General Department News

Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary

Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary

Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary

Vestal Hills Elementary
Vestal Hills Elementary

ChOP members led the Morning Outreach Event at Vestal Hills Elementary on 3/21/2024.


Spring 2024 award
Spring 2024 awards

Congratulations to the Spring 2024 Awards

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING: LynnTerry
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE / OUTREACH: Kelli Moseman
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: Zihan Xu and Chetan Joshi

Congratulations!


Professor Eriks Rozners
Professor Eriks Rozners

Eriks Rozners’ group has renewed their Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (MIRA R35 GM130207) of $2,109,044 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to support their broad research portfolio on Chemical Approaches to Control the Function of Regulatory RNAs. This award will support for another 5 years two long-standing research programs in Rozners’ lab on 1) amide-modified RNA and 2) sequence selective recognition of RNA via triplex forming peptide nucleic acids.

The goals of MIRA R35 Outstanding Investigator Awards are to increase the stability of funding for NIGMS-supported investigators, enhance their ability to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively, and increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions, while reducing the time spent on writing and reviewing grant applications.

Congratulations to Eriks and his group! 


Southern Tier Scholastic Science Fair on 3/15/2024
Science Fair
Southern Tier Scholastic Science Fair on 3/15/2024
Science Fair
Southern Tier Scholastic Science Fair on 3/15/2024
Science Fair

ChOP members led the Morning Workshops at the 2024 Southern Tier Scholastic Science Fair on 3/15/2024.

Virtual Open House, Thu, Jan 11, 9 am - 12 pm, EST

We would like to invite you to our virtual graduate student open house which is hosted by the Chemistry Graduate Program and the Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program at SUNY Binghamton University, New York, USA (see attached flyer). The open house will be on Thursday, January 11, at 9 am - 12 pm Eastern Standard Time. Please sign up at the link below. If you are not available, please sign up too, and we will send you video content. Our priority application deadline for both graduate programs is on January 15. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you virtually on our Campus and answer any questions you may have about our two graduate programs!

Signup here: https://forms.gle/hSvx8nzfzUy4wsZK8

Program:

1. Introduction to the Chemistry Graduate Program and the Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program at SUNY Binghamton University by our Chairs, followed by a Q&A:

Dr. Christof Grewer, Department Chair
Dr. Jennifer Hirschi, Chemistry Graduate Program Chair
Dr. Brian Callahan, Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Program Chair
Dr. Julien Panetier, Graduate Admission Chair

2. Meetings with graduate students from your preferred Chemistry discipline

3. Individual meetings with faculty 
A directory of faculty members and their research group websites can be found here:
https://www.binghamton.edu/chemistry/faculty/

4. Virtual Building Tour

Openhouse flyer

Graduate Studies in Chemistry flyer


Salt Springs State Park
Salt Springs State Park
Salt Springs State Park
Salt Springs State Park

Thanks to the Wellness Team, in particular Claire Besson and Julien Panetier, for organizing the Department hike to Salt Springs State Park on 10/28/2023.  Getting wet feet seems to become a regular occurance on these hikes. See all the pictures from the hike.


Dr. Grewer
Dr. Grewer
Christof Grewer's group has received a five-year National Cancer Institute (NCI) award in collaboration with Dr. Avner Schlessinger's laboratory at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (9R01CA277794-10A1, Schlessinger, PI, $526,804 total costs sub-contract to Grewer lab) with the title "Substrate Specificity Determinants in Nutrient Solute Carrier Transporters." Glutamine transporters ASCT2 and SCL6A14 have been shown to be of major importance in glutamine homeostasis in rapidly growing cells. This is the third R01 grant funding the collaboration between the Grewer and Schlessinger laboratories, which started in 2015. The major goal of this project is to develop and characterize novel competitive and non-competitive inhibitors for ASCT2 and SCL6A14 glutamine transporters, using computational and experimental approaches, to be used as pharmacological tools and anti-cancer reagents.


Chenango Valley Hike
Chenango Valley Hike
Chenango Valley Hike
Chenango Valley Hike
Department's Hike to Chenango Valley State Park on June 10th. See all the pictures from the hike.


