Badger Chemist The Newsletter of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Established 1953, No. 58, 2015 BADGER CHEMIST Looking Back, Looking Ahead For 135 years, students, faculty, and staff have shaped the Department of Chemistry into what it is today: a leading program centered upon chemistry education, research, and outreach. In the early days of the university, much uncertainty lay ahead. The thought that within a century the school would emerge as a world-class institution of higher education must have seemed improbable. Today we are able to look back and see the notable moments in the history of both the department and the university. We now see clearly the faces of those who helped to shape this history. Through excellent teaching, research, and outreach efforts, many individuals have consistently pushed the boundaries of education, knowledge, and service through their dedication. CONTENTS Individuals who will have made their own imprints on the fabric and history of this great department and university are among us even New Badger Chemists ............................................ 2 Alumni News ........................................................... 4 today. What’s more, many of you, our alumni and dedicated friends, Chemistry News ...................................................... 5 will be among those faces as you work to benefit the department Research and Innovation .......................................... 8 Chemistry Building Project ...................................... 9 and university, as well as your own workplaces and communities. New Faculty Profile ................................................ 10 Feature ................................................................... 11 With this issue of the Badger Chemist, we hope to help you remain Awards and Honors ................................................ 13 ICE ........................................................................ 17 connected with the department and with your fellow Badger WISL ...................................................................... 19 Chemists worldwide (page 4). Whether you would like to learn In Memoriam .......................................................... 21 _______________________________________________ about the latest research in the department (page 8), remember the mentors who helped shape your path as a student (page 11), meet Badger Chemist is an annual publication for alumni our newest professor (page 10), or see how our outreach programs and friends of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. make an impact in Madison and across the state (pages 17-20), we hope you will find this issue interesting and informative. Executive Editor Matthew Sanders, [email protected] Finally, whether it’s been a few years—or a few decades—since Managing Editor we last saw you, please stop by the Chemistry Building for a visit Libby Dowdall, [email protected] next time you’re in Madison. In the meantime, we would also To update your contact information, enjoy seeing you at our biannual department receptions at the visit myuwconnect.org. ACS National Meetings. Send items for Badger Chemist to [email protected]. With very best regards, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706 ©2015 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Robert McMahon Cover photo: Graduate student Ryan Van Hoveln works in the Schomaker lab with undergraduate Helfaer Professor and Chair researcher Gabriel Le Gros. More on page 11. [email protected] PS: If you would like to hear from us more frequently, please sign up for our alumni e-newsletter at go.wisc.edu/alumnienews. BADGER CHEMIST New Badger Chemists Ph.D. DECEMBER 2013 Mary Beth Anzovino (Moore) Assessing the impact of new research- inspired general chemistry laboratory experiments using the awareness of and attitudes toward scientific research inventory Somenath Bakshi (Weisshaar) Spatial biology of transcription and translation in live cell using super- resolution fluorescence microscopy Christopher Brown (Kiessling) Design, synthesis, and biological utility of polysaccharide-terminating glycosides transfer mechanisms of copper(II)- Yuan Yuan (Smith) Lauren Buchanan (Zanni) catalyzed aerobic C-H oxidation Application of DNA arrays and Mechanism of amyloid aggregation Fei Wang (Wang) development of sequence-specific capture revealed by 2-D infrared spectroscopy Synthesis and application of zinc oxide of DNA/protein interactions Renee Dalrymple (Weisshaar) nanostructures with controlled electrical AUGUST 2014 properties Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy Martha Abrams (Landis) studies of the F-actin cytoskeleton in Paul White (Stahl) Applied asymmetric hydroformylation with PC12 cells and DNA