hUMNs of Chemistry #14
Ben Geisbauer
Maintenance Operation Mechanic
Please give a brief description of your role within the UMN Chemistry department.
To help professors, grad students, staff and post docs with whatever is needed.
Tell us about your journey to the University of Minnesota.
After high school I traveled with a catering company and did PGA tournaments for a bit. Then worked in a machine shop doing engine rebuilding. Then decided to make a run at auto tech school for 2 years. I worked at Rainbow Roods and a wood working shop to get myself through school. When I got out of school I worked in the trade for about five years. Tires Plus to Precision Auto Tune to an independent shop. Met my in-laws at some point in that journey, and a few of you might remember Vic Munsch that worked in shipping and receiving at the time. He told me about my current position. I came in for an interview with Stan and lucked out. Here I am 17 years later – still truckin.
Researchers: We would love to hear more about your research! What do you hope to accomplish with this work? What is the real-world impact for the average person?
I get to watch researchers and see the crazy they come up with and help them make it to the next level of craziness. When you're on the outside looking in it's a neat bunch of minds.
What do you hope to contribute to the chemistry community at the University?
If I can help and make things easier or keep things on track. Then it's a win.
What’s your favorite piece of chemistry/science pop culture media? Why do you love it?
Watching my kids eat pop rocks and thinking some scientist though this was a great idea.
What was your very first job?
Filling bag lunches for a bike race at Prom catering when I was 13.
What do you do outside of the classroom/lab/office for fun?
I enjoy music and going to concerts. I just saw Chris Stapleton. Fishing, too, from the great lakes to small rivers I love everything about it. I have fished many places in MN and Wisconsin. The St. Croix river out of Marine on the St. Croix is probably my favorite. I spent a portion of my childhood on that river. I have way too much gear and not enough time to use it all. Hunting - I own a small piece of property to enjoy. I own some chainsaws and a log splitter. I enjoy gathering wood from my property to feed my wood stove in the winter. A good beer, whiskey, or wine might come into play but not while running a chainsaw.
What non-chemistry interest or activity of yours might surprise department members?
It might be more appropriate to reverse the question being I am not much of a chemistry/science background human. I make maple syrup as a hobby. Turns out I can boil the water out of sap. Concentrating the sap to enjoy some pancakes, and don't forget the bacon dipped in syrup. Ooohh I can taste it right now! Repeat after me "corn syrup is not your friend," friends. Every year I boil enough sap that comes from maple trees to make 25-40 gallons of syrup. One year I took 3rd place out at the MN State Fair. I like to tell people I don't make the best but it's not the worst either.
Where is your favorite spot in the Twin Cities?
Tell us about who makes up your household (including pets).
My wife Melissa, Daughter Addison, Son Griffin, Daughter Gwen, and the dog named River. Golden retriever. We try to live with each other in peace in Sunrise, MN.
Are there any family or cultural traditions you want to share with our community?
Everyone in my family from my mom ,sister, brother and dad hunt deer and have since we were able. The time we have spent with one another is invaluable.
Juan Sanfiel
He/Him
Graduate Student, Grenning Group
Tell us about your journey to the University of Minnesota.
I was born and raised in Miami, FL and earned my bachelor's degree in Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. I enjoyed my time there but ultimately decided I missed the heat and sunshine in Florida, so I returned to begin my graduate studies at the University of Florida. After two and a half years, I moved across the country up here to the Twin Cities with the rest of the Grenning Lab as we started a new chapter here at the U. I was a bit worried about the transition to Minnesota from Florida in the middle of the winter, but the relatively mild weather this year and the people have made the transition smooth. I'm looking forward to settling in and enjoying the rest of my time here!
We would love to hear more about your research interests! What do you hope to accomplish with this work? What is the real-world impact for the average person?
My research involves using the Cope rearrangement to construct new scaffolds containing azetidines (and other strained heterocycles) with congested quaternary centers. The goal is to use simple and inexpensive methods to access novel compounds with drug-like functionality that can open doors for new discoveries in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry.
What advice do you have for incoming chemistry students?
Don't be afraid to ask questions when you're unsure of something! It can be intimidating working in a new lab environment for the first time, but you'll find that people are often more than willing to help out and offer advice.
Tell us about an important mentor in your academic life?
Three of my undergraduate chemistry professors, Dr. Christopher Falzone, Dr. Eric Hill, and Dr. Sunita Thyagarajan, were important mentors that helped spark my interest in chemistry. I was fortunate to not only take some of my favorite classes with them, but also serve as an undergraduate TA for their courses, which helped cement my passion for teaching in chemistry. They were also incredibly supportive in helping me find research opportunities and apply to graduate programs. I'm grateful for their constant guidance and positive attitude throughout my chemistry journey.
What do you do outside of the classroom/lab/office for fun?
I enjoy traveling and the outdoors! Some of my favorite childhood memories are from traveling places around the world with my family every summer. Nowadays I enjoy road trips and travel more locally whenever I can, checking out nearby cities, beaches, or nature. On some occasions when I'm feeling ambitious I'll get up super early and drive out to catch the best sunrise view!
Where is your favorite spot in the Twin Cities?
Minnehaha Falls so far! I'm still new to the Twin Cities, so I'm still exploring as the weather gets nicer. I'll gladly take any recommendations for spots, food, or breweries to check out!
Are there any family or cultural traditions you want to share with our community?
No matter how far I am from home, I feel connected to my Cuban culture through food. I hope to be able to share some of it through cooking and cafecito!
Andreas Stein
Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Tell us about your journey to the University of Minnesota.
Growing up in Germany, I loved reading about scientists and engineers, and I enjoyed experimenting with my chemistry kit, which at the time still contained “real chemicals” (even sulfuric acid). During high school, I learned about the science enrichment program at the University of Calgary (Canada) and started to work weekly with the program coordinator, Professor Kydd, on infrared spectroscopy of zeolites. This defined the path of my graduate research and eventually my academic career as a physical chemist working on porous materials. I joined our department in 1994, after an industrial postdoc in Germany and postdoctoral positions at the University of Texas, Austin and Penn State.
We would love to hear more about your research! What do you hope to accomplish with this work? What is the real-world impact for the average person?
Students in my group learn the synthetic tools to control the structure of materials on a nanometer length scale, using templates to introduce pores into the materials and to shape them. They also employ many different characterization techniques to find out what they made and test these materials for specific applications. We have worked on materials for batteries, environmental remediation, energy conversion, cosmetics, and health related applications. Currently we are collaborating with multiple research groups on wearable sensors to monitor biomarkers.
What do you do outside of the classroom/lab/office for fun?
I enjoy going for walks with my wife in my neighborhood or through various parks in the Twin Cities. On weekends in the summer, I like to go on extended bike rides. I’ve also been a member of our church choir for several years now.
What was your very first job?
As a young teenager, I helped out in a bookstore, distributing magazines to customers around town. Around that time, I also worked for a grocery store, delivering advertisement flyers in the neighborhood.
Tell us about who makes up your household (including pets).
It used to be my wife, my son and daughter, and my parents-in-law. But we have just become empty nesters, so it’s only my wife and I.