Chemistry Home / Chemistry Ph.D. Degrees Awarded 2017-2010
Kaiya Wang "Reactions and Protections Using Supramolecular Compartments"
Research Advisor: Bruce Gibb
November 14, 2017
Folasade Faulkner (Tulane University)
"METALLIZED POLYMERS: Exploration and Development of a Laser Engineered Metal Interlayer in Noble Metal-doped BTDA/ODA Polyimide Films"
Research Advisor: Brent Koplitz
August 31, 2017
Hong Zhang (Scientist, Brewer Science)
"The Design and Synthesis of Porphyrin Nanoparticles via Self-assembly with Macrocycles and Macromolecules"
Research Advisor: Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah
January 9, 2017
Joel Leger (Research Associate, University of Washington in Seattle)
"The Automation of a Dual-Frequency 2DIR Spectrometer and Its Use in 5th-Order 2DIR"
Research Advisor: Igor Rubtsov
December 1, 2016
Arkady Kurnosov (Postdoc, University of Houston)
"Theoretical Investigation of Ultrafast Energy Transport in Polymer Chains"
Research Advisor: Alex Burin
August 4, 2016
Angelique Greene (Postdoc, Washington University in St. Louis)
"Neutral Diamagnetic Complexes of Tungsten (II): Computational Analysis, Synthesis, and their Misidentification in X-ray Crystallography"
Research Advisor: James Donahue
July 14, 2016
Xin Geng (Industrial Postdoc, Huahai US)
"New Chiral Aromatic Architectures"
Research Advisor: Robert Pascal
July 14, 2016
Mengyuan Zhu (LC-MS/MS Technologist, United Clinic Laboratory)
"Self-Assembly of Multi-chromophoric Nanostructured Materials"
Research Advisor: Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah
June 17, 2016
Cooper Battle (Assistant Professor, Willamette University)
"Development of Oligonucleotide and Host-Guest Based Supramolecular Sensors for Biological Applications"
Research Advisor: Janarthanan Jayawickramarjah
April 5, 2016
Elupula Ravinder (GPC Instrument Specialist, Tosoh Bioscience LLC)
"Synthesis and Characterization of Cyclic Polystyrene Using Copper-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition Coupling - Evaluation of Physical Properties and Optimization of Cyclization Conditions"
Research Advisor: Scott Grayson
January 22, 2016
Ted Shaner
"Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxylic Acid Functionalized Silicon Nanoparticles"
Research Advisor: Mark Fink
January 8, 2016
Xiaoye Su (Scientist, Biogen)
"DNA Hybrid Nanosystems and Small Molecules for Micro RNA Detection, Drug Release and Protein Binding"
Research Advisor: Janan Jayawickramarajah
December 11, 2015
Yuxi Gu
"Investigations of Silicon Nanoparticle based Hybrid Nanocomposites by Olefin Metathesis Polymerization"
Research Advisor: Mark Fink
November 23, 2015
Brittany Casey (Forensic Chemistry Technical Manager, Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences)
"Branched Polymer Architectures Based on BIS-(Hydroxyethyl)Propionic Acid: The Synthesis and Characterization of Mass Spectrometry Calibrants and Polymeric Amphiphiles"
Research Advisor: Scott Grayson
October 9, 2015
Jie Zong (Postdoc, Penn State University)
"Unusual Crowded Organic Architectures"
Research Advisor: Robert Pascal
September 17, 2015
Natalia Rubtcova (Postdoc, University of Pennsylvania)
"Ballistic Energy Transport in Molecules Studied by Relaxation-assisted Two-dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy"
Research Advisor: Igor Rubtsov
August 19, 2015
Bing Shan (Postdoc, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
"Photoinduced Electron Transfer Systems for Generation of Strong
Reductants /Oxidants and Their Applications in Solar Fuel Generation"
Research Advisor: Russ Schmehl
June 29, 2015
Yuankai Yue (Postdoc, University of Houston, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
"Study of Electron and Energy Transfer Modulation in Molecules Using Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy"
Research Advisor: Igor Rubtsov
May 21, 2015
Boyu Zhang (Scientst, Brewer Science)
"Star and Cyclic Shaped Macromolecular Architectures Prepared using Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition: Synthesis, Purification and Characterization"
Research Advisor: Scott Grayson
April 20, 2015
Tod Grusenmeyer (Postdoc, Tulane University)
"Spectroscopic Investigation of Intersystem Crossing, Electron Transfer, and Energy Transfer in Sn(IV), Re(I) and Ru(II) Complexes in Solution"
Research Advisor: R. Schmehl (December 2014)
Li Kuang
"Mechanochemical Synthesis, Characterization and Functionalization of Vinyl terminated Silicon Nanoparticles"
Research Advisor: M. Fink (November 2014)
Skylar Ferrara (Postdoc, Oregon Health & Science University)
"Synthesis, Structures, and Reactivity of Biologically Relevant Sulfur-Containing Copper(I) Complexes"
Research Advisor: J. Donahue (September 2014)
Wei Shen (Res. Assistant, US Nano, Tampa, FL)
"Novel Chemistry using Molecular Beams"
Research Advisor: M. Sulkes (September 2014)
Zejing Xu
"Synthesis,Characterization and Functionalization of Silicon Nanoparticle based Hybrid Nanomaterials for Photovoltaic and Biological Applications"
Research Advisor: Mark Fink (August 2014)
Miaomiao Xie
"Glycosidic Bonds, Making and Breaking"
Research Advisor: L. Byers (May 2014)
Gilbert Kosgei (Postdoc, Virginia Tech)
"Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of Re(I) and Ru(II) Complexes: Potential Optical Limiting Materials and Light Harvesting Systems"
Research Advisor: R. Schmehl (December 2013)
Rajesh Shrestha
"Charge and Exciton Transport"
Research Advisor: A. Burin (August 2013)
Nan Zhang
"Water soluble porphyrin based multichromophore arrays: assembled on G-Quadruplexes and silicon nanoparticle scaffolds"
Research Advisor: Janan Jayawickramarajah (November 2013)
Xiaozhu Chu
"Small Nolecule-linked DNA Oligonucleotides for Target Protein Recognition and Inhibition"
Research Advisor: Janan Jayawickramarajah (October 2013)
John Leveritt (Postdoc, City College of New York)
"Charge Transfer in DNA: Effects of Humidity and Molecular Vibrations on Detection and Rate of Hole Transport"
Research Advisor: Alex Burin (June 2013)
Christopher Keating (Postdoc, Emory University)
"Molecular Dynamics of Sulfur-containing Compounds Using Vibrational Spectroscopy"
Research Advisor: Igor Rubtsov (April 2013)
Yong Yan (Postdoc, Princeton University)
"Metallo (W, Re, Pt) Dithiolene Complexes: Synthesis, Crystallographic and Computational Characterization, Electro- and Photo-Chemical Properties"
Research Advisor: J. Donahue (November 2012)
Upul Jayarathne [Postdoc, University of Chicago, Illinois]
"Reduction of CO2 to CO by Low-Valent Tungsten Complaints; Benchmark Compounds for Tungsten L1-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Synthesis, Structures and, IR Spectroscopy of Iron Dithiolene Nitrosyl Complex)
Research Advisor: J. Donahue (October 2012)
Amelia Neuberger (Visiting Assistant. Professor, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA)
"Photophysical Properties and Photoredox Reactions of Some Transition Metal Complexes"
Research Advisor: R. Schmehl (October 2012)
Tapas Purkait (Postdoc, University of Alberta, Canada)
"Functionalization of the Mechanochemically Passivated Germanium Nanoparticles via "Click" Chemistry"
Research Advisor: M. Fink (August 2012)
Michael J. Reale (Postdoc Research Associate at Advenchen Laboratories, LLC, Moorpark, CA)
"A Copnvergent Synthesis of B-(1-> 3)-D-Oligosaccharides"
Research Advisor: H. Ensley (July 2012)
Zhiwei Lin (UltraFast Systems, Florida)
"Vibrational Energy Transport and Electron Transfer in Molecules Investigate by Nonlinear Vibrational Spectroscopy"
Research Advisor: I. Rubtsov (June 2012)
Valeriy Kasyanenko (Industry, DLA, Inc., Texas)
"Development of the Relaxation-Assisted 2Dir Method for Accessing Structures of Molecules and Its Application for Studying the Energy Transport on a Molecular Level"
Research Advisor: I. Rubtsov (June 2012)
Sarah Tesar (Asst. Professor, Georgia Highlands College- Georgia)
"Normal Mode Analysis of Charge Transfer and Internal Vibrational Energy Dynamics"
Research Advisor: A. Burin (May 2012)
Jing Gu [Postdoctoral Associate National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO]
"Aryl-vinylene Bipyridine and Terpyridine Ligands and Their Ru(II) and Os(II) Complex Systems: Potential Optical Limiting Materials"
Research Advisor: R. Schmehl (August 2011)
Marco Giles (Visiting Research Scholar at Texas A&M University)
"Divergent Polyester Dendronization of Macrocycles as a Platform for the Enhancement of Supramolecular Applications"
Research Advisor: S. Grayson (August 2011)
Mallory Cortez (Post-Doctoral Researcher, with Professor Theresa Reineke, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN)
"Synthesis of Poly(2-Oxazolines) with Tunable Architectures and Their Potential Biomedical Applications"
Research Advisor: S. Grayson (October 2011)
Yejia Li (Research Scientist, Arkema, King of Prussia, PA)
Research Advisor: S. Grayson (August 2011)
Jessica Hoskins (AdolfMartens Post-Doctoral Fellow, with Dr. Steffen Weidner, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Berlin, Germany)
"Architectural Studies of Macromolecules: Synthesis and mass Spectral Characterization of Linear, Cyclic, and Star Polyesters"
Research Advisor: S. Grayson (October 2011)
David Harris [Post doc Northwestern University]
"Molecular Switches: DNA Chimeras with Responsive Protein Binding"
Research Advisor: J. Jayawickramarajah (April 2011)
Boyd Laurent (Research Scientist, Nalco, Sugarland, TX)
"Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Cyclic Polymer Architectures and Potential Applications"
Research Advisor: Scott Grayson (July 2011)
Kristi Lebkowsky (Owner, Gymnastics Business, New Orleans, LA)
"Development of Visible Light Photolytic Systems for Hydrogen Generation: Employing Square Planar Platnium or Nanoparticulate Nickel as Catalysts"
Research Advisor: Russell Schmehl (April 2011)
Olga Samoylova (Research Associate (Postdoc Fellow) Baylor University, Waco, Texas)
"Optical Excitations and Energy Transfer in One-Dimensional Nanowaveguides"
Research Advisor: Alex Burin (April 2011)
Luning He (Postdoc at South West Medical Center, Dallas, TX)
"Molecular Beam Study on Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment of Volatile Organic Compounds"
Research Advisor: Mark Sulkes (April 2011)
Jin Chen [Research Chemist, Fujian Institute of Research, Fuzhou, Fujian, China]
"Ruthenium(II) Pyrene-Bipyridine Complexes : Synthesis, Photophysics, Photochemistry and In Vivo Oxygen"
Research Advisor: Russell Schmehl (July 2010)
Dawanne E. Poree [Program Officer, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, NC)
"Synthesis of Star and Cyclic Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers an their Potential Biomedical Appliations"
Research Advisor: Scott Grayson (August, 2010)
Maher Fathalla [Postdoc Northwestern University with Sir Fraser Stoddart]
"Supramolecular Assemblies Based on Porphyrins, Fullerenes, and Cyclodextrins: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photophysical Properties"
Research Advisor: J. Jayawickramarajah (December 2010)
Gail Blaustein [Associate Professor, Benedictine College, Atchinson, KS]
"Charge and Energy Transport in One-Dimensional Nanomaterials"
Research Advisor: A. Burin (April 2010)