News

Friend of the department of chemistry, Lawrence Everett Thatcher 96, passed away on October 9, 2020, at the Grand Holladay assisted living center in Holladay, Utah.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the U’s Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry (CSOE) a grant to fund the center’s Phase II development. The center merges synthetic organic chemistry and electrochemistry to develop safe and sustainable chemical production methods.

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, has awarded the 13th Irving S. Sigal Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022) to Dr. Olja Simoska.

Natascha Knowlton, the University of Utah's beloved Chemistry Advisor, was recently diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Her body's T-cells attacked her bone marrow, leaving her with no blood cells. Please join us and sign up for the bone marrow donor registry to show support for Tascha and give hope to all patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.

The Parry Teaching Award was established by Rodney and Carolyn Brady for excellence in undergraduate teaching in the Department of Chemistry.

Connor Terry Weatherly, a senior in chemistry, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Conner has been working in Professor Henry White’s lab, and will be pursuing a Ph.D. in the years to come.

Lydia Fries has been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship for 2020-21. As a junior in chemistry, Lydia intends to obtain a Ph.D. in either organic chemistry or electrochemistry.

A paper by chemistry professor Valeria Molinero and her collaborators, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in November 2019, has been honored with a Cozzarelli Prize, one of six awarded annually by the journal to papers “of outstanding scientific quality and originality.”

Professor Shelley Minteer is one of this year's University of Utah Distinguished Research Awardees.

Sung Wan Kim received his PhD in Physical Chemistry with Professor Henry Eyring in 1969. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering at the U. He was Director of the Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery from 1985-2006.

The University of Utah is honored to be one of this year's Beckman Scholars Program Awardees. The Beckman Scholars program supports basic research in chemistry and the life sciences for undergraduate students at twelve institutions. The University of Utah was selected after a panel of scientific experts conducted a two-part review of all applications.

Lawrence E. Thatcher was born in Salt Lake City in 1924. He received his training in chemistry and chemical engineering at the University of Utah. He graduated in 1945 with a degree in chemical engineering. Lawrence and his brother, Winston, co-founded Thatcher Chemical in 1967 in Salt Lake City and developed it into a major supplier and manufacturer of chemical products.

Ronald Ragsdale passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at his home in Draper, Utah. He came as an assistant professor in 1963 and was promoted to full professor in 1972.

Joel Harris has won the 2019 Eastern Analytical Symposium Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry. The award was presented at this year’s EAS Meeting in Princeton, NJ in November.

University of Utah distinguished professor of chemistry Peter Stang and professor of pediatrics Anne Blaschke were two of 168 academic inventors named as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors for 2019. Stang opened pathways in organic chemistry reactions and now explores ways to form molecules into self-assembled geometric shapes. Blaschke played key roles in developing molecular tests for rapidly diagnosing infectious diseases.

How small is the smallest possible particle of ice? It’s not a snowflake, measuring at a whopping fraction of an inch. According to new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the smallest nanodroplet of water in which ice can form is only as big as 90 water molecules—a tenth the size of the smallest virus. At those small scales, according to University of Utah chemistry professor and study co-author Valeria Molinero, the transition between ice and water gets a little frizzy.

“I have lived by the principle that one ought to give back more than they receive,” said Sugihara in 2018." James M. Sugihara, first Ph.D. recipient at the University of Utah and long-time faculty member in Chemistry, passed away on Nov. 12, 2019. He was 101.

The announcement was made last week that Professor Shelley Minteer will be the inaugural chair of the Dale and Susan Poulter Chair in Biological Chemistry.

Dr. Gruenwald's research predicting nanocrystal superlattices based on ligand interactions will receive NSF funding over the next five years to carry out his proposed plans to advance his field and educate the next generation of researchers.

University of Utah Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Joel Harris is among the newest fellows of the American Chemical Society. Harris develops methods to image chemical structures and processes. Among his many awards, Harris recently received the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in 2016 and the Calvin S. & JeNeal N. Hatch Prize in Teaching in 2019.

In a new publication in Nature, University of Utah chemists Jolene Reid and Matthew Sigman show how analyzing previously published chemical reaction data can predict how hypothetical reactions may proceed, narrowing the range of conditions chemists need to explore. Their algorithmic prediction process, which includes aspects of machine learning, can save valuable time and resources in chemical research.

Professor Ryan Looper is one of six faculty members to receive the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair, the highest honor for a faculty member. Looper's research aims to develop compounds that can affect cell signals which play roles in diseases including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Distinguished Professor Cynthia Burrows was awarded the endowed Rosenblatt Prize by President Ruth Watkins "to honor excellence in teaching, research, and administrative efforts, collectively or individually, on behalf of the University.

President Watkins has appointed Distinguished Professor Henry S. White as the holder of the John A. Widtsoe Presidential Endowed Chair in Chemistry, effective July 1, 2019.

Rachel Cantrell, a junior majoring in chemistry, is pursuing a career as a research professor.

Professor Michael D. Morse received the William F. Meggers Award for his contributions to spectroscopy via his research focus on the electronic structure of small transition-metal molecules.

Tim Quah, a 2019 graduating student, has received a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for his approaching time at UC-Santa Barbara.

Humans of the U featured Chemistry’s Collins Kabaira and his inspiring story about how he overcame all the hurdles that come with immigrating to the U.S. as a young person.

Joel Harris was awarded this year's Hatch Prize for his excellent teaching legacy which he continues to cultivate.

U Chemistry Student awarded prestigious Churchill Scholarship

Experiment sends engineered plants to International Space Station

Professors Louie and Richmond light up the stage at the Faraday Lecture every year

Shelley Minteer has been elected one of the newest Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

This Humans of the U story features Craig Hanson: student, veteran, and previous TA of the Year for the Department of Chemistry

Rodrigo Noriega awarded for keeping ethics at the heart of his courses

Ming Hammond, one of the Chemistry Department's newest faculty members, is spotlighted in the @theU feature: Humans of the U

Matt Sigman is developing a way to get a better grasp on the tricky field of stereochemistry

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks is named one of C&EN's Talented 12

Shelley Minteer wins the 2018 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Electrochemistry

Ilya Zharov and Michael Bartl will lead effort to prepare ordered nanoporous materials that will allow studying how fluids interact with porous solids, part of DOE-funded research aimed to improve future production of energy resources.

Valeria Molinero shows how antifreeze proteins function in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Valeria Molinero has been named the first Jack and Peg Simons Endowed Professor of Theoretical Chemistry

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks receives Early Career Research Program award from the U.S. Department of Energy

Janis Louie receives the 2018-19 College of Science Award for Teaching Excellence

Scott Anderson's research on ethylene dehydrogenation for use in jet fuel cooling appeared in a recent edition of C&EN.

Matt Sigman has been awarded the Humboldt Research Award, given by the Humboldt Foundation of Berlin

Peter Flynn receives award from Career and Professional Development Center

Five chemistry students are recipients of the Suit Up Award, given by Career Services

The Molinero Group supplied the cover art for JACS, Volume 140, Issue 14.

Meet the U of U Chemistry students who received 2018 Goldwater Scholarships!

Peter Armentrout is the recipient of the 2018 Ron Hites Award for his contribution "How Hot Are Your Ions Really? A Threshold Collision-Induced Dissociation Study of Substituted Benzylpyridinium 'Thermometer' Ions"

Marc Porter is awarded the 2018 University of Utah Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks named one of 2018's Cottrell Scholars

Rachel Cantrell

Professors Statler and Steele contribute the cover art for January 2018's Journal of Chemical Education

Cynthia Burrows is awarded the 2018 Willard Gibbs Medal

Valeria Molinero and Laura Lupi reveal more on the freezing process that occurs in clouds

Professor Ryan Steele has been awarded the 2017 PCCP Emerging Investigator Lectureship

Professor Luisa Whittaker-Brooks receives the Ovshinsky Sustainable Energy Fellowship

Professor Joel Miller published "Cation Dependence of the Dimerization Enthalpy for A2[tetracyanoethylene]2 (A=NMe4, Mepy, NEt4) Possessing a Long, Multicenter Bond" in Chemistry: A European Journal.

Professor Michael Morse recently reported a method for determining bond dissociation energies in transition metal silicides in a paper in the Journal of Chemical Physics.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry Cynthia Burrows has been awarded the 2018 James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry by the American Chemical Society.

Professor Marc Porter and his research team made Salt Lake Tribune front page with report on their development of a new liver cancer test.

PhD student Harshkumar Patel has been chosen as a finalist for the 2017 Reaxys PhD Prize

Utah chemistry professor provides cover image for EurJIC

Professor Shelley Minteer's research featured in a C&EN article

The first-ever PAC12 Lab Managers & Demonstrators Conference

Cuban Chemists Workshop and Collaboration

Shelley Minteer and Matthew Sigman's work with RFBs featured in C&EN

Professor Jen Heemstra interview featured in Nature Chemistry Blog

Recent work by Professor Sigman mentioned in Forbes

Ryan Steele Earns CoS Award

Butch Atwood Earns CoS Award

The U of U ACS Student Chapter Spring Festival featured in local news

Jen Crawford Awarded NSF Fellowship

Natascha Knowlton receives UAAC 2017 award

Chemistry student Amanda Bischoff is awarded the 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award

University of Utah and University of Michigan chemists improve batteries for renewable energy storage

Cynthia Burrows has been awarded the 2016 Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology

Study by Shelley Minteer and postdoctoral scholar Ross Milton featured in UNews.

Matt Sigman Receives ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Applications are NOW being accepted for our NSF-REU Summer 2017 Program, which runs from May 30th - Aug 4th, 2017.

Computational chemistry allows scientists like Professor Valeria Molinero to do research that might not be possible in a traditional lab.

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks, assistant professor of chemistry, is working on two critical challenges of our time – alternative energy sources and low cost electronics for daily use.

A performance of the Faraday Lecture featuring original duo Dr. Ronald Ragsdale and Dr. Jerry Driscoll will be broadcast on UEN (channel 9) several times this December.

C&EN highlights a JACS paper by the Sigman Group reporting an intermolecular oxa-Heck reaction that allows them to couple phenols with allylic alcohols in an enantioselective manner.

The article shows the first example of capture beads having more than one capture sequence, expanding the ability to study genetic variation and differences in gene expression profiles between cell populations.

Undergraduate and graduate women are invited to a monthly gathering to hear stories from successful women in STEM. Career advice and mentorship served with tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and treats!

The new hybrid device combines the best of biofuel cells and supercapacitors to harness energy-dense, abundant glucose.

In a study in ACS Infectious Diseases, the Burrows group used G-quadruplexes as genetic landmarks to compare Zika with other related viruses and suggest a possible drug target.

Two tenure-track positions in the areas of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioanalytical and/or Biophysical Chemistry are available.

The Advanced Chemical Biology Lab (CHEM 5750) is a course-based undergraduate research experience - a “CURE" - giving students real training in a research lab.

The noncovalent forces that drive molecular recognition and self-assembly of nucleic acids are the key to the fantastic architectures produced by the Heemstra group.

Janis Louie, professor of chemistry and mother of triplets, isn’t your typical ‘American Ninja Warrior’ contender

This issue of Notebook highlights key efforts that demonstrate the College’s strong commitment to student education, scientific discovery, and economic impact in Utah and around the world.

The College of Science Convocation Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 6th at 8am. If you're not able to be there, you can still watch your favorite chemist graduate through our live stream!

Meet the four alumni honored at our annual Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner - James M. Sugihara, Sung Wan Kim, Jaqueline L. Kiplinger, and Milton L. Lee

Join us to celebrate the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff. 2pm on Tuesday, April 19th, in 2008 HEB.

Join us as we aim to increase equality and diversity within the STEM community here at the U through discussion of proactive steps to combat and increase awareness of bias and stereotypes.

Charles Price passed away unexpectedly on March 23. Charles was a first-year graduate student, a promising young scientist, and a friend to many. He will be sorely missed.

Professor Bethany Buck-Koehntop was featured at the event highlighting faculty who reached a pinnacle of professional success in 2015.

Join undergraduates from colleges and universities across the United States. Engage in full-time, cutting-edge research on a project of your choice this summer. APPLY BY FEB 7TH.

Judy Zhu (HBS '15) is first author on the current cover article of The Journal of Organic Chemistry. The paper is based on her undergraduate honors thesis.

Joel Harris was honored with the 2015 Governor's Medal for Science and Technology, along with four other University of Utah awardees.

Prof. Stang was awarded the highest Chinese honor in science for foreigners, China's International Cooperation Award in Science and Technology, on Jan. 8 in Beijing.

Development of new antibiotics has been dwindling at a time when we need them most, but the Looper Group is working on two promising compounds.

After 39 years at the U, Prof. Gary Keck is retiring. His contributions to synthetic chemistry are among the top in his field. Congratulations Gary!

Chemists from the Burrows group look for precursors to disease mutations in new study.

To celebrate Bob’s life and career, the Department has endowed the Robert W. Parry Lectureship in Chemistry.

The Department welcomed a new undergraduate academic advisor this semester, alumna Natascha Knowlton (HBS '14).

Bandarian moved his research program from the University of Arizona in July. His research focuses on developing molecular level understanding of biosynthesis of complex natural products.

The "Chemistry Colors Our World" Festival brought crowds of students to the U to learn about chemistry.

Chemistry professor awarded with first annual Marion Milligan Mason Award for research on heat-conversion technology.

Prof. Peter Stang is the winner of the 2015 China’s Friendship Award, which recognizes foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress.

