Department of Chemistry | Number 38 CHEMBOND...From the Editor Hello again. As the editor of ChemBond, I am excited to bring you our 2011 issue, filled with the accomplishments of

CHEMBOND

McMickenCollege of Arts & Sciences

Department of Chemistry | Number 38

FALL 2011Sensitive SensorsChemistry in CeramicsMusic & MedicineFighting CancerAirline SafetyIndustrial Connections

Back toSchool

From

the E

ditor Hello again. As

the editor of ChemBond, I am excited to bring you our 2011 issue, filled with the accomplishments of the Department of Chemistry from the

past academic year. The 2010-2011 school year was a great one for the department. Inside this issue, you will read about many of our accomplishments.

Our faculty has received numerous accolades, as well as funding for research from government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

The main focus of this issue is our alumni who are now teaching at the high school, college and graduate school level. The article focuses on four people in particular and gives a list of many others. If we have left you off the list, I am very sorry. Please contact us and let us know we have made a mistake. In addition, in this issue you will find information about our newest faculty member Peng Zhang, the Industrial Affiliates Program, our core facilities and much more.

I would like to thank Ms. Kim Burdett, who, for the past few years, has been instrumental in writing the articles for ChemBond. This will be her last issue and we all wish her the best.

Please visit www.artsci.uc.edu/updates to share your alumni news with us, as well as any suggestions you may have about ways your department can improve, grow and excel. Thank you for your continued interest in the Department of Chemistry.

Sincerely, Allan Pinhas Professor and Assistant Head [email protected] (513) 556-9255

2 Fall 2011

On The Cover 10 Back to School

In every level of education, chemistry alumni are working tirelessly in lecture halls and laboratories to teach our young people the importance of science.

Features 3 Creating Novel Sensors

New sensor developed by Professor and Department Head William Heineman has three modes of selectivity.

5 Stalcup Receives Cincinnati Chemist of the Year AwardThe American Chemical Society honors Professor Apryll Stalcup as the 2010 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year.

6 A Rookwood History of ChemistryNotes from the Oesper Collections.

8 From Music to MedicineA seemingly innocent bug bite in India gives undergraduate student Nathan Tighe a new outlook.

14 Blasting TumorsAssociate Professor Peng Zhang discusses his research in the fight against cancer.

15 Screening for TerrorAlumnus Lou Brothers develops advanced screening systems for airline travel.

16 Our Friends in IndustryThe Industrial Affiliates Program connects corporations to UC’s campus through research, databases and seminars.

17 Where Theory and Experiment MeetThe department’s core facilities open up their doors to academics and industry affiliates on and off campus.

In Every Issue 4 Department News

18 Stellar Symposia

19 Bearcatalysts

Department of Chemistry | 404 Crosley Tower | PO Box 210172 | Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172 Phone: 513-556-9200 | Fax: 513-556-9239 | [email protected] | www.artsci.uc.edu/chemistry

© Copyright 2011. University of Cincinnati. All rights reserved. Designed by: Melanie Cannon

Allan Pinhas

A Loveland High School lab Photo courtesy of Jennifer Chast

CHEMBOND 3

Novel Sensors UC has developed a highly sensitive sensor that combines a variety of testing means (electrochemistry, spectroscopy and selective partitioning) into one device. It’s already been tested in a variety of settings – including testing for components in nuclear waste.

The sensor is unusual in that most sensors have at most two modes of selectivity, while this one has three. That’s important because settings like a nuclear waste storage tank are a jumbled mix of chemical and radioactive wastes. The sensor would have a variety of applications, including testing in other environments and medical applications.

Research on this sensor concept began more than a decade ago with collaborators Carl Seliskar and Tom Ridgway at UC and Sam Bryan at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and has received support from the United States Department of Energy for all of that time. “They wanted a sensor that can be lowered in a tank to make lots of

measurements quickly or have the option monitoring the enviroment for leaks over months or years,” said Heineman, who added that the ideal sensor is both rugged and very selective and sensitive.

The sensor has been tested at Hanford, a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex in Washington state, where it was used to detect one important component of the radioactive wastes stored inside the tanks there.

The three-way selectivity comes from the use of coatings, electrochemistry and spectroscopy. The selective coating only allows certain compounds to enter the sensing region. Next comes the electrochemistry. A potential is applied, and an even smaller group of compounds are electrolyzed. Finally, a specific wavelength of light is used to detect the actual compound of interest.

“Our goal in this research was to demonstrate that the concept works, and that goal has been met,” said Heineman.

Creating

By M.B. Reilley

Photo by Melanie Cannon

PhD candidate Eme Amba is developing a unique

spectroelectrochemical sensor

to detect environmental

pollutants associated with

leaking tanks of nuclear waste

located on the Hanford site in

Washington. This quarter she

began evaluating the sensor

on a variety of water samples

including a sample of well

water from the site.

Eme Amba and William Heineman

“They wanted a sensor

that can be lowered

in a tank to make lots

of measurements

quickly or have the

option of monitoring

the environment for

leaks over months

or years.”

- Professor William Heineman

Department News

4 Fall 2011

Alumni

Roger Mansfield (BS, ’65) gave the presentation “Nonlinear Dynamics with Mathcad Prime 1.0” at the Virtual PTC Mathcad User Event in April 2011.

David Rogers (BS, ’04; PhD, ’09) is a postdoc at Sandia National Laboratories. Rogers worked on the project “Biomimetic Membranes for Water Purification,” which won an R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine.

Diane G. Schmidt (PhD, ’81) was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society. Schmidt is an R&D section head in the Global Beauty and Grooming business unit of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.

Faculty

Bruce Ault and Joe Caruso were named fellows of the American Chemical Society.

Professor Emeritus Carl Seliskar retired Jan. 2, 2010 after more than 37 years in the department. He taught physical chemistry and first-year honors chemistry. He and his research group had a wide range of research interests that included high-resolution molecular spectroscopy and the physical optics of thin porous films as studied by dynamic spectroscopic ellipsometry. He retired to a small farm adjacent to the family farm in northeastern Ohio which is now jointly operated by Seliskar and his two younger brothers.

Professor Emeritus James Mark, who retired from the Department of Chemistry last year, is finishing a few writing projects he had underway when he retired.

He plans to stay in the Cincinnati area and continue his work at his UC office.

Staff

Pete Padolik received the 2011 Staff Member Award for Excellence.

