CATALYST DEPARTMENT OF . At Its Source.

Biannual Newsletter | Fall 2014 | 7 The Gary E. Keck Endowed Graduate Fellowship

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Meet Our Research Spotlight: Recognizing Newest Janis Louie is Adding 11 Friends of 3 Faculty 4 to Chemistry’s Toolbox Chemistry Letter from the Chair 2015 Distinguished Alumni Announced The Fourth Annual Distinguished Alumni of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo, State Dear Chemistry Friends and Family, Awards will be presented at a banquet on April 20, University of New York See all those red books behind me? They are the 2015. The Department is pleased to announce that Diane Parry, PhD ‘89, Associate Director, PhD dissertations of generations of U students who four alumni will be honored at next year’s awards. Household Care R&D, The Procter & Gamble Co. provide the foundation of our Department’s strong Please congratulate our Distinguished Alumni. Don Reese, BS ‘73, Physician reputation. The very first Ph.D. given at the University Joseph Gardella, Postdoc ‘81, Distinguished Kirk Ririe, BS ‘05, President & CEO, BioFire of Utah was in chemistry, to Dr. James M. Sugihara in Professor and John and Frances Larkin Professor Diagnostics 1947. Since then, we have awarded doctorate degrees to more than 1,100 students. Today, the Department of Chemistry is the largest PhD-granting department Get to Know Our New Faculty Members on campus. The history of the Department and the tradition of excellence our students and faculty have built over the past 67 years is truly impressive. I am happy you are a part of that history and tradition. In an effort to continue strengthening the Department, we are currently raising money for two Additionally, our wonderful donors from November new endowed funds in the Department. The Robert 2013 to November 2014 are recognized on the last W. Parry Lectureship in Chemistry is in memory of page of the Catalyst. This year’s holiday gifts will be Professor Bob Parry, a faculty member from 1969 to acknowledged in next fall’s newsletter. 1997. This lectureship will invite prominent inorganic Much of the research, education, and outreach to speak on campus at an annual lecture. that we do would not be possible without your The Gary E. Keck Endowed Graduate Fellowship support. Thank you for your continuing generosity. recognizes Professor Keck’s distinguished career Happy Holidays! and dedication to mentorship at the U. The Keck Sincerely, Luisa Whittaker-Brooks Michael Grünwald Fellowship will be awarded to one graduate student each year. Both of these funds will benefit generations Luisa hails from Panama. She received her PhD Michael received his PhD in Computational of future students at the U. I hope you will consider in Materials Chemistry at the University at Buffalo, Physics from the University of Vienna, Austria, giving your support to one or both of them. Cynthia J. Burrows State University of New York, where she was also a working with Christoph Dellago in 2009. With In addition to educating and training so many Distinguished Professor and Chair Fulbright Fellow. After completing her PhD, Luisa support of an Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship of the successful PhD students, our undergraduate scholars Thatcher Presidential Endowed became a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Austrian Science Fund, he joined the lab of Phillip are also integral to the Department. The Curie Club Chair of Biological Chemistry Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Geissler at UC Berkeley as a postdoctoral researcher. recently held a chemistry career at Princeton. Prior to starting his position at the University of panel to guide more students toward Her research interests are driven by two of the Utah, he was a senior postdoctoral scientist at the declaring the “central science” as their greatest challenges of our time – energy resources University of Vienna. major, whether they go on to become beyond fossil fuels, and environmentally-friendly Michael’s research is focused on understanding scientists, engineers, medical doctors, low cost electronics for daily use applications. the dynamic processes that shape the structure and pharmacists, or entrepreneurs. She plans to embark in these new endeavors by function of nano-materials. synthesizing well-defined and high-quality materials As the holidays and the end of the • How can the atomistic structure and for applications in solar energy conversion, year approach, I would like to extend composition of nanocrystals be manipulated to thermoelectrics, batteries, and electronics. She my deepest thanks to everyone who obtain a desired property? will also test and develop new hybrid concepts in has supported the Department of • What types of nanoparticle interactions and terms of integrating several technologies that can Chemistry in 2014. We received over experimental protocols lead to the reliable self- simultaneously perform multiple tasks. For example, $362,000 in support from our alumni assembly of a desired target structure? and friends this year. The chart to she envisions fabricating a multimodal energy the right shows the Department’s device that can scavenge different kinds of energies Research in the Grünwald lab aims to answer these fundraising initiatives in more detail. for driving micro/nanosystems thus increasing the questions with the help of computer simulation and power conversion efficiency of energy devices. statistical mechanics. 