What is the best part about teaching in this graduate program?
Working with students who are choosing advanced studies to excel in the chemical profession. Having students engaged in research as a full time experience.
What is the one thing you hope students take away from your course(s)?
Recognition of their ability to be truly independent learners. Graduate school education is a transitional time in which students are given the opportunity to establish themselves as competent, qualified professionals. This is the time “to remove the training wheels”.
What are the real-world applications of the work you do at the University?
Development of novel solvent systems to establish new protocols for the improvement of applied chemical processing. Much of our research efforts are aimed at characterizing and understanding the details of molecular solute-solvent interactions.
What kinds of coursework and capstone projects should students expect?
Students should be prepared to integrate chemical literature into learning. Independent work incorporates a deeper and broader experience with the chemical literature. Capstone work is original research on a current problem of interest and the foundation for the thesis, guided by a research advisor.
What advice would you give to a student who wants to be successful?
Work hard. Invest in learning by expanding your vision beyond the bounds of having to be told what to do. Be curious – it’s the foundation of a scientific career. Work closely with your advisor to understand the underpinnings of your thesis work.
What is the focus of your scholarly pursuits?
Studies of molecular solvation dynamics. What interactions govern how solutes behave in various kinds of solvent environments. How does solvation in novel ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents differ from conventional solvents? How are biomolecules, e.g., DNA, and proteins, influenced by these solvents?
What is the most interesting thing, to you, about the research area you’re pursuing?
Using state-of-the-art time-resolved laser spectroscopy to study molecular dynamics on a timescale of picoseconds. The ability to probe ultrafast molecular motions and interactions in novel, environmentally friendly solvents.