Chemistry Newsletter - 01/04/1999

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Chemistry Newsletter

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XXXIV No. 1

January 4th, 1999

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New Materials Chemistry Ph.D. Major Option

The Department of Chemistry has approved a new Ph.D. major option in Materials Chemistry. This new chemistry degree will sit alongside our existing major options in Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, and Physical. While the Materials Chemistry degree program will not be in full swing for at least one more year, current first-year chemistry students will be permitted to enter the program in January, with the permission of their major adviser and of the steering committee. Faculty who are serving on the steering committee for this new program are:

Rob Corn

Art Ellis

Bob Hamers (steering committee chair)

Bob McMahon

Gil Nathanson

Hyuk Yu

Students interested in possible participation should contact one of these faculty members as soon as possible for more information. More specific information on the program can be found on the web at: http://www.chem.wisc.edu/edu/grad/materialschemrequirements.html .

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Organic Chemistry Cumulative Exam Schedule, 1998-99.

Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., room B317 Chemistry Building.

January 7th, 1999		February 4th, 1999
March 4th, 1999	April 1st, 1999	May 6th, 1999

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Analytical Cume Dates for 1998-99.

Room 2311 Chemistry Building.

February 6th, 1999

March 20th, 1999

April 3rd, 1999

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ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS

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IMPORTANT DATES:

MINOR AGREEMENT FORMS: The Graduate School requires that the minor program be outlined in an agreement which is approved by the Department no later than halfway through completion of the sequence minor courses. The minor requirement must be completed by the end of the third year of graduate school. Minor agreement forms are available in Room 7315.

January 15, 1999 - Window period. A grace period for students appropriately registered for the Fall semester, who complete all degree requirements by this date. Your thesis must be deposited in the Memorial Library by 4:30 p.m. on this date. A May degree is awarded, but you are not required to register for the Spring semester or pay a degree completion fee.

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IF YOU EXPECT TO GRADUATE IN SPRING: Students expecting to graduate in Spring should be aware that new rules concerning the tuition waiver may affect them. Students must be appointed an average of 33.3% through the date of filing their thesis in order to qualify for the tuition waiver. If you do not expect to complete your defense and file with the graduate school by January 15, 1999, and you will not have an appointment which qualifies you for the tuition waiver, then you should plan on paying tuition for Spring, which for a non-resident dissertator was $932 this semester.

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SEMINARS

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Sunday, February 14^th, 1999 - Sixteenth Annual presentation of The Wonders of Physics, 1 and 4 p.m., 1330 Sterling Hall, 475 North Charter Street. Professor Clint Sprott. For free tickets call: 608-262-2927 or e-mail to: feeley@juno.physics.wisc.edu during the month of January.

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Saturday, February 20^th, 1999 - Sixteenth Annual presentation of The Wonders of Physics, 1 and 4 p.m., 1330 Sterling Hall, 475 North Charter Street. Professor Clint Sprott. For free tickets call: 608-262-2927 or e-mail to: feeley@juno.physics.wisc.edu during the month of January.

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Sunday, February 21^st, 1999 - Sixteenth Annual presentation of The Wonders of Physics, 1 and 4 p.m., 1330 Sterling Hall, 475 North Charter Street. Professor Clint Sprott. For free tickets call: 608-262-2927 or e-mail to: feeley@juno.physics.wisc.edu during the month of January.

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Recent Publications:

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Augustyniak E; Chew KH; Shohet JL; Woods RC

Atomic absorption spectroscopic measurements of silicon atom concentrations in electron cyclotron resonance silicon oxide deposition plasmas

JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 1999, Vol 85, Iss 1, pp 87-93

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Daugherty DL; Rozema D; Hanson PE; Gellman SH

Artificial chaperone-assisted refolding of citrate synthase

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 1998, Vol 273, Iss 51, pp 33961-33971

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Fisher BM; Grilley JE; Raines RT

A new remote subsite in ribonuclease A

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 1998, Vol 273, Iss 51, pp 34134-34138

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Dentinger PM; Taylor JW

Real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study of the kinetics of acid-catalyzed negative-tone resists based on hexamethoxymethylmelamine and phenolic resins

JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY B 1998, Vol 16, Iss 6, pp 3759-3766

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Dentinger PM; Lu B; Taylor JW; Bukofsky SJ; Feke GD; Hessman D; Grober RD

On-wafer photoacid determination and imaging technique for chemically amplified photoresists

JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY B 1998, Vol 16, Iss 6, pp 3767-3772

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Burke SD; Letourneau JJ; Matulenko MA

Total synthesis of (+)-breynolide

TETRAHEDRON LETTERS 1999, Vol 40, Iss 1, pp 9-12

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Edwards KJ; Schrenk MO; Hamers R; Banfield JF

Microbial oxidation of pyrite: Experiments using microorganisms from an extreme acidic environment

AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 1998, Vol 83, Iss 11-12, pp 1444-1453

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Barker WW; Welch SA; Chu S; Banfield JF

Experimental observations of the effects of bacteria on aluminosilicate weathering

AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 1998, Vol 83, Iss 11-12, pp 1551-1563

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Benning MM; Wesenberg G; Liu RQ; Taylor KL; Dunaway-Mariano D; Holden HM

The three-dimensional structure of 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA thioesterase from Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS-3

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 1998, Vol 273, Iss 50, pp 33572-33579

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Casey CP; Brady JT; Boller TM; Weinhold F; Hayashi RK

Protonation of rhenium alkyne complexes produces eta(3)-allyl rhenium complexes via observable 1-metallacyclopropene intermediates

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1998, Vol 120, Iss 48, pp 12500-12511

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Firman TK; Landis CR

Structure and electron counting in ternary transition metal hydrides

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1998, Vol 120, Iss 48, pp 12650-12656

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Ma YA; Guo ZW; Sih CJ

Enzymatic oxidative coupling of monohalogenated tyrosine derivatives

TETRAHEDRON LETTERS 1998, Vol 39, Iss 51, pp 9357-9360

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Gellman SH

Minimal model systems for beta sheet secondary structure in proteins

CURRENT OPINION IN CHEMICAL BIOLOGY 1998, Vol 2, Iss 6, pp 717-725

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Burke SD; Quinn KJ; Chen VJ

Synthesis of a C(22)-C(34) halichondrin B precursor via ring opening double ring closing metathesis

JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1998, Vol 63, Iss 24, pp 8626-8627

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Ludwig R; Reis O; Winter R; Weinhold F; Farrar TC

Quantum cluster equilibrium theory of liquids: Temperature dependence of hydrogen bonding in liquid N-methylacetamide studied by IR spectra

JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 1998, Vol 102, Iss 46, pp 9312-9318

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Fellowships Available

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Nomination Forms For Departments For The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship

The will of Mrs. Liebmann created a Perpetual Charitable Trust, designated as "The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund," for the purpose of funding advanced education and graduate study grants. The amount of the Fellowship is intended to cover the cost of study, tuition, room and board, and ordinary living expenses, as well as income taxes.

Students do NOT apply directly for this award. but must be nominated by their department. Students may also obtain the student portion of the nomination from the Office of Fellowships, 217 Bascom Hall.

Each department may submit no more than two nominations to the Graduate School. Departments should set their own deadlines and process to meet the Graduate School's submission deadline.

Deadline: Departmental nominations are due in the Office of Fellowships, 217 Bascom Hall, NO LATER THAN 4:00 P.M. Wednesday JANUARY 13, 1998.

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Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium has submitted material to us for the following:

• Higher Education Incentives Programs - Announcement of Opportunities for 1999-2000.
• Research Infrastructure Program - Announcement of Opportunities for 1999-2000.
• Scholarships, Fellowships & Research Awards for 1999-2000.
• Aerospace Outreach Program - request for Proposals for 1999-2000.
• Special Initiatives Program - Request for Proposals for 1999-2000.

Complete information, details and forms can be found in room 1380 Chemistry.

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For Industrial Positions, see the Chemistry Placement Newsletter at:

http://www.chem.wisc.edu/placement/7news.html

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FACULTY POSITIONS/TEMPORARY FACULTY/ACADEMIC POSITIONS

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The Rockefeller University wishes to appoint a number of scientists to the tenure-track rank of Assistant Professor/Head of Laboratory in chemistry, with an emphasis on basic research using novel chemical reagents in studies of fundamental biological processes. The search is part of a n initiative to expand the Pels Family Center for BioChemistry and Structural Biology at The Rockefeller University. Applicants should have demonstrated outstanding potential for independent research in this area and should send a curriculum vitae (including publication list), a statement of current and future research interests (no longer than 3 pages), and the names and addresses (including telephone, facsimile and e-mail information) of three referees (who should be asked to send their references without delay) to: Dr. Stephen K. Burley, The Rockefeller University, Box 78, 123Q York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021-6399. The closing date for applications is April 15th, 1999. The Rockefeller University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Further information about the research and educational programs of The Rockefeller University can be found on the Internet at http://www.rockefeller.edu .

