Chemistry Newsletter - 12/07/1998

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Chemistry Newsletter

---

XXXIII No. 136

December 7th, 1998

---

********************

New Copier in Library

I have replaced the Chemistry Department's older BookMark style copier (angled glass edge), with a brand new BookMark 35 copier. The copier itself has a newer look and a few added features that should aid you in your copying needs. If you have any questions on it use, please ask one of the Library staff for assistance. Thank You. Bruce Goldade - Chemistry Fast Copy Center Manager.

********************

TV Broadcast Times for Shakashiri Christmas Lecture

Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab Of Shakashiri will be broadcast on Wisconsin Public Television on Monday December 21 at 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, December 23 at 2:00 p.m. PBS will broadcast the show around the country, check local television listings for dates and times.

********************

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

********************

Analytical Cume Dates for 1998-99.

Room 2311 Chemistry Building.

February 6th, 1999

March 20th, 1999

April 3rd, 1999

********************

Inorganic Cume Dates for 1998.

Room 2373, From 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

December 12th, 1998

 

********************

---

ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS

********************

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.

********************

---

SEMINARS

********************

Thursday, December 10^th, 1998 - Materials Science Seminar. Professor Stephen J. Clarson, University of Cincinnati.

********************

---

Something New In The Newsletter:

Recent Publications

About every two weeks we will be publishing a list of recent publications by Faculty and Staff for the previous 2 weeks. The list that follows was from the Institute for Scientific Information Citation Database.

********************

Hovis JS; Liu H.; Hamers RJ

Scanning tunneling microscopy of cyclic unsaturated organic molecules on Si(001)

APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING 1998, Vol 66, pp S553-S557

********************

Liu HB; Hamers RJ

An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the bonding of unsaturated organic molecules to the Si(001) surface

SURFACE SCIENCE 1998, Vol 416, Iss 3, pp 354-362

********************

Raushel FM; Thoden JB; Reinhart GD; Holden HM

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase: a crooked path from substrates to products

CURRENT OPINION IN CHEMICAL BIOLOGY 1998, Vol 2, Iss 5, pp 624-632

********************

Craig ML; Tsodikov OV; McQuade KL; Schlax PE; Capp MW; Saecker RM; Record MT

DNA footprints of the two kinetically significant intermediates in formation of an RNA polymerase-promoter open complex: Evidence that interactions with start site and downstream DNA induce sequential conformational changes in polymerase and DNA JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1998, Vol 283, Iss 4, pp 741-756

********************

Tsodikov OV; Craig ML; Saecker RM; Record MT

Quantitative analysis of multiple-hit footprinting studies to characterize DNA conformational changes in protein-DNA complexes: Application to DNA opening by E sigma(70) RNA polymerase JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1998, Vol 283, Iss 4, pp 757-769

********************

Whitlock HW

On the structure of total synthesis of complex natural products

JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1998, Vol 63, Iss 22, pp 7982-7989

********************

Lorenz JK; Ellis AB

Surfactant-semiconductor interfaces: Perturbation of the photoluminescence of bulk cadmium selenide by adsorption of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide as a probe of solution aggregation with relevance to nanocrystal stabilization

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1998, Vol 120, Iss 42, pp 10970-10975

********************

Tran NT; Kawano M; Powell DR; Dahl LF

Pd-59(CO)(32)(PMe3)(21): A nanosized metal cluster containing a trigonal D-3 Pd-59 core with 11 interior palladium atoms

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1998, Vol 120, Iss 42, pp 10986-10987

********************

Keding SJ; Dales NA; Lim SJ; Beaulieu D; Rich DH

Synthesis of (3R)-amino-(2S)-hydroxy amino acids for inhibition of methionine aminopeptidase-1

SYNTHETIC COMMUNICATIONS 1998, Vol 28, Iss 23, pp 4463-4470

********************

---

Notices for Meetings & Programs

********************

Graduate Student Project Assistantship in area of Teaching Assistant Training L&S Administration

Work with L&S Associate Dean and other members of the L&S administrative team, with the L&S Teaching Assistant Instructional Development Program Committee, and with L&S departments and programs, in development and expansion of teaching assistant training activities. Appointment percentage and duration will be developed to fit PA's time and needs, and needs of office--it can be at the level of at least 1/3 time during Semester II, 1998-99 (but could entail less time if ideal candidate has other schedule preferences). The position is expected to be for the spring semester (payrolling dates January 8, 1999 - May 23, 1999). Summer appointment may be possible. 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. This is a new PAship, funded through a grant. It is expected to end when grant funds are expended.

Duties will include: Exploration of ways to extend College-level TA training activities into academic year, through such possible avenues as drop-in discussion hours, establishment of diagnostic services, email or other electronic communication opportunities for TAs, brown-bag lunches and other informal meetings, development of teaching course possibilities. Recommend priorities; coordinate and help organize. Gather and catalog information about department- and discipline-level training activities. Review of library of videotapes of past TA Training and Orientation Workshop sessions. Develop a plan to edit, catalog, publicize, and make broadly useful to L&S teaching assistants, departments and programs. Assist with this project. Assisting with development of web site for L&S TA training and recognition activities.

Qualifications: Applicant must be a currently enrolled, continuing graduate student in good standing at the UW-Madison and making satisfactory progress toward the degree. Preference is given to enrollment in a degree program represented within the College of Letters and Science. During the academic year, registration is normally required at the level of 6 credits or, if a dissertator, 3 dissertator credits. Registration is not required during the summer.

Applicant should possess: Demonstrated excellence as a teaching assistant in L&S courses. Demonstrated interest in TA training activities at course, program, department, or college level. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Attention to detail. Commitment to the broad scope of a liberal arts education. High energy level; good sense of humor. Willingness to take direction but to work independently once a project has begun; record of working as a self-starter. Ability to work under time pressure and to meet (reasonable) deadlines. Familiarity with web pages, spreadsheets and word processing.

For further information contact Associate Dean Judith S. Craig, 263-7221 or jcraig@ls.admin.wisc.edu . To apply, submit a letter explaining interest in and qualifications for this position, a curriculum vitae, and names and addresses of two references familiar with your qualifications related to this position, to: Associate Dean Judith S. Craig, L&S Administration, 301 South Hall, CAMPUS. (FAX 608-265-3565) Apply by December 21 to ensure consideration.

********************

APS Centennial Meeting

The deadline for APS matching travel awards for undergraduate and first year graduate students to attend the APS Centennial Meeting is December 10. If you know of deserving students that would like to attend this meeting and need some financial support, please see that your department nominates them for these grants. Full information can be found at http://www.aps.org/meet/CENT99/ if you click on Student Travel in the left hand column. The Centennial Meeting will offer the rare chance for students to hear general talks by outstanding physicists covering all of physics. In addition, there will be wonderful physics exhibits and many cultural and social events of interest to students.

********************

Biotechnology Training Program

This letter is to solicit nominations of matriculated students for traineeships on the NIH-sponsored Biotechnology Training Program (BTP). We are interested in students of strong academic caliber who have expressed a particular interest in biotechnology and/or cross-disciplinary training. The BTP screening committee reviews the applications and decides which to award. Award decisions will be made in January. We anticipate that four awards will be available beginning February 1, 1999, or a later date.

Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for funding on this predoctoral training grant, however, non-citizens with interests that coincide with this program are welcome to take part in the program as non-NIH funded participants. Students awarded traineeships in this current competition are typically first or second year graduate students. Domestic students who desire this type of cross-disciplinary training but are not in need of Biotechnology Training Program funding are also welcome to participate in the program. Students and faculty who want additional information about the program and its requirements are encouraged to contact the program office or visit our website at http://www.bact.wisc.edu/Biotech/BTPindex .

The deadline for submitting nominations is January 8, 1999. If you have any questions on the program requirements or the application process, please call this office for clarification. A nomination form can be obtained from Mary Kay Sorenson in room 7315, the Chemistry Placement office.

********************

---

For Industrial Positions, see the Chemistry Placement Newsletter at:

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

---

FACULTY POSITIONS/TEMPORARY FACULTY/ACADEMIC POSITIONS

********************

Sandia National Laboratories. The Combustion Research Facility invites applications for staff and postdoctoral positions in optical diagnostics research and development. The positions are funded under a stable basic research program aimed at understanding fundamental processes in combustion, with the long-term goal of predictive modeling of practical devices. The researchers will participate in a team effort that develops state-of-the-art laser-based diagnostics for combustion measurements. Emphasis is given to spatially and temporally precise methods that provide chemical or gas-dynamical information in combusting gases, e.g., four-wave mixing and laser-induced fluorescence techniques. Activities will include basic spectroscopy, spectroscopic model development, conducting time-resolved experiments on inter- and intra-molecular processes relevant to diagnostics, and developing innovative new techniques. The positions offer both basic and applied research opportunities. Working with other CRF staff, the diagnostics researchers will apply and/or transfer advanced diagnostics to major CRF experiments in turbulent combustion, flame chemistry, and flame imaging. A Ph.D degree in engineering or the physical sciences and substantial background in laser spectroscopy is required. Interested candidates should send a statement of research interests, a curriculum vitae, list of relevant publications, and the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of three references to: Dr. Frank P. Tully, Manager, BES/Chemical Sciences Project, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 969, MS 9055, Livermore, CA 94551-0969.

********************

University of Illinois at Chicago. Is seeking appropriate candidates for a new opening in our department in Analytical chemistry at the junior level. While we anticipate hiring a starting assistant professor, a more established young researcher of outstanding caliber can be considered for a more advanced position. If you have students, or, preferably, postdocs who wish to find an academic position and have true independent research potential or if you know of colleagues who have such students or are interested in a move, please have them contact me. Our areas of interest are quite broad, as we are just in the initial stages of building a faculty group in analytical chemistry. Thus it is important to us that the candidate identify himself/herself as an analytical chemist and be eager to teach in that area. We hope to continue to add to our analytical staff and to have faculty now formally in other areas cooperate in the development of an expanded graduate program in analytical chemistry. The new faculty member we seek would definitely be in a position to help shape our program to his/her vision of the role of analytical chemistry in modern chemistry. As for research, we are mainly interested in high quality rather than specific area. All other things being equal, we would seek someone whose research area complemented and extended those active in our department. In particular, we favor a big-analytical candidate who can interact well with the growing numbers of faculty emphasizing protein and nucleic acid chemistry in their research. Alternatively, a materials oriented candidate or one who develops new sensors would build on other strengths in the university. Our published announcement had a stated deadline of November 2, 1998 , but the search will be considered to be ongoing until appropriate candidates are identified. We intend to entertain applications all during the fall term, depending on the quality and number of applicants. Send Applications to: Tim Keideirling, Professor and Acting Head, Chairman of the Analytical Search Committee, Department of Chemistry (MC 111), Science and Engineering South, 845 West Taylor Street, Room 4500, Chicago, Illinois, 60607-7061.

********************

Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry, Tenure Track Position Beginning Fall, 1999, Northeastern Illinois University. Responsibilities are: Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Physical Chemistry as well as General Chemistry I and II. Teach general education courses as needed. Develop new courses when called on to do so. Seek grants and undertake research. Direct student research and thesis writing. Serve on department committees and participate in department governance. Serve on University committees as needed and desired. Assist with the maintenance of existing instrumentation and purchase of new instruments, or help with the introduction of computers applications into various chemistry courses. Qualifications are: Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry. Good teaching ability. Ability to supervise undergraduate and graduate research. Candidates may be asked to give a seminar or guest lecture. Send application, vita and three letters of recommendation (one addressing teaching) to: Professor John Albazi, Chemistry, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625. Review of applications will begin January 11, 1999, and continue until the position is filled.

********************

The Chemistry Department at Michigan State University seeks to fill a faculty position in Inorganic Chemistry, either at the assistant professor level on the tenure track or at a more senior level with tenure. To be considered for a senior level appointment, candidates must have a recognized track record of excellence in research and teaching. Outstanding candidates in all areas of Inorganic Chemistry are encouraged to apply. Particular needs exist in materials and solid state chemistry. Candidates are expected to establish a vigorous research program and pursue excellence in research and teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in chemistry or a related field, and should send a current curriculum vitae, a list of publications, and research plans to: Katharine C. Hunt, Chair, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322. Applicants should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. Review of applications will begin January 1, 1999, and will continue until the positions are filled.

********************

Temple University, Tenure Track Positions in Organic/Bioorganic and Analytical/Physical/Materials Chemistry. As part of a continuing development program the Department of Chemistry at Temple University seeks outstanding applicants for two tenure-track positions (rank open) in the areas of Organic/ Bioorganic Chemistry and Analytical/Physical/Materials Chemistry for Fall 1999. For the first position, we are particularly interested in individuals who have synthetic interests at the interface of Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, etc., but all areas will be considered. The candidate should have an especially strong commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry or Biochemistry. For the second position, we are willing to consider a broad range of research interests but require a strong commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the area of Analytical Chemistry. For both positions a Ph.D. is required and postdoctoral experience is desirable. Applicants should provide a curriculum vitae, including a description of current and future research plans, teaching interests, estimated start-up costs and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to: "Chair" Faculty Selection Committee, Department of Chemistry, 13th and Norris Sts., Temple University, Philadelphia. PA 19122. Application review will begin in December 1998. For more information see: http://www.chem.temple.edu/ .

********************

The University of North Carolina-Greensboro wants to bring to your attention the search for a person to fill the Marie Foscue Rourk tenured Professorship in Chemical Education at UNC-Greensboro. This unique, newly endowed position will provide exciting possibilities for scholarship in chemical education in the Department of Chemistry. We are looking for a person with interests in innovative pedagogical approaches to the teaching of chemistry in particular and science in general. This can include both lecture and laboratory, not only in beginning chemistry courses, but also those in the Rourk professor's area of expertise. The Rourk professor position will provide on-going funding not only for chemical education activities but also to support the professor's more traditional research if that is applicable. We believe that the time is right for chemical education to be recognized at the endowed chair level and believe that the Rourk Professorship at UNCG will ultimately gain national recognition as one of the centers-of-excellence in science education in the US. Candidates should submit a vita, list of publications, description of teaching philosophy and research interests and projects, and three letters of reference. The advertisement announcing the Professorship appeared in the November 16^th issue of C & E News. Screening of applications will begin on January 18, 1999 and continue until the position is filled. Send to: J. R. Jezorek, Chair, Rourk Endowed Professor Search Committee, (336) 334 5475, jjezorek@uncg.edu .

********************

Central Missouri State University. A tenure-track position to teach General Chemistry, core courses in discipline, and direct undergraduate research. Appointment Date: August 1999. Application Deadline: December 31^st, 1998. A viable candidate for the available position will have: Received a Ph.D. degree in any chemistry discipline by the appointment date. Formal training or demonstrated experience in an area of chemistry that complements the current department expertise and bridges one or more of the traditional chemistry disciplines. Demonstrated skills for teaching undergraduate students, both majors and non-majors. Experience in organizing classroom activities and supervising laboratories. Demonstrated ability to direct undergraduate research in one or more areas pertinent to chemistry specialty. Demonstrated effective communication skills in both written and oral form. Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with a diverse student population. Experience with instruments and techniques commonly used in modern chemistry laboratories. Experience with computers in teaching and research settings. Candidates must send a letter of application, statements describing teaching philosophy and research interests, resume, unofficial graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Michael Powers, Search Committee Chair, Department of Chemistry and Physics, WCM408, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, MO 64093-5055.

********************

Central Missouri State University. A tenure-track position to teach Organic chemistry, and direct undergraduate research. Appointment Date: August 1999. Application Deadline: December 31^st, 1998. A viable candidate for the available position will have: Received a Ph.D. degree in any chemistry discipline by the appointment date. Formal training or demonstrated experience in an area of chemistry that complements the current department expertise and bridges one or more of the traditional chemistry disciplines. Demonstrated skills for teaching undergraduate students, both majors and non-majors. Experience in organizing classroom activities and supervising laboratories. Demonstrated ability to direct undergraduate research in one or more areas pertinent to chemistry specialty. Demonstrated effective communication skills in both written and oral form. Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with a diverse student population. Experience with instruments and techniques commonly used in modern chemistry laboratories. Experience with computers in teaching and research settings. Candidates must send a letter of application, statements describing teaching philosophy and research interests, resume, unofficial graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Michael Powers, Search Committee Chair, Department of Chemistry and Physics, WCM408, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, MO 64093-5055.

********************

The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Georgia Institute of Technology seeks to fill several tenure-track faculty positions in chemistry and biochemistry including organic (medicinal, bioorganic or polymer) chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, computational chemistry, and bioanalytical chemistry. Applications will be considered at all levels. Further information is available on our Web site: http://www.chemistry.gatechedu . Candidates at the entry level should send an application letter, curriculum vitae, and a summary of research plans and should request three letters of reference. All materials and requests for information should be directed to: Chair, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400. Applicants will be considered beginning October 15, 1998, but applications past that date will be considered until the positions are filled.

********************

---

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AND/OR JOBS

********************

Donald H. Levy of the University of Chicago is looking for a postdoc to work on supersonic molecular beam experiments designed to measure energy transfer and charge transfer rates in bichromophoric organic molecules. These are molecules with two different aromatic chromophores separated by an aliphatic spacer. The idea is to selectively excite a non-stationary state of one of the chromophores and to measure the dynamics of the system that are induced by the weak coupling through the chain. We have already done both energy and charge transfer experiments using nanosecond lasers and demonstrated that in our molecules these processes are sub-nanosecond. We now want to do experiments at the sub-picosecond resolution allowed by a titanium-sapphire laser. As is always the case, the laserology is the hard part, and I would be most interested in somebody with experience with fast lasers. Please contact: Donald H. Levy at: levy@dilly.uchicage.edu .

********************

Professor Steven C. Zimmerman of the University of Illinois has an immediate opening for one, possibly two postdoctoral research associates. The work will involve projects in the area of bioorganic chemistry. The first involves a new initiative within the group, the imprinting of molecular and biomolecular structures in the interior of dendrimers, and a longer term effort to use hollow dendritic structures for drug delivery. The second project deals with our long-standing interest in molecular recognition of DNA using small molecules and oligonucleotides. He is especially interested in individuals with experience in organic synthesis who want to apply their synthetic skills to problems in bioorganic chemistry. The candidate should be motivated and independent. Good communication skills and an interactive nature are essential as both projects involve working with a team of investigators. Please forward a c.v. and three letters of recommendation to: Steven C. Zimmerman, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, 600 South Mathews Ave., MC-712, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, Ph: 217-333-6655, FAX: 217-244-9919, e-mail:sczimmer@uiuc.edu , www: http://ludwig.scs.uiuc.edu .

********************

Professor James S. Nowick of the University of California, Irvine is trying to identify candidates for a postdoctoral research position in his laboratory. The research project aims to build upon our previous efforts to develop compounds that mimic the structures of protein beta-sheets. The current project will focus upon developing additional mimics of protein beta-sheets and using these mimics to block beta-sheet interactions between proteins. These interactions play a critical role in processes as diverse as cell signaling, enzyme-substrate recognition, the formation of protein quaternary structures, and the aggregation of peptides and proteins to form insoluble beta-sheet structures. These processes are involved in diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer's disease. The broad, long-term objectives of this research encompass both the development of drugs for diseases involving beta-sheet formation between proteins and the development of general strategies for creating compounds that disrupt beta-sheet interactions between proteins. Candidates for this position should have strong skills in the synthesis and characterization of organic compounds of reasonable complexity and should be interested in applying these skills to biologically important problems. Candidates for the position should send a CV and letters of reference to: James S. Nowick, Professor of Chemistry, Phone: (949) 824-6091, FAX: (949) 824-8571, Web: http://www.chem.uci.edu/research/faculty/jsnowick.html , Department of Chemistry, 535B Rowland Hall, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025.

********************

Assistant Professor Patrick A. Limbach of Louisiana State University has a postdoctoral position in his laboratory. The postdoc will be working on a recently funded NIH project involving mass spectrometric characterization of nucleic acids. I am especially interested in candidates with prior electrospray ionization (ESI) or Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) experience. Other skills relevant to this position include HPLC, gel- and capillary electrophoresis, and a background in protein or nucleic acid chemistry. However, any suitable candidates having experience with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) or ESI-MS characterization of biological compounds are invited to apply for this position. Specifically, this position will involve the characterization of ribosomal RNAs and proteins using ESI-FTICRMS. The overall objective of this work will be developing new methods for the identification of protein-nucleic acid interactions in macromolecular systems. ESI-FTICRMS will be our main problem solving tool, although it is expected that additional experiments using MALDI-TOFMS or ESI-MS on our quadrupole instrument will be needed during the course of these studies. Interested applicants may send me a copy of their resume, names and addresses of three references, and have their Ph.D. advisor send me a letter of recommendation directly (via email or US mail). If any students have questions, they may contact me via email: plimbac@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu or phone (225-388-3417). The position is available as of December 1, 1998 and the search will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Send all material to: Dr. Patrick A Limbach, Asst. Professor Chemistry, 232 Choppin Hall, (504) 388-3417, plimbac@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu .

********************

Dr. Daryl J. Bornhop of Texas Tech University is seeking outstanding candidates for each of two postdoc positions he now has available in his group. Two postdoctoral positions involving multi-disciplinary research in dye, reagent and marker (particularly for biomedical applications) development and application is available immediately. One position requires a Ph.D. in Organic or Inorganic Chemistry and/or extensive experience in synthetic methods. The second position requires a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering or Biomedical Optics and/or extensive experience in the design and testing of fluorescent imaging systems. In both cases, a basic knowledge of Biochemistry is also a must. To apply, please send application letter, CV and the names, phone numbers and email addresses of three references to: Darryl J. Bornhop, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University at djbornhop@ttu.edu or by FAX at (806) 742-1289.

********************

---

DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE IN ROOM 1380.

NEXT NEWSLETTER IS ON DECEMBER 14^th, 1998.