Research

Endowed Chair Appointment

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It is our pleasure to announce that, in recognition of his career achievements, Dr. Michael Calter has been appointed to the endowed Beach Professorship of Chemistry, established in 1880.

Headshot of Dr. Michael Calter wearing a blue shirt in his office.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Calter!

Michael A. Calter received his BS from University of Vermont and his PhD from Harvard University. His work is in synthetic organic chemistry, for which he has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research has been published in the top organic chemistry journals, and he serves as referee, reviewer, and panel member for several journals and funding agencies including Journal of the American Chemical Society and Journal of Organic Chemistry. He has consistently achieved teaching excellence in the sophomore-level organic chemistry sequence and he received the 2015 Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

2022 Annual Chemistry Department Awards

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The Chemistry Department is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Annual Chemistry Department Awards:

ACS Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry: Sally Tepper
Awarded for excellence in analytical chemistry
ACS Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry: Anna Friedman
To recognize achievement in inorganic chemistry and to encourage further study in the field
ACS Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry: Annika Velez
To a student who has displayed a significant aptitude for organic chemistry
ACS Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry: Alex Seys
To recognize achievement in physical chemistry and to encourage further study in the field
ACS Connecticut Valley Section Award: Sophie Wazlowski
For outstanding achievement by a graduating chemistry major
American Institute for Chemists Award: Mohammed Ullah
For outstanding achievement by a graduating chemistry major
Bradley Prize: Dylan Judd & Annika Velez
To the senior or junior who excels in chemistry and particularly in special original work
Silverman Prize: Corin Grady
Awarded to a member of the junior or senior class for excellence in chemistry
Peirce Prize: Caroline Pitton
Awarded for excellence in biology
CRC Award (General Chemistry): Othmane El Houssi
For the outstanding first-year student in Principles of Chemistry
CRC Award (Organic Chemistry): Katherine Fhu
For the outstanding first-year student in Organic Chemistry
Hawk Prize: Nadiya Jaunbocus & Mia Kim
To the students who have done the most effective work in biochemistry
Martius Yellow Award: Emmet Sherman & Nabiha Syed
Awarded for excellence in Integrated Chemistry Laboratory
The Wallace C. Pringle Prize for Research in Chemistry: Sterre Hesseling
Awarded to a student for excellence in research
Peterson Fellowship: Bakar Hassan & Jozafina Milicaj
For graduate study in biochemistry
Tishler Prize: Josh Dudley
Awarded to the best graduate teaching assistant in chemistry

Dr. Michelle Personick Receives NSF Grant

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“Electrochemistry as a Design Tool for Colloidal Syntheses of Polyhedral Metal Nanoparticles”

The funded work will use real-time electrochemical measurements to probe the growth of noble metal nanoparticles and to provide enhanced chemical understanding of how to predictively and controllably produce metal nanoparticles with well-defined shapes. The ability to tune the function of noble metal nanoparticles by tailoring not only their composition but also their shape makes them especially promising for applications in catalysis, particularly for improving the sustainable usage of energy resources and enabling the generation of sustainable fuels. However, the chemical environment under which these materials are made is complex and involves multiple competing parameters. As a result, it can be challenging to understand precisely how these materials form and, consequently, how to design methods for producing the new materials required for various applications. Electrochemistry provides a powerful means by which to address this challenge, and involves the measurement of current and voltage to understand chemical reactions, as well as the application of a current or voltage to drive chemical processes. An electrochemical approach that integrates both of these methods will be used to gain understanding of the chemical reactions involved in metal nanoparticle growth while they are happening and with a level of detail and insight that is not possible using existing methods. This research will establish core chemical principles to inform the deliberate, predictive design of new metal nanomaterials to meet the increasingly complex needs of emerging applications. Graduate, undergraduate, and high school students who are involved in this research will be prepared for future careers at the interface of chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering. The project will also contribute to enhancing participation in science and research by developing publicly available resources to increase the accessibility of undergraduate science for students who are the first in their family to pursue this course of study.

Dr. Colin Smith Receives Rosetta Commons Grant

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“Protein Structure Refinement with Ensemble-Based Scoring of Experimental Restraints”

Experimental data has been critical for protein structure determination with the Rosetta biomolecular modeling software. However, a key limitation in the way Rosetta handles that data is that a single structure must satisfy all data simultaneously. This in stark contrast to the physical reality that experimental data is derived from an ensemble of different protein conformations. The single structure approximation can therefore introduce artifacts and inaccuracies in the resulting protein structure models. The proposed work will develop computer code in Rosetta that enables scoring and optimization of multiple conformations simultaneously with experimental restraints or other score terms that are based on the entire ensemble and not a single structure alone.

We expect this will enable Rosetta to extract dynamics information from experimental data sources that explicitly capture structural heterogeneity. Such techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy (EM), X-ray scattering (SAXS), cross-linking mass spectroscopy (XLMS), etc. The accuracy of several of those techniques is limited by the lack of explicit atomic modeling of the ensemble of states the chemical labels or cross linkers can take, which could also be addressed with the proposed ensemble scoring methodology.

PhD Celebration – Dr. Sean McDarby & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj

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The Chemistry Department gathered at the beginning of the month to celebrate two of our graduate students who completed their PhD defenses this semester – Dr. Sean McDarby and Dr. Jozafina Milicaj.


