Fall 2012

• A retirement reception for Jonathan Skean, an electronics technician in the Department of Chemistry, was held on Dec. 6 in Hamilton Hall. Skean is retiring in December after 32 years working at UNL.
  
  For the past three decades, Skean has assisted chemistry researchers with maintenance, repair and creation of numerous scientific instruments.
  
  
• We want to make you aware of a tremendous scholarship-for-service opportunity to fully fund your undergraduate or graduate education. The SMART (Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation) Program will pay for all educational expenses for a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. program, and then provide scholars unique opportunities to work as research scientists or engineers on cutting edge technology in world class Department of Defense facilities.
  
  
• The Annual CHEM 443 Poster Session will be held this Wed in the City Campus Union Ballroom. All faculty/staff/graduate students are cordially invited to attend at 2:00 pm. CHEM 443 is an ACE 10 course that requires the production of a scholarly product.
  
  
• For the eleventh consecutive year the Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council (RPSC) presented the Young Investigator Awards to three promising young scientists.  RPSC selected Kiel Neumann as the 3rd Place winner for his outstanding paper.  Neumann's paper was on "Statistical new rapid fluorination process for the production of carrier free-F-18 6-[18F] FDA and 6-[18F]-L-DOPA."  Congratulations Kiel!
  
  
• Check out this story of a UNL chemistry/engineering student turned inventor.  Robert Allington’s tale tells a harrowing story of resilience, trials, tribulations, and eventually triumph!
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Griep and his lab for their most recent publication in ACS’s Journal of Chemical Education.  Dr. Griep’s article explores an innovative teaching technique that uses movies and movie clips to captivate the attention of students. The results of Dr. Griep’s study establishes a set of criteria for choosing clips from feature films that chemistry instructors can use to grab the student’s attention and maximize learning.
  
  
• The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present a NanoScience Cafe at The Mill-Downtown, 800 P St., at 7 p.m. Nov. 15.  UNL chemistry professor Jody Redepenning will talk about discoveries in composite biomaterials leading to hard tissue replacement for injured soldiers and others. The talk is free and suitable for a general audience.
  
  
• "A Professor's Guide to Harry Potter's Chemistry" featuring Dr. Rebecca Lai will be presented at 7pm Oct. 11 in Hamilton 548. Topics covered will include the chemistry of gold, the sorcerer's stone and the elixir of life.
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Xiao Zeng, his research group’s paper made the cover of Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation!
  
  
• Congratulations to the following faculty and staff who have earned the following service awards with the Chemistry Dept.:
  
  Craig J Eckhardt - 45
  Catherine A Shaner - 35
  Gerard Harbison - 20
  Andrzej Rajca - 20
  Suchada Rajca - 20
  Jane Langan - 15
  Sara BG Basiaga - 10
  Rebecca Y Lai - 5
  Eric G Malina - 5
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Marilyne Stains!  She is featured as the evaluator of the Cottrell Scholars Collaborative New Faculty Workshop in Chemical & Engineering News this week.
  
  
• Congratulations to the faculty and staff who worked on securing these grants.
  
  Funding Agency: National Institutes of General Medical Sciences
  Title: Nebraska Center for Virology – COBRE Phase III
  PI: Dr. Charles Wood, SBS
  Co-PI: Dr. Ron Cerny 

  Funding Agency: UNL Nebraska Research Initiative
  Title: Biosynthesis and Mode of Action of WAP-8294A, New Anti-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Antibotics
  PI: Dr. Liangcheng Du
  Co-PI: Dr. Paul Fey, UNMC 

  Funding Agency: UNL  Life Sciences Enhancing Interdisciplinary Program
  Title:  Fatty acid analogs as novel therapeutic agents for pathogenic mycobacteria
  PI:  Dr. Patrick Dussault
  Co-PIs: Dr. Robert Powers (Chemistry); Dr. Ken Nickerson (SBS); and Dr. Raul Barletta (Vet Sciences) 

  Funding Agency: NSF EPSCoR Interdisciplinary RII Program
  Title:  Modification of Nanobodies with Methylene Blue labels
  PI:  Dr. Rebeca Lai 

  Funding Agency: UNL Kelly Fund
  Title: Enhancing Chemistry Faculty’s Awareness and Implementation of Research-Based Instructional Practices
  PI: Dr. Marilyne Stains 

  Funding Agency: UNL Nebraska Research Initiative
  Title: Giant Supramolecular Crystals for Organic Electronics Applications
  PI: Dr. Li Tan, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
  Co-PI: Dr. Xiao Zeng

• The Department of Chemistry and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) are accepting applicants for a tenure-track faculty member position with research interests in nanomaterials chemistry. Information on this position can be found on the faculty openings page.
• A retirement reception for Walt Hancock is 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 in Hamilton Hall room 548. The event is free and open to the public. Walt's success and history with the University can be read on his retirement page.
  
  
• UNL Chemistry Professor and Researcher, Xiao Cheng Zeng, created a new form of matter that is so hard it can dent diamonds by mixing buckyballs, a solvent, and pressure. Congratulations!

Summer 2012

• Congratulations to Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng, his research was highlighted  in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemistry World online journal regarding calculating the structure of a stable carbon dication that creates a higher coordination number than any yet seen experimentally.    
  
  Also Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng’s published research in the Journal of Chemical Physics titled, “Highly selective adsorption of methanol in carbon nanotubes immersed in methanol-water solution” was in the top 20 most read papers for the month of July, 2012, among all JCP papers published. Congratulations!
  
  
• Dr. Power's recent PNAS paper with Dr. Singh at UNMC was highlighted by Pancreatic Cell News! Congratulations!
  
