes, and the samples can be analyzed in a variety of aqueous or organic matrices depending
on the operational setup. Senior Chemical Biology major Luke Serensits is shown with the instrument.
9
SUMMER SCHOLARS
2013
Dr. Peter Graham
Organometallic Chemistry
James Ohane, Chemistry, 2014
Eric Eisenhauer, Chemistry, 2014
Michael Pogash, Chemistry, 2015
Bobby Carden, Chemistry, 2014
Casey Adams, Chemistry, 2015
April Savarese, Chemistry, 2015
Dr. Mark Forman
Organic Chemistry
Megan Forman, Chemical Biology, 2014
Dr. Jose Cerda
Electrochemical Biochemistry
Elena Montoto, Chemistry, 2014
Alaina Stockhausen, Chemistry, 2015
Dr. John Berberian
Physical Chemistry
Harry Eichman, Chemistry, 2016
Victoria Angelucci, Chemical Biology, 2014
10
Mary Malloy, Chemistry, 2014
D
uring the summer of 2013,
20 students were engaged in faculty
-mentored
research
projects
in
the
Department of Chemistry.
Amanda Stoltzfus, Chemical Biology, 2014
Kelsey Berger, Chemical Biology, 2014
Each summer many Chemistry and Chemical
Biology undergraduates as well as students
enrolled in the five-year BS/MS scienceeducation program remain on campus and
Dr. Mark Reynolds
Inorganic Biochemistry
participate in research projects supervised by
Jasmin Martin, Chemical Biology, 2015
chemistry faculty.
In 2013, student projects
spanned the areas of synthetic organic and
synthetic organometallic chemistry, inorganic and
electrochemical
Luke Serensits, Chemical Biology, 2014
Mike Desciak, Chemical Biology, 2014
biochemistry,
environmental,
and physical chemistry. Saint Joseph's University
provides the opportunity for low-cost on-campus
housing and students receive a stipend ($3,200
for each participant). Funding for many of these
stipends is provided by the Saint
Dr. Jean Smolen
Environmental Chemistry
Joseph’s
University Summer Scholars program.
This
Amy Dougher, Chemical Biology, 2015
program is also supported with funds from the
Department of Chemistry, grants from local and
national funding agencies and societies, as well as
gifts from alumni.
Zachary Dobson, Chemistry, 2014
Andrew Kusterbeck, Chemistry, 2014
11
Alumni Updates
BRUCE ROTH (BS Chemistry ’76) was named the winner of the 2013 Perkin Medal by
the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). The Perkin Medal is recognized as the highest
honor given for outstanding work in applied chemistry in the U.S. and includes among its
recipients Irving Langmuir, Glenn Seaborg and 2014 SJU McGroddy Frontiers in Science
speaker, Dr. Elsa Reichmanis. Dr. Roth received the medal and presented an address at
a Sept. 17 dinner in Philadelphia, after Innovation Day events at the Chemical Heritage
Foundation. The medal is named for Sir William Henry Perkin, who developed the first
synthetic dye, the so-called Perkin mauve, in 1856.
Dr. Bruce Roth has made many significant discoveries in a distinguished research
career, but he is best known for his invention of Lipitor®, which has become the largestselling drug in pharmaceutical history. After earning his B.S. in Chemistry at Saint
Joseph’s in 1976, Dr. Roth earned a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Iowa State
University in 1981. After a year of postdoctoral research at the University of Rochester,
he joined the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company. While at Warner
Lambert, Dr. Roth worked on discovering inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis, and as
part of this discovery program, he synthesized atorvastatin, the compound that ultimately
was marketed as Lipitor®. Dr. Roth served as Vice President for Chemistry at the Pfizer
Global Research and Development Laboratories in Ann Arbor, Michigan from 2000-2007, and in 2007, he joined
Genentech where he currently serves as Vice President for Discovery Chemistry. For his work on the discovery and
development of Lipitor®, Dr. Roth received the 2003 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention. In 2008,
the American Chemical Society named him as one of the “Heroes of Chemistry.”
Thom Caggiano (BS Chemistry ’76) let us know that he is
a volunteer science presenter at the Franklin Institute in
Philadelphia, PA. Thom also tells us that he has retired from
the pharmaceutical industry, but that he is doing some
teaching in the area and taught organic chemistry lab at Rider University last year.
Michael Harkness (BS Chemistry ’77) writes, “I have been a general pediatrician with a practice called WadeTownsend Pediatric Associates in Paoli, PA for the last 22 years. I am the Chief of Outpatient Pediatrics for Main Line
Health, and active on several of their committees. I have been married for 29 years to my wife, Fran, who is the
Associate Registrar at Cabrini College. I stay busy with our parish Knights of Columbus chapter and am an active
member of a Valley Forge Running Club, Fast Tracks. We live just outside of Valley Forge Park in Wayne, PA.”
J.P. Borneman (BS Chemistry ’80, MS Chemistry ’83, MBA
(Finance) ’87) tells us that since 1999, he has been
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Standard
Homeopathic Company and Hyland’s Inc. Under his
leadership, the company has grown tenfold. Jay’s focus is on leadership of the firm, as well as interaction with outside
stakeholders including shareholders, regulators, banking and finance and legislators. He tells us the company’s
science focus is on the generation and characterization of nanoparticles from highly agitated solutions in borosilicate
glass, development of new bio-assays and development of scalable production equipment. Its clinical focus is on
pediatric cough, cold and otic medications.
Ebrahim Ghelichkhani (BS Chemistry ’84) tells us that after working for a couple of high tech companies, he intends
to do something new in order to make a living in the future. Ebi also reports that he is teaching at UCSC-Extension in
the Silicon Valley. Ebi teaches courses in Reaction Kinetics and Statistical Design of Experiment. Ebi and his family
live Cupertino, CA.
Mark Reichardt (BS Chemistry ’89) writes, “in July 2013 I celebrated my 31st year working as an analytical chemist
and process chemist at Carpenter Technology Corporation in Reading, PA. Carpenter is a leading international
manufacturer and distributor of specialty alloys, powder alloys and titanium serving the automotive, aerospace, energy,
industrial, medical, defense and consumer products industries.”
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1980’s
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Joseph Rossi (BS Chemistry ’89; MS Chemistry ’92) let us know that he is a patent attorney and partner in the law firm
of Stradley Ronon LLP in Philadelphia, where his practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property matters that
relate to the chemical and pharmaceutical arts. He helps clients manage their U.S. and international patent portfolios
and works directly with product development teams to plan patent and business strategies in view of competitor patent
rights. Joe was recently included in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, regarded as a definitive guide to
legal excellence in the United States.
Deirdre Arnold (BS Chemistry ’93) writes that for the past
10 years she has been working at the Patent and
Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA where she is a
Technical Information Specialist. Deirdre supports the
Patent Examiners by performing online literature searches in her area, which includes pharmaceuticals, cosmetics,
pesticides, polymers, proteins, polynucleotides, traditional medicine and combinatorial chemistry.
Andrew Harron (BS Chemistry ’99, MS Chemistry ’02) writes that he is finishing his doctoral work in analytical
chemistry and mass spectrometry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Andy writes, “I have gotten into
tissue imaging and developing new methods of ionization for mass spectrometry”.
Since earning his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in
2006, Nick Benetatos (BS Chemistry ’00) tells us he has
been working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). In this
position, Nick provides technical expertise to aid the center in regulatory review and decision making for Class II and
Class III medical devices (pre-market and post-market). Specialty areas have included: cardiovascular devices,
interventional cardiology devices, polymeric drug-delivery systems, orthopedic devices and active implantable
electronic devices.
Congratulations to Michael McNevin (BS Chemistry ’01) and his wife on the birth of Landon this past February. While
Mike is surely busy with fatherhood, he recently presented at the Polymorphism and Crystallization conference in the
Netherlands on “Discovery and Selection of an Optimal Crystal Form for the Various Stages of Pharmaceutical
Development.” Mike also notes that, “in early 2012 I moved groups to Preformulation in the Pharmaceutical Sciences
and Clinical Supply organization and I am now an Associate Principal Scientist.”
Matt Kieber-Emmons (BS Chemistry ’02) tells us that he has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Chemistry
at the University of Utah starting August 1, 2013. Matt is currently an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in
Ed Solomon’s group.
Congratulations to Mike Kerrigan (BS Chemistry, ’03) and his wife Andrea Myers Kerrigan on the birth of their first
child, Grady Michael Kerrigan, who joined the Kerrigan family on May 27, 2013. The proud mother and father and
Grady live in Potomac, MD.
Paul Tarves (BS Chemistry, ’05) informs us that he recently earned his Ph.D. at Boston University. Paul’s thesis was
entitled “Coordination Chemistry of Mononuclear Non-Heme Iron Oxygenase Enzymes: Probing Differential of
Carboxylate and Phenolate Ligation Through Functional Synthetic Model Systems.” Paul is back in the Philadelphia
area at a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of the Sciences.
Kerry Salandria (BS Chemistry, ’06) is excited to tell us that she married fellow Hawk-Mate Dan Dykas (Food
Marketing, ’06) this past fall. After honeymooning in Hawaii, Kerry started working at Intelligent BioSystems where she
is producing Qiagen’s GeneReader for release later his year. The instrument uses Next-Generation Sequencing
(NGS) technology for determining DNA sequence composition, and Kerry is making fluorescently-labeled, reversibly
terminating nucleotide triphosphates for the instrument.
Ian Eisele (BS Chemistry ’06) writes, “After graduating from SJU in 2006 I began work on my Masters in Chemistry at
Villanova University and received my degree in 2012. During this time I began working at Agilent Technologies in 2009.
I met my wife at Agilent, where we sat right next to each other for 3 years. We married in 2012 and moved to Folsom,
California. Currently, I provide service and support for Agilent LCMS instrumentation all around the Pacific Northwest.”
Rebecca Mills (BS Chemistry, ’06) reports that she is now Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine at St. John Hospital
and Medical Center in Detroit, MI. Becca tells us, “I've been enjoying my time in Detroit and this year the chief duties
have added to the work but they’ve also been really fun. I’m looking into jobs now too, and I’m going to be coming back
home to Philly. My only regret is that I can’t stay on at my current hospital while living in Philly again, this hospital is
such a gem for EM. But I look forward to paying the department a visit when I’m back home again!”
David Bulkley (BS Chemistry, ’07) writes, “I graduated from Yale this August (2013) with a Ph.D. in Biophysical
Chemistry after working in the lab of Thomas Steitz doing X-ray crystallography. I'll be starting a postdoc this fall at
UCSF in the lab of Yifan Cheng working on cryo-electron microscopy.”
Tony Pozzessere (BS Chemistry ’07) reports that after graduating from Jefferson Medical College in 2011, he moved
west for his residency. Tony is finishing up his second year as a resident in general surgery at Santa Barbara Cottage
1990’s
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Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA.
After graduation in 2008, Dan Fabry (BS Chemistry ’08) reports that he was hired by NMS Labs in Willow Grove, PA to
do clinical and forensic therapeutic drug testing. In August of 2011, Dan left NMS Labs to join Haverford College’s
chemistry department as the Instrument Specialist. Shortly after taking the new job, Dan got married on September 10,
2011 to his wife Danielle. Dan is currently pursuing a M.S. degree in analytical chemistry from Villanova University.
Congratulations Dan!
Congratulations to Matt Ortlip (BS Chemistry, ’08) who is the proud new father of Matthew David Ortlip. Matt continues
to work at Gelest, where he was recently promoted to Associate Chemist and shift supervisor. Matt and family recently
purchased a house in Bucks County.
Congratulations to Drew Brandt (BS Chemistry, ’10) who
married Morgan Matecki (BS Marketing, ’10, MBA Marketing
’11) on April 19th in Malvern, PA. Drew is working for E.I.
duPont de Nemours and Company in Wilmington, DE as an
Associate Investigator focusing on the process development of next generation commercial refrigerants.
Val Stephens (BS Chemistry ’10) writes that she is now working as an Associate Chemist at BASF in Iselin, NJ after
previously working at Rive Technology.
Jackie Castorino (BS Chemistry, ’12) tells us that she started graduate school in June in the Drexel University School
of Education M.S. program. Jackie reports that she was also accepted into the Philadelphia Teacher Residency
Program through the Philadelphia Education Fund. Through this program, she’ll be working with an educator in an inner
city school, starting in September 2013, to get hands-on teaching experience. Jackie is also staying busy coaching
juniors out of Undine Barge Club (one of the boathouses on Boathouse Row) every afternoon, after coaching the
Shipley novice boys this past spring.
Ian McKendry (BS Chemistry, ’12) reports that he has just finished his first year of graduate school at Temple
University in the Chemistry Ph.D. program where he has joined the lab of Dr. Michael Zdilla, which is focused on
bioinorganic synthesis. Ian is already involved in a few projects including one focused on determining the best
manganese oxidation state for water oxidation using birnessite as a photosystem II substitute. Another project involves
synthesizing a dialkyl calcium complex with the goal of inserting it into manganese clusters to create structures similar
to those in photosystem II.
Chrissy Ott (BS Chemistry, ’12) writes, “I just finished up my first year of graduate school at University of Delaware in
the Biochemistry Division. I have joined the lab of Dr. Zhihao Zhuang, which focuses on understanding the chemistry
and biology of the post-translational modification, ubiquitination. My project largely focuses on studying eukaryotic
translesion synthesis and its involvement in tumorigenesis and chemotherapeutic resistance. My current project
involves developing an assay using the enzymes native substrate to study the kinetic parameters of the deubiquitinase,
USP1/UAF1. Another current project involves evaluating the effectiveness of different deubiquitinase inhibitors as
potential chemotherapeutics both in vitro and in an animal model.”
2010’s
We want to hear from you! Really, we do. If you like
reading the alumni updates, please consider making a
submission yourself so we can brag about you.
Please visit the alumni page of our website at www.sju.edu/academics/cas/
chemistry/alumapp.html (navigate there on your smart phone using the 2D bar
code to the right) and send us your news and updated information by completing
the form. You may also send your replies by mail to: Department of Chemistry,
Saint Joseph’s University, 5600 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131 or email us at:
mforman@sju.edu
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The McGroddy Frontiers in Science Seminar Series was
launched with a gift from Dr. James C. McGroddy ’58, a
retired vice president from IBM. The series, which focuses
on interdisciplinary research, brings to campus researchers
who discuss their work at the frontier of the natural
sciences. Each year, the Departments of Biology,
Chemistry and Physics, and the University’s chapter of
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, host speakers in
the series. This past fall, Dr. John T. Groves gave the
McGroddy Frontiers in Science Seminar entitled
“Hydroxylations by the Novel Heme-thiolate Peroxygenase
APO and Extrapolations to P450 Enzymes and Model
Systems.” Dr. Groves is currently the Hugh Scott Taylor
Chair of Chemistry at Princeton University where his
research investigating the mechanisms
of metalloproteins and the design of new,
biomimetic catalysts and the molecular
mechanisms of these processes has
attracted international acclaim. Some of
his many awards include being named A.
C. Cope Scholar (1989), the Alfred
Bader Award in Bioorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry
(1996), National Science Foundation Extension Award for
Special Creativity, (2008-2011), Frontiers in Biological
Chemistry Award (2009), and ACS Ira Remsen Award
(2010). He is a member of the National Academy of
Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Elsa Reichmanis to Present 2013-2014
McGroddy Frontiers in Science Lecture
Elsa Reichmanis is a Professor of Chemical and Council (NRC) activities including
Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of service as co-chair of the NRC
Technology. Prior to joining Georgia Tech she was Bell Board on Chemical Sciences and
Labs Fellow and Director of the Materials Research Technology, she served as a
Department at Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent. She has had member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, was a
impact on the field of microlithography, which is central to member of the Visiting Committee on Advanced
the manufacture of electronic devices. Her work has Technology of the National Institute of Standards and
contributed to the development of a molecular level Technology (NIST), and currently serves as a member of the
understanding of how chemical structure affects materials NSF Math and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee and
function leading to new families of lithographic materials Advisory Committee on Environmental Research and
and processes for advanced VLSI manufacturing. She has Education. She is an elected member of the Bureau of the
explored the design and characterization of “closed-pore” International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry
nanoporous low-dielectric constant (k > 1.4) materials (IUPAC), and she served as 2003 President of the American
exhibiting a high degree of mechanical and environmental Chemical Society. Elsa Reichmanis is an Associate Editor of
stability. She is currently exploring active, polymer and the ACS Journal, Chemistry of Materials. She has been married
hybrid organic/inorganic materials chemistries and to Frank Purcell since 1979 and they have four children;
processes for plastic electronics, photovoltaics and photonic Patrick, Elizabeth and twins, Edward and Thomas. She can
technologies. She has more than 150 publications, has given be reached at ereichmanis@chbe.gatech.edu and additional
more than 150 invited presentations, is the holder of over 20 information is available on her research group website,
U.S. patents and is an editor of 5 books. Elsa Reichmanis www.reichmanis.chbe.gatech.edu.
received her Ph. D. and BS degrees in chemistry from
Syracuse University. After joining Bell Labs, she was
Elsa Reichmanis will give the 2013promoted to Supervisor of the Radiation Sensitive Materials
and Application Group in 1984, followed by promotion to 2014 McGroddy Frontiers in Science
Head of the Polymer and Organic Materials Research
Seminar on Wednesday, March 26,
Department in 1994. She is the recipient of several awards
and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in
2014 at 4 PM.
1995. She has participated in several National Research15
Student Profile: Bobby Carden
Interview by Anna Kesaris
Robert Carden, known as Bobby by faculty and students, will
graduate in May 2014 from SJU. Bobby has taken full
advantage of the many opportunities at SJU by balancing his
Chemistry major with a Music minor, extracurriculars, and
independent research. After graduation, he plans on pursuing
a Chemistry Ph.D. in the area of bioinorganic chemistry and
would like to become a chemistry professor.
“I just love helping students foster
a love for science to carry with
them for their whole lives, even if
they don’t stick with their major. I
love helping people find the
beauty in chemistry, when I see
the smile on their face when they
get something right nothing else
Bobby is not only passionate about teaching and chemistry; he
can compare to that.”
has also become involved in the Music Department at SJU.
He first starred in plays at SJU his freshman year when he was Beginning in the summer following his freshman year, Bobby
in Phantom of the Opera, and he has since been in Jesus Christ joined Dr. Peter Graham’s lab to learn about inorganic
Superstar, Miss Saigon, and Rent.
chemistry and get more hands-on experience in a research lab.
Bobby now has worked with Dr. Graham for three
Bobby also has taken voice lessons and music classes, and
consecutive summers and their results were recently published
comments, “I was always interested in music, but at Saint Joe’s
in the journal Organometallics. Bobby comments on his
I found I could do all these things while being a science major.
experience, “I love Dr. Graham to death, he has been such a
I am in music theory classes, and it connects to the way I learn
mentor to me, he was my General Chemistry teacher and he
chemistry. The way chord progressions come together to form
has been in my chemistry life at Saint Joe’s since the beginning.
melodies and harmonies, there are rules you have to follow,
I would not be where I am today without him.”
and I can easily do that with the way I think as a scientist.”
Bobby discusses his relationship with his fellow chemistry
Bobby continues, “I just love that the way I learn students and professors, “All of the Chemistry majors in our
chemistry connects to the way I learn music. The class are phenomenal. The professors are constantly
challenging us to make us do better, and they are a wonderful
systematic way chemistry and music work make support system, that is what the Department of Chemistry is.”
them beautiful.”
Asked about his favorite part of chemistry, Bobby answers,
“It’s everything. I love the material, I have loved all of my
Chemistry classes and I love working with students, especially
freshman. I was the RA on the freshman LRC [Learning
Residential Community for SJU Science majors] and I just
loved working with them, helping them out, and listening to all
of their experiences. I just love the atmosphere of collegiate
learning.”
“I want to be a mixture of all of the teachers at Saint Joe’s. I
want to be as adorable as Dr. Graham, as smart as Dr.
Forman, as funny as Dr. Zurbach, and as old and crazy as Dr.
Berbarian. So I think they all have qualities about them that
make them so unique, and every single one of the teachers in
the department has inspired me and my goal is to inspire
someone the way they inspired me, to do great things and as a
teacher take the ideals they set in me and share them with my
future students.”
Along with being the RA for the Science LRC, Bobby has Reflecting on his journey into his senior year, Carden says “I
worked has a TA for the General Chemistry lab, is a member walked on campus it was May 31st of my
of the American Chemical Society, and the Sigma Xi Scientific
Research Society. He also has served as a member of the Peer junior year of high school and no one else made
Review Board and worked as a chemistry tutor and SI leader me feel the way Saint Joe’s did. I don’t regret the
for General Chemistry.
Bobby explains why he loves his role as a tutor and SI leader:
decision ever.”
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Student Profile: Elena Montoto
Interview by Anna Kesaris
Elena Montoto, ’14 has taken full advantage of the numerous Graduate School. I was in between
opportunities that have come her way as a student in the Graduate or Pharmacy, and the
Chemistry department.
experience really helped me decide
“When it came to choosing my major I knew I wanted to what I wanted to do.”
major in Chemistry. I loved it from the start, and I always
knew I had made the right choice. There are so many different
subdivisions within Chemistry, and you get to learn about so
many different things. I think it’s awesome,” said Montoto.
Elena has worked with Dr. Mark Forman, chair of the
Chemistry department, in organic chemical research since her
sophomore year at SJU. The Forman group synthesizes nonnatural products that possess unique properties and enhanced
reactivity as a result of forced deviations from their ideal
geometries. In particular, they are interested in the effects that
bond angle distortion have on the structure and properties of
alkenes. Such strained alkenes have only a fleeting existence
and special methods are required to synthesize and study
them. As a member of Dr. Forman’s research team, Elena has
presented her work at a National Meeting of the American
Chemical Society and in Seattle for the National Organic
Symposium.
In addition, Elena also was recently accepted into the McNulty
Fellows Program for outstanding women majoring in science
or math and is being sponsored to continue her research. As a
result, she was able to attend a Women’s Leadership
Conference in May.
Elena also applied for the DOW-MIT ACCESS Program, into
which she was accepted. Elena attended a weekend-long
conference at MIT where she was able to attend presentations
by MIT professors, meet current graduate students and hear
the inside scoop on applying to graduate school. Finally, she
had the opportunity to attend a lecture by MIT chemistry
professor and recent Nobel Laureate, Richard R. Schrock.
Elena is currently preparing for the
GRE’s with plans to attend
graduate school and pursue a
Ph.D. in Materials Science after she
graduates from SJU this year. She
contributes her decision to join
graduate school to the support she has gotten from her fellow
professors and students in the Chemistry Department. A
leader in the Chemistry Department, Elena reflected on the
support system she had her past three years at SJU:
“The Chemistry Department is like a family.
It’s great that the Chemistry Department is so
small. In my year I am 1 of 7 students, and it
is always our little group. We are all so close to
the professors, and when we study we study
together and help each other out; there is not a
competitive environment. All of the professors
know you by your first name. You can talk to
any of them about anything, and they are
always there if you need help,” said Elena.
Elena has proven herself to be adventurous, intelligent, and
driven as a student at SJU. Her accomplishments in the
laboratory and classroom have put her at the top of the class
and have set her up for future success after her SJU career.
Although she was set on studying Chemistry in high school
and was determined to adventure out and study at a school far
from her home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Elena probably
never imagined that she would have the opportunity to attend
lectures at MIT.
Elena reflected on her experience at MIT saying, “Dr. Forman
showed me I could apply for these programs; he helped me
realize I had so many opportunities that SJU allowed for me to
be a part of. This program is the reason that I want to go to
17
Commencement
2013
Left to right: Danielle Houchins, Meg Roeder, Chris Millet, Michelle Piotrowski, Mike Montemarano, Dana
Krajcsik, Avery Vilbert, Brady Werkheiser, Nicholas Murry, Anthony Salvia, EuTchen Ang
2013 B.S. IN CHEMISTRY
EuTchen Ang
Danielle Houchins
Dana Krajcsik
David Manion
Nicholas Murry
2013 B.S. IN CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
Michelle Piotrowski
Meg Roeder
Anthony Salvia
Brady Werkheiser
Drew Kaneps
Chris Millet
Mike Montemarano
Avery Vilbert
The SJU Chemistry family greeted its newest group of
alumni on May 13 as the Department honored its
undergraduate students at the 2013 Commencement
Weekend.
On the Friday before Commencement, EuTchen Ang was
awarded the ACS Award for
Scholastic Excellence at the
Undergraduate
Awards
Ceremony. Chosen for this
award based on his high
academic achievement and
outstanding
research
accomplishments,
EuTchen
was inducted into the Phi Beta
Kappa Honor Society as a junior. During his time at SJU,
EuTchen was President of the National Society of
Collegiate Scholars and Vice-President of the Molloy
Chemical Society. As a three-year Summer Scholar,
EuTchen investigated the biochemical mechanism of
heme-based oxygen-sensing proteins and presented his
research at the recent ACS National Meeting in New
Orleans. EuTchen began graduate studies in chemistry at
Princeton University in the fall.
Nick was on the Dean’s list every semester and graduated
Magna Cum Laude. Nick is
also
an
accomplished
percussionist and an active
volunteer for a number of
groups. After graduating, Nick
started as an Associate
Researcher at the Mount Sinai
School of Medicine where he
is investigating pancreatic beta
-cell regeneration for the treatment of diabetes.
Also honored at the Awards Ceremony was Avery Vilbert,
who received the Chemical Biology Award at the
ceremony. Avery graduated Cum
Laude and was inducted into Sigma
Xi National Scientific Honor Society
and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the premedical honor society. Avery is
attending
graduate
school
in
Chemistry and Biochemistry at
Cornell University.
Prior
to
the
commencement
ceremony, students and their
Nicholas (Nick) Murry received the American Institute of families joined department faculty and staff in the Science
Chemists Award for Scholastic Achievement at the Awards Center to enjoy a reception honoring the graduates.
Ceremony in recognition of his academic ability, leadership
and professional promise. A resident of New York, NY,
Congratulations Class of 2013!
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Current
Faculty
and
Staff
From left to right: Back row: Jose Cerda, John Longo, John Berberian, Roger Murray, Mark Forman, Peter Zurbach
Front row: Barbara Neff, Kathy Gordon, Mark Reynolds, Usha Rao, Jean Smolen
Not pictured: Peter Graham
Dr. Mark A. Forman, Professor and Chair, Organic Chemistry
Dr. John G. Berberian, Professor, Physical Chemistry
Dr. José F. Cerda, Assistant Professor, Physical Chemistry
Mrs. Kathleen Gordon, Administrative Assistant
Dr. Peter M. Graham, Assistant Professor, Inorganic Chemistry
Mr. John Longo, Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
Dr. Roger K. Murray, Professor, Organic Chemistry
Mrs. Barbara B. Neff, Chemistry Resource Coordinator/Purchasing
Dr. Usha Rao, Associate Professor, Environmental Chemistry
mforman@sju.edu
jberberi@sju.edu
jcerda@sju.edu
kgordo01@sju.edu
pgraham@sju.edu
longo@sju.edu
rmurray@sju.edu
bneff@sju.edu
urao@sju.edu
Dr. Mark F. Reynolds, Associate Professor, Inorganic Biochemistry
mreynolds@sju.edu
Dr. Jean M. Smolen, Associate Professor, Environmental Chemistry
jsmolen@sju.edu
Dr. E. Peter Zurbach, Associate Professor, Analytical Chemistry
pzurbach@sju.edu
The Hawk Chemist
The Hawk Chemist is co-produced by Mark Forman and Peter
Graham. To contribute alumni news or to submit feedback, go to our
Web page, www.sju.edu/academics/cas/chemistry/alumapp.html, or
follow the links from the Chemistry Department homepage, www.sju.edu/academics/cas/chemistry/.
You
may also email mforman@sju.edu or write to: Mark Forman, Department of Chemistry, Saint Joseph’s
University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131.
19
5600 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
T 610-660-1781
F 610-660-1783
mforman@sju.edu
www.sju.edu
Connect with Us
We strive to stay connected with our alumni, who play an important role in our community. There
are many ways for you to get involved with the department, alumni and students. You can:
Keep In Touch - Share your news with us by visiting www.sju.edu/academics/
cas/chemistry/alumapp.html (navigate there on your smart phone using the 2D bar
code to the right)
Visit - Offer your expertise and serve as a mentor to help students develop their
professional skills and/or give a lecture in your area of expertise
Make a Difference - Give a gift to provide funding for student scholarships, research
equipment, and more
Learn Something New - Attend the 2013-2014 McGroddy Frontiers in Science Seminars
or another lecture in our chemistry seminar series. Check out the seminar schedule on our
Seminars and Events page at www.sju.edu/int/academics/cas/chemistry/seminarsevents.html.
Stay Connected - Visit one of our social media sites:
Join our Facebook group
www.facebook.com/SJUchem
Follow us on Twitter
twitter.com/#!/SJUChemistry
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Join our LinkedIn group
www.linkedin.com/groups/Saint-JosephsUniversity-Chemistry-Alumni-4059802