2 3 Creating New Tools for a ’s Toolbox Research Spotlight: Professor Janis Louie Not surprisingly, these abundant metals often environmental problems. But if you think from a behave differently than precious metals. Louie’s group synthetic point of view, carbon dioxide would be Professor Janis Louie always knew that tries to develop catalysts that can completely replace the ideal C1 starting material,” Louie explained. “It’s research was for her, before she knew what a precious metal catalysts. safe, nontoxic, dirt cheap, career in research even meant. However, sometimes they and readily available (in fact, “I had some idealistic notion that research have orthogonal reactivity. Wouldn’t it be better to it’s a waste product). Maybe and development would be just so cool,” Louie That’s okay too. “ use rust as your catalyst, we won’t use it on enough remembers. “I had absolutely no idea what “For a synthetic chemist, scale that we change the research and development meant, zero. I don’t a builder if you will, that’s rather than using your amount of carbon dioxide know where that idea came from – no one in actually good, because you precious wedding ring? in the atmosphere, but it’s my family does research – but somehow it just want many tools that do ” a great resource we can tap seemed like a good idea. Luckily for me, I didn’t totally different things,” into.” choose wrong.” Louie said. She describes it as a two-pronged This idea led to the development of a nickel In high school, chemistry was the first class approach: either we’ve made a better hammer catalyst that could utilize carbon dioxide as a C1 that really challenged Louie. She recalls studying that will replace all the really expensive hammers source. As Louie’s group continued to push the and studying for a midterm, only to throw up her out there, or we’ve made a mallet, and it’s kind of catalyst, it turned out that the nickel catalyst could hands, get a good night’s sleep, then ace the test. hammer-like, but it’s different. be used to make a wide variety of heterocycles. After that, chemistry really clicked with her, and “It’s a perfect opportunity to find new tools, She still has a project examining the interaction she started seeing it everywhere. whether to replace ones that we have or to expand between nickel and carbon dioxide and what it can “Of all the , it’s the best,” she said. “One the existing toolbox.” do, as well as a project using iron as a catalyst to of my pet peeves is when I hear ‘Oh, I love biology The foundation of this research was a desire to make heterocycles. or I love physics or I love math, and I HATE do something better for the environment. One of The synthetic chemists using Louie’s earth chemistry.’ Chemistry is the whole reason all of Louie’s first projects centered on finding a catalyst abundant catalysts must be happy that she never this works! I find it so frustrating that chemistry that could utilize carbon dioxide as a substrate. swayed from her desire to do fundamental research. has a bad rap because everything around us is “Carbon dioxide is responsible for all sorts of She’s adding new tools to the toolbox of chemistry. chemistry. If you can touch it, then it’s chemistry.” Louie took her love of chemistry with her to her undergraduate studies at UCLA. When Professor Janis Louie creates new catalysts based on earth abundant she took organic chemistry, her decision was metals such as iron and nickel for use in synthetic chemistry. solidified. “If my favorite class is the class that everybody These heterocycles have uses in pharmaceutical, hates, then clearly this is for me,” Louie remembers agricultural, and even electronic industries. thinking. Typically, the catalysts that are used most After also enjoying inorganic chemistry, Louie in industry are based on precious metals like decided to combine the two and study catalysis. palladium, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, or She did her graduate work at Yale with Professor iridium. Although these precious metals are John F. Hartwig (now at UC Berkeley), followed very expensive, they work very efficiently and as by a NIH postdoctoral fellowship with Professor such, constitute almost all catalysts used in fine Robert H. Grubbs at Caltech. chemical syntheses. Now as a faculty member, Louie’s research “My group has taken the approach of trying to group develops new transition metal catalysts coax the more abundant metals, such as iron and that are based on earth abundant metals such nickel, to do more,” Louie explained. “They may as iron and nickel. These catalysts are tools for not be as efficient, but they’re so abundant that other synthetic chemists to make heterocycles you don’t need them to be as efficient to be more (a cyclic compound with a heteroatom) in an cost effective.” She compares it to making catalysts easier, cheaper, faster, or more efficient way. from rust rather than your precious wedding ring. Louie’s iron and nickel catalysts, pictured above, create heterocycles that can be used in pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, or electronics.

