When Dr. Alexander Gorka began college at Monmouth University, he did not originally intend to pursue a degree in Chemistry. Instead, he was enrolled as a criminal justice/forensic science major. As time went on, he came to realize that he most enjoyed the physical sciences courses and that a degree in Chemistry would provide the […]
Faculty News
Synthesizing Pure Graphene, a ‘Miracle Material’
By Jessica McBride, Office of the Vice President for Research Formed deep within the earth, stronger than steel, and thinner than a human hair. These comparisons aren’t describing a new super hero. They’re describing graphene, a substance that some experts have called “the most amazing and versatile” known to mankind. UConn chemistry professor Doug Adamson, a […]
Dr. Rebecca Quardokus Shares Her Passion For Microscopy
By Amanda Campanaro, IMS There’s a special moment for most students when they discover what they really want to do with their major. For Rebecca Quardokus, Assistant Professor in Chemistry and associate faculty in IMS, that moment came as a junior at Grand Valley State University, Michigan, when her father sent her an article on […]
From Storrs to Shanghai, Chemistry Professor Aims to Bridge International Collaboration
By Amanda Campanaro, IMS Yao Lin, Associate Professor of Chemistry in the Polymer Program of the Institute of Materials Science, has become very passionate about chemistry and polymer science—and about encouraging intercontinental collaboration on it. With a background in chemistry, polymer and molecular biology and a degree from Fudan University, China, Dr. Lin is interested in […]
Professor Michael Smith Retires after 38 Years of Service
A Lasting Legacy Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Michael Smith, who recently retired after nearly four decades of service, has made teaching organic chemistry to nearly 400 students seem easy. As Smith discusses his tips and tricks for managing a large class, it is difficult to picture him in any other profession. As Department Head Christian […]
Chemistry Faculty: Blazing a Trail for Open Source Textbooks
The University of Connecticut has been expanding its efforts to provide open access resources, including open source textbooks, for student use. Open source textbooks are educational resources published with an open licensing agreement. These textbooks are available for free online or in print with a minimal charge to cover the cost of printing the material. (The […]
Electrocrystallization: Breakthrough in Gold Nanoparticle Research
A research team led by Professor Flavio Maran of the University of Padova (Italy), who is also a Research Professor with the Chemistry Department at UConn, reported a breakthrough in the creation of very high quality crystals formed of gold nanoparticles via electrocrytalization. This work was done in collaboration with Professor Kari Rissanen of the University of […]
Superconductivity at 93 K
Adjunct Professor Frank Galasso contributed to the article First-Hand:Discovery of Superconductivity at 93 K in YBCO: The View from Ground Zero, which attempts to unravel the complicated history of superconductors. Read more here >>>
ACS Honors its 50-Year Members
The American Chemical Society and its local sections are honoring those who have reached 50 years of membership in 2017. Lecturer Emerita Jane Knox has been recognized for her ACS membership.
Dr. Kumar Developing Opensource Textbook
Dr. Challa Kumar has received additional funding from CLAS and the Department of Chemistry to supplement the Provost’s Open Education Resources Award which he received for the development of an open source text book in Physical Chemistry. Dr. Kumar will be developing the open source text book from scratch as there are none currently available […]