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State University of New York at Buffalo. Center for Computational Research, Senior Programmer/Analysts. The Center is seeking to hire highly motivated analysts wishing to build a dynamic research environment with state-of-the-art computing facilities. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in computer science, information sciences, engineering, or the physical sciences. A combined education and experience equivalency will be considered, however. Experience with SGI's IRIX or IBM's AIX system administration in a research or educational environment is required. In addition, three or more years experience with research oriented software, parallel computing, graphics systems, and system optimization tools is preferred. Knowledge of NT based networks and systems is a plus. Responsibilities are as follows: (1) provide system administration for the Center's Unix-based computers, (2) provide consulting support to the Center's user community with respect to the Unix operating system, and (3) provide support for the Center's graphical workstations and visualization devices. Interested persons should forward a resume and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to: Programmer/Analyst Search Committee, Center for Computational Research, 104 Bell Hall, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260. The web site for the Center for Computational Research is located at http://www.ccr.buffalo.edu .

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The Chemistry Department at Jacksonville University invites applications for a tenure-track position in organic chemistry to begin Fall 1999. Ph.D. is required. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and involvement of students in their research program. Applicants should send a Curriculum Vitae, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, statements of teaching philosophy and research interests and three letters of reference to: Dr. Fred Senftleber, Search Committee Chair, Department of Chemistry, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL 32211; email: fsenftl@ju.edu . Application review will begin February 1999 and continue until the position is filled.

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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Academic Staff. Rank of Lecturer. Starting Date: August 22, 1999. Non tenure-track one year half - time appointment. Subject to renewal contingent upon performance. Minimum of M.S. in Chemistry or equivalent preparation. Applications from any area of Chemistry Welcome but expertise in Organic Chemistry will be given preference. Expertise in the instructional use of computers is expected. The position will primarily involve instructional responsibilities in a science majors general chemistry laboratory and non-science majors chemistry. Average of 12 contact hours per week. Applicants will be expected to contribute to course development. Credentials should be submitted to: Dr. Philip T. Johns, Chair, Department of Chemistry, UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190,email: johnsp@uwwvax.uww.edu - inquiries only, no applications. Credentials must include a letter of application, vita, an educational summary, all relevant professional experience (including teaching, postdoctoral, industrial, etc.), copies of graduate and undergraduate transcripts, and three current letters of recommendation. (Transcript photocopies are acceptable for initial application.) Applicants must initiate the submission of recommendation letters. Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, lists of applicants must be released on request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality. Deadline: January 2, 1999. Incomplete credential files cannot be considered.

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The Chemistry Department at the College of William and Mary is seeking applicants for a tenure-track position in Bioanalytical Chemistry at the Assistant Professor level to begin in August, 1999. Send information to: The College of William & Mary, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795, Phone: 757-221-2540, Fax: 757-221-2715, e-mail: rlkief@chem1.chem.wm.edu .

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De Anza College. Chemistry Instructor. The Successful candidate will teach community college lecture and laboratory chemistry courses to a diverse student body. Courses range from introductory chemistry to general, organic, and analytical chemistry. For applications materials, please contact: Employment Services, Foothill-De Anza Community College District, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022, Phone: 650-949-6217, e-mail: Employment@fhda.edu , web: http://www.fh.fhda.edu/district/hr .