4 5 Remembering Professor Robert W. Parry Celebrating Professor Gary E. Keck Distinguished Professor Robert W. Parry in the growth and development of the Department was a giant in our profession. He was the of Chemistry at the . founding editor of Inorganic Chemistry in To celebrate Bob’s life and career, the 1960. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Department of Chemistry is raising funds to his 1965 ACS Distinguished Service Award in endow the Robert W. Parry Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry. He served Chemistry. The Parry Lectureship as the President of the American will invite eminent inorganic Chemical Society in 1982, won chemists to present their cutting the first Utah Governor’s Medal edge research to our students and in Science and Technology in faculty at an annual lecture that 1987, and received the American honors Bob’s memory. Chemical Society’s Priestley A $10,000 matching gift Medal in 1993. is available for the Parry Gary Keck surrounded by former graduate students, or “Kecklings.” View more photos online at www.chem.utah.edu/news/keckfellowship.php Bob’s 60-year career combined Lectureship through one donor’s excellence in education, research, generosity. Right now, all gifts to Our friend and colleague Gary Keck was Please celebrate Gary’s exceptional career and and service. He received a Ph.D. the lectureship will be matched deservedly recognized as a Distinguished Professor accomplishments with us by giving to the Keck in inorganic chemistry from the one-to-one. Please consider this year. Gary also recently received the Arthur C. Fellowship. Gifts and pledges can be made online to University of Illinois in 1946. Distinguished Professor Robert W. Parry joining us and fellow chemists Cope Scholar Award, presented by the ACS Division the Gary E. Keck Endowed Graduate Fellowship at Later that year, Bob joined the Photo by Terry D. Newfarmer who have been influenced by of Organic Chemistry. To celebrate this award, many www.chem.utah.edu/community/donate.php by chemistry department at the Bob by making a gift to the Parry former “Kecklings” and other friends joined Gary clicking on the “Give Now” button. Pledges of University of Michigan and started his career Lectureship, knowing that the impact of your gift at an awards luncheon at the American Chemical $2,500 or more can be extended over a three-year in inorganic chemistry. In 1969, he joined the will be doubled through this generous match. Society meeting in San Francisco this summer. period. Additionally, corporate matching programs faculty at the University of Utah as Distinguished Gifts and pledges can be made online to the To recognize Gary’s impact on the Department are a potential way to double the impact of your gift. Professor of Chemistry, and remained at Utah Robert W. Parry Lectureship in Chemistry at and the broader world of chemistry, we are launching Join me in the creation of this endowment, until his retirement in 1997, when he became an www.chem.utah.edu/community/donate.php. an initiative to establish the Gary E. Keck Endowed honoring Gary and supporting opportunities for emeritus professor. Pledges of $2,500 or more can be extended over Graduate Fellowship. The Keck Fellowship will deserving students. Both at Michigan and Utah, Bob taught a three-year period. Additionally, corporate support one graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. *The required minimum amount to establish chemistry to thousands of undergraduates and matching programs are a potential way to double in Chemistry each year. As an endowment, this an endowed fellowship at the University of Utah mentored over 60 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral the impact of your gift. fellowship will not only be a great endorsement of is $300,000. In the event that the $300,000 needed fellows, many of whom became leaders in both Please consider supporting Bob’s enduring Gary, but will continue to benefit generations of to establish the endowment has not been raised by academia and industry. Together with Henry legacy by making a gift to the Robert W. Parry future students. This is a fitting tribute for Gary, an December 31, 2016, the funds raised will be used to Eyring and Cheves Walling, Bob played a key role Lectureship in Chemistry. excellent mentor to so many outstanding chemists support graduate fellowships in Gary’s name until over his 37 years at the University of Utah. exhausted.