loci in E. coli Insight into the role of bipyridine ligands in rhodium-bisdiazaphospholane catalysts John Degrave (Jin) palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions Kenneth Barns (Weisshaar) Investigation of exotic spin textures in Justin Wiens (Nathanson) Symptoms of antimicrobial peptide stress: chiral magnetic silicide nanowires for The chemistry of solvated electrons at the The attack of LL-37 and alamethicin on spintronics applications vacuum–glycerol interface the model organism bacillus subtilis Jeremiah Erickson (Dahl) Benjamin Bending (Ediger) MAY 2014 Investigation of segmental dynamics in New CO/PR3-ligated homo-palladium and heterometallic nickel-palladium nanoclusters Tyler Adint (Landis) polymer glasses during constant strain Improving accessibility of asymmetric Puja Goyal (Cui) rate deformation hydroformylation through ligand libraries Veronica Berns (Fredrickson) The proton pumping mechanism of and immobilization cytochrome c oxidase: Insights from Structural plasticity in intermetallic Derek Bailey (Coon) QM/MM simulations compounds: Interpreting complexity as a Intelligent data acquisition for mass structural response to chemical pressure Jennifer Laaser (Zanni) spectrometry-based proteomics Joshua Carr New methods in sum frequency generation (Skinner) Caleb Brian (L. Yu) Revealing the structure and dynamics of for investigating structures of peptides at Surface diffusion of organic glasses small-molecule solutions and proteins inorganic and biophysical interfaces Caroline English (Hamers) using theoretical vibrational spectroscopy Matthew Rigsby (Stahl) New approaches to organic-inorganic Jeffrey Christianson (Schmidt) Surface-attached ruthenium complexes interfaces for solar energy applications Structure and dynamics at interfaces: for oxidative electrochemistry and Milton Repollet-Pedrosa (Mahanthappa) Computational insight and implications development of dimeric cobalt oxygen Manipulating the morphologies of poly(vinyl for charge transfer evolution electrocatalysts alcohol) blocks copolymers surfactants Matthew Faber (Jin) Bradford Ryland (Stahl) Eleanor Rolfe (Landis) Earth-abundant transition metal Elucidating the mechanisms of copper- Interception and characterization chalcogenide electrocatalysts for catalyzed aerobic transformations from of catalyst species in rhodium renewable energy applications oxidative coupling of arylboronic acids bis(diazaphospholane)-catalyzed Joseph Gerdt (Blackwell) and nucleophiles to copper/TEMPO- asymmetric hydroformylatic Quorum sensing inhibition in pseudomonas catalyzed alcohol oxidation Yang Su (Burstyn) aeruginosa: Investigations into mechanism Alison Suess (Stahl) Enzymological studies of cystathiomine and resistance development Organometallic and single-electron- beta-synthase chem.wisc.edu 2 BADGER CHEMIST David Grigg (Schomaker) Adam Weinstein (Stahl) He, Sisi Benzyl functionalization through Cu(I)- Development, application, and mechanistic Hermsmeier, Brian James catalyzed divergent reactivity of styrenes investigation of palladium-catalyzed Hinchman, Angelica Li Joseph Grim (Kiessling) aerobic oxidative amination methods Huerta, Miguel Angel Chemical probes of dendritic cell c-type Jackson, Kajsa Marie lectin receptors M.S. Jedele, Andrea Maria Amelia Hadler (Fredrickson) Kapitz, Michael Jon Bergman clusters, multiple bonds, and defect DECEMBER 2013 Knight, Anders Matthew planes: Synthetic outcomes of chemical Jodie Greene (Stahl) Knuteson, Quin frustration in ternary intermetallic systems Elvin Morales (Moore) Kwon, Min Ah Laura (Ruiz Espelt) Havens (Yoon) Thomas Smith (Raines) Lewandowski, Eric Stevan Controlling the chemistry of Jorge Torres (Landis) Li, Xingyue photogenerated radicals with Lewis and Shuo Yang (Cui) Lin, Yi-Chen Brønsted acid co-catalysts Joan Zuniga (Burke) Linde, Laura Ashley Luc, Michael T Cornelia Heid (Crim) MAY 2014 Vibrational predissociation dynamics Mao, Ailin of the ammonia trimer and the Xinyu Chen (Gellman) McQuistion, Kaitlyn Mayer 3-aminophenol-ammonia complex Nicholas Dolan (Schomaker) Mortimer, Michael John Salih Hacialioglu (Jin) Anna Hurtley (Yoon) Persing, Trenton James Diverse mechanistic approaches to [4+2] Megan Livingston (Mahanthappa) Prabakaran, Jyothiprashanth and [2+2] cycloadditions by transition Carl McBurney (Gellman) Preiner, Levi Leo metal photosensitization Nicholas Myllenbeck (Andrew) Presser, William Robert James Sawicki (Yoon) Gloria (Sheynkman) Kreitinger (Smith) Rashedi, Alexandra Shirin Julie Sawicki (Landis) Leveraging RNA-sequencing to detect novel Rathnam, Kashmila Rekha protein variations via mass spectrometry Kaylee Underkofler (Raines) Sargent, Brendon Travis John Lukesh (Raines) AUGUST 2014 Schuman, David Phillip Shutter, Joshua David Thiol-disulfide interchange: