Reineke Wins NIH New Innovator Award

(October 6, 2009) Prof. Theresa M. Reineke is one of 54 scholars nationwide to receive the 2009 NIH Director's New Innovator Award, which recognizes "investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative new research approaches that have the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important problems in biomedical and behavioral research."  Dr. Reineke and her research group will use the $2.3 million in funding to explore mechanisms of intracellular nucleic acid delivery using novel carbohydrate-containing polymers.  (more ...)

Nano Drug Delivery Initiative Receives Grant

(September 25, 2009) Professors Alan R. Esker and Richard D. Gandour have received $431,000 as part of a $1,512,000 grant from NSF for Cyber-Engineering Functional Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery. They are working with three cyber engineers--Professors Roland Faller (UC Davis), Amadeu Sum (Colorado School of Mines), and Markus Deserno (Carnegie Mellon)--who will simulate the design of the nanoparticles. Through a virtual feedback system, Esker's and Gandour's experiments will validate the simulations, which, in turn, will suggest new nanoparticle designs.

Chemists Receive Grant for SAXS

(October 10, 2009) Profs. Robert B. Moore and Herve Marand have received a $510,000 grant from NSF (plus $220,000 in matching support from VT) to purchase an instrument for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). These techniques enable nanoscale morphological characterization of solid materials and liquid dispersions. Dr. Moore, Dr. Marand, and several science and engineering colleagues are exploring new materials for energy and bio-medical applications. The new equipment will complement existing capabilities of the VT Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory (NCFS).

Long Named Associate Director at Fralin

(July 1, 2009) Prof. Timothy Long has been named Associate Director for Interdisciplinary Research and Education at Virginia Tech's Fralin Life Science Institute. Partnering with the Graduate School, VTC, VBI, VMRCVM, and OVPR,  Dr. Long aims to stimulate educational and research collaborations in life science across campus and to foster an externally visible community that will attract applicants to allied degree programs.  His initial term of service is three years.  (more ...)

Turner Funded for Polymer Research

(June 30, 2009) Prof. Richard Turner has received a $370,000 grant from NSF to investigate rigid polyelectrolytes and double-hydrophilic rod-coil block copolymers.  The project evolved from Prof. Turner's earlier work demonstrating precise alternation and functional group control in stilbene-maleic anhydride copolymers.  Long-range applications are envisioned in areas such as bioactive coatings.  (more on Turner ...)

Valeev Wins NSF CAREER Award

(May 21, 2009) Prof. Edward Valeev has been awarded the National Science Foundation's 2009 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to develop predictive computational chemistry methods using electronic wavefunctions with explicit inclusion of correlations between electrons. The $600,000 grant will support his group's efforts through 2014. (more on Valeev ...)

Riffle Receives Schug Award

(May 15, 2009) Prof. Judy S. Riffle has received the 2009 Schug Research Award.  Alumnus E. Gary Cook established the award in honor of Prof. John Schug to recognize a departmental faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and productivity in research.  Professor Riffle's research focuses on homo- and block copolymer synthesis, principally for drug delivery vehicles and advanced diagnostics.  The award includes a plaque and $1000.

Morris Accepts Viers Award

(May 15, 2009) Prof. John R. Morris has received the 2009 Viers Teaching Award.  Alumnus E. Gary Cook established the award in honor of Prof. Jimmy W. Viers to recognize outstanding teaching by a departmental faculty member.  In recent years, Prof. Morris has transformed our undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Laboratory course from traditional, procedure-based experiments to an inquiry-based experience that places more emphasis on developing student's research, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. The award includes a plaque and $1000.

Lu Named Fulbright Scholar

(May 08, 2009) Jessica Lu, a graduate student who studies with Prof. John Morris, has received a Fulbright Scholarship to spend a full academic year at the Weizmann Institute in Israel.  The scholarship provides a stipend and living expenses, enabling Ms. Lu to concentrate all of her efforts in Israel on her research, which focuses on the scattering dynamics and reactions of gas molecules at solid and liquid surfaces.

Morris Receives Clifford Award

(May 01, 2009) Prof. John R. Morris has received the 2009 Alan F. Clifford Faculty Service Award. This award is presented to a departmental faculty member whose contributions to service at the department, university, and community levels are judged by his or her peers to exemplify the standards of selfless service set by Prof. Clifford during his career in the department.  Prof. Morris's contributions as Graduate Admissions Director were especially cited.  The award includes a plaque and $1000.

Wertalik Receives McNair Award

(May 01, 2009) The Harold McNair Staff Service Award recognizes outstanding service at the department, university, and community levels by a member of the classified staff.  Prof. McNair established this award to recognize the spirit of cooperation, dedication, and outstanding service of support staff. Tom Wertalik has exemplified a high standard of staff service through his efforts in the Glass Shop.  The award includes a plaque and $1000.

Hobson Receives ACC Academic Honor

(March 16, 2009) Sandra Hobson is one of seven students chosen to represent VT at the 2009 ACC Meeting of the Minds conference in Raleigh NC.  The selection was based on the quality of her research (in quantum chemistry) with Prof. Edward Valeev, which has already resulted in an article in Molecular Physics (2009, in press).  Ms. Hobson will earn her BS in Chemical Engineering this spring and pursue a career in medicine. (more...)

Carlier Funded for Malaria Research

(April 12, 2009) Prof. Paul Carlier and his co-investigators Jeffrey Bloomquist (Entomology), Jianyong Li (Biochemistry), and Max Totrov (Molsoft LLC) have received a five-year research grant from the National Institutes of Health in the amount $3.6 million to develop resistance-breaking insecticides specific to the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. (more...)

Morris and Tatum Receive Howe Awards

(April 20, 2009) Wesley Morris and David Tatum, both senior CHEM majors, have received the James Lewis Howe Award, presented annually to outstanding chemistry graduates of institutions located within the boundaries of the American Chemical Society's Virginia Blue Ridge Local Section.  Mr. Morris, the Chemistry Department's nominee, will attend graduate school at Cornell University, while Mr. Tatum, the Biochemistry Department's nominee, will attend the University of California.   (more ...)

Kingston Honored with Journal Issue

(March 30, 2009) Prof. David Kingston is honored with a special issue of the Journal of Natural Products, in recognition of his contributions to the chemistry of the anticancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol), and to the conservation of biodiversity through the isolation of possible drug compounds in rain forest botanicals.  (more...)

Schug Named LCGC Emerging Leader

(March 19, 2009) Prof. Kevin A. Schug (PhD, 2002) has received the 2009 LCGC Emerging Leader of the Year for Chromatography Award, for his contributions to the field of LC-MS, especially the development of electrospray ionization (ESI) applications.  Kevin is presently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. (more on Schug ...)

McNair Receives LCGC Award

(March 19, 2009) Prof. Emeritus Harold M. McNair has received the prestigious LCGC Award for Lifetime Achievement in Chromatography, for contributions over more than four decades.  His classic text, "Basic Gas Chromotography" has been found on the shelves of practicing chemists since the first edition was published in 1969.  Prof. McNair received his award at Pittcon in March 2009.   (more ...)

Valeev Wins ACS Award

(March 16, 2009) Prof. Edward Valeev has been selected as one of four winners of the ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry Outstanding Junior Faculty Award sponsored by Hewlett-Packard.  He will receive his $1000 award and present an address at the ACS Spring National Meeting in Salt Lake City. (more on Valeev ...)

Chirik Wins Cope Scholar Award

(March 13, 2009) Prof. Paul J. Chirik (B.S., 1995) has received the 2009 ACS Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award for his invention of organoiron compounds that catalyze diverse chemical reactions including hydrogenation, and for his discovery of zirconium complexes that disassemble atmospheric nitrogen -- both potentially energy-saving contributions.  Paul is currently Debye Professor of Chemistry at Cornell University.  (more on Chirik ...)

DeSimone Wins Alumni Achievement Award

(March 13, 2009) Prof. Joseph M. DeSimone (PhD 1990) has been selected to receive the 2009 Virginia Tech Distinguished Graduate Alumni Achievement Award.  He will receive the award at the Graduate Commencement ceremony at 3 pm on Friday, May 15.  Joe is Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry at University of North Carolina and William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, at North Carolina State University.  (more on DeSimone ...)

Valeev Wins Sloan Fellowship

(February 17, 2009) Prof. Edward Valeev has been awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship.  One of only 23 chemists to receive this award in 2009, Valeev is recognized partly for his prior contributions to electronic structure theory and partly for the exceptional promise of his ongoing and future research activities.  The award includes an unrestricted $50,000 research grant. (more ...)

Carlier Licences Antidepressant

(February 09, 2009) Prof. Paul Carlier and VTIP have reached a license agreement allowing AstraZeneca to develop a new antidepressant invented in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. If successful in clinical trials, the drug would become the first example of a "triple reuptake inhibitor" or TRI, which addresses all three major neurotransmitters associated with mood control. (more at: vt news, Roanoke Times, chem|people)

Moore Elected to Lead POLY

(February 1, 2009) Prof. Robert B. Moore was elected 2010 Vice-Chair (and 2010 Chair) of the American Chemical Society Polymer Division.  He had previously served POLY as Treasurer and as Awards Co-Chair. (more on Moore ...)

Madsen Wins CAREER Award

(December 19, 2008) Prof. Lou Madsen has received the 2008 NSF Career Award for his work on understanding anisotropy in ionomers using NMR spectroscopy.  The $475,000 grant will support his efforts through 2013.  (more on Madsen ...)

Kingston Renews Biodiversity Project

(December 13, 2008) Prof. David Kingston and his collaborators are discovering leads for new anti-cancer drugs in rain forest botanicals.  The multi-million-dollar award comes from a consortium of federal agencies including NIH, USDA, NSF, and NCI.  (more ...)

Brodkin Wins Diversity Award

(December 3, 2008) Claudia P. Brodkin, manager of the undergraduate chemistry labs at Virginia Tech, was recently awarded the College of Science Diversity Award for 2008. The annual award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has made significant contributions in diversity on campus.  (more ...)

Turner Wins ACS Award

(September 15, 2008) Prof. Richard Turner has received the 2008 American Chemical Society Industrial Polymer Scientist Award.  This award, which recognizes Turner's achievements during his tenure at Eastman Chemical Company, was presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia in August 2008.  (more ...)

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DeSimone Receives North Carolina Award

(October 28, 2009) Prof. Joseph M. DeSimone (PhD 1990) has been selected to receive the 2009 North Carolina Award, the highest award of the State of North Carolina.  Other scientists who have received this award include Maurice Brookhart and Ernest Eliel; non-scientists include actor Andy Griffith, Senator Elizabeth Dole, coach Dean Smith, poet Maya Angelou, broadcaster Charles Kuralt, and evangelist Billy Graham (more ...).  DeSimone was cited for his "ability to apply his inventions and innovations [in polymer chemistry and nanoscience] to a variety of fields, including manufacturing and medicine," for his successful launch of Liquidia Technologies, and for his gifts as an educator.

Congratulations to our 2009 Graduates!

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