Triple Match for Graduate Recruitment Gifts I will always be grateful to Gary His work has greatly extended our “ for the support and encouragement “ ability to form carbon-to-carbon Currently, any gifts intended for graduate he has given me, for teaching me bonds with control of both position student recruitment will be matched by the the value of discipline, rigor and and three dimensional orientation Department of Chemistry and the Graduate taking responsibility for your – the most challenging aspect of School for triple the impact! Graduate recruitment funds allow us to offer work, and for showing me the synthesis. The logical beauty and special incentives to top graduate candidates who importance of aiming high in life. significance of his papers are stunning. are considering the University of Utah. Excellent ” ” graduate students improve the reputation of the Michael Wiley, Ph.D. ‘88 EJ Corey, Ph.D. department both nationally and internationally. Research Fellow Professor Emeritus, Harvard University Eli Lilly and Company Nobel Laureate (Chemistry 1990) 6 7 News from the Department Peptide Sculpture Installed to Honor Thatcher Family Henry White Wins First Allen J. Bard Award in Electrochemistry Please join the Department of nanopore membranes. The award Chemistry in congratulating Dean will be given in Chicago at the 227th and Distinguished Professor Henry Electrochemical Society Meeting in White, the first winner of the Allen J. May 2015. Bard Award in Electrochemistry! The award is named in honor This award honors Dr.of Allen J. Bard, in recognition of White for pioneering innovations his outstanding advancements in furthering scientific knowledgeelectrochemical science. Dr. Bard is the and understanding of nanometer -Welch Regents scale electrochemistry, micron-scale Chair in Chemistry in the Department magnetohydrodynamic flow, ionof Chemistry at The University of transport across membranes, and Texas at Austin, and the Director of electroanalytical applications of glass the Center for Electrochemistry. Summer Enrichment Program Gives High School Students College-Level Chemistry Experience and Credits In addition to lectures and labs, high school Ground, ATK, and the Tooele Army Depot. The This peptide sculpture now hangs over the entrance to the Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Science. The peptide spells out students in the Department’s Summer Enrichment program, led by Professor Butch Atwood, exposes “Thatcher” in amino acids, in recognition of the generosity of the Thatcher Family, who made the new building possible. The sculpture was Program also went on several field trips to see high school students to college-level chemistry and built in our very own machine shop, supervised by Dennis Romney. chemistry in industry. They visited Dugway Proving gives college credit to its participants. Renovation of Lecture Hall 2008 in the Henry Eyring Building

Countless students have sat through lectures in 2008 since the Henry Eyring Building opened in 1967. The lecture hall seats over 350 people. The renovation features updated teaching technology, new seating, fresh paint, and a periodic table glass panel in the back of the room.

8 9 Curie Club Hosts Career Panel, Goes Behind the Scenes at UMFA The Noble Friends of Chemistry conservation, and seeing thousands of pieces of the Our community continues to be incredibly generous and supportive of our UMFA’s collection in storage. programs and research. Thank you to the many individuals, families, businesses, and In November, the Curie Club hosted a panel on foundations that made gifts to the Department this past year (Nov. 2013-Nov. 2014). Careers in Chemistry. Panelists included: • Chad Testa, PhD ‘02, VP of Research and Radon Level Victor J. Cee and Holly Rausch Stephen and Pamela Flanders Development, Echelon Biosciences ($1,000,000+ Lifetime Giving) Jeffrey D. and Jane Driggs David Thomas Fox • Brandon Bacon, HBS ‘13, medical student at the Edward M. and Marilyn M. Eyring Ingrid Fritsch and Charles Wilkins Carolyn B. and Robert J. Hargrove University of Utah School of Medicine Lawrence E. and E. Dean and Teri H. Flanders David C. Hanley, Sr. Hans J. Holland • Kara Stowers, BS ‘06, Assistant Professor of William E. and Judene Jack Helen F. Thatcher Joel M. and Frances N. Harris Chemistry, Kathyrn Lynn Jansen and Family Gale A. and John L. Haslam • Robyn Seely, BS ‘04, Director of Drug Utilization Randy L. and Elizabeth M. Jensen Jennifer and John Heemstra Review for Medicaid, Utah Department of Health Thomas F. and Dane R. and Susan Jones Panelists speak to students at the Curie Club’s career panel on Nov. 14 Heber S. Jacobsen and Christine Lake Jaqueline L. Kiplinger • Anna Schibel, PhD ‘11, Research Scientist, Kathlyn Thatcher R. Kent and Terri N. Jex Peter L. and Kristin L. Kraus The Curie Club has had a busy fall. First, in Electronic BioSciences Sylvia Kronstadt Lawrence N. and Margaret C. Kremer September, members of the group attended a behind- Panelists told the students in attendance about their Xenon Level ($50,000+) Craig V. and Linda M. Lee Andrew J. and Karen Leavitt the-scenes tour at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. time in the Department and how their career paths RJay Murray Maly Lab at the University of Washington The tour was led by the museum’s conservator, Robyn unfolded to where they are today. Each panelist Ronald and Eileen Ragsdale Phillip J. and Ruth L. Novak Karla McCain Jeanne L. McHale and Fritz J. Knorr Haynie, who spoke to the Curie Club last spring also offered a piece of advice they would have liked Thomas Richmond and Cynthia Squire Krypton Level Christopher S. and Jenette Meldrum about the role of chemistry in art conservation. The someone to tell them when they were a student Kenneth A. Savin and Josef and Sara Michl tour included viewing current conservation projects here at the U. Then they answered questions from ($10,000-$50,000) Lisa A. Wenzler Shelley D. Minteer up close, learning about the processes involved in art the audience. Matthew S. Sigman and Earl M. and Sharlene W. Mortensen Curza Global, LLC Deborah L. Burney-Sigman Keith C. and Martha A. Murdock C. Dale and Susan R. Poulter John P. and Margaret A. Simons Allen K. and Anne Kitamura Oshita Chemistry at Vista Heights Middle School in Saratoga Springs Peter J. and Christine S. Stang Anandan Palani R. Scott Stephens Homer L. Pearce On Saturday, November 1st, Professors Butch Their demonstrations at this event included the Carrie and Travis Wager Michael R. and Jan Weaver Carl J. and Barbara Popp Atwood and Jeff Statler entertained and educated ceremonial exploding of the carbide cannon, many Argon Level ($5,000-$9,999) Yam Bahadur Poudel students of all ages at a special Chemistry Night at color-changing and gas-forming reactions, as well Helium Level ($100-$999) Peter E. and Susan E. Rogers Vista Heights Middle School in Saratoga Springs. as breathing sulfur hexafluoride. The concluding Scott L. Anderson and John C. Rosemergy About 110 children and parents attended the event. demonstration was certainly a loud crowd-pleaser, Cynthia J. Burrows Ahmed F. Abdel-Magid Bryant and Betty Rossiter Trust Arnab Rudra and Kusumika Mukherjee Prof. Atwood and Prof. Statler are very active namely red phosphorus reacting very exothermically Steven M. Kuznicki Amgen Foundation Amgen, Inc. - Jerry Murry Edward I. and Florence Aoyagi Caroline Saouma in community outreach events for the Department. with potassium chlorate. Zlatko and Vesna Bacic James W. Sewell Kay E. Stremler Scott W. and Susan T. Bean Jean’ne M. Shreeve Rebecca A. Uhlig and John E. Bercaw Amos B. and Janet D. Smith Thaddeus B. Eagar William H. and Julie A. Breckenridge Richard D. and Elizabeth B. Streeper Ultradent Products, Inc. Chwen-Mei and William Chen Kenneth R. and Alice A. Sundberg Henry S. White and Joyce Garcia Hanning Chen Temple University James D. and Alice B. Clark W. Marvin Tuddenham and Ellen H. Johnson Neon Level ($1,000-$4,999) Daryl P. and Lydia R. Cobranchi Cynthia Conner Janice R. Ugaki and R. Douglas Greally Jacob T. and Erin L. Umbriaco Bradley A. and Maria C. Andreason Marshall J. and Kathie M. Coopersmith Jonathan Aron Covel VMI Nutrition Anonymous Antoinette H. and Vincent Jo Davisson Derek C. Walter and Ena Ladi Charles H. and Judy J. Atwood Ronald W. Day and Mava Jones Day Michael A. and Gloria Weibel Michael H. Bartl and Tilani De Costa and Steven L. Weighall Aditi Risbud Bartl Aravinda Wijesinghe T. Maenad Widdershins and Mihir K. and Stephanie Bhayani Janice H. and Eric G. DelMar Wayne L. Chandler Carlos M. and L. Ann C. Bowman Alan D. and Vickie S. Eastman John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The Rodney H. and Carolyn Richard and Marcia Eisenberg Tamara Zagorec-Marks and Hansen Brady Foundation Enefit American Oil Co. Andrew F. Marks 10 Thank ! 11 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Nonprofit Organization Science. At Its Source. 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Chemistry Quiz

Q: What NMR phenomenon is represented by the photo on the left, featuring the Burrows-Anderson and

Louie-Cantwell families?

A doublet of triplets! of doublet A A:

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