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University of Wisconsin-Madison. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program Graduate Student Project Assistantship Spring Semester, 1998/99. Development of Peer Mentor Training Module. The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program is seeking a graduate student project assistant (URS PA) to develop a training module for undergraduate research peer mentors and assist in the development of faculty, peer mentor, and researcher student handbooks for the Program. The URS PA initial appointment will be 50% time and will end on August 31, 1999. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Associate Dean and is subject to satisfactory job performance and budget considerations. The appointment percentage will provide a regular number of hours per week; within these hours some fluctuation may be expected from week to week, but a regular weekly schedule will be established. The URS PA duties will include: Gather and catalog information about undergraduate peer mentor training modules. Determine the peer mentor training schedule. Design the training syllabus and write the curriculum for each topic in it, including the intensive initial sessions and those that meet during the academic year. Develop printed materials to be used in association with the module. Develop several models of seminar syllabi for peer mentors to use in organizing their seminars. Assist the URS Director in developing handbooks for the faculty, peer mentors and undergraduate researchers. Other tasks as required by the URS Director. Qualifications: Project Assistants are required to be graduate students in good standing by University and Department criteria in order to hold an appointment. Project Assistants appointed for positions in Letters and Science are expected to enroll during the academic year for a minimum of six graduate credits each semester unless they are dissertators and enrolled for three dissertator credits. This six credit minimum may be waived for sound academic reasons by action of the departmental chair or his/her designee, but during the academic year a Project Assistant must always be enrolled for at least two credits. Registration is not required during the summer. Expected experience/skills: Demonstrated experience in curriculum development. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Attention to detail with an ability to maintain perspective on the broader objectives of the project. Commitment to and experience in enhancing the educational experience of undergraduates, particularly those from underrepresented populations. High energy level; good sense of humor; record of working as a self-starter. Willingness to take direction and work independently once a project has begun. Willingness to work on novel programs for which guidelines do not exist, but are being developed. Ability to work under time pressure and to meet (reasonable) deadlines. Familiarity with Windows NT or 95 computer systems, web pages, spreadsheets and word processing. Expected Starting Date: 26 January 1999. Application Procedure: We will begin reviewing applications immediately. All applications postmarked or delivered to Room 104 South Hall by 4 January 1999 will be fully considered. Applications received via fax will be accepted if original, hard-copy documents are received subsequently within 72 hours of original fax transmission. Submit a letter explaining interest in and qualifications for this position, a curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation from two references familiar with your qualifications related to this position. Application materials should be sent to: Dr. Maree Elowson, c/o Kim Edwardson, Undergraduate Research Scholars Office, Room 104 South Hall, CAMPUS. (FAX 608-263-7126) Apply by 15 January 1999 to ensure consideration. For further information contact Dr. Maree Elowson, Director; c/o Kim Edwardson, Search and Screen Coordinator; Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (telephone: 265-5461, E-mail: kaedward@lssaa.wisc.edu .

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Two Tenure Track Positions are available at Florida International University (FIU) for Fall 1999. The Department of Chemistry at FIU invites applications for appointments as Assistant or Associate Professor in: 1. BIOCHEMISTRY: a full time position in the Department of Chemistry (www.fiu.edu/orgs/chemistry) with biophysical or bioinorganic preferred but all areas will be considered; and 2. STABLE ISOTOPE MASS SPECTROMETRY: a joint appointment with the Southeast Environmental Research Program (SERP), http://www.fiu.edu/~serp . A Ph.D. is required and postdoctoral experience is preferred. The successful candidates are expected to establish active, externally funded research programs as well as demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Chemistry Department has a new Ph.D. program with foci on biomedical and environmental research and with close alliances with SERP and the International Forensic Research Institute, http://www.fiu.edu/~ifri on FIU's campus. Applicants should send a c.v., undergraduate and graduate transcripts, research plans and have three letters of reference sent to: Biochemist Search Committee or Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Search Committee, Chemistry Department, FIU, University Park, Miami, FL 33199. Selection process will begin on December 30th, 1998.

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Ferris State University, Tenure track position in General Chemistry, available August, 1999. Major teaching responsibilities include courses in general chemistry; other courses will be assigned, as appropriate. Other responsibilities include student advising, continuing professional development and participation on appropriate committees and special projects. A Ph.D. in chemistry or a Ph.D. in chemical education with a masters in chemistry is required. The successful candidate must demonstrate the potential for teaching excellence, must be able to contribute to the ongoing development of the Physical Sciences Department and must have interpersonal and communication skills sufficient to be able to work effectively with a diverse array of students and colleagues. Applicants must submit a letter of application, resume, statement of teaching philosophy and unofficial copies of all college transcripts (both undergraduate and graduate) and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to: Dr. David V. Frank, Head, Department of Physical Sciences, ASC 3021, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI 49307-2225. Review of applications will begin January 4, 1999 and continue until position is filled or February 15, 1999, whichever is earlier. Final candidates will be required to provide official transcripts.