  
• Congratulations to this year's winners of the 4th Annual Research First Poster Session!
  
  
• UNL’s Chemistry Department would like to congratulate the following graduates from our Ph.D.  and Masters program: Monica Kinde, John Persons, Sean Smith, Nandun Thellamurege, Justin Huffman and Mohammad Bani Khaled (MS).  Congratulations on a job well done.  Good luck!
  
  
• UNL Chemistry alum, Kelly Mercier, was prominently featured in a Chem. & Eng. News (July 23rd, p 41-43) article which details the evolution of her career into her current position as an NMR applications scientist with LipoScience.  Congratulations Kelly Mercier!
  
  
• An international team of scientists, including chemist Xiao Cheng Zeng of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has created what is in effect a nanoscale sieve that is very selective in what it will allow to pass through -- and performs in much the same way as the potassium ion channels that are vital components of virtually all living cells.
  
  It's also the first synthetic nanotube that possesses a uniform diameter, as well as being self-assembling and hydrophobic, characteristics that could lead to industrial and medical breakthroughs.
  
  
• UNL’s Department of Chemistry is excited to announce that a new diagnostic technology developed by Professor David Hage will be marketed in the private sector.
  
  

• Help us congratulate the chemistry faculty and staff responsible for the following awarded grants. Congratulations!  

  Funding Agency: NSF-EPSCoR through Nebraska EPSCoR
  Title:  Ferroelectric-Enhanced Organic Electronics
  PI:  Dr. Stephen Ducharme (Physics)
  Co-PI: Dr. Barry Cheung 

  Funding Agency: NSF Renewal
  Title:  New Approaches to Catalyst Screening and Development
  PI: Dr. Stephen DiMagno
  Co-PI: Dr. David Berkowitz 

  Funding Agency: NIH
  Title: Synthesis of Radiofluorinated PET Imaging Agents
  PI: Dr. Stephen DiMagno 

  Funding Agency: NIH –NIAID Competitive Renewal
  Title: Discovering New Anti-Infective Agents from Lysobacter
  PI: Dr. Liangcheng Du 

  Funding Agency: SFC Fluids LLC
  Title: Microcolumns for Biomarker Detection
  PI: Dr. David Hage 

  Funding Agency:  NSF REU
  Title: REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Chemical Assembly at the University of Nebraska
  PI: Dr. Andrzej Rajca
  Co-PIs: Drs. Mark Griep and Marilyne Stains 

  Funding Agency: NIH General Medical
  Title: Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroboration: Uncapping the Potential with Two-Point Binding Substrates
  PI: Dr. James Takacs 

  The following internal grants have been awarded. Congratulations! 

  Funding Source: Nebraska EPSCoR First Award
  Title: Unraveling Integrin Dynamics using Turn-On Fluoresence Labels
  PI: Dr. Cliff Stains 

  Funding Source: Nebraska EPSCoR First Award
  Title: Colloidal synthesis of high-index faceted metal nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts
  PI: Dr. Jian Zhang
  

• UNL Chemistry Professor Dr. Stephen DiMagno and the company he co-founded Ground Fluor received a $150,000 Small Business Innovative Research award from the National Science Foundation.
  
  
• UNL Chemistry Professor Involved In Study With Surprising Findings
  
  
• Please join us for the University of Nebraska State Museum's next "Sunday with a Scientist" presentation featuring UNL Chemistry Professor Rebecca Lai.
  
  

Spring 2012

• UNL Chemistry Professor Dr. Stephan DiMagno was featured in an Omaha World Herald article featuring his research work where they found a general way to attach a widely used PET radioactive isotope, 18F, to many different carrier molecules which can be used for better medical imaging. This cutting edge, innovate research resulted in a new start-up company.
  
  
• We are delighted to announce that Professor Xiao Cheng Zeng has been appointed as an Associate Editor for the Nanoscale journal.
  
  
• The Chemistry Honor Society is hosting their annual PLU Picnic Firday, June 8 from 4:30-9:00pm in the South Shore Shelter at Branched Oak Lake. Tickets cost $10 and the event includes a Dessert Competition, Horseshoes, Canoeing, Water Ballon toss, BBQ, music, and more! RSVP to Anita Zaitouna by June 6.
  
  
• Professor Carolyn R. Bertozzi from University of California, Berkeley, was awarded the 2011-2012 Hamilton Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to organic chemistry and chemical biology, especially for fundamental research leading to the better understanding of cellular processes and interactions at cell surfaces.
  
  
• Please help us congratulate chemistry graduate students Jeanethe A Anguizola, Brandon J Burnett, and Yu Zhao for being given a Milton E. Mohr 2012-2013 Fellowship Award!
  
  
• Please help us congratulate Dr. Xiao Zeng on his two year appointment to the College of Arts and Science’s College Executive Committee! This is a prestigious appointment which will help shape the future of undergraduate education for the College. Congratulations Dr. Zeng!
  
  
• UNL Chemistry alum, Paul Hrvatin (M.S. 2001) of Gilead Sciences has developed a potential drug for Hepatitis B treatment. Congratulations to the Gilead team on their outstanding work!
  
  
• Congratulations Dr. Xiao Zeng!  A joint experimental/theoretical paper by Prof. Li Tan and Prof. Xiao Cheng Zeng's research group was featured in the Cover of Journal of Physical Chemistry B.
  
  
• Congratulations Emily Snell for being awarded runner up in the Win Dean Manderscheid’s Money contest. The contest asked students to submit their answer to: "Why should Dean Manderscheid attend your class?" Emily won $50.00 of the dean’s money which was presented during Dr. Andrzej Rajca’s class on Wednesday, April 11.
  
