November/December issue of inChemistry Magazine features graduate opportunities in Chemistry – see our ad on page 35

Job Announcement – Senior Instructor – Organic Chemistry

Job Announcement – Assistant Professor – Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Chemistry Department enjoys increased number of students

Congratulations Emily Hull and Trideep Rajale, Spring 2006 recipients of the Cooley-Juve Award

Annual department picnic well attended (Fall 2006)

Congratulations to Emily Hull and Trideep Rajale, recipients of the Spring 2006 Cooley-Juve Outstanding TA Award. Emily is an M.S. candidate, and Trideep is a Ph.D. candidate.

                                             Cooley-Juve TA Award Photograph

The Department of Chemistry nominated three graduate students to present at Grad Expo 2006:

Monika Szabon (Natale Group) received the Distinction in Presentation Award

Justin Nairn (Shapiro Group) received the Award of Merit

Philippe Perrotin (Shapiro Group) received Honorable Mention

The award for Departmental Excellence was awarded to Department of Chemistry

For more information on Grad Expo and these awards, go to http://www.gpsa-idaho.org/index.php/Grad_Expo_2006#Awards

Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to Chrystal Sheaff, recipient of the Fall 2005 Cooley-Juve Award. Chrystal is a PhD candidate in the Department.

                                                Cooley-Juve TA Award Photograph

Professor Peter Griffiths was elected as a member of the General Chapters Expert Committee of the United States Pharmacopeia for the period 2005-2010.

Professor Tom Bitterwolf was recently appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Organometallics. Tom and Pam Shapiro are now both members of this board.

Professor Jean'ne Shreeve was named as Chair of President's Committee on the National Medal of Science.

Professor Peter Griffiths was named to the National Research Council Committee on Chemical Agent Disposal Facility Monitoring Activities.

One-of-a-kind microscope for nano-sized research comes to UI

UI Honors Malcolm and Carol Renfrew

Philippe Perrotin awarded COGS Doctoral Research Fellowship

ESI Special Topics website features comments from Dr. Wai on "Supercritical fluid fabrication of metal nanowires and nanorods templated by multiwalled carbon nanotubes"

Congratulations Chrystal Sheaff, Fall 2005 recipient of the Cooley-Juve Outstanding TA Award

Chemistry grads shine at Grad Expo 2006

Professor Peter Griffiths receives International Humboldt Research Award

UI Chemist [Professor Gustavo Davico] Finds Better Way to Create Methanol from Natural Gas

Wai Group article, Synthesis of Silver and Copper Nanoparticles in Water-in-Supercritical-Carbon Dioxide Microemulsion, recently acknowledged to be one of the most cited papers in the field of Materials Science

Professor Gustavo Davico's findings published in Chemical and Engineering News -- I⁺ is Catalyst for Oxidation of CH₄ to CH₃OH

Professor Gustavo Davico, along with collaborators, recently reported exciting results on the well-known S_N2 reactions in the Journal of Physical Chemistry

Professor Tom Bitterwolf appointed to Editorial Advisory Board of Organometallics

Congratulations December 2005 Graduates!

New faculty member in Bio-physical Chemistry, Dr. Eric Brauns

	A team of UI chemists and engineers, including UI Chemistry Professors Tom Bitterwolf and Frank Chang, has received two million dollars to conduct an intensive study of lead acid storage batteries and to develop strategies on how to improve efficiency and life. Lead acid batteries are at the core of all automobiles. All strategies to develop energy efficient automobiles, including hybrid electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, will depend upon the development of high energy, long lived batteries. This work is being supported by the U.S. Navy through the Office of Naval Research.
	Two papers by Peter Griffiths' research group have been selected as the most significant publications in near infrared spectroscopy for the past two years, as recognized by the Gerald S. Birth Award.  These papers, entitled "Accurate Wavelength Determination of a Putative Standard to be used for Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflection Spectra Measured on Grating Spectrometers" and "Effect of Resolution on Peak Positions in FT-NIR Measurements of a Rare Earth Oxide Standard" were both published in the Journal of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy last year.  The co-authors are Husheng Yang, Tomas Isaksson and Richard Jackson.  Husheng Yang received his PhD from the UI and did this work as a post-doc in Griffiths' group; he now has a position with Astra-Zeneca Corporation in Wilmington, DE.  Tomas Isaksson is a professor in the Department of Food Science, Agricultural University of Norway, Ås, Norway who spent a sabbatical year in the Griffiths lab.  Richard Jackson is a former post-doc in Griffiths' group who is Applications Manager for FT-IR and FT-Raman Spectroscopy at Bruker Optics in Billerica, MA.
	The final stage of the Renfrew Hall renovation has been funded by the state and should be finished by Fall 2005. This will significantly increase the amount of research and teaching space, including a separate lab for the course on quantitative analysis.
	For the fourth time since its first offering, Professor Dan Edwards' core course, "Chemistry, Vision and Art", is fully subscribed with a long waiting list. The course is largely taken by majors in the humanities.

See pictures of class projects

Go to CORS 215 Web Page

Professor Nicholas Natale recognized with a "Salute to Excellence" award from ACS

Team of UI chemists and engineers received two million dollars to conduct study of lead acid storage batteries

Professor Nicholas Natale named Idaho Academy of Science Distinguished Science Communicator

Brandon Schmidt awarded the first Donald E. Roberts Scholarship

Tim Cantrell, an M.S. candidate in the Department of Chemistry, was awarded the Cooley-Juve Outstanding TA Award for Spring 2005.

                                        Cooley-Juve TA Award Photograph

Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering present the Almquist Lecture on February 28, 2006 at 8:00 p.m.

Derek Laine, a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry, was awarded the Cooley-Juve Outstanding TA Award for Fall 2004.
 

                                                    Cooley-Juve TA Award Photograph

Congratulations May 2005 Graduates!

Professor Chien Wai was recently awarded the 2004 S. T. Li Foundation Award. Along with the kudos of this award, Chien will receive a prize of $10,000 to support his research program this year, and the same amount next year. Congratulations, Chien!

Congratulations December 2004 Graduates!

Justin Nairn and Jeremy Riggle, PhD candidates in the Department of Chemistry, were both awarded with the Cooley-Juve Outstanding TA Award for Spring 2004.

Professor Jean'ne Shreeve was named as Chair of President's Committee on the National Medal of Science.

Professor Nicholas Natale was recognized with a "Salute to Excellence" awarded by the American Chemical Society at their 228th National Meeting in Philadelphia on August 24, 2004. The citation on the award reads, "For nine years of service as a National Chemistry Week Coordinator inspiring others to volunteer, demonstrating commitment to the Society, promoting the importance of science literacy, and making a positive difference in the community". Professor Natale's service ranks him in the top 25 nationwide for NCW Coordinators of the ACS, the world's largest scientific Society. He has previously been recognized by the ACS for his National Chemistry Week activities with a Phoenix Award in 1997 for the outreach program, "The Chemistry of Winning Teams". In addition, the outreach program, "A Periodic Table of the Moles", received three ACS ChemLuminary Awards in 2002, including "Most Innovative New Activity".

Professor Nicholas Natale was awarded The 2004 Distinguished Science Communicator Award by the Idaho Academy of Science at the IAS annual meeting.  Natale was cited for "his outstanding contributions to furthering chemical education nationwide, especially for his ability to communicate the science of chemistry through everyday experiences."

Professor Peter Griffiths was named to the National Research Council Committee on Chemical Agent Disposal Facility Monitoring Activities.

A team of UI chemists and engineers, including UI Chemistry Professors Tom Bitterwolf and Frank Chang, has received two million dollars to conduct an intensive study of lead acid storage batteries and to develop strategies on how to improve efficiency and life. Lead acid batteries are at the core of all automobiles. All strategies to develop energy efficient automobiles, including hybrid electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, will depend upon the development of high energy, long lived batteries. This work is being supported by the U.S. Navy through the Office of Naval Research.

Two papers by Peter Griffiths' research group have been selected as the most significant publications in near infrared spectroscopy for the past two years, as recognized by the Gerald S. Birth Award.  These papers, entitled "Accurate Wavelength Determination of a Putative Standard to be used for Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflection Spectra Measured on Grating Spectrometers" and "Effect of Resolution on Peak Positions in FT-NIR Measurements of a Rare Earth Oxide Standard" were both published in the Journal of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy last year.  The co-authors are Husheng Yang, Tomas Isaksson and Richard Jackson.  Husheng Yang received his PhD from the UI and did this work as a post-doc in Griffiths' group; he now has a position with Astra-Zeneca Corporation in Wilmington, DE.  Tomas Isaksson is a professor in the Department of Food Science, Agricultural University of Norway, Ås, Norway who spent a sabbatical year in the Griffiths lab.  Richard Jackson is a former post-doc in Griffiths' group who is Applications Manager for FT-IR and FT-Raman Spectroscopy at Bruker Optics in Billerica, MA.

Professor Nick Natale was awarded The 2004 Distinguished Science Communicator Award by the Idaho Academy of Science at the IAS annual meeting.  Natale was cited for "his outstanding contributions to furthering chemical education nationwide, especially for his ability to communicate the science of chemistry through everyday experiences."

Brandon Schmidt was the first student to be awarded the Donald E. Roberts Scholarship, a major new undergraduate scholarship with an endowment of over $600,000.

Chemistry student finds formula for college degree
By Tara Karr
Argonaut Staff

Colin Carver never planned to study chemistry, but he graduated with his bachelor’s degree May 15, 2004. Carver, who attended high school in Richland, Wash., began his college career in an unusual manner.