Boston Cream Cake for Sean McDarby


Dr. Michelle Personick delivers a few remarks


Dr. Jozafina Milicaj pops a bottle of champagne 


Dr. Jozafina Milicaj & Dr. Sean McDarby


Dr. Erika Taylor & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj 


Tiramisu Cake for Jozafina Milicaj


Dr. Erika Taylor & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj 

Sean McDarby Receives PhD

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Dr. Sean McDarby

Dr. Sean McDarby recently defended his Ph.D and thesis entitled, “Synthesis and Measurement of Noble Metal Nanoparticles with Well Defined Shapes by Electrochemical and Electroless Approaches.” Sean started at Wesleyan University in 2015 after completing his BS in Chemistry at Southern Connecticut State University where he conducted research under Dr. Gerald Lesley. His undergraduate research focused on the synthesis of novel MOF precursors involving the manipulation of air-free inorganic pathways. Upon starting at Wesleyan University, Sean joined the research lab of Dr. Michelle Personick and began a project to develop a new method to electrochemically synthesize shaped noble metal nanoparticles. The project was quickly successful, and the method was transitioned into a cyclical tool to create shaped nanoparticles by collecting electrochemical data about any particle growth reaction and translate that to either an electrochemical or colloidal approach. Further work involved the creation of novel shaped nanoparticles, mostly with palladium in both systems. Having completed his degree at Wesleyan, Sean will be starting his career as a federal contractor for Universities Space Research Association at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio where he is joining the Microgravity Sciences division and is focusing on the production and applications of boron nitride for space and aeronautics.

Jozafina Milicaj Receives PhD

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Dr. Jozafina Milicaj 

Dr. Jozafina Milicaj recently defended her Ph.D. and presented her work entitled, “Biophysical Exploration of Heptosyltransferase I for Potent Inhibitor Discovery.” Jozie started at Wesleyan University in 2015 after completing her BA in Chemistry at Manhattanville College where she was heavily involved with the American Chemical Society chapter and even holding the position as president for her senior year.  Jozie’s undergraduate research project was focused on analytical chemistry and the quantification of antioxidants from açaí berry sources through various extraction methods and UV-Vis radical capture assays. Upon starting at Wesleyan University, Jozie joined the research lab of Dr. Erika Taylor and began working on projects pertaining to Heptosyltransferase I substrate biosynthesis and optimization. Her projects then shifted to understanding and biophysically characterizing HepI and other glycosyltransferases like MshA for the purposes of inhibition of HepI. Having completed her degree at Wesleyan, Jozie will soon be starting her career in industry at Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company in Cambridge that professes in novel protein engineering where she will be characterizing and kinetically examining new proteins of interest.

Dr. Colin Smith Receives CAREER Grant from National Science Foundation (NSF)

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Colin Smith, Professor of Chemistry

“Dynamics of Computationally Designed Fluorescent Proteins”

The goal of the research is to study and optimize the movement of microscopic, computationally designed proteins that use light to track the locations of biological molecules and reveal how living organisms work. While the structure of a protein is almost always necessary for function, it is often not sufficient. This project focuses on the critical but often neglected role of protein motion in enabling absorbance and reemission of light, a process known as fluorescence. We will first determine which protein shapes either enhance or inhibit fluorescence through detailed analysis of computer simulations and extensive experimental structural characterization. Second, we will test our models through redesign and experimental examination of brighter fluorescent protein variants. As part of these efforts, we will develop a general-purpose computer algorithm that enables rapid evaluation of how thousands of potential mutations affect the shape of the protein. Third, we will investigate the structural determinants of other important properties like the ability of the protein to prevent or facilitate switching fluorescence on and off. The ultimate aim of this project is to develop a detailed understanding of how these fluorescent proteins can be redesigned to make them truly useful tools for biological research. This will enable the creation of even more advanced versions of these and other protein machines (like enzymes) that can also help in the manufacture and recycling of materials at the chemical level.

 

 

Chemistry Alumnus Jessica Garcia Awarded Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship

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Jessica Garcia, a 2021 graduate of the BA/MA program in Chemistry, was recently awarded a fellowship through the University of North Carolina. The Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship program is a newly established award bestowed to first year graduate students at UNC for their committed effort to enhance the departmental mission to create a diverse and inclusive community. Sponsored by the Eastman Chemical Company, Eastman Fellows receive a stipend that supports the continuation of their contributions to the Carolina Chemistry community.  Jessica is among six students who were awarded this prestigious fellowship. Join us in congratulating her on this momentous achievement!

Andrea Lee Receives PhD

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Dr. Andrea Lee

Dr. Andrea recently defended her Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Examining Chromium(III)-based Contrast Agents for Use as a Model for Understanding Prototropic Exchange in ParaCEST MRI Contrast Agents.” Andrea started at Wesleyan University in 2014 after graduating with honors from the University of New Haven where she received a B.S. in Forensic Science and a B.S. in Chemistry. Her undergraduate thesis work focused on analyzing the triglycerides in biofuel made from acorns using HPLC with detection by FT-IR and UV-Vis. Upon starting at Wesleyan University, Andrea joined the research lab of Professor Westmoreland and worked on many research projects exploring various transition metal-based MRI contrast agents and their properties in aqueous solutions. She also received many opportunities as a teaching assistant which included taking on many responsibilities in the Introductory Chemistry Laboratory. She was also awarded the Tishler Teaching Award in 2018. This fall, Andrea will be starting as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Drew University where she will be teaching Analytical Chemistry.

Dr. Andrea Lee


Tom Lee


Dr. David Westmoreland


From left to right: Kimberly Lee, Terrie Tin, and Samantha Lee


Dr. Andrea Lee and Dr. David Westmoreland


A captive audience


From top to bottom, left to right: Eric Zanderigo, Kaylah Medvec, Annika Velez, Dr. David Westmoreland,
Dr. Andrea Lee, Jozafina Milicaj, Angelika Rafalowski, Dr. Alison O’Neil, Dr. Colin Smith
Sean McDarby, Mohammed Ullah, Oliver Cho, Kat Blejec


Celebratory cake

From left to right: Tom Lee, Kimberly Lee, Dr. Andrea Lee, Terrie Tin, and Samantha Lee