  
• Ground Fluor Pharmaceuticals Inc. will be using a process developed by Dr. Stephen DiMagno to develop new imaging agents for use in diagnosis and management of diseases. This story was featured on the UNL Newroom website!
  
  
• Please help us congratulate Dr. Robert Powers for the distinguished nomination of Editor-in-Chief of the new journal entitled 'Current Metabolomics' published by Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.  Dr. Powers’ appointment will be initially for three years. Congratulations Dr. Powers!
  
  
• UNL has conferred university professorship with faculty member David Hage. He will be recognized at Honors Convocation on April 22. Terms for the new professorship begin this summer. Hage is the James Hewett University Professor of Chemistry. Help us all congratulate David Hage!
  
  
• Congratulations to Eric Malina for receiving a 2012 College Distinguished Teaching Award!  This award honors faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences with a record of consistently excellent teaching. Dr. Malina will be recognized at Honors Convocation on April 22.
  
  
• Jaeil Bai and Alexandra Fursina recieved honorable mentions for their submissions at Nanodays! You can view their work at the Nanodays website.
  
  
• Dr. Malina was nominated by his students for the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award! The purpose of the Outstanding Educator Award is to publicly recognize high quality educators within the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Congratulations!
  
  
• The Department of Chemistry is proud to announce Stephen DiMagno as the recipient of the 2012 College Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Achievements in the Sciences. Congratulations!
  
  
• Please help us congratulate Marilyne Stains as the newest member of the Chemical Education Research Committee for the American Chemical Society.  This is a three-year appointment starting January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2014.  Congratulations Dr. Stains!
  
  
• Dr. Cliff Stains and collaborators published an article in Chemistry & Biology detailing the use of direct kinase activity sensors for quantitatively interrogating signaling pathways in individual cancer patients
  
  
• Senior Biochemistry major Tom Brockhoft, who is also minoring in Chemistry and Humanities in Medicine, was featured in February's Academic Stars for his outstanding leadership on the College of Arts & Sciences Student Advisory Board. Congratultions, Tom!
  
  
• The chemistry department is pleased to announce that Kerry Vondrak will be joining the department as the new recruiting and communications coordinator.  Please join the department in extending a warm welcome to Kerry.
  
  
• Rhitankar received the UNL highest research award for graduate students. Congratulations!
  
  
• The Zeng lab and Professor Zhongfang Chen at the University of Puerto Rico published an article in Nanoscale and it is featured on the cover!
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng for the Dean's Award for Excellence in Graduate Education.
  
  
• Congratulations to Rhitankar Pal for the Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award .
  
  
• Congratulations to Jennifer Gerasimov for receiving an honorable mention for the Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award .
  
  
• Congratulations to Monica Kinde-Carson and Matthea Peck for receiving Honorable Mentions for the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award .
  
  
• Congratulations to Manashi Chatterjee, Jason Kautz, Neil Lawrence, Hui Li, and Eric Malina for their "Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students" award sponsored by the UNL Parents Association and the UNL Teaching Council.  The UNL Parents Association solicits nominations through a special mailing requesting UNL parents to nominate a member of the University “who has made a significant difference” in their son’s or daughter’s life .
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's research on gold clusters as catalysts for fuel cell hydrogen was featured in the latest news on the NSF Science360 website on Jan 30 and highlighted on the Nebraska EPSCoR website.
  
  
• Congratulations to the Du Lab! They have just published a paper in Biochemistry and one of their images is being prominently displayed on the journal's website. Dr. Du was also selected as a plenary lecturer for Mona Symposium 2012!
  
  
• The Chemistry Department is pleased to announce that the renovations for the Chemistry 109 labs have been completed!
  
  
• The Department of Chemistry's "SUPER TA" Emily Bruggeman is in the news. Thank you for all of your hard work Emily!

Fall 2011

• Prof. Robert Powers was recently highlighted in a special journal issue: Magnetic Moments Groundbreaking papers from the pages of the Journal Magnetic Resonance - and recollections from the scientists behind them
  
  
• Check out some great organic chemistry themed videos created by students in three sections of Prof. Manashi Chatterjee's CHEM 251 & 252 class! 
  
  
• Prof. Powers is featured in an article titled Finding the Purpose of Proteins with Grid Computing.
  
  
• Prof. Manashi Chatterjee was presented with the 2011 Outstanding Educator Award at Beta Theta Pi Fraternity's Faculty Recognition Dinner. Congrats!
  
  
• Profs. Mark Griep & Eric Malina were interviewed for an article in Laboratory Equipment magazine about our new undergraduate labs. 
  
  
• Work done by Prof. Robert Powers and his lab on identifying a protein treasure trove with the grid is featured on the ISGTW website. 
  
  
• Prof. Lai is featured in the Daily Nebraskan for her spring semester class, "A Muggle's Guide to Harry Potter's Chemistry."
  
  
• Professor Xiao Cheng Zeng has co-authored a paper that is one of the Top 10 Most Read Articles for Q3 2011 for Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation.
  
  
• We would like to welcome Dr. Martha Morton to the Department of Chemistry! Dr. Morton has accepted the Director of Research Instrumentation position.
  
  
• Profs. Jian Zhang, Alexander Sinitskii, and Marilyne Stains have been selected for the 2012 Research Development Fellows Program, an initiative to help pre-tenure faculty successfully compete for grants.
  
  
• Prof. Marilyne Stains is featured in an article in the Daily Nebraskan on the Discipline-Based Education Research group that she co-founded
  
  
• Michelle Yoo Johnson, a former Ph.D. student in Prof. Hage's lab, received the Bioanalysis Young Investigators Award. Congrats Michelle! 
  
  
• Weiwei Yang, a postdoc in Prof. Lai's lab, received the 2011 Outstanding Postdoc Award. Congrats Weiwei! 
  
  
• Michelle Yoo Johnson, a former Ph.D. student in Prof. Hage's lab, received the Bioanalysis Young Investigators Award. Congrats Michelle!
  
  
• Steve Halouska, a member of Prof. Powers' lab, received a Best Poster Award at the 2011 International Chemical Biology Society Conference.
  
  
• Prof. DiMagno is among the first to earn a NSF I-Corps grant. Congrats!
  
  
• Professor DiMagno receives $50,000 grand to turn idea into product. Congrats!
  
  
• NIEHS article spotlights Kelly Mercier, an alumna of Prof. Powers' group.
  
  
• A paper published by the Zeng lab is featured on the cover of the Journal of Physical Chemistry C.
  
  
• Dr. Zeng named recipient of Midwest Award for achievements in chemistry. Congrats!
  
  
• Congrats to all chemistry employees receiving 2011 Employee Service Awards!
  
  
• A paper published by members of the Berkowitz lab appeared on Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. Congrats!
  
  
• Professor Rebecca Lai is featured in an article explaining how she is seeking easier ways to detect HIV.
  
  
• Dodie Eveleth, Department of Chemistry Business Manager, was recently named a College of Arts & Sciences Academic Star. She is also the June APPLAUSE award winner. Congrats Dodie!
  
  
• Yu Zhao, a grad student in the Zeng lab, received an award for her poster from the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics at the 11th National Congress on Computational Mechanics. Yu is one of five award winners from over 140 student/postdoc posters. Congrats! 
  
  
• Dr. Marilyne Stains’ paper on the validation of the Structure and Motion of Matter (SAMM) survey, an instrument assessing students’ understanding of diffusion, was just published ASAP in the Journal of Chemical Education!
  
  
• Rhitankar Pal, a Ph.D. candidate in the Zeng lab, received a 2011-12 Presidential Graduate Fellowship! Congrats Rhitankar! 
  
  
• Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng has been selected to receive the 2011 ACS Midwest Award. Congrats Dr. Zeng! 
  
  
• Dr. Barry Cheung developed patent-pending technology to replace typical semiconductor materials in solar cell manufacture with rare-earth elements with his former doctoral student Joseph Brewer. Their story is featured in a Solar Novus Today article, the Beatrice Daily Sun, the Omaha World Herald, and the Lincoln Journal Star. 
  
  
• Chemistry major, Sarah Lee, earns Fulbright to S. Korea.

Spring 2011

• A spotlight article featuring the research of Drs. Hage, Dodds, Du, and Powers has been published in Bioanalysis.
  
  
• Prof. Mark Griep gave a talk on using Hollywood movies to teach chemistry formally & informally at the ACS meeting in Anaheim, CA. Click here to see a video of Prof. Griep's presentation.
  
  
• Prof. Robert Powers' paper, NMR Metabolomics and Drug Discovery, has been listed as one of the most accessed papers for Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry!
  
  
• Professor Patrick Dussault has been selected as the dean of Graduate Studies! Congrats Prof. Dussault! Read the full article here!
  
  
• Congrats to Milton E. Mohr Fellowship Recipients Jiliang Hang & Lili Lou!
  
  
• Congrats to Milton E. Mohr Scholarship Recipients Daniel Boadwine & Elizabeth Needels!
  
  
• Seven senior Chemistry minors will be initiated as members of Phi Beta Kappa. Congrats to Brian Coburn, Laila Gharzai, Matthew Kelly,Rory Keys, Daralyn Roberts, Anna Schreck, & Nicholas Wohlgemuth!
  
  
• Professor James Takacs has been selected as a recipient of the Charles J. Mach University Professorship. Congrats Dr. Takacs! 
  
  
• Professor David Berkowitz has been selected as a recipient of the Charles Bessey/Willa Cather Professorship. Congrats Dr. Berkowitz! 
  
  
• Michelle Yoo Johnson, a graduate student in Dr. David Hage's lab, was highlighted as a Young Investigator in the journal Bioanalysis. Congrats Michelle!
  
  
• Dr. Jiantao Guo has been admitted to the 2011 NIH workshop! Congrats Dr. Guo! 
  
  
• Hamilton Hall undergraduate chemistry labs are getting a much-needed upgrade. Click here for more information on our exciting renovations! 
  
  
• Assistant Professor Alexander Sinitskii recently co-authored a paper that was published in Science.
  
  
• Congratulations go out to Dr. Eric Malina for getting his Course Impact Project funded! 
  
  
• The UNL Department of Chemistry would like to welcome Dr. Jian Zhang and Dr. Alexander Sinitskii to the department!
  
  
• Check out Dr. Mark Griep's blog posting on Discover Magazine's website.
  
  
• EPSCoR's annual report is out and UNL Chemistry is featured on page 8 and 9!
  
  
• The Zeng Lab had a recent PNAS paper about nano-ice wires covered by PhysOrg.com.
  
  
• Prof. Eric Dodds will serve as a session chair at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.
  
  
• Congrats to the Zeng lab on having their paper on Gold-Sulfide Polyhedron Clusters highlighted by C&EN!
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's lab has found another form of ice with interesting electronic properties, called an ice wire. Click here for an article featuring Dr. Zeng and postdoc Hui Li.
  
  
• Professor Guo received a 2011 NCESR Energy Grant for his energy project titled "Generation of Biomass-Derived Feedstocks for biofuel and Bioenergy Production – Use of Molecular Scaffold in Highly Efficient Degradation of Plant Lignocellulosic  Material."
  
  
• Professor Zeng received a 2011 NCESR Energy Grant for his energy project titled "Nanostructured Design of Catalysts for Converting Glycerol to Value-Added Chemicals."
  
  
• Professor Rajca received a 2011 NCESR Energy Grant for an energy project titled "Novel Supercapacitors Based on nano-Structured materials." 
  
  
• Jan. 20 Science Cafe features Professor Rebecca Lai and graduate student Jennifer Gerasimov.

Fall 2010

• Dr. Nan Shao, a former member of the Zeng Lab, has been selected to receive the 2011 Folsom Distinguished Dissertation Award. Congrats Nan! 
  
  
• Jennifer Gerasimov, a grad student in the Lai Lab, has been selected to receive a 2011 Folsom Distinguished Master's Thesis Award Honorable Mention. Congrats Jennifer!
  
  
• Jaime Stark, a grad student in the Powers Lab, has been selected to receive a 2011 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Honorable Mention. Congrats Jaime!
  
  
• Rhitankar Pal, a grad student in the Zeng Lab, has been selected to receive a 2011 Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award Honorable Mention. Congrats Rhitankar! 
  
  
• Dr. Eric D. Dodds and Dr. Jiantao Guo have been selected for the 2011 Research Development Fellows Program, an initiative to help pre-tenure faculty successfully compete for grants.
  
  
• Paul Barron's paper, "A Bioinspired Synthetic Approach for Building Metal-Organic Frameworks with Accessible Metal Centers," published in Inorganic Chemistry, has been selected as the most read article this month.
  
  
• Are you an undergrad interested in a Summer Research Program? Click here for more information about a Chemistry REU.
  
  
• Professor Dussault is featured in Today@UNL article New projects on algal biology, nanohybrids, part of EPSCoR NSF award.
  
  
• Rhitankar Pal has been selected to receive a Black Hills Corporation - UNL Energy Sciences Fellowship for the 2010-2011 academic year. Congrats Rhitankar!! 
  
  
• Paul Goodman, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Redepenning's lab, is featured in Goodman, Steiner earn SMART Scholarships article!
  
  
• Berkowitz group chemistry featured in SYNFACTS (Synfacts 2010, 8, 0861;DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1257745) and CEN! This methodology was developed collaboratively with the Blum group, and provides an entirely new method for the asymmetric synthesis of a wide range of profens. 
  
  
• Professor Berkowitz is one of the featured speakers at the 2010 International Zing Conference on Biocatalysis!
  
  
• "Rational Design of Molecular Ferroelectric Materials and Nanostructures," a paper reporting the results from the DOE-EPSCoR Lab Partnership project led by Profs. Stephen Ducharme (Physics) and James M. Takacs (Chemistry), at the University of Nebraska, in
  collaboration with Dr. Serge M. Nakhmanson at Argonne National Laboratory, has been selected for inclusion in the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.
  
  
• The UNL Department of Chemistry has joined Facebook! Become a fan for the most up to date information on current department happenings!
  
  
• Attention all UNL Alumni!!  We hope you'll join us for the 2011 Chemistry Reunion!
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's article, Icosahedral B12-Containing Core-Shell Structures of B80, has been selected as a Hot Article on ChemComm.
  
  
• Click here for more information on the Science Writing Course offered during the Fall 2010 semester. 
  
  
• Are you an undergrad interested in a Summer Research Program? Click here for more information about a Chemistry REU.
  
  
• Professor Dussault is featured in Today@UNL article New projects on algal biology, nanohybrids, part of EPSCoR NSF award.
  
  
• Are you registered for Chemistry Day 2010? Check out this video with footage from Chemistry Day 2009! We hope to see you Saturday, October 9, 2010 for Chemistry Day! 
  
  
• Rhitankar Pal has been selected to receive a Black Hills Corporation - UNL Energy Sciences Fellowship for the 2010-2011 academic year. Congrats Rhitankar!! 
  
  
• Click here for the 2010 Chemistry Day schedule.
  
  
• Paul Goodman, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Redepenning's lab, is featured in Goodman, Steiner earn SMART Scholarships article!
  
  
• Berkowitz group chemistry featured in SYNFACTS (Synfacts 2010, 8, 0861;DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1257745) and CEN! This methodology was developed collaboratively with the Blum group, and provides an entirely new method for the asymmetric synthesis of a wide range of profens. 
  
  
• Professor Berkowitz is one of the featured speakers at the 2010 International Zing Conference on Biocatalysis!
  
  
• The UNL Department of Chemistry welcomes 17 new graduate students to the department: Christopher Marin (Cheung); Zane Gernhart (Cheung); Timothy Vo (Choe); Venkata Kolli (Dodds); Scott Raber (Du); Rachel Willand-Charnley (Dussault); Holly Orchidi (Griep); Ryan Matsuda (Hage); Anita Zaitouna (Lai); Thomas Smith (Lai); Daniel Wilson (Langell); Joseph Paletta (Rajca); Josh Lovell (Rajca); Lukasz Gauza (Redepenning); Andrew Geis (Takacs); Russell Pikal (Takacs); Yunyun Zhou (Harbison)
  
  
• Join the UNL Department of Chemistry at the ACS Fall Meeting "Big Ten" Alumni Reception!
  
  
• Attention Current Graduate Students - Apply for The K. Patricia Cross Future Leader Award today! Application materials are due October 4, 2010.
  
  
• Welcome to our new graduate students: Michael Richardson (Dussault); Xi Song (Guo); Tong Ju (Guo); Xiwei (Emmi) Zheng (Lai); John Vargas Badilla (Powers); and Debarpita Ray (Berkowitz).
  
  
• "Rational Design of Molecular Ferroelectric Materials and Nanostructures," a paper reporting the results from the DOE-EPSCoR Lab Partnership project led by Profs. Stephen Ducharme (Physics) and James M. Takacs (Chemistry), at the University of Nebraska, in
  collaboration with Dr. Serge M. Nakhmanson at Argonne National Laboratory, has been selected for inclusion in the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.
  
  
• The UNL Department of Chemistry has joined Facebook! Become a fan for the most up to date information on current department happenings!
  
  
• Attention all UNL Alumni!!  We hope you'll join us for the 2011 Chemistry Reunion!
  
  

Spring 2010

• Dr. Zeng's article, Icosahedral B12-Containing Core-Shell Structures of B80, has been selected as a Hot Article on ChemComm.
  
  
• Welcome to our new graduate students: Brad Worley (Powers Lab), Ben Puffer (Dussault Lab), and Lei Li (Cheung Lab)
  
  
• Dr. Mark Griep presented a talk titled "Chemistry in the Movies" at the National Academy of Sciences as part of their "Chemistry in Primetime and Online" workshop. more...
  
  
• Recent Ph.D. graduate Krina Joseph and Prof. David Hage are featured in a Chromatography video!
  
  
• Haemi Chung, a graduate student in Dr. Choe's lab,  received a a KUSCO-KSEA Graduate Scholarship! Congrats Haemi!!
  
  
• Alumni and Friends Chemistry Newsletter - Spring 2010
  
  
• Dr. Zeng was featured in a video on UNL Today! More...
  
  
• Michelle J. Yoo, a member of Dr. Hage research group, has been awarded a 2010-2011 Milton E. Mohr Fellowship! Congrats Michelle!
  
  
• Laura J. Clouston and Amanda L. Witte received the 2010-2011 Milton E. Mohr Scholarships! Congrats Laura and Amanda!!
  
  
• Lili Lou, a member of Dr. Du's research group, has been awarded a 2010-2011 Milton E. Mohr Fellowship! Congrats Lili! more...
  
  
• Dr. Mark Griep presented a talk titled "ReAction! Chemistry in the Movies" at this year's Miaben Memorial Lecture at the Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Academy of Science.
  
  
• Congrats to Dr. Dave Berkowitz and Dr. Paul Blum (UNL Biological Sciences)for the report about their research that appeared in the April 19th issue of Chemical and Engineering News. The article is titled "Primordial Path to Painkillers."
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Andrzej Rajca for receiving a UNL Bessey or Cather Professorship!
  
  
• Professor Jim Carr is celebrating his 50th year as an American Chemical Society (ACS) member!
  
  
• Dr. Zeng and his research group have 2 papers that made the JCP Top 20 Most Downloaded Articles for March 2010 list!
  
  
• Ross Cheloha and Nathaniel Cogswell, UNL undergraduate Chemistry majors, were elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest collegiate national honor society!
  
  
• Paul Goodman, a second year graduate students in Dr. Redepenning's lab, won a 2010 Science,Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program Scholarship. Congrats Paul! more...
  
  
• Congratulations to Robert Jacobberger, a UNL Chemical Engineering student doing nanoscience research in Dr. Cheung's lab, for earning one of the prestigious 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships more...
  
  
• Dr. Kautz for received the ASUN Student Government Outstanding Educator 2009-2010 (Large Classroom) award!
  
  
• See archive..
  
• New ice discoveries by Dr. Zeng and research group more...
  
  
• Follow the UNL Chemistry Department on Twitter!
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Berkowitz for receiving the 2010 Arts & Sciences Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award.
  
  
• Congratulations to Dr. Zeng for receiving the 2010 UNL Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award. more...
   
• Dr. Zeng's paper (with former UNL student Soohaeng Yoo) was selected as Editor's Choice of 2009 in the JCP! more...
  
  
• Dr. Harbison's recent paper on 65Cu NMR of a protein was written up in Spectroscopy Now!
   
• Dr. Zeng's article "Isomer Identification and Resolution in Small Gold Clusters" was highlighted on the The Journal of Chemical Physics home page.
   
• Prof. Dave Hage and Prof. Emeritus Jim Carr, have published their new textbook, "Analytical   Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis"
   
• Congratulations to Professor Rebecca Lai on her successful NSF CAREER Award entitled, "Ligand-induced Folding in Peptides for Biosensing Applications"
  

Spring 2009

• PLU Honor Society awards a Travel Grant to Monica Kinde-Carson
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's research regarding a computer model that may help create robots with extreme water-repelling properties, is highlighted on KETV 7 Omaha more...
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's research featured in Lincoln JournalStar more...
  
  
• Haemi Chung (Choe group) receives American Crystallography Association Travel Award.
  
  
• Chemist Eugene “Gene” Cordes addresses the baccalaureate graduation ceremony and receives an honorary doctor of science degree more...
  
  
• Congratulations to Sarah Kruse for receiving the Florine Chemistry 2009 Moissan Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Chemical Society.
  
  
• Congratulations to Emily Svendgard, an (Undergrad) Teaching Assistant in the Chemistry Department for being one of two awardees of the Arts & Sciences Student Advisory Board Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.
  
  
• Congratulations to those receiving Outstanding Graduate Student Research Poster Awards at the UNL Graduate Student Poster Session: Omar Barnaby, Paul Barron, Raychelle Burks, Lucas DeVries, Jacob Friest, and Adrienne Roehrich.
  
  
• Dr. Pill-Soon Song receives the Finsen Medal for Photobiology from the Board of the International Union of Photobiology more…
  
  
• Dr. Zeng's research highlighted in Nature Nanotechnology more...
  
  
• Congratulations!  Prof. Kautz receives College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award more...
  
  
• Congratulations!  Prof. George receives College of Arts and Sciences Hazel R. McClymont Teaching Fellow Award more...
  
  
• Prof. Takacs reappointed to another term as a Charles E. Bessey Professor more...
  
  
• Prof. Hage receives 2009 College of Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Achievement in the Social Sciences more...
  
  
• UNL Sigma Xi’s 2009 Outstanding Graduate Student:  John Schiel (Hage Group) more...
  
  
• Adrienne Roehrich and John Schiel are inducted into the Sigma Xi research honorary more...
  
  
• Professors Harbison  and Woodford featured at  American Chemical Society press conference - Scarlet, Science Daily, ACS
  
  
• Chemistry students honored at February Forum more...
  
  
• Matt Shortridge and Adrienne Roehrich receive ISOTEC student travel sponsorship to travel to the ENC more...
  
  
• PLU Honor Society awards Travel Grants to Matt Shortridge and Adrienne Roehrich more...
  
  
• Adrienne Roehrich received a ENC Student Travel Stipend more...
  
  
• Prof. Du featured on JACS website more...
  
  
• Ross Cheloha (Berkowitz Group) receives ACS Organic Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship more..
  
  
• Raychelle Burks contributes article to ACS InChemistry magazine(pg 9) more...
   
• Prof. Zeng's research featured in JACS Select virtual issues more...
  
  
• Chemistry participates in the Women in Science Conference more...
  
  
• Chemistry Emeritus Professor, Desmond Wheeler's memorial information more...
  
  
• Congratulations!  Drs. Jason Kautz, Eric Malina & graduate student Leah Thompson receive 2008-09 Parents Association Awards more...
  
  
• Paul Barron (Choe Group) receives ACS Inorganic Chemistry Division Travel Grant  more...
  
  
• Congratulations!  Dr. Stephen DiMagno elected the Vice-Chair/Membership of the ACS Division of Fluorine Chemistry for 2009 more...
  
  
• Ovation Award given to Jacob Johnson for outstanding student employee service more..
  
  
• Congratulations to Grad Students!  Curtis Wray (Choe Group) awarded 2009 UNL Folsom Masters Thesis Award  & Kelly Mercier (Powers Group) received honorable mention; Matt Shortridge awarded UNL Graduate Research Assistant honorable mention.
  
  
• Prof Mark Griep has ReAction!, chemistry in the movies book published, more....

Fall 2009

• Congratulations to Dr. Wonyoung Choe for receiving the Dean's Award for Excellence in Graduate Education!
   
• Congratulations to Dr. Powers for getting Research Stimulus Funds! more..
   
• Congratulations to Dr. Griep, his chemical review on the movie "The Informant" appeared on the "Featured" page of the Oxford University Press Blog more...
   
• Congratulations to Dr. Hui Li, his publication is the fourth most downloaded article for the month of July, 2009 more...
   
• Congratulations to Zenghan Tong for getting featured in Lincoln JournalStar and Daily Nebraskan more...
   
• Congratulations to Dr. Hector Palencia (Dr. Takacs' former student)! Hector started his new position as an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in August 2009.
   
• Journal Star interviews Mark Griep and Marjorie Mikasen for their just released book on the subject, "Reaction! Chemistry in the Movies" more...
   
• Congratulations to Nathaniel Paul Goodrich for being elected to Phi Beta Kappa by Alpha of Nebraska Chapter (UNL).
   
• The Chemistry Department would like to congratulate the following Milton E. Mohr 2009-2010 Awards Program Recipients: Scholarships - Ross Cheloha, Nathaniel Cogswell, and Lucas Sieburg; and Fellowships - Michelle Yoo.
   
• Congratulations to Dr. Shin Moteki (Dr. Takacs's former student) ! He started his new position as an assistant professor at Kyoto University on August 1, 2009
   
• Dr. Zeng's research on hydrophobicity featured by NSF, e!Science, UNL, Science360, CCN
   
• Dr. Berkowitz collaborates with Columbia University and Stockbridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc, for new cancer treatment ... Biospace, Tech Transfer
   
• Dr. DiMagno recognized by American Chemical Society for noteworthy contributions more...

Spring 2008

• UNL Chemistry PhD graduate program rises 14 places in US News rankings nationally more....
  
  
• 125th Anniversary in the News
  The Scarlet | Daily Nebraskan
  
  
• Congratulations! Department Chair, Dr. Jim Takacs, awarded the 2008 Arts and Science College Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Achievement in the Sciences more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Dr. Rajca awarded Outstanding Small Classroom Educator of the Year by the UNL Association of Students more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Dr. George and Dr. Griep receive Arts & Science College's Distinguished Teaching Awards more...
  
  
• Outreach - Dr. Jason Kautz and Company present demos at Leigh High School more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Drs. Hartung, Jason Kautz, Eric Malina & Undergraduate TA Hope Mulgrew receive 2007-08 Parents Association Award more...
  
  
• Dr. Redepenning featured in American Physical Society News more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Professor David Hage Top Cited Review Author 2002 - 2007 more...
  
  
• Emeritus Prof. Pill-Soon Song researches interactions between light and organisms
  Chemical Biology
  
  
• Prof. Xiao Cheng Zeng produces ice-breaking news possibly holding key to neurological diseases
  Earth and Sky Radio Show | PNAS Paper | Chemistry World | University Page | Nature (Journal Club) | UNL Research Spotlight
  
  
• Congratulations! Jacob Friest 2008 Graduate Poster Competition Winner more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Susannah Hall senior Chemistry major graduates with Distinction
  
  
• Congratulations 2008 Graduate Student Awardees more...
  