2023 graduates
2023 graduates
Congratulations to our 2023 graduates who earned their Ph.D. and Master's degrees.  A well-deserved achievement.


 Dr. Kelleher and Dr. Karugu
Dr. Kelleher and Dr. Karugu
On 4/26/2023 Dr. Kelleher and Dr. Karugu hosted the 82th Binghamton ACS Local Section  Awards Dinner at the Smart Energy Fountain Room. Congratulations to all the winners.


Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary
Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary
Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary
Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary
Horace Mann Elementary School
Horace Mann Elementary
4/27/23 the chemistry outreach program went to Horace Mann Elementary School for a morning of hands-on science activities! It was our last school visit of the 2022-2023 academic year!


Eric Goldwater
Eric Goldwater
Eric Talbott, a second-year Chemistry major, a First-year Research Immersion program Researcher, and a Binghamton University Scholar, has been selected by the Excellence in Education Foundation and the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs as a 2023 Barry S. Goldwater Scholar. He will be awarded $15K toward his undergraduate education in preparation for graduate school, where he plans to earn a PhD in Chemistry. Eric has continued his commitment to the Biomedical Chemistry stream of the First-year Research Immersion program as a peer mentor and an independent researcher for Dr. Flynn. He is also refining his skills as a mechanistic photocatalysis researcher in Dr. Swierk’s lab. He was recently named a co-author in a publication for Chemical Communications and is working on his next publication involving quantum yield and mechanistic studies. Congratulations to Eric! We are proud of you and excited to see your future successes! 


Grad student awards
Grad student awards
Spring 2023 Awards

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING: Faith Wachira 

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE / OUTREACH: Ezer Castillo and Victoria Kompanijec

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: Christopher Ryan

Congratulations!


Binghamton researchers among top 2% in the world

www.binghamton.edu/news


Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
A closer, more in depth look at the work our volunteers did at Thomas Jefferson Elementary this past month!


CV STEAM photo
Chenango Valley STEAM
CV STEAM
Chenango Valley STEAM

CV STEAM
Chenango Valley STEAM
2/23/23 the chemistry outreach program and the chemist Baxter were present at the Chenango Valley STEAM night for a night of hands-on science activities!


St. John's Elementary
St. John's Elementary
 St. John's Elementary
St. John's Elementary

Grad Students and Staff at the Outreach Visit to St. John's Elementary School in Binghamton, NY.


Chancellor's Award
Chancellor's Award
Dr. Alexsa Silva receiving the Chancellor's Award for Professional Service on October 21, 2022. Congratulations Dr. Silva.


Buttermilk Falls Hike
Buttermilk Falls Hike
Buttermilk Falls Hike
Buttermilk Falls Hike

Department's Hike to Buttermilk Falls on Oct 15.

See all the pictures from the hike.


Mary Bridge
Mary Bridge
Robert Kematick
Robert Kematick

President Stenger recognized the long service of Mary Bridge and Robert Kematick at the Retirement Luncheon on September 27, 2022.


Professor Dimitrov
Congratulations to Professor Nikolay Dimitrov on winning the the Electrochemical Society Electrodeposition Division Research Award 2022 for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of electrodeposition.


Student Excellence Awards

Congratulations to the winners of 2022 Graduate Student Excellence Awards:

Brandon Tessier - Lois Mackey Award 

Victoria Kompanijec - Outstanding Service and Outreach Award

Justine Gordon and Ezer Castillo - Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award 

Daniel Ciulla and Ezer Castillo - Outstanding Research Assistant Award


Professor Vetticatt
The Vetticatt research group has received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) for 'Mechanistic Studies at the Frontiers of Catalysis'. This 5-year, $1.77 M award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences supports the group's research efforts in investigating reaction mechanisms in organocatalysis, palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, C-H activation reactions, and metallophotoredox catalysis. These studies are expected to guide the discovery of more robust reactions that find broad application in the synthesis of high-value pharmaceuticals.


Alexsa Silva has received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Congratulations Alexsa!


Vanessa
Vanessa Mai, who is earning a MS in chemistry under Assistant Professor Huiyuan Guo, took first prize and the people's choice prize for her presentation "Identify if your Skincare Routine is the Problem" at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition held in the Mandela Room during Research Days, April 27.


Star Award
Congratulations Jessica on receiving the Binghamton University STAR Award! The STAR award recognizes, affirms and supports examples of outstanding quality service by any faculty or staff member within the Binghamton University community.


Professor J Hirschi
The Hirschi Lab was recently awarded an NIH R15 grant through NIGMS. This proposal utilizes experimental and computational methods to gain unprecedented insight into the reactivity of radical intermediates; insight that is crucial to the success of two classes of photocatalytic reactions that convert feedstock chemicals to high-value pharmaceuticals. The information obtained from the proposed studies provide a blueprint for the discovery of new photocatalytic reactions and facilitate the utilization of existing technologies for the synthesis of medicinally relevant molecules.


Dominic Caracciolo, CEO of DomCat Technologies and Chemistry graduate student of Binghamton University (left), and Tony Frontera, Hot Spot Entrepreneur-in-Residence/Adjunct Lecturer of Binghamton University Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships (right) at the FuzeHub event at Turning Stone Casino.

Binghamton University smart energy start up wins competition

FuzeHub Commercialization Competition is intended to help small-sized manufacturing and technology companies strengthen their “go-to-market” strategies as they move from new product/production method to marketplace.  Dominic Caracciolo, CEO of DomCat Technologies, a recent startup spinoff from Zhong Research Group at Binghamton University, and Chemistry graduate student, successfully pitched at this event and won $50,000 for DomCat to pursue commercialization of a patented fuel cell catalyst technology developed at Binghamton University.  This entrepreneurship effort was built upon the team’s initial pitch experience at FuzeHub 2018 and accelerated by recent market findings from the projects funded by NSF I-Corps and Binghamton University XCEED. DomCat’s team is excited about winning the competition and ready to pursue the business plan and bring the fuel cell technology to the clean and sustainable energy market. 


Jie Xiao

POWERED BY CURIOSITY: ALUMNA AND LEADING BATTERY RESEARCHER JIE XIAO

Jie Xiao came abroad to Binghamton to study chemistry with Distinguished Professor M. Stanley Whittingham. Read more here: LEADING BATTERY RESEARCHER JIE XIAO


Dr. Swierk

 John Swierk’s research group has been awarded an NIH grant.

John Swierk’s research group has been awarded an NIH grant (1 R15 GM140404-01) dealing with tattoo photochemistry ($450,480 in total). Despite the growing popularity of tattoos and massive economic footprint of laser tattoo removal, how light changes tattoos and what corresponding risks are introduced are poorly understood. Over the next 3 years, the Swierk group plans to map out what tattoo inks photodegrade into and what risks those photodegraded products pose to humans. Studies are also planned to understand how laser tattoo removal degrades tattoos, which may lead to better and more effective methods. Collaboration with Prof. Laura Rhoads (SUNY Potsdam) will allow the group to study the photochemical effects of tattoo in model biological systems.”


Chemical Reviews

Fang Group

Having prepared for a long time, Fang group recently published a comprehensive review article, “Noble-Metal Based Random Alloy and Intermetallic Nanocrystals: Syntheses and Applications” in the prestigious ACS journal, Chemical Reviews (Impact Factor 2019: 52.758) that receives exceptionally high citation numbers. The article outlines random alloy and intermetallic nanocrystals from their structure, synthesis to their applications, and addresses their prospects and current challenges in terms of the controlled synthesis. This article, as part of thematic issue “Advanced Materials and Methods for Electrocatalysis by Transition Metals”, was invited by the Chem. Rev. editors and has been prepared since last fall.

“Noble-Metal Based Random Alloy and Intermetallic Nanocrystals: Syntheses and Applications”, Ming Zhou, Can Li, and Jiye Fang, Chem. Rev., 120 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00436


Professor Eriks Rozners

Eriks Rozners wins the 2021 Melville L. Wolfrom Award

Eriks Rozners, Professor and Chair of Chemistry has been selected to receive the 2021 Melville L. Wolfrom Award from the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry, American Chemical Society. The Melville L. Wolfrom Award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry and the field of carbohydrate chemistry. Professor Rozners will receive the award during the ACS National Meeting next March in San Antonio.


Dr. Hao Liu
 Dