Past Seminars & Events

Abbey Fischer
Associate Professor
University of Wisconsin-Eau-Claire
Host: Professor Jane Wissinger

Abstract

Organic Chemistry Teaching Candidate

First discovered by Otto Diels and Kurt Alder in 1928, the Nobel-Prize winning Diels–Alder reaction is a cycloaddition reaction that has been widely applied in organic chemistry. This atom-economical reaction can be used to introduce chemical complexity in the synthesis of new molecules, including drug molecules and natural products. A conjugated diene and a substituted alkene react intermolecularly or intramolecularly to form a substituted cyclohexene derivative. In this 20 minute mock lecture, Abbey will introduce the Diels-Alder reaction and explain the mechanism and stereochemistry of the products formed.

Following the mock lecture, Abbey will turn to a discussion focussed on her vision for how she might address observations of grade disparities between groups holding a variety of marginalized identities. Data demonstrating these disparities are consistent in introductory STEM courses at many institutions around the country, including the University of Minnesota and including general chemistry. Similar grade disparities are also found in subsequent courses. Abbey will describe her vision of how to close gaps observed, with a particular focus on the large lecture modality (i.e., 200-350 students).

Abbey Fischer 

Abbey earned her Ph.D. in biological chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 2005. Since that time, she has been a student-focused and reflective faculty member at a variety of institutions from Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to the University of Minnesota – Morris to the University of Wisconsin Colleges - Barron County, which is now the branch campus of UW-Eau Claire. She has taught primarily first- and second-year courses, including over ten years of organic chemistry, seven years of general, organic, and biochemistry (GOB), six years of general chemistry, and three years of chemistry and culture of food and cooking. Also teaching in the first-year seminar programs at all three institutions positively influenced her approaches to developing community within the classroom and supporting students new to – or returning to – the university. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team across the state of Wisconsin, Abbey published two taxonomies related to High Impact Practices (HIPs). Both aim to bring intentionality to and ensure quality in the design of the engaging educational experiences. The first taxonomy is for use during the creation and evaluation of any HIP, and the second is specific to undergraduate research experiences. Abbey’s commitment to providing an outstanding educational experience was recognized by the faculty and staff of Marian University when they awarded her the 2011 James R. Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. The faculty and staff of UW-Eau Claire – Barron County have presented her with the Faculty Outstanding Service Award multiple times.

Abstract

Introduction to Indigenous Cultural Issues

This seminar will focus on an introduction to indigenous cultural issues including the land-back movement, how the Ojibwe language can help us see science from new perspectives and expand our world views, followed by a discussion of DWH’s goals with seed keeping and food sovereignty in the Twin Cities.

Dream of Wild Health (DWH)

DWH is an intertribal independent nonprofit that serves the Native American community in the Twin Cities. Some of their initiatives include growing & rematriating Indigenous crops on their farm, and o er year-round youth programming that include education on traditional gardening, cooking and other leadership opportunities. They also run community supported agriculture called Indigenous Food Share that are similar to individually purchased CSAs. DWH also sells produce at two local farmers markets in the Twin Cities and provides produce to Native programs in the Twin Cities including the Gatherings Cafe and Owamni restaurant.

Janie Salmon
Lecturer, 2012-Present
University of Minnesota
Host: Professor Michelle Driessen

Abstract

Organic Chemistry Teaching Candidate

First discovered by Otto Diels and Kurt Alder in 1928, the Nobel-Prize winning Diels–Alder reaction is a cycloaddition reaction that has been widely applied in organic chemistry. This atom-economical reaction can be used to introduce chemical complexity in the synthesis of new molecules, including drug molecules and natural products. A conjugated diene and a substituted alkene react intermolecularly or intramolecularly to form a substituted cyclohexene derivative. In this 20 minute mock lecture, Janie will introduce the Diels-Alder reaction and explain the mechanism and stereochemistry of the products formed.

Following the mock lecture, Janie will turn to a discussion focussed on her vision for how she might address observations of grade disparities between groups holding a variety of marginalized identities. Data demonstrating these disparities are consistent in introductory STEM courses at many institutions around the country, including the University of Minnesota and including general chemistry. Similar grade disparities are also found in subsequent courses. Janie will describe her vision of how to close gaps observed, with a particular focus on the large lecture modality (i.e., 200-350 students).

Janie Salmon

Janie Salmon has been teaching at the University of Minnesota since 2012. She earned her B.S. at Kansas State University, where she worked on crystal engineering of boronic acids and cyanophenyloximes. As an undergraduate, she was an active member of the Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity and organized the undergraduate symposium of the 2004 Midwest Regional ACS meeting. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in 2011, investigating the chemical biology of nitrogen oxides. During this time, she was a Cancer Research Training Award Fellow and NIH/NIAA Predoctoral Fellow. She also worked on-site for collaborative projects at NIH/NCI and the University of Kansas Medical Center. After a postdoctoral stint studying model complexes of copper metalloenzymes with Bill Tolman, she transitioned to teaching full time at the U in 2013. She regularly teaches a range of courses, including General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I, Advanced Inorganic Laboratory, and a Chemistry in the Kitchen freshman seminar. Her interests include implementing evidence-based teaching methods and leveraging digital tools to improve student learning outcomes. She credits her interest in Chemistry to past educators and mentors and is passionate about enhancing scientific literacy and engagement among students.

Hannah Starr
Ph.D. Candidate (summer 2022)
UNC-Chapel Hill
Host: Professor Michelle Driessen

Abstract

General Chemistry Teaching Candidate

A pH buffer solution is an aqueous solution that contains a weak acid and its conjugate base (or weak base and its conjugate acid). When small amounts of acid or base are added, the pH of the solution changes very little. Buffer solutions provide a way to keep pH nearly constant in a wide variety of experimental and natural environments. For example, buffer solutions are often used to control pH when studying chemical reactions involving enzymes. In nature, the bicarbonate buffering system is particularly important, especially in the ocean. In this 20 minute mock lecture, Hannah will teach how to calculate the pH of a buffer solution after the addition of strong acid and/or base. 

Following the mock lecture, Hannah will turn to a discussion focussed on her vision for how she might address observations of grade disparities between groups holding a variety of marginalized identities. Data demonstrating these disparities are consistent in introductory STEM courses at many institutions around the country, including the University of Minnesota and including general chemistry. Similar grade disparities are also found in subsequent courses. Hannah will describe her vision of how to close gaps observed, with a particular focus on the large lecture modality (i.e., 200-350 students). 

Hannah Starr

Hannah Starr is a 5th year graduate  student in Mike Gagne’s lab at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her research is focused on Lewis acidic borane catalysts on silsesquioxanes and silica for C-O bond reduction. She also attended UNC as an undergraduate, and she worked with Jillian Dempsey on PbS quantum dots. In her time at UNC, she has been a teaching assistant for the organic lab and the upper-level inorganic synthesis lab. She was also instructor of record for general chemistry II and introductory inorganic chemistry (she really loves to teach point groups). She has served on a number of committees in the Chemistry Department including the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee. When she’s not in lab or teaching, Hannah loves to bake new desserts to share with her lab mates. 

Professor Sharon C. Glotzer, PhD, NAS, NAE
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan
Host: Professor Christy Haynes

Abstract

On the Nature of the Entropic Bond

Entropy is typically associated with disorder; yet, the counterintuitive notion that particles with no interactions other than excluded volume might self-assemble from a fluid phase into an ordered crystal has been known since the mid-20th century. First predicted for rods, and then spheres, the thermodynamic ordering of hard shapes by nothing more than crowding is now well established. In recent years, surprising discoveries of entropically ordered colloidal crystals of extraordinary structural complexity have been predicted by computer simulation and observed in the laboratory. Colloidal quasicrystals, clathrate structures, and structures with large and complex unit cells typically associated with metal alloys, or obtained in systems of interacting nanoparticles, can all self-assemble from disordered phases of identical particles due solely to entropy maximization. In this talk, we show how entropy alone can produce order and complexity beyond that previously imagined, both in colloidal crystal structure as well as in the kinetic pathways connecting fluid and crystal phases. We show how entropic forces can be directional and introduce the concept of the entropic bond. We introduce a new theory of entropic bonding and show how methods used by the quantum community to predict atomic crystal structures can be used to predict entropic colloidal crystals.

Research

The new revolution in nano-science, engineering and technology is being driven by our ability to manipulate matter at the molecular, nanoparticle, and colloidal level to create “designer” structures. Using computation, geometrical concepts, and statistical mechanics, we seek to understand complex behavior emerging from simple rules and forces, and use that knowledge to design new classes of materials.

Our introduction of the notion of “patchy particles,” a conceptual approach to nanoparticle design, has informed wide-ranging investigations of self-assembly. We showed that entropy alone can assemble shapes into many structures, which has implications for materials science, thermodynamics, mathematics, nanotechnology, biology and more. Our “shape space diagram” shows how matter self-organizes based on the shapes of the constituent elements, making it possible to predict what kind of ordered material will emerge from disorder.

Sharon Glotzer

Sharon C. Glotzer is the John W. Cahn Distinguished University Professor of Engineering and the Stuart W. Churchill Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and also holds faculty appointments in Physics, Applied Physics, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering. Since July 2017 she is the Anthony C. Lembke Department Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research on computational assembly science and engineering aims toward predictive materials design of colloidal and soft matter. Using computation, geometrical concepts, and statistical mechanics, her research group seeks to understand complex behavior emerging from simple rules and forces, and use that knowledge to design new materials. Glotzer’s group also develops and disseminates powerful open-source software including the particle simulation toolkit, HOOMD-blue, which allows for fast molecular simulation of materials on graphics processors, the signac framework for data and workflow management, and several analysis and visualization tools. (https://github.com/glotzerlab/)

Glotzer received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from UCLA and her PhD in Physics from Boston University. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Physical Society, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Glotzer is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2019 Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics from the American Physical Society, the 2018 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum and the 2016 Alpha Chi Sigma Awards both from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the 2019 Fred Kavli Distinguished Lectureship in Materials Science, 2017 Materials Communications Lecture Award and 2014 MRS Medal from the Materials Research Society. Glotzer is a leading advocate for simulation-based materials research, including nanotechnology and high performance computing, serving on boards and advisory committees of the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Academies. She is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences Committee.

Samantha Houchlei
Ph.D. Candidate (summer 2022)
Michigan State University
Host: Professor Michelle Driessen

Abstract

Organic Chemistry Teaching Candidate

First discovered by Otto Diels and Kurt Alder in 1928, the Nobel-Prize winning Diels–Alder reaction is a cycloaddition reaction that has been widely applied in organic chemistry. This atom-economical reaction can be used to introduce chemical complexity in the synthesis of new molecules, including drug molecules and natural products. A conjugated diene and a substituted alkene react intermolecularly or intramolecularly to form a substituted cyclohexene derivative. In this 20 minute mock lecture, Samantha will introduce the Diels-Alder reaction and explain the mechanism and stereochemistry of the products formed. 

Following the mock lecture, Samantha will turn to a discussion focussed on her vision for how she might address observations of grade disparities between groups holding a variety of marginalized identities. Data demonstrating these disparities are consistent in introductory STEM courses at many institutions around the country, including the University of Minnesota and including general chemistry. Similar grade disparities are also found in subsequent courses. Samantha will describe her vision of how to close gaps observed, with a particular focus on the large lecture modality (i.e., 200-350 students). 

Samantha Houchlei 

Samantha Houchlei is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University. After receiving her B.S. in 2016 from Aquinas College, she spent a year facilitating resilience training programs with the National Guard. In 2017, she joined Dr. Melanie Cooper’s research group as a PhD student studying design-based education research; focused on the creation of evidence-based learning assessments in general and organic chemistry. This research focuses on evaluating course transformations and how these transformations have impacted students learning. Her current research focuses on the scaffolding and cueing of knowledge in formative assessments. These assessments are used to evaluate students use of mechanistic arrows and explanations of the causes and consequences of an intramolecular ring cyclization, an important reaction which occurs in many forms throughout organic and biochemistry courses. She has published this work in the Journal of Chemical Education and presented it variety at national and international professional conferences. She has also taught small-group recitation sections for organic chemistry and worked to develop and advance the online student response assessment system beSocratic. This system is designed to give students real time feedback about both multiple choice as well as student drawings. Her future research and teaching initiatives continue to focus on support student learning using evidence-based teaching practices. 

Professor Song Lin
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Cornell University
Host: Professor Tim Lodge

Abstract

Amping Up Organic Synthesis with Electrochemistry

Owing to its many distinct characteristics, electrochemistry represents an attractive approach to discovering new reactions and meeting the prevailing trends in organic synthesis. In the past several years, we have showcased a new reaction approach that combines electrochemistry and redox-metal catalysis for the functionalization of alkenes to access a diverse array of vicinally functionalized structures. Moving beyond alkene difunctionalization, we recently expanded the scope of our electrochemical reaction discovery to the two-component and three-component cross electrophile coupling reactions. In addition, using either electrooxidation or electroreduction, we achieved the selective functionalization of aliphatic and aromatic C–H bonds, respectively. This talk details our design principle underpinning the development of these new electrochemical transformations with a focus on applications in the synthesis of medicinally relevant compounds. In addition, this talk will discuss a parallel effort in the development of new electrochemical high-throughput reactors that can drastically improve the efficiency of reaction discovery and optimization.

Research

We will use our expertise in organic chemistry and electrochemistry to develop new catalytic methods to address unsolved problems in organic and materials synthesis. Particular emphases will be placed on the rational design of catalysts and the creative use of electrochemistry that will allow for the facile and selective conversion of readily available starting materials, such as sugars, CO₂ and abundant natural products, into highly functionalized and value-added products, such as pharmaceuticals and polymers.

Song Lin

Song Lin grew up in Tianjin, China. After obtaining B.S. from Peking University in 2008, Song embarked his graduate studies at Harvard University working with Eric Jacobsen. He then carried out postdoctoral studies with Chris Chang at UC Berkeley. In 2016, Song started his independent career at Cornell University, where he is currently an Associate Professor. Song has received several early career awards, including Sloan Fellowship, National Fresenius Award, Cottrell Scholar Award, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, NSF CAREER Award, and MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35. He is currently an Associate Editor at Organic Letters and has served on the Early Career Advisory Board of ACS Catalysis and Chemistry–A European Journal

Professor LaShanda Korley
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Delaware
Host: Professor Tim Lodge

Abstract

Bio-Inspired and Sustainable Design: Towards Functional Polymeric Materials

Materials that are found in Nature display a wide range of properties, including responsiveness to the environment, signal transmission, and the ability to adapt to support life. Learning from Nature, biomimetic principles can be powerful tools in designing, developing and accessing the next generation of synthetic materials and systems. Using a bio-inspired framework, I will highlight several molecular design strategies utilizing cues from natural systems to demonstrate several examples of gel and network materials that exhibit mechanical tunability, responsive behavior, and hierarchical architectures. 

Additionally, I will highlight pathways that enable materials sustainability via a life cycle management framework focusing on biomass building blocks. Alternative synthetic approaches are critical for the utilization of biomass building blocks in the development of robust polymeric materials with exceptional mechanical function and thermal properties. Lignocellulosic biomass, particularly the lignin fraction, is an attractive source of diverse, abundant, and inexpensive precursors for macromolecular design. I will discuss convergent research efforts to develop performance-advantaged materials within a circular economy.

Research

Prof. LaShanda T. J. Korley is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Materials Science & Engineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). Previously, she held the Climo Associate Professorship of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, where she started her independent career in 2007. Taking inspiration from nature, her research program involves understanding the design rules employed by nature and applying these strategies to the development of mechanically-enhanced and tunable materials. Prof. Korley is the Director of the recently awarded Energy Frontier Research Center – Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) funded by the Department of Energy and also the Co-Director of the recently announced Materials Research Science and Center – UD Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM). She is also the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE): Bio-inspired Materials and Systems and the Associate Director of the Center for Research in Soft matter & Polymers (CRiSP) at the University of Delaware.

LaShanda Korley

She received a B.S. in both Chemistry & Engineering from Clark Atlanta University as well as a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1999. Prof. Korley completed her doctoral studies at MIT in Chemical Engineering and the Program in Polymer Science and Technology in 2005, and she was the recipient of the Provost’s Academic Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cornell University in 2005. She was named a DuPont Young Professor in 2011 and was selected for the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering symposium. She was a Kavli Fellow of Japanese/American Frontiers of Science Symposium from 2012-16. Recently, Prof. Korley was elected as Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and was awarded the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Research and the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Minority Affairs Committee Gerry Lessells Award. Her research focuses on bio-inspired polymeric materials, film and fiber manufacturing, plastics recycling and upcycling strategies, stimuli-responsive composites, peptide-polymer hybrids, fiber-reinforced hydrogels, and renewable materials derived from biomass.

Professor Davita L. Watkins
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Mississippi
Host: Professor Tim Lodge

Abstract

Supramolecular Polymer Hybrids: Linear-Dendritic Block Colpolymers (LDBCs) as Novel Strategies for Theranostic Nanomedicine

The ability to control molecules and understand their organization into discrete nanoscale arrays that exhibit unique properties affords the opportunity for transformative advances in chemistry and material science. Specifically, for biomaterials and nanomedicine, structural and chemical variations at the molecular level will influence the morphology and mechanical properties as well as the stability and degradation rates of the resulting material. Herein, a library of self-assembling linear-dendritic block copolymers (LDBCs) comprised of a hydrophilic polyamide-based dendrimer covalently linked to a hydrophobic linear polyester will be highlighted. These polymers are shown to be capable of forming a variety of supramolecular aggregates in water—particularly those possessing a biomimetic nature. In this lecture, the synthesis and characterization of the LDBCs library as well as their resulting nano- aggregates will be discussed. Results of this study demonstrate the significant contribution of “bottom-up” approaches towards efficient materials for bio-imaging and theranostic nanomedicine.

Research

Designing vesicles with features such as uniform size distribution, biocompatibility, and tailored transport properties, presents a challenge for the fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine.   Dendrimers have shown to be promising delivery vehicles in biomedical applications. As molecular carriers, their branched layered architectures display a high number of controlled terminal groups as well as cavities for physical entrapment. Only in recent years have dendrimers comprised of heterogeneous segments (Janus dendrimers) been designed for biomedical application. 

The objective of this research is to design and synthesize a series of supramolecular amphiphilic Janus dendrimers comprised of biocompatible polymeric segments that can self-assemble into narrow size distributed nanoparticles. These dendrimers are designed to combat issues often faced in nanomedicine such as biocompatibility and tunable transport properties. Our work will cast a new light on the design of supramolecular systems for biomedical applications.

Davita Watkins

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Davita L. Watkins obtained her B.S. in Chemistry and Anthropology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. After working briefly for a bioanalytical company, she received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Memphis under the tutelage of Dr. Tomoko Fujiwara. As a doctoral candidate, she developed and established multi-step synthetic methods for a series of stimuli-responsive materials. In 2012, she accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with Dr. Ronald K. Castellano, where she developed novel self-assembling organic materials for photovoltaic applications. In 2014, she began her independent academic career at the University of Mississippi, focusing on design guidelines towards functional materials with tunable properties through molecular self-assembly. Her research strategies have afforded materials with applications that range from solar-harvesting supramolecular polymers to nanosized diagnostic agents. Dr. Watkins is the recipient of several awards, including the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering American Chemical Society Young Investigator Award and the Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award. She has been named an International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Young Observer (2021) and Emerging Investigator (2018) by the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. Alongside her research efforts, Dr. Watkins is an active voice for initiatives to increase minorities and women in STEM.

Chao Sun, Ph.D.
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
Frankfurt, Germany
Host: Professor Michael Bowser

Abstract

Neuronal Protein Synthesis and Degradation Machines

A single neuron hosts ~10000 synapses in its complex dendritic and axonal arbour. Its protein logistics is run by amazing molecular machines put together with exquisite precision, such as ribosomes (protein-synthesis machines) and proteasomes (protein-degradation machines). Meanwhile, protein synthesis and degradation is essential for information storage in the brain. How do protein-synthesis & -degradation machines meet the huge demands of parallel processing by numerous synapses? To investigate this, I visualized protein -synthesis & -degradation machines as well as newly synthesized proteins near numerous synapses using quantitative, multiplexed, single-molecule localization microscopy. Combined with metabolic labelling, biochemistry, and synaptic-activity manipulations, these studies mapped and measured the subcellular protein-synthesis & -degradation capacity in complex neurons. The single-molecule resolution further affords intriguing insights into the subcellular adaptation of molecular machine assembly and function.

Chao Sun

Dr. Chao Sun is an EMBO & HFSP postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Erin M. Schuman's lab at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. He uses quantitative, multiplexed super-resolution microscopy to investigate the molecular resource supply for the vast population of synapses associated with a single neuron. Chao obtained his PhD with Prof. William R. Dichtel at Cornell University (2013-2016) and later at Northwestern University (2016-2018). where he designed and manipulated molecular interactions to interface two-dimensional materials and molecular analogues for creating smart nano- materials and devices. His future research continues to focus on understanding and creating molecular systems that can 'think'.