  
• Congratulations May 2008 Graduates!
  PhD: Wei An, Jeremy Karr, Jodell Whittington
  
  MS: Manuela Stan, Sony Soman, Curtis Wray
  
  
• Congratulations! Chemistry undergrads, Nathaniel Cogswell, Nathaniel Goodrich, & Skye O'Hearn, receive 2008-09 Milton E. Mohr Scholarships more...
  
  
• Chemistry Making a Difference - Alum, Dr. John Dietrich, retires as NE Crime Lab Director more...
  
  
• Chemistry booth at the Women in Science Conference more...
  
  
• Chemistry demos entertain & teach 2008 Big Red Road Show audiences
  Omaha World Herald | Highlights | KPTM News (Windows Media Only)
  
  
• Congratulations to chemistry students honored at February Forum more...
  
  
• Chemistry Department helps host Nebraska High School Science Bowl more...
  
  
• Dr. Hage's group uses an emerging area in separations science to probe interaction processes
  Chemical & Engineering News
  
  
• Prof. Xiao Cheng Zeng produces ice-breaking news possibly holding key to neurological diseases.
  UNL News Release | New Scientist Tech | Nature Nanotechnology | Scarlet
  
  
• Prof. Gerard Harbison and five other Chemistry professors help in the fight against terrorism.  more...
  
  
• Prof. Jody Redepenning discovered a simple process to create a composite that can replace bone. more...

Fall 2008

• Dr. Du invited lecture speaker at Chinese conference on Chemical Biology more...
  
  
• Drs. Lai, Redepenning and Zeng are part of $8.1 million grant funding for nanotechnology research center more...
  
  
• Department Activities - 2008 PLU Holiday Party Photo Gallery more...
  
  
• Congratulations Evan Meade, Pat Pribil and Rene Barfoot on receiving Applause Awards more...
  
  
• Chemistry Day 2008 Highlights more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Nan Shao, graduate student (Zeng Group) has been awarded UNL's prestigious 2008 Presidential Fellowship more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Dr. David Hage elected Fellow in the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Raychelle Burks, Ph.D student (Hage Research Group) contributing author for new "Defining Moments in Science" book more...
  
  
• Chemistry Department receives grant funding. more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Dr. Berkowitz awarded a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship for 2008-09. more...
  
  
• Welcome 2008 Graduate Students! more...
  
  
• Congratulations August 2008 Graduates!
  Masters: Mandi Conrad, Van Nguyen Mai and Qing Zhang
  PhD: Min Bian and Chunlei Guo

Spring 2007

• Congratulations May 2007 Graduates!
  Masters: Evan Hurley
  PhD: Rangan Mallik and Weijun Shen
  
  
• Chemistry Booth at Big Red Road Show 2007 a success. more...

Fall 2007

• Prof. Xiao Cheng Zeng and other UNL Chemistry scientists strike gold with discovery of first metal hollow cages.
  ACS | Omaha World Herald | UNL News
  
  
• Memorial Service and Gifts for Prof. John Stezowski more...
  
  
• Congratulations December 2007 Graduates!
  PhD: Sangeeta Dey, Chunjuan Zhang, Xiangcheng Zhu
  
  
• Department Activities - 2007 PLU Christmas Party Photo Gallery more...
  
  
• Congratulations to Meghan Sedlacek, senior Chemistry major chosen for Phi Beta Kappa honor society more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Prof. Xiao Zeng is a newly elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Raychelle Burks, Ph.D student (Hage Research Group) authors gold catalysis article for Chemical & Engineering News more...
  
  
• Dr. Mark Griep receives Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant for "Chemistry in the Movies" project more...
  
  
• Welcome New Faculty members Dr. Rebecca Lai and Eric Malina
  
  
• Congratulations! John Schiel, third year Ph.D student (Hage Research Group) awarded 2007-08 American Chemical Society - Analytical Division Fellowship more...
  
  
• Department Activities- Chili Cookoff more...
  
  
• Congratulations August 2007 Graduates!
  Masters: Sike Chen
  PhD: Chrissy Devries and Kausik Das
  
  
• Welcome to the 2007 Graduate Students! more...
  
  
• Congratulations! Dr. James Takacs, Bessey Professor of Chemistry, became the new Chemistry Department Chair on August 15.
  Chair's Office: Phone: (402) 472-3634; Fax: (402) 472-2044; Email: ChemChair@unl.edu or ChemDept@unl.edu.
  
  
• Chemistry Day 2007 Highlights. more...
  
  
• Congratulations to all 2007 Chemistry Department Graduate Student Award winners! more...
  
  
• Congratulations to Satya Bulusu, Chemistry Department Graduate Student recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award, presented by the Office of Graduate Studies. more...

Fall 2006

• Congratulations December 2006 Graduates!
  Masters: Chiranjib Banerjee, Hae Mi Chung, Samuel Sakwa
  PhD: Satya Bulusu, Kannan Karukurichi, Roberto Salud-Bea, Roman Shchepin, Nathan Stafford, Chunling Wa
  
  
• Congratulations August 2006 PhD Graduates!
  Sumit Muhkerjee, Corey Ohnmacht, Sarah Williams, Chunping Xu, Hai Xuan
  
  
• Chemistry Day 2006 Highlights. more...
  
  
• Kelly Mercier won the Best Poster Award in the Biological Sciences and Agricultural Sciences area at the 2006 Sigma Xi Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Competition.