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The special issue of Molecules I was editing had closed with 10 published papers. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/Synthetic_Heterocyclic_Organic
Now we are going to do a 2nd Edition. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/B149EBQUI6
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At the Spring American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego, several colleagues and I will be hosting a symposium in the Division of Chemical Education. The symposium is called “CUREs Across the Chemistry Disciplines.” We invite all instructors who are doing a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience to submit an abstract. The submission deadline is Sep. 30.
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2024 GRC Heterocycles meeting was great. Four Taber students were there:
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4/22/24: Casey Gregory defended her Biology Ph.D. at Virginia Tech!
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New article about a mystery we solved! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715623003016
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Always a good meeting at the Gordon Research Conference on Heterocyclic Compounds in Newport, R. I.!
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Hmmmm…..
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I am guest editing a special issue of Molecules: “Synthetic Studies Aimed at Heterocyclic Organic Compounds.” Submissions are open. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/Synthetic_Heterocyclic_Organic
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Just got back from the 2022 GRC Heterocyclic Chemistry conference. Probably the best conference of any sort that I have ever attended. I gave a talk on our 2,3-diaryl-1,3-thiaza-4-one work, and a poster about some newer unpublished material and both were well received. I met a lot of great people. Weather was perfect. Location (Salve Regina University) is always great, right on the coast in Newport. 🙂
The view from Salve Regina.
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5/22/22: GW Men’s Rowing won the Varsity 8 and JV8 events at the American Collegiate Rowing Association championship regatta, the national championship for college club programs. A pretty impressive accomplishment in their first year as a club! https://www.row2k.com/events/features/2022/868/2022-acra-championship–to-oak-ridge–with-speed/
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5/7/22: I am being promoted to full Professor!!!!!! https://www.psu.edu/news/story/penn-state-announces-academic-promotions-effective-july-1-2022/?utm_audience=External&utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Penn%20State%20Today&utm_content=05-19-2022-21-45&utm_term=Academics%20-%201
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Elyssa Yeagley won an Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy for her poster at our spring campus poster session! https://www.psu.edu/news/academics/story/university-libraries-research-awards-honor-86-students-20-campuses/
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Mike Russell, off to medical school! https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/14966/2022/04/28/schuylkill-speaks-mike-russell-finds-pathway-medical-school-penn-state
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My daughter Katie is off to a great start at Penn State! ♥
Schuylkill students’ achievements celebrated at Academic Program Awards Ceremony
Schuylkill Honors Program ceremony recognizes academic achievement
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I will be guest editing a special issue of Molecules: “Synthetic Studies Aimed at Heterocyclic Organic Compounds.” Submissions are open. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/Synthetic_Heterocyclic_Organic
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Mike Russell is one of our Undergraduate Research Ambassadors and will be entering medical school in the Fall: https://www.psu.edu/news/schuylkill/story/schuylkill-students-embrace-discovery-undergraduate-research-ambassadors/?utm_audience=Combined&utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=schuylkill%20newswire&utm_content=03-31-2022-07-41&utm_term=featured
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Curia has kindly provided all of our T3P over the years. They interviewed me for a blog about it: Blog: How T3P® has provided the catalyst to a new area of pharmaceutical research
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Hey look, it’s us! Schuylkill chemistry professor creates novel compounds shown to manage parasites: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/schuylkill-chemistry-professor-creates-novel-compounds-shown-manage-parasites/?utm_audience=Combined&utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Penn%20State%20Today&utm_content=10-31-2021-21-34&utm_term=CommonwealthCampusSpotlight%20-%201
See if you can spot the difference from the photo on the home page.
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George Washington Men’s Rowing Reinstatement Effort: https://www.row2k.com/news/10-23-2021/George-Washington-Men-s-Rowing-Reinstatement-Effort/129767/
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10/10/21: New paper in special issue of Molecules, “Organic Synthesis in Drug Discovery.” Along with synthesis of a series of 2-aryl-3-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyrido[3,2-e][1,3]thiazin-4-ones, we report that five of the compounds strongly inhibit kinetoplastid parasite T. brucei, which causes African Sleeping Sickness! See publications page.
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7/21/21: New paper with Prof. Megan Povelones shows that some of our compounds, especially 2,3-diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyrido[3,2-e][1,3]thiazin-4-one, inhibit growth of kinetoplastid parasites! See publications page.
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Grace Muench and Mike Russell presented posters at the 2021 MARM. “Schuylkill students present organic chemistry research at regional conference”: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/12726/2021/06/29/schuylkill-students-present-organic-chemistry-research-regional-conference
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GWU Men’s Rowing achieved their best finishes ever in every boat at the IRA National Championships: 12th in the Varsity 8, 7th in the 2nd Varsity 8, 9th in the 3rd Varsity 8. Overall they finished 7th in points, and 2nd in most improved. A great season, and yet GW is cutting the program. https://www.row2k.com/ira/features/2021/1841/IRA-2021–A-Bittersweet-Triumph/
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Article about Julia Hahn: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/12441/2021/05/13/schuylkill-speaks-standout-biology-senior-julia-hahn-pursues-pediatrics
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Virtual ribbon cutting for our new labs! Includes a video starring me. 🙂 https://spark.adobe.com/page/JcehOeD2POWld/
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Our patent applications were featured as one of “40 disruptive Penn State technologies” in the Invent Penn State Innovation Guide, given out as Part of the Spring 2021 Invent Penn State Venture and IP Conference. https://pennstatevip.com/ https://invent.psu.edu/ip_item/cyclic-molecules-with-antifungal-properties/
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4/12/21: “What is an organic substance?” finally gets published in a journal! And it’s my 50th refereed publication! See publications page.
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Our campus started a new thing called the Faculty Speakers Bureau, where we give lectures at high schools. https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/11691/2021/02/16/schuylkills-faculty-speakers-bureau-brings-penn-state-experts-high-schools
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2/15/21: The new labs are open and we are back to in-person classes! Previously we had one lab for everything. Now we have two labs, for General and Organic Chemistry. The organic lab (pix below) also has some new instrumentation, including a benchtop NMR and an FTIR!
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Nice video about the lights on Boathouse Row, where my club is: https://abc.com/shows/my-go-to/episode-guide/season-01/347-philadelphias-boat-house-row-lights-up-for-religious-and-cultural-holiday-celebrations
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Here is a very 2020 picture: Grace Muench and her poster at the Fall 2020 campus poster conference, which of course was virtual.
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Alumna Haley Reppert won the USOA Miss Pennsylvania Pageant!
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New Sixers jerseys feature Boathouse Row. Check out the video: https://www.nba.com/sixers/video/teams/sixers/2020/11/10/3470448/1605041568824-20201110launchv6-3470448
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Schuylkill Speaks, Mike Russell: https://www.facebook.com/PennStateSchuylkill/videos/schuylkill-speaks-what-is-undergraduate-research-like/933787907127489/
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8/1/20 Not happy today. GW is cutting Men’s Rowing. https://gwsports.com/news/2020/7/31/general-university-efforts-streamline-gw-athletics.aspx
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Duncan Noble will be going to grad. school in Neuroscience at the U. of Calgary in Jan. 2021. Here is an article: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/10846/2020/10/05/schuylkill-alum-returns-canada-neuroscience-graduate-degree
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My preprint “What is an Organic Substance?” reached 10,000 views/downloads on ChemRxiv on June 16, 2020!
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Penn State plans to resume on-campus work and learning in fall semester: https://news.psu.edu/story/623188/2020/06/14/academics/penn-state-plans-resume-campus-work-and-learning-fall-semester
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A cool graphic explanation of the scientific publication process: https://www.flickr.com/photos/188445124@N06/
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Great group of Biology students graduating Spring 2020. Here’s articles about some of them that did research with me:
Eric Thompson: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/9791/2020/05/08/schuylkill-speaks-eric-thompson-transforms-tragedy-life-service
Dominique Varra: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/9786/2020/05/08/schuylkill-speaks-senior-dominique-varra-discovers-enthusiasm-ornithology
Steve Shalamanda: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/9726/2020/05/07/schuylkill-speaks-senior-biology-major-steve-shalamanda-eyes-optometry-degree
Jim Abicunas: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/10056/2020/05/15/schuylkill-speaks-2020-grad-james-abicunas-prospers-face-medical-hardship
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New publications in Tet. Lett and J. Het. Chem! See publications page.
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On Jan. 26, 2020, our most recent crystallography paper (Acta Cryst. E75, 1689) was #1 on the journal’s list of most read articles of the last six months!
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Dec. 18, 2019 was a big day. Javon Rabb, one of my earliest undergraduate researchers and one of my few chemistry majors, successfully completed his oral defense and now is Dr. Javon Rabb, organic chemist. A proud moment for me and I was grateful to serve on his Ph.D. Committee and thus be involved in his graduate education. He is now postdocing at NRL. Look for great things from him.
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Melissa Ramirez, an All -Star in All That She Does: https://www.psuschuylkillathletics.com/general/2019-20/releases/20191106g82yks and https://news.psu.edu/story/598642/2019/11/18/athletics/melissa-ramirez-named-uscaa-student-athlete-year-cross-country?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_term=598825_HTML&utm_content=11-19-2019-07-21&utm_campaign=schuylkill%20newswire
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I will be speaking at the 2020 Gordon Research Conference on Heterocyclic Compounds, June 21-26 in Newport, RI. Can’t wait! https://www.grc.org/heterocyclic-compounds-conference/2020/
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Penn State is now encouraging open access publication. I went to a celebration of this and made the Penn State News: https://news.psu.edu/story/596071/2019/10/31/academics/penn-state-libraries-celebrates-scholars-who-published-open-access
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6/9/19 – Review paper on 1,3-thiazin-4-ones is out now in Arkivoc! 89 pages! See publications tab.
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GW Varsity 8 takes the 3rd level final at the 2019 IRA National Championships, for an overall finish of 13th in the country, our best ever. The guys rowed a great 2nd half of the race.
recap: Men’s Rowing Has Historic Showing at IRAs
video: watch from 2:49.49-2:57.13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDeeMVe9OLY&t=8525s
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Casey Gregory is going to grad school at Va. Tech: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/feature/schuylkill-speaks-conversation-casey-gregory
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Maddy Lawler, queen of cosplay: https://commmedia.psu.edu/special-coverage/story/arts-entertainment/theres-halloween-and-then-theres-cosplay
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In Nov. 2018, I posted a manuscript on the ACS preprint service ChemRxiv. “What is an Organic Substance?” can be read here: https://chemrxiv.org/articles/What_is_an_Organic_Substance_/7382453
If you have commentary, please email me.
ChemRxiv Publishing Manager Marshall Brennan put the manuscript on his list of Personal Top 10 Preprints of 2018! https://colorblindchemist.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/my-personal-top-10-preprints-of-2018/
By the way, my daughter Carrie drew the awesome graphic:
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I presented a talk and a poster and attended many outstanding talks at the 2018 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education at the University of Notre Dame. An excellent conference.
One of my favorite talks was one by BU’s Binyomin Abrams about how we should stop teaching the Bohr atom. I agree and had already stopped any mention of orbits. As he showed, that incorrect model is what tends to stick with students. Here is a version of the lecture that he gave in 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ytFoE3UDsY
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A nice article about one of my former students, Kelsey Shaffer: https://schuylkill.psu.edu/feature/certain-rock-world-and-transform-lives
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Just got back from a great 2018 Gordon Research Conference on Heterocyclic Compounds.
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My colleague Mike Gallis organized an excellent American Association of Physics Teachers Central Pennsylvania Section Annual Meeting, held on our campus Apr. 7, 2018. I got to present a talk to a group of physics teachers and students! http://schuylkill.psu.edu/feature/penn-state-schuylkill-hosts-regional-conference-physics-teachers-quantum-physics-pedagogy
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Quentin Moyer has been admitted to Harvard Medical School! http://schuylkill.psu.edu/feature/penn-state-schuylkill-harvard-medical-school
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Penn State Schuylkill ranks as a ‘Best Bang for the Buck’ among northeast colleges: http://schuylkill.psu.edu/story/4052/2017/09/05/penn-state-schuylkill-ranks-best-bang-buck-among-northeast-colleges
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I had a very busy three days at the ACS MARM meeting in Hershey, PA, June 4-6, 2017. My Lehigh Valley Section co-hosted, and I ran the poster sessions, which thankfully ran well. On Sunday, two of my students, Duncan Noble and Quentin Moyer, presented posters on their research. I delivered talks on Monday and Tuesday. It was an excellent meeting overall. Plus, while I was there, GW’s Men’s Varsity 8 finished 14th at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta, tying our best-ever finish. 🙂
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I gave two talks at the ACS National Meeting in San Francisco on April 4, 2017. One was in the Division of Organic Chemistry, and the other was in the Division of Chemical Education. My thanks to the Division of Organic Chemistry, who again granted me a Travel Award for the meeting. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/nationalmeetings/programarchive.html
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I spent a few days in Tampa (hot!) at the 2016 Council on Undergraduate Research Conference. http://www.cur.org/conferences_and_events/biennial2016/
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An ACS Select virtual issue, which includes recent publications from Organometallics, as well as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, The Journal of Organic Chemistry, and Organic Letters, has been organized to pay tribute to the legacy of Professor Heck. http://pubs.acs.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/page/vi/heck-legacy
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May 6, 2016 – Tenured! Big thanks to my family, my many students, my colleagues, and all those who have supported me along the way! http://news.psu.edu/story/411538/2016/05/23/academics/promotions-academic-rank-effective-july-1-2016?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_term=411876_HTML&utm_content=05-24-2016-09-52&utm_campaign=schuylkill%20newswire
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Duncan Noble gave a presentation on his research at the 80th Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention, held at Ursinus College on Apr. 16. It was a nice conference and good to see all the great work undergraduates are doing! Next year’s meeting will be at Penn State Berks. http://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/iscc/
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My friend and first graduate adviser, Richard F. Heck, passed away on Oct. 9, 2015, at the age of 84. He was a great chemist, and deservedly shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was also a good man; always a smile, always kind, always humble. I am fortunate to have known him. http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/10/Chemistry-Nobel-Laureate-Richard-F.html
Here is nice video about him: http://www.udel.edu/chem/mpwatson/mpwatson/Heck_Video.html
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I was on the International Advisory Board for the International Conference on “Current Challenges in Drug Discovery Research” (CCDDR 2015), which was held Nov. 23-25 at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur, India. https://ccddr2015.wix.com/ccddr2015mnitjaipur
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Our campus hosted the Penn State Regional Poster Conference on April 16, 2015. I was the co-chair.
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I talked about our heterocycle work at the Spring 2015 ACS National Meeting in Denver. I also presided over a session. https://ep70.eventpilot.us/web/page.php?page=Home&project=ACS15spring
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Penn State Schuylkill to offer bachelor’s degree in biology starting summer 2015! http://news.psu.edu/story/339135/2014/12/18/academics/penn-state-schuylkill-offer-bachelors-degree-biology-starting?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_term=339420_TEXT&utm_content=12-23-2014-10-40&utm_campaign=schuylkill%20newswire
Evolution only valid scientific explanation for diversity of life, by Amber Rice, Biology Professor at Lehigh University: http://articles.mcall.com/2013-06-12/opinion/mc-darwin-evolution-rice-yv–20130612_1_natural-selection-evolution-tiktaalik
The union between life and chemistry, by Faye Flam: http://articles.philly.com/2010-05-31/news/24965190_1_rna-gerald-joyce-chemicals
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I delivered a presentation at the 2014 International Conference on Chemistry Education in Toronto. http://icce2014.org/
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“How to Get an A- in Organic Chemistry” by Barbara Moran. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/education/edlife/how-to-get-an-a-in-organic-chemistry.html?searchResultPosition=1 Love this article.
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My second graduate advisor, Douglass F. Taber, is retiring. I attended his final colloquium at U. Delaware on May 10, 2013. Congratulations Prof. Taber! http://www.chem.udel.edu/news/blue-hen-chemist-40
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Penn Staters Making a Difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvxG1B_NkM
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The students here at Penn State Schuylkill give us a lot to be proud of. Penn State Schuylkill earns place on National Honor Roll for Community Service: http://www.sl.psu.edu/29662.htm
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I gave two oral presentations at the Spring 2013 National ACS meeting in New Orleans April 7. I also presided over the afternoon session of New Reactions and Methodology. My thanks to the Division of Organic Chemistry, who granted me a Travel Award for the meeting. http://acselb-529643017.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/chem/245nm/program/divisionindex.php
The Mississippi River at sunrise.
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Prof. Heck did his graduate work with Prof. Saul Winstein at UCLA. Here is a nice article about Prof. Winstein: http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i47/Celebrating-Saul-Winsteins-Legacy-Organic.html
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We presented three posters at the ACS MARM at U. of Maryland. Javon Rabb, Kyle Brobst, and Nicole Celani each presented one at the Organic PM Session May 21, 2011. They did a great job and we all enjoyed the conference. Our thanks to the organizers at UMD! http://www.marmacs.org/2011/index.html
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I went on the Penn State Road Scholars bus tour from May 9-11, 2011. You can see pictures here: http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157626686921196
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Richard F. Heck won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry! http://www.udel.edu/chem/organic/heck_award/nobel.html and http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2011/dec/heck-nobel-chemistry-121010.html.
Here is his Nobel lecture: http://nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1422
A symposium, “Frontiers In Catalysis,” was held in his honor at U. of Delaware on May 6, 2011. It was great. Here is an article about it: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2011/may/heck-nobel-symposium-052711.html
and a picture of me and both of my graduate advisors:
l-r: Socorro Heck, Douglass F. Taber, Richard F. Heck, Lee J. Silverberg
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Penn State Chemistry Department ranked in the top ten nationally: http://www.chem.psu.edu/news-events/news/2010/10/penn-state-chemistry-ranked-in-top-ten
Penn State science is among the best in the U.S., national study shows: http://live.psu.edu/story/56552
Penn State cited as one of the top 50 universities in the world http://news.psu.edu/story/320780/2014/07/16/academics/penn-state-improves-place-among-top-50-2014-world-universities?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_term=321151_HTML&utm_content=07-21-2014-16-10&utm_campaign=Penn%20State%20Today
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Years ago I was in St. Lucia and I saw this tree, which I call the “molecular model tree:“