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State University of New York at Buffalo, Center for Computational Research. Computational Scientists. The Center is seeking to hire highly motivated scientists wishing to build a dynamic research environment with state-of-the-art computing facilities. Applicants must have at least a master's degree (a Ph.D. is preferred) in computer science or a scientific discipline, and must have experience in code development for parallel computers. Requirements include: (1) very strong scientific programming skills using languages such as Fortran (F77, F90), C, and C++, (2) a working knowledge of parallel computing "languages" such as MPI, PVM, and OpenMP, (3) demonstrated skills in programming an SGI Origin2000, IBM SP or related parallel computer, and (4) good communication skills. Responsibilities are as follows: (1) providing technical guidance to Center researchers, (2) developing and optimizing existing scientific codes to work in a parallel computing environment, (3) performing software maintenance, and (4) developing and coordinating workshops, on-line tutorials, and other scientific activities associated with operation of the CCR. Interested persons should forward a resume and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to: Computational Scientist Search Committee, Center for Computational Research, 104 Bell Hall, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY 14260. The web site for the Center for Computational Research is located at http://www.ccr.buffalo.edu .

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POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AND/OR JOBS

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Tom Fehlner of the University of Notre Dame has a position available immediately in his lab. A postdoctoral position in his laboratory to participate in an interdisciplinary project concerned with molecular electronics based on the use of quantum-dot cellular atomata (QCA) as the basic functional unit (J. Appl. Phys., 74, 3558). This person would be involved with the directed synthesis of cluster coordination compounds (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 1998, 1835) for use as molecular mimics of quantum dot arrays. Characterization will include spectroelectrochemistry and other physical measurements. The research group includes experimental and theoretical chemists and electrical engineers and will provide a stimulating intellectual environment for a person interested in gaining experience in areas that intersect with modern chemistry. Applicants should sent a cv and three letters of recommendation to: Thomas P. Fehlner, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, phone (219) 631-7234, fax (219) 631-6652.

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Tony Czarnik of Illumina is going to have a couple of positions available for interns here at Illumina. The only people he's targeting right now are students who: (1) have graduated with their BS in December '98, (2) will be attending graduate or professional school in Fall '99, and (3) are within driving distance of San Diego. If you fit this profile and might be interested, please contact me via email. Information about Illumina is available via our Web site. Anthony W. Czarnik, Illumina, 9390 Towne Centre Drive, STE 200, San Diego, CA 92121-3015, fax: (619) 587-4297, email: aczarnik@illumina.com , web: http://www.illumina.com .

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Professor Linda Peteanu of Carnegie Mellon University has a postdoctoral position in experimental physical and biophysical chemistry now available. The successful candidate will participate in experiments examining the effect of molecular environment on charge-transfer reactions using Stark, fluorescence, and resonance Raman spectroscopies. The focus of the research is the photochemistry and photophysics of retinals and other polar donor-acceptor polyenes in glassy and polymeric matrices. Opportunities to study charge-transfer reactions in proteins and in organic compounds, conducting polymers, and to participate in the development of novel spectroscopic methods will also be available to the successful applicant. A Ph.D. is required, preferably in physical organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and/or biophysical chemistry. Additional preference will be given to candidates who have experience with laser spectroscopy and/or familiarity with the synthesis, isolation and characterization of organic compounds. Experience working with biological materials and with computational chemistry programs is also useful. The position is initially for one year but may be extended for an additional year by mutual consent. The salary is negotiable. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and have three letters of recommendation sent directly from the referees to: Professor Linda Peteanu, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA, phone: 412-268-1327, fax: 412-268-6897.

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Dr. Ronald P. Mason has a post-doctoral position in a biological ESR group available October 1, 1999 with a salary depending on experience. Health insurance is included. Studies of protein-derived tyrosyl and tryptophanyl radicals and of nitric oxide in humans are currently active. In vitro and in viva investigations of free radical metabolites of toxic chemicals and drugs are also active. Some experience in cell biology, immunology, and/or electron spin resonance is necessary. The applicant must have a PhD or MD with less than five years of previous post-doctoral experience. Please send curriculum vitae to: Dr. Ronald P. Mason, NIEHS/NIH, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 or e-mail mason4@niehs.nih.gov .

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DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE IN ROOM 1380.

NEXT NEWSLETTER IS ON JANUARY 11^th, 1999.