Dr. Sergei Aksyonov, 47, died on September 11. Sergei is remembered by his colleagues and friends as an incredibly kind and generous person, a gifted researcher and mentor.

Learn from ACS editors and experts in the field about how to maximize your research, get published, and build the skills you need to gain that competitive edge. Register now!

Prof. White won the Bard Award for pioneering innovations in nanometer scale electrochemistry, micron-scale magnetohydrodynamic flow, ion transport across membranes, and electroanalytical applications of glass nanopore membranes.

Work on recently developed approach to the preparation of membrane materials by self-assembly of inorganic, polymeric or hybrid nanoparticles

Chemist Cynthia Burrows, biochemist Wesley Sundquist, and anthropologist Polly Wiessner were inducted into the 2014 class of the National Academy of Sciences on April 25, 2015.

On April 20th, the Department honored four former students as Distinguished Alumni: Joe Gardella (Postdoc '82), Diane Parry (PhD '89), Don Reese (BS '73), and Kirk Ririe (BS '05)

Agreement will strengthen collaboration with the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, including faculty and student exchange and joint research projects.

Please join us for a symposium celebrating Professor Emeritus Jack Simons' 70th Birthday!

Congratulations to Alexandra Kent, Christine Nervig, and Victoria Russell, recipients of NSF and NDSEG pre-doctoral fellowships!

Shelley Minteer's research group is working on powering the future through bioelectrocatalysis.

The second annual Chemistry Festival was an event for children to engage in hands-on experiments, including CSI-style forensic investigations, extraction of DNA, and rocket building.

Jennifer Heemstra has won a Cottrell Scholar Award – a prize aimed at early career, physical sciences faculty who are committed to excellence in research and undergraduate teaching.

U chemists, in partnership with Curza, a Provo-based pharmaceutical company, have developed a new drug designed to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

"A data-intensive approach to mechanistic elucidation applied to chiral anion catalysis" by Milo, et al.

The BS/MS degree allows advanced students to complete both their BS and MS degrees in five years, giving them an advantage in the job market or for application to professional and PhD programs.

Jaqueline Kiplinger (PhD '96) and David Moore (BS '74) join the rank of Fellow in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Laboratory.

The Louie Group develops new transition metal catalysts that are based on earth abundant metals such as iron and nickel.

The FDA gave emergency approval for hospitals to use a BioFire Defense tool to test patients for the new Ebola strain

Prof. Shelley Minteer's group has developed a new enzyme cascade for the first ever bioelectrocatalysis of alkanes, such as Jet Propellant-8, creating new possibilities in biofuel cells.

Alumna Jaqueline L. Kiplinger has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry, sponsored by the F. Albert Cotton Endowment Fund.

Kirk Ririe ('05) will be inducted into the 2014 Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame for his contributions to building Utah’s Innovation Community.

From a young age, USTAR and Chemistry Professor Shelley Minteer knew that she wanted to become a mathematician or a scientist.

The latest issue of Nature mentioned University of Utah spin-off company Curza Global. Professor Ryan Looper is Curza's Director of Chemistry.

Henry White, former chair of the Department, will serve as the new dean of the College of Science starting July 1. Congratulations Henry!

The Department congratulates all of our new alumni on their success!

What do Distinguished Professor Gary Keck's research and Merle Haggard have in common? Read more about the total synthesis of bryostatins.

The Electronics Lab is in its 42nd year providing data acquisition and control systems, signal conditioners, transducers, custom software, and device repair.

Prof. David Clemmer, Dr. Jerry Murry, and Mr. Thomas Thatcher were honored as the Department's 2014 Distinguished Alumni

Former faculty member John Gladysz and Janet Bluemel have made provisions in their estate plan for a future endowed chair in chemistry.

A highlight on Prof. Buck-Koehntop's research on the interpretation and translation of epigenetic DNA signals.

On September 20, the Department of Chemistry hosted a symposium on Innovations in Biological Mass Spectrometry and dedicated the new Waters Advanced Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.

On March 13, we celebrated the opening of the Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry.

Ted Eyring is retiring after more than 50 years of service as a member of the Chemistry faculty.

Distinguished Professor Grant was former Chair of the Department of Chemistry passes away.

Distinguished Professor and new Department Chair Cynthia Burrows is the inaugural holder of the Thatcher Chair.

Professor Ryan Looper is a recent recipient of Amgen's Young Investigator Award.

Peter Stang named as the 2013 recipient of the Priestley Medal, the highest honor given by the American Chemical Society.

Ron Ragsdale, a professor of chemistry for 47 years, and his wife, Eileen, recently established the Ragsdale Scholarship Endowment Fund