Graduate Students

University Research Council 2011 Summer Graduate Student Fellowship recipients were Papri Bhattacharya, Brittany Catron, Bridgett Coleman, Xuefei Guo, Andrea Kravats, Qian Li, Morwena Solivio, Yan Zhang and Daoli Zhao.

Brittany Catron received the Cassandra McGee Service Award for a student who demonstrates random acts of kindness, outstanding service or excellence in humanitarian efforts.

Recipients of the Henry Hochstetter Prize for excellent performance as graduate teaching assistants were Jordan Callahan, Romel Dator, Derek Jones, Kevin Lavelle, Kelley McKissic, Amie Norton, Laura Pinelo, Pooja Shrestha, Morwena Solivio, Leeanne Taylor and Meghan Wagner.

Sumit Chakraborty and Dan Waddell earned the Harry B. Mark, Jr. Research Associate Award for a second-, third- or fourth-year graduate student who demonstrates great potential in research.

Teresa Cook won the Milton Orchin Award for an outstanding second- or third-year graduate student in organic chemistry.

Anna Daigle and Gleason Wilson received the Thomas B. Cameron Prize for the graduate teaching assistant in freshman chemistry.

Xuefei Guo won the Hillstrom Travel Award for an outstanding student to

present their research at a national or international conference.

Andrea Kravats earned the Procter & Gamble Fellowship for recognition of outstanding research by a graduate student showing great potential.

Julia Kuhlmann received the Laws-Twitchell Fellowship for outstanding research.

Lisa Meyers won the William V. and Mary L. Caruso Award for an outstanding second-year student in analytical chemistry.

Dessalegn Nemera received the Robert M. Koppenhoefer Research Associate Award for an outstanding first-year graduate student in biochemistry.

Amie Norton received the Richard C. Elder Scholarship to support research requiring the use of X-ray crystallography.

Chau Phung received the Dover Publishing Award for demonstrating outstanding communication skills in organic chemistry.

Upul Ranaweera won the Ann P. Villalobos Fellowship for outstanding research.

Will Shearouse won the James O. Koehler Prize for outstanding all-around contributions in research, teaching and service.

Dan Waddell earned the CGSA Graduate Student of the Year Award for outstanding all-around contributions to the Chemistry Graduate Student Association and the department.

Undergraduate Students

Justin Baum, Jessica Brown, Christopher Heald, Chelsea Korte and Graciela Negri graduated magna cum laude.

Justin Baum and Christopher Heald

Carl Seliskar

Gleason Wilson

Will Shearouse

James Mark

CHEMBOND 5

StalcupReceivesCincinnatiChemistoftheYearAwardBy Kim Burdett

Apryll Stalcup, professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, was named the 2010 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year by the American Chemical Society at their annual meeting in West Chester, Ohio.

The award, based on a nomination by a colleague, is given out annually by the local chapter of the American Chemical Society, which represents chemists working in education, industry and government labs. The chemistry department in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences is well-represented among the former awardees, which includes Professors Pat Limbach, Tom Beck, Bill Heineman, Bruce Ault and others.

“This long string of awards is recognition of the strength of the department,” says Department Head Bill Heineman. “Apryll is certainly deserving of it. She is an internationally recognized expert in separation science and her research is having a major impact, as evidenced by the large number of citations of her publications.”

Stalcup received the award for her research contributions in the area of analytical separations. Distinguishing key analytes within the complex matrices typically encountered in biomedical and environmental samples remains exceptionally challenging and typically requires sophisticated separation methods. Research in Stalcup’s group involves developing new separation methods to solve these kinds of problems and understanding the mechanisms of these separations.

“Unquestionably, awards like this really are about the research performed by the students that worked for you. It’s very gratifying that the hard work and high-quality science done by my students over the years is being recognized,” Stalcup says. “It means a lot to me that my colleagues thought highly enough of the research that we do to go to all the trouble of nominating me.”

Apryll Stalcup

won the American Institute of Chemists Award for a senior chemistry major showing great promise and potential.

Justin Baum, Chelsea Korte and Graciela Negri received departmental high honors. Jessica Brown, Kwadwo Darko Yeboah, Christopher Heald and Brian Stock received departmental honors.

Aaron Decker and Tuan Dinh received the M. Brayton Graff Scholarship for an outstanding junior chemistry major showing great promise in the field.

Aaron Decker, Tuan Dinh and Kendra Leahy received the Mary Jane Mill Toepfer Scholarship.

Aaron Decker and Lonnie Meadows earned University Research Council Summer Research Fellowships.

Tyler Dickerson received the Award for the Highest Achievement in First-Year Chemistry.

Alex Duncan and Ben Duncan received the Analytical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society Award for the highest achievement in analytical chemistry.

Ben Duncan earned the Lubrizol Scholarship for an outstanding sophomore or junior chemistry major with great potential.

Joe Griffin and Antonia Susarret earned the Merck Index Award for the highest achievement in the major course in organic chemistry.

Amaleah Hartman won the Stella Potter & Hoke S. Greene Scholarship for an outstanding sophomore chemistry major demonstrating outstanding academic achievement.

Tyler Iverson was awarded the Biochemistry Prize for the biochemistry major showing great potential.

Chelsea Korte and Graciela Negri were elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Chelsea Korte won the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society Award for a senior who demonstrated excellence in the field.

Dale Merz received the Division of Inorganic Chemistry Award for excellence in inorganic chemistry.

Graciela Negri earned the Hypercube Scholar Award for an outstanding senior showing potential for success in graduate school and the Henry Storch Award for the senior with the highest grade point average in subjects outside the major area.

Chris Papa earned the Thomas E. Senior Scholarship for an undergraduate chemistry major showing great promise.

David Pierce received the American Chemical Society Divisions of Polymer Chemistry and Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering POLYED Undergraduate Award for excellence over the full year of organic chemistry.

Malvika Sharma received the Darl McDaniel Scholarship for an outstanding freshman chemistry major with great potential.

Ann Zoller earned the Sarah Blank Greenholz Scholarship.

Oesper Collections

6 Fall 2011

Notes from the

A Rookwood History of ChemistryBy William B. Jensen, Photos by Melanie Cannon

Just inside the main entrance to the Old Chemistry building is a unique ceramic drinking fountain which the chemistry department left behind when it moved to its present location in 1970.

Closer inspection shows that this fountain is made of one-of-a-kind faience tiles especially manufactured by the famous Rookwood Pottery Company of Cincinnati and designed so as to symbolically embody, when read from the top downwards, the historical evolution of modern chemistry. Dedicated in 1922, the fountain was a gift to the university from the senior engineering class of 1921. Both the fountain and its symbolism were described in some detail by Harry Shipley Fry, former chemistry head, in a Journal of Chemical and Engineering Chemistry article shortly after its dedication.

Beginning at the top of the fountain, our ancient chemical heritage is represented by a crowning arch of seven tiles (figure 1) showing the ancient Chaldean symbols for the seven planets and/or metals known to antiquity, including (from left to right) the Sun (gold), Venus (copper), Mars (iron), Jupiter (tin), Saturn (lead), the Moon (silver) and Mercury (mercury metal).

Immediately below this arch is a scene composed of two large tiles representing the contributions of renaissance chemical technology to the evolution of modern chemistry. This is based on a woodcut taken from the 1556 edition of Georg Agricola’s famous treatise, “De re metallica,” and depicts the manufacture of soda or sodium carbonate.

The contributions of medieval and renaissance alchemy are represented by the two large circular tiles to the left and right of the scene from Agricola. The tile on the left (figure 2) is based on a woodcut found in Edward Kelly’s “Theatre of Terrestrial Astronomy” of 1676, whereas that on the right (figure 3) is based on an allegorical etching taken from A. T. L. de Limojon’s “Le triomphe hermétique” of 1689.

A horizontal line of four tiles (figure 4) represents the ancient symbols for the Aristotelean elements of fire, air, water and earth, and immediately below this is a row of

CHEMBOND 7

three titles representing the symbols for the three principles of Paracelsus, consisting of sulfur, mercury and salt. On a line by itself is the symbol for phlogiston. The relative vertical spacing of the tiles represents the time lapses involved—the four elements and three principles being the accepted mode of chemical explanation in the 16th century and phlogiston not appearing until the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Below the phlogiston tile is a slightly larger tile (figure 5) based on an etching taken from Antoine Lavoisier’s famous “Traité élémentaire de chimie” of 1789 showing his apparatus for the generation of dioxygen gas from mercury oxide—a reaction which played a key role in his oxygen theory of combustion, and which ultimately led to the overthrow of the phlogiston theory and to the establishment of our modern concept of a chemical element as a simple, isolable substance, rather than as a property-bearing abstract principle.

To complete this symbolic survey of the various explanatory theories used by chemists over the centuries are two vertical columns of five tiles each, showing the symbols introduced by Dalton in his 1808 monograph, “A New System of Chemical Philosophy.” In the column to the left (figure 6) are Dalton’s atomic symbols for oxygen, iron, calcium, sodium and potassium; and to the right (figure 7) his symbols for magnesium, hydrogen, carbon, mercury and sulfur.

Finally, just above the basin for the fountain is a quote from Galileo Galilei (figure 8) which summarizes the primary quest of science and of chemistry in particular.

“Let us remember please that the search for the constitution of the world is one of the greatest and noblest problems presented by nature.”

This is flanked by tiles depicting a Bunsen spectroscope (figure 9) and a traditional double-pan analytical balance (figure 10) to symbolize the then known limits of chemical detectability.

It is not known for certain who designed the fountain or what prompted its manufacture and donation to the chemistry department. However, the fact that it was a gift, as indicated by a series of tiles on the front lip of the fountain’s basin, of the senior engineering class of 1921 suggests that it may have been inspired by the program introduced by Dean Herman Schneider of the College of Engineering to fuse technology and science with art through the acquisition and display of works of art which celebrated the triumphs of modern technology and science. This ultimately resulted in the College of Engineering acquiring a substantial collection of murals, oil paintings and sculptures, much of which was originally on display in the landing of the central staircase of the old engineering building and which now also decorates the engineering library. The fact that the Department of Chemical Engineering originally shared Old Chemistry with the Department of Chemistry may account for both the gift of the fountain and its current location.

To read the full article and other Notes from the Oesper Collections, please visit http://digitalprojects.libraries.uc.edu/oesper/.

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8 Fall 2011

“I got really sick there in 2006. I developed an abscess from a bug bite on my wrist that became infected. After a couple of days the thing got to be the size of a golf ball. I woke up in the night screaming from the pain and decided to get some help. I was taken care of by some wonderful people, but the treatment methods were rather substandard. There was a core inside the abscess, so basically they gave me some local anesthetic, grabbed a pair of tweezers and tore the core out.”

That experience alone did not push Tighe toward becoming a doctor, though it was part of a complex set of circumstances that ultimately caused his change of heart.

“When you go to India, it’s kind of overwhelming—the dirt and poverty and conditions that people live in. It helps you understand some of the health disparities you see across the globe,” he says.

By Ryan Varney

With two degrees in music, a Latin Grammy nomination and a wife who performs for the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Nathan Tighe didn’t foresee a future in medicine when he spent several summers in India studying local culture. But that was before a seemingly innocent bug bite changed his outlook.

Nathan plays the trumpet for the children at the Sri Ram Ashram, an orphanage located just outside of Haridwar in the northern state of Uttaranchal in India.

CHEMBOND 9

These disparities and his experiences in India drew him to premed. When his wife, Ashley, earned a spot as principal trumpeter for the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Tighe decided to pursue his MD by taking his premed courses at the University of Cincinnati.

One of those courses turned out to be an organic chemistry lecture and its honors organic chemistry lab, both taught by Deborah Lieberman, academic director and adjunct assistant professor in the department.

“I really got into organic chemistry because of her lecture class and the organic chemistry lab,” he says. “She has been a great resource for me, not to mention she made organic chemistry lectures fun, which is really saying something.”

Lieberman was equally impressed with Tighe. “He is one of the most remarkable young men I have ever had the pleasure to work with—an incredibly talented musician, humanitarian and fantastic researcher.”

Lieberman’s lab was already working with Professor Allan Pinhas’ lab on researching oxazolidinones—a functional group set up as a five-numbered ring with three carbons, a

nitrogen and an oxygen. Tighe jumped at the chance to study oxazolidinones because they form the basis of a new class of drugs which fight drug-resistant organisms. These new drugs provide medical practitioners an opportunity to fight some of the health disparities Tighe witnessed in India.

Besides the oxazolidinone project, Tighe also delved into x-ray crystallography. Like a prism diffracts light of different colors, x-ray crystallography shines x-rays through a crystal to produce different diffraction patterns. The patterns allow researchers to determine the structure of individual molecules and the way those molecules fit together to form a crystal.

Though Tighe is unsure exactly how his research will benefit him in his medical aspirations, he recognizes value in understanding organic chemistry.

After completing his premed classes at UC spring quarter, Tighe moved to Rochester, Minnesota to attend medical school at the Mayo Medical School—a prestigious program that only accepts 50 students each year.

Tighe’s research played a key role in his acceptance to Mayo, and is something to which Pinhas readily attests, saying,

“Nate is one of the brightest and most enthusiastic undergraduate researchers I have known. As a result of his abilities in the laboratory, he is a co-author on a paper that was recently accepted for publication by the journal Green Chemistry.”

“My research experience was a great part of the reason I was accepted to Mayo,” Tighe acknowledges. “The Mayo logo has three shields—one for patient care, one for research and one for education. At UC I got two of those out of the way, in that I was doing research with Pinhas and Lieberman while also serving as a supplemental instruction leader under Lieberman.”

Ultimately, Tighe remained true to his open-minded and curious nature during his time at UC, just as he’s done throughout his life.

“In many respects the chemistry part was something I found a lot of interest in while I was at UC and it has given me a great foundation for what I’m doing here at Mayo. I think [my story] may be a little unusual for chemistry alumni since I am still working to become a physician and not a chemist. But you never know when these things are going to overlap,” he concludes.

Nathan and his wife, Ashley Nathan working at a clinic outside of Calcutta, India. Photos courtesy of Nathan Tighe

“ ”10 Fall 2011

The Advanced Placement Chemistry test occurred on an unfortunate day for Jennifer Chast’s students last year: the Monday after prom. But the Loveland High School teacher didn’t let it deter her. She set up a Sunday review session at Starbucks and the students, bleary eyed and sleep deprived from Saturday’s festivities, showed up for one last cram session.

“I am there after school every single day, and I make myself available through email and have regular review sessions outside of school,” Chast says. “I think the kids really appreciate the amount of one-on-one attention I can give them.”

The attention seems to be working. Of the 151 students who took the AP chemistry exam, more than 90 percent scored four or five out of a possible five points.

Chast has been at Loveland since she graduated from UC in 2003 with a BS in chemistry. She finished up another BS in secondary education the following year and earned her MA in 2007. Hired on originally as a student teacher, Chast soon began teaching full-time at Loveland—where she herself graduated only three years prior.

While not necessary to become a teacher, Chast wanted to earn a degree in chemistry to better grasp the material for her students. Conducting undergraduate research in Associate Professor William Connick’s lab helped.

“I wanted to feel confident that if my students had any additional questions, I could help them or at least go look up the information for them.”

She has been named “Educator of the Year” by the senior class, and this past year won the American Chemical Society Cincinnati section’s High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award. A fellow Loveland teacher—her own high school science teacher—nominated her.

“I absolutely adore my job. It’s so rewarding to know that I am able to show students how chemistry exists in our everyday lives.”

Accordingtothe2009NationalAssessmentofEducationalProgress, only 21 percent of U.S. 12th

graders are proficient in

science. That same year the

Programme for International

Student Assessment ranked the

U.S. 17th for science literacy.

It sounds abysmal, right? After

all, innovation, new technology

and economic growth are all

spurred by science, yet we

continue to falter compared to

our global competitors.

Enter UC. Packed in our

long list of alumni in the

Department of Chemistry

are educators at every level,

working tirelessly in lecture

halls and laboratories to

teach our young people the

importance of science. Here

are just a few of the field’s

greatest advocates.

Jennifer(Weill)Chast(’03,BS),LovelandHighSchool(Loveland,OH)

I absolutely adore my job. - Jennifer Chast

Above: Jennifer Chast; Top of page: A Loveland High School lab Photos courtesy of Jennifer Chast

Back toSchool

By Kim Burdett

CHEMBOND 11

Close-knit communities, small classrooms, idyllic campuses in sleepy American towns: Herman Holt has a soft spot for small liberal arts colleges. Though he spent his years of doctoral training in the concrete jungle that is UC, he looks back fondly on his days as an undergraduate at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and as a graduate student at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

“Teaching is the first priority of liberal arts schools,” Holt says. “The personal attention for students is great, whether it’s in the classroom or passing each other in the hallway. The interactions occur on a daily basis.”

It makes sense then that Holt would gravitate to teaching posts of the liberal arts tradition. After earning his PhD from UC under Professor Allan Pinhas, he completed a teaching and research postdoctoral fellowship before landing at University of North Carolina-Asheville, the only liberal arts school in the UNC system.

“My liberal arts background gave me an idea of what it was going to be like to teach here, and I was right. This is kind of my way of giving back, to be the one

instructing these students and giving them that one-on-one experience.”

Holt has been at UNC Asheville since 1998, working his way up from research assistant professor to associate professor and chair of the chemistry department. Now he spends the majority of his time supporting student research (a requirement for all chemistry students), working on student-athlete committees, and teaching.

“I take pride in helping students—who may not be our best or strongest—and giving them experiences in research so they gain knowledge and become competitive for graduate school, an industrial position or other career paths,” he says. “Research, presentations, critical thinking—these things are important to provide to students to help them be successful in whatever they do.”

HermanHolt(’99,PhD),UNCAsheville

Herman Holt has worked his way up from research assistant professor to associate professor and chair of the chemistry department at UNC Asheville. Photos by Charles Hebard

Herman Holt

“

”- Herman Holt

I take pride in helping students - who may not be our best or strongest - and giving them experiences in research so they can gain knowledge...

12 Fall 2011

Rebecca Jones enjoyed working in industry after college, but it only took her a year—and the nudging from her superiors—to see that she was destined for more than a life as a lab tech.

“I love new challenges and seeing what I’m capable of doing. I knew I needed to get more education,” Jones says.

So she enrolled at UC, the same place her father (Wayne Cook) earned his BS in 1970. Under the tutelage of Associate Professor Michael Baldwin, Jones honed her research skills on computational models of nickel. And although she had experience teaching, she wasn’t considering it as a career—until she participated in UC’s Preparing Future Faculty Program.

“Between those courses and the mentoring I received from Richard Hotz at the College of Mount St. Joseph, I learned what it would be like to teach at a small school. I realized that was the career I really wanted to do everyday.”

After graduation she began teaching at Austin Peay State University, a public state school in Tennessee with a focus on undergraduate education.

Still doing computational chemistry, Jones integrates undergraduate research into her labs. With no graduate program in chemistry at APSU, she is passionate about giving undergraduates the opportunity to do research. So much so, in fact, that she initiated and now directs the university’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

“It’s slowly becoming part of the culture here to involve undergrads in scholarship,” she says. “Faculty members are recognizing that it’s a valuable way to teach students how to think critically.”

Though she’s still getting used to the administrative side of higher education, Jones is happy that she’s still challenging herself.

“An academic career gives you great flexibility,” she says. “My days are never the same and that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. I love the lack of monotony and the challenges that come along with being in academia.”

RebeccaJones(’02,MS;’04,PhD),AustinPeayStateUniversity

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Jones

“ ”- Rebecca Jones

I love the lack of monotony and the challenges that come along with being in academia.

Rebecca Jones

Many who pursue academia as a career choice do so because they so enjoyed their experiences as an undergraduate researcher.

But that’s not the case for Alvan Hengge, who never stepped foot in a lab during his undergraduate days at UC. It wasn’t until he came back for graduate school after teaching science at Cincinnati’s Taft High School for seven years that he worked in a lab. And that, he says, is how he got hooked.

“I think it helps that I didn’t go back to school until I was 30,” Hengge says. “At that stage I had a thrill for learning new things which I may have not appreciated as much as an undergraduate. Having been out in the world for a while, I looked at school a little differently.”

He credits former UC Distinguished Research Professor Marshall Wilson as being an outstanding scientist and mentor. In Wilson’s lab, Hengge developed an interest in the chemistry occurring in biological systems and his research has been an organic chemistry/biochemistry hybrid ever since.

As a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Hengge was part of a team that developed a new method of measuring heavy atom kinetic isotope effects for reactions using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, instrumentation traditionally used by geologists.

“That methodology has been in many of our papers over the years because we use it widely to study many different enzymes.”

Now a professor at Utah State University—a Carnegie Foundation “high research activity” institution—Hengge and his doctoral students study enzymology, the study of mechanisms by which enzymes function. In the last 16 years, Hengge has received between $4-5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health.

“Having that opportunity to learn something new is why I love research,” Hengge says. “Those times when your experiments are successful, you learn things that no one knew before. That is a real thrill.”

“”

AlvanHengge(’74,BS;’87,PhD),UtahStateUniversity

More Alumni in EducationAre we missing you? Tell us! Update your alumni files at www.artsci.uc.edu/alumni to let us know what you’re doing.

C.WilliamAnderson (’75, MS; ’78, PhD), Hampden-Sydney College

RodneyC.Austin (’00, PhD),Geneva College

P.J.Ball(’00, BS; ’05, PhD), Northern Kentucky University

AdamBange (’07 PhD), Xavier University

JohnCarnahan (’83, PhD), Northern Illinois University

NathanCoker (’00 MS, ’03 PhD), Morehead State University

ChristaCurrie (’09, PhD), College of Mount St. Joseph

Cielito(Tammy)DeRamosKing (’95, PhD), Bridgewater State University

BethDetersDonald (’00 BS, ’07 PhD), University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College

WendiFleeman (’00 MS, ’03 PhD), Shawnee State University

DennisFulmer (’04, BS), Morehead State University

AhmedGalal (’89, MS; ’92, PhD), University of Cairo Egypt

MikeGoldcamp (’97 BS, ’02 PhD), Wilmington College

TylerGreen (’02, MS; ’05, PhD), Thomas More College

AmyIrwin (’96, PhD), Pikeville College

RebeccaLarue (’83 MS, ’86 PhD), University of Cincinnati – Clermont College

DarylMincey (’72, BS; ’74, MS; ’78, PhD), Youngstown State University

AlisonMoore (’00 MS, ’02 PhD), Belmont University

JeanPaddock(’00, BS; ’03, MS; ’04, PhD), Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

DavidPaul (’81, PhD), University of Arkansas

TanyaRarogShtoyko (’98, BS; ’03, PhD), University of Texas at Tyler

NiinaRonkainen (’03, PhD), Benedictine University

TomRusso (’99, PhD), Florida State College at Jacksonville

RayScott (’82 MS, ’84 PhD), Mary Washington College

SandraSponaugleWheeler (’88, BS; ’92, PhD), Furman University

JustinStace (’04, MS), Belmont University

JohnWheeler (’90, PhD), Furman University

YanXu (’91, PhD), Cleveland State University

CHEMBOND 13

- Alvan HenggeAlvan Hengge

Hengge’s lab is making mutants of the phosphatase YopH that either slow down the movement of the WPD loop, or lock it in an intermediate position, in order to examine how the loop movement rate regulates the catalysis rate.

Photo and illustration courtesy of Alvan Hengge

Those times when your experiments are successful, you learn things that no one knew before. That is a real thrill.”

14 Fall 2011

What is photodynamic therapy?Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves three components: light of appropriate wavelengths, oxygen and photosensitizers. Under light illumination, photosensitizers act as catalysts to convert oxygen molecules into singlet oxygen, a type of reactive oxygen species. Singlet oxygen is very reactive, and would cause oxidative damage to the cells and/or bacteria nearby, thus displaying the antitumor and/or antibacterial property.

How effective might photodynamic therapy be in the fight against cancer?PDT is a relatively new treatment, compared to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is also not as widely practiced. Clinically, most PDT treatments are so far limited to skin cancer or cancers very close to the surface, because visible light does not penetrate well through tissues. Light of longer wavelengths, such as far red and infrared light, can penetrate tissues better; yet they may not have enough energy to activate the photosensitizers.

You plan to engineer photosensitizers. What exactly will these mechanisms do?We propose to develop photosensitizers that can be activated by infrared light,

making use of a type of nanoparticles with unique optical properties. These nanoparticles can convert infrared light of a certain wavelengths into visible light (blue or green). By integrating these nanoparticles with some photosensitizing molecules into a type of hybrid photosensitizers, we expect that the photosensitizers can be activated by infrared light. We will also include targeting elements into the design so that the nanoparticles-based photosensitizers would be specific to the cancer cells.

What do you hope to accomplish?We hope to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, to evaluate the efficacy of these nanoparticles-based photosensitizers under infrared illumination. We also need to investigate the cytotoxicity of the photosensitizers to assess the potential side effects.

What are the wider implications?Advancement of PDT drug development would help improve the use of PDT as a cancer treatment, especially in combination with adjuvant therapies. This study will focus on improving the tissue penetration, the photochemical activity and the targeted therapeutic nature of photosensitizers.

Peng Zhang, an associate

professor who joined the

Department of Chemistry

last year, earned his BS

from Xiamen University

and his MS and PhD in

physical chemistry from

the University of Toronto.

Prior to UC, he taught at

the New Mexico Institute

of Mining and Technology.

His research interests include

enhanced spectroscopy,

sensing, photodynamic

therapy and nanomaterials.

Soon after his arrival to

campus, Zhang received a

National Science Foundation

grant for his research “Infrared

excitable nanoparticle-based

photosensitizers for targeted

photodynamic therapy.”

BLASTING TUMORS

Postdoc Changwon Leeis working on a number of

research projects in Zhang’s

lab, including the NSF-

funded photodynamic

therapy project. For the NSF

project, he is synthesizing the

nanomaterials and will

later test their efficacy in

killing cancer cells under

infrared illumination.

By Kim Burdett

Photo by Melanie Cannon

Peng Zhang (left) and Changwon Lee

CHEMBOND 15

As the CEO of Valley Forge Composite Technologies Inc. in Covington, Ky., Louis Brothers has spent the last decade creating technologies to help fight terrorism. The UC alumnus (BS, ’78, Natural Science) and his company are developing anti-terror detection systems for airports and high-security prisons around the world.

Valley Forge’s bread and butter are two systems: the THOR-LVX Cargo and Baggage Screener and the ODIN Full-Body Scanner, devices that deliver advanced screening technologies not currently offered by the traditional x-ray machines being used.

“Using high-energy particle accelerators for cargo and baggage screening, we initiate photonuclear reactions in the light elements—specifically carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. By interrogating the secondary decay pattern, THOR-LVX can then analyze them and tell you what the elements are and their ratios.”

In other words, THOR-LVX doesn’t rely on a fuzzy image or physical appearance—it can actually analyze the chemical makeup of the objects in question and easily identify explosives.

“This is groundbreaking,” Brothers says. “We hope that in the war on terror, it ends up being a device that can really make airplane travel safer and cargo containers easier to inspect.”

Complementary to THOR-LVX is Valley Forge’s next-generational personnel screening technology ODIN. ODIN

uses a transmission x-ray to detect metal and non-metal objects hidden on or in a human body. ODIN is still being tested for commercial use within the U.S. but some of these machines are already in use in airports worldwide.

In the first half of 2010, sales at Valley Forge exceeded $12.7M.

Brothers began partnering with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Russia’s Lebedev Physical Institute immediately after 9/11 to better detect explosive materials concealed in airline baggage and cargo. He and his team of researchers have received funding from the Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Energy.

A self-proclaimed science nerd, learning the sciences at the University of Cincinnati is a Brothers’ tradition. His uncle Daniel Fieno (BA, ‘51, Liberal Arts) worked for NASA and his son, Michael Brothers, was a Presidential Cincinnatus scholar in the Departments of Chemistry and Biology before graduating in 2008. He is currently getting his PhD in chemical biology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with help from a fellowship from the Department of Homeland Security.

“My education at UC made a huge difference in my career,” he says. “What I came away with—the speech courses, the marketing and business information I learned—it helped to provide a solid base and an edge relative to graduates from other schools. And the science I learned was top notch.”

Michael and Lou Brothers

THOR-LVX is a cargo and baggage screener invented by Louis Brothers’ company. Photos courtesy of Lou Brothers

“This is groundbreaking. We hope

that in the war on terror, it ends up

being a device that can really make

airplane travel safer and cargo

containers easier to inspect.”

Lou Brothers

Louis Brothers credits his love for science and UC connections for his success developing advanced screening systems. By Kim Burdett

TERRORScreening for

The Department of Chemistry Industrial Affiliates Program was established to recognize industrial companies and government laboratories that provide support to the department. Its purpose is to foster a closer relationship between the Department of Chemistry and technical organizations both in the Cincinnati area and nationally.

Recent affiliates include Procter & Gamble, Shepherd Chemical, Givaudan, Michelman and Altria Client Services.

Membership is designed for organizations whose principal activities require the skill of chemists and/or depend upon chemistry. Gifts to the program are used to provide additional stipends to outstanding graduate students in the department. The students are designated as Milton Orchin Fellows, named in honor of the faculty member who initiated the program over 30 years ago.

A prime objective of the Industrial Affiliates Program is to establish technical relationships between scientists at member organizations and departmental chemists in areas of mutual interest. Such relationships in the past have led to industrial support of departmental research, joint projects, and graduate research being carried out on-site in a member organization’s laboratory.

“UC chemistry views the benefits of the IA Program as a two-way street: Our industrial colleagues benefit by gaining enhanced access to our core facilities (through reduced service charges), access to faculty research expertise as needed, and exposure to our youngest scientific stars (the Orchin Fellows),” Professor Pat Limbach says. “The department benefits by

maintaining our ability to recruit and attract top-notch graduate students, and through conversations with our IA about trends in the market that affect how we train the next generation of scientists.”

Kelly Haines, a third-year graduate student in Assistant Professor Ruxanda Dima’s lab, is one of the students to receive an Industrial Affiliates-sponsored stipend.

“Many PhD students want to ultimately find jobs in industry, so being involved in academic programs is a good way for companies to recruit new graduates,” she says. “Also, it can lead to more research opportunities (equipment/instrument sharing) and collaborations between labs.”

Another objective of the Industrial Affiliates Program is to facilitate the hiring of chemistry majors by member organizations, as either full-time employees or interns. The department has a formal internship program, whereby member organizations are assisted in selecting interns for the summer. These interns may then continue with the member organization on a part-time basis during the school year, either for pay or for academic credit. An internship coordinator within the department will work with

member organizations to identify intern candidates and oversee part-time internships during the school year if these are done for academic credit.

FormoreinformationontheIAProgram,pleasevisitwww.artsci.uc.edu/industrial_affiliates.ContactChemistryProfessorsJoeCarusoat513-556-9306orjoe.caruso@uc.edu,orAllanPinhasat513-556-9255orallan.pinhas@uc.eduformembershipinquiries.

BenefitsoftheIAprogramtolocalindustryare:

• A day of meetings with pertinent faculty in the department to discuss technical issues/problems of interest to the affiliate organization

• On-site seminars by department faculty members

• Use of department facilities (e.g., mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction) at a reduced rate

• Preferred employer status for students, including resumes of graduating students upon request and aid in identifying appropriate candidates (at the BS, MS and/or PhD level) for employment or summer internships

• Free attendance each year for up to three representatives from the affiliate organization at the Ralph Oesper Award dinner in the fall

• Free on-site access to the collections and electronic resources of the University Libraries (including the Chemistry/Biology Library)

Our Friends inINDUSTRY

Chemistry’s Industrial Affiliates Program connects corporations to UC’s campus through research facilities, databases and seminars.

Graduate student Kelly Haines

By Kim Burdett, Photo by Melanie Cannon

16 Fall 2011

CHEMBOND 17

Faculty and students make use of diverse scientific instrumentation to identify, confirm and validate their materials—an essential component of all research efforts. Four core facilities (mass spectrometry, sensors & biosensors, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography) within the Department of Chemistry house a vast array of instrumentation available to researchers from academia and industry worldwide.

“What makes the Department of Chemistry’s core facilities unique is that we are the group in the tri-state region to offer a complete line of service and research capability in four key areas: namely mass spectrometry, sensors and other microscopic/spectroscopic analyses, NMR and single crystal X-ray crystallography,” says Jeanette Krause, senior research associate in the crystallography lab. “The knowledgeable staff members in the facilities are willing to work with clients and offer tailor-made solutions for their needs; this is especially attractive for small and medium-sized clients who often do not have the in-house resources.”

For example, the X-ray crystallography facility provides analyses on radioactive materials, something that very few labs in the country do. The mass spectrometry facility works with faculty throughout the department and institution, and collaborates with companies

near and far, to provide rapid answers to pressing research questions.

“These core facilities cover a wide range of instrumental techniques and services. All of our core facilities are managed on a day-to-day basis by PhD-trained experts in their respective fields. A strength of our core facilities is that our industry and government users have multiple options for interaction,” says Chemistry Professor Pat Limbach.

“Samples can be submitted to UC for analysis, with data simply returned back to the submitter when work is completed—that is the simplest level of interaction. However, because of the research, education and service missions of our department, we also allow industry and government scientists direct, hands-on access to much of our equipment,” he continues. “Such users can spend time at UC working one-on-one with core facility scientists developing new methods of analysis, identifying new, unknown materials, or testing out the functionality and applicability of equipment that might be of future interest to those organizations. Few core facilities provide such a level of access to either the instrumentation or the facility scientists.”

The facilities are well-equipped to handle a variety of sample types including inorganic, organometallic, organic, biological macromolecules and synthetic polymers.

Formoreinformation,visitthechemistrywebsiteatwww.artsci.uc.edu/core_facilities.

Where Theory & Experiment MeetThe chemistry department’s core facilities open up their doors to academics and industry affiliates on and off campus.

CoreFacilitiesStaff: Larry Sallans, Mass Spectrometry; Stephen Macha, Mass Spectrometry; Keyang Ding, NMR Spectroscopy; Necati Kaval, Sensors and Biosensors; Jeanette Krause, X-ray Crystallography

Mass Spectrometry• Bruker BiFlex-III Maldi-MS• Thermo LTQ-FTMS• Varian & HP6890 GC-MS• Waters GCT GC-MS• Waters Q-TOF-2• Waters Quattro LZO Triple Quad-MS

NMR SpectroscopySolution:• Bruker DMX 500 MHz• Bruker AV 400 MHz• AC 250 MHzSolid State:• Bruker AMX 400 MHz

Single Crystal X-ray Crystallography• Bruker SMART 6000 CCD

Diffractometer• Synchrotron radiation access

through SCrALS project

Sensors & Biosensors• Philips Scanning

Electron • Microscope• Thermo FTIR Spectrometer• Variable Angle Ellipsometer• Cary UV/Vis & Fluorescence

Spectrometers• Surface Plasmon Resonance

Spectrometers• Keyence Digital Microscope• TGA/DSC & Titration Calorimeters

Chemistry’s Core Facilities

18 Fall 2011

The department brings world renowned scholars to campus for the annual Oesper and Zimmer lectures.

By Kim BurdettStellar Symposia2010OesperRecipient:NobelPrizeWinnerKurtWüthrichThe 2010 recipient of the Ralph and Helen Oesper Award was Kurt Wüthrich, Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Structural Biology of the Scripps Research Institute and Professor of Biophysics at the ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

With a specialty in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with biological macromolecules, Wüthrich contributed the NMR method of three-dimensional structure determination of proteins and nucleic acids in solution. His research groups have solved more than 70 NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids, including the immunosuppression system cyclophilin A-cyclosporin A, the homeodomain-operator DNA transcriptional regulatory system and prion proteins from a variety of species.

Wüthrich’s achievements have been recognized by the Prix Louis Jeantet de Médecine, the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and a number of other awards and honorary degrees.

The annual Oesper Symposium brings other internationally renowned chemists to the University of Cincinnati to celebrate the Oesper awardee as well. At the Oct. 8 banquet where Wüthrich received the award, Charles Weissmann from the Scripps Research Institute delivered the keynote address, titled “A Tale from Two Cities.”

The 2011 Oesper Awardee is Charles P. Casey, Homer B. Adkins Emeritus Professor Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Oesper Symposium and Awards Banquet will be held Friday October 11, 2011 at UC.

ZimmerScholarPlansInternationalCollaborationMatthias Rief, professor at Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany, was the 2011 Hans and Marlies Zimmer International Scholar In-Residence, coming to the department to discuss his research on single molecule atomic force microscopy and how optical tweezers can be used to investigate and control the conformational mechanics of individual proteins.

His presentation, “Mechanics and Dynamics of Single Protein Molecules,” was given on April 15 and was the culmination of a weeklong visit by Rief as the Zimmer Scholar.

The program provides the capability to invite internationally recognized scholars to the department to spend time with faculty and students, discussing research and developing collaborations.

Rief is one of the leading experts in the single molecule spectroscopy of biomolecules. He has made landmark contributions to the understanding of the mechanics of molecular motors and of the fundamental role played by the energy landscape of a biomolecule in response to tension. He’s been recognized with a number of awards, including the Jahrespreis of the German Biophysical Society, the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize from the DFG and the Nanowissenschaftspreis.

The 2012 Zimmer Scholar is Prof. Hans Börner from the Humboldt University of Berlin. Zimmer week activities will conclude with the Zimmer Scholar Banquet on Friday, April 6 2012 at UC.

Matthias Rief

Kurt Wüthrich receives the Oesper Award from American Chemical Society Chair-Elect Rick Mullins.Photo by Melanie Cannon

CHEMBOND 19

Departmental donors are the catalysts that make academic excellence possible.

BEARCATALYSTS

Your generous gift to the Department of Chemistry affirms your commitment to the mission of academic excellence in teaching and research and helps strengthen the professional potential of students, faculty and staff.Gifts from alumni and friends support scholarships, cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art equipment, community outreach and other vitally needed resources addressing immediate and long-term needs.The department’s financial support target encompasses three areas: • Financial Aid and Scholarship,

including new and existing funds for undergraduates and graduate students.

• Faculty and Staff Support, including new faculty hires, new research and education initiatives and equipment and facilities for education and research.

• Upward Bound Fund, including gifts for named professorships, endowed chairs and named laboratories and facilities.

Whether you are a former undergraduate, post-doctoral fellow or educator, you play a critical role in an essential mission. Gifts of all amounts matter: From $1 to $1 million, your contributions directly benefit current and future members of the Department of Chemistry.

Specific details on existing departmental funds and goals can be found online at: www.che.uc.edu/alumni_community/.

To make a gift, please contact:Deborah Livingston, Senior Director of DevelopmentOffice of Development & Alumni Relations 7140C Edwards I PO Box 210367, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0367 Phone: 513-556-5806 Email: [email protected]

Wethankthefollowingindividualsandfoundations

fortheirgenerousdonationsandcontinuedsupport

fromJuly1,2010toJune21,2011:

IndividualMs. Kellee E. AdamsDavid G. Babbitt, MDHebi Bai, PhDDaniel F. Bender, PhDFred W. Breitbeil III, PhDMr. Gregory E. CiseMichael D. Crenshaw, PhDSister Joan A. DeitersMatthew J. Doyle, PhD and Mary E.

Noon Doyle, PhDDr. and Mrs. Thomas W. FederleMr. Steven M. FergusonMargaret B. Goldman, PhD and

John N. Goldman, MDMs. Barbara J. HaydenAlvan C. Hengge, PhDDr. and Mrs. Stephen W. HorganMr. James E. KassnerMs. Deborah A. KersmanDonald W. Kuty, Jr., PhDMr. and Mrs. James F. LangPaul W. Langemeier, PhDMr. Roy L. Lewis, Jr. and

Jane Y. Lewis, PhDElmer Lipp, PhD and

Anne Leugers, PhDJohn D. Lydon, Jr., PhD and

Silvia S. Jurisson, PhDJohn H. Meiser, PhDMr. Edward E. MendenBeverly F. Michels, PhDDr. and Mrs. Dilip M. NeneMr. Gerard A. ParozGary T. Pauly, PhDMartin B. Popp, MDMr. and Mrs. Ronald A. PorterJunaid A. Siddiqui, PhDEstel D. Sprague, Ph.D.Dustin E. Starkey, Ph.D.Dr. Jay A. Switzer and

Mrs. Barbara A. SwitzerDr. Kenneth J. TakeuchiKatherine Tepperman-Elder, PhDAnnabelle P. Villalobos, PhDThomas M. Von Lehman, PhD

Chemistry Faculty, Staff & EmeritiDr. and Mrs. Bruce S. AultMr. John T. Baker and Karolin K.

Kroening-Baker, PhDJeanette A. Krause Bauer, PhDMr. Robert and Dr. Eleanor

BehrmannDr. and Mrs. Albert M. BobstDr. and Mrs. Joseph A. CarusoHairong Guan, PhD and

Ms. Hailing BaoMs. Anna D. GudmundsdottirDr. and Mrs. H. Brian HalsallDr. and Mrs. William R. HeinemanDr. and Mrs. Patrick A. LimbachJames Mack II, PhDJames E. Mark, PhDDr. and Mrs. Darl H. McDanielEdward Merino, PhDMilton Orchin, PhDAllan R. Pinhas, PhD and

Joan L. Simunic, PhDDr. Mark Rance and Dr. Pearl TsangDr. and Mrs. Thomas H. RidgwayDr. and Mrs. Joel I. ShulmanDr. John S. ThayerR. Marshall Wilson, PhD

Corporations & FoundationsAbbott FundAeromet IndustriesAltria Group, Inc.American Express FoundationDow Chemical CompanyDow Corning CorporationGE FoundationGivaudanJohnson & JohnsonMichelman, Inc.Paroz Family FoundationThe Procter & Gamble CompanyThe Procter & Gamble FundShell Companies Foundation, Inc.

Matthew J. Doyle, director and senior researcher at Procter & Gamble, was honored at this year’s McMicken Alumni Gala by being named a Distinguished Alumnus. Doyle is responsible for P&G’s oral care product innovation, design and development. He also serves as vice president and P&G managing director of the Live Well Collaborative, a corporation formed with the University of Cincinnati.

As the leader of this large, globally diverse organization, Doyle has helped launch more than 75 new products—including Crest Whitestrips and Crest ProHealth— that generated over $700 million in sales annually over the past five years, and several of those products have been IRI Pace Setter winners.

Besides his innovative work in the field of oral care, Doyle has also been named co-inventor on 15 patents and co-authored a book titled, “Chemical Analysis, A Solutions Guide.” He has written over 65 scholarly articles/abstracts/titles and delivered over 45 invited talks—many internationally.

“Truth be told, none of my achievements were solitary endeavors. In fact, everything accomplished has been the result of someone

else’s commitment—giving of themselves, sharing their brilliance and/or providing me inspiration,” he says.

Other awards Doyle has received include the Thomas B. Cameron Award for Teaching Excellence and a Sigma Xi Research Award.

“My time at UC was transformative. It changed who I am as a person and defined who I would become as a professional. There was and is ‘magic’ at UC in the form of a genuine commitment to work collaboratively. That spirit is what attracted a ‘kid from Boston’ to matriculate some 30 years ago,” Doyle adds.

He and his wife, Mary Noon Doyle (also a UC chemistry alum), and their three children now live in Cincinnati.

“It is a true honor and privilege to be recognized as a McMicken College of Arts & Sciences distinguished alumnus.”

Department of ChemistryUniversity of CincinnatiPO Box 210172Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDCincinnati, OHPermit No. 133

P&GResearcherNamedDistinguishedAlumAlum Matt Doyle (MS, ‘81; PhD, ‘83) was honored by the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences as a 2011 Distinguished Alumnus. By Ryan Varney

Dean Valerie Gray Hardcastle and Matt Doyle Photo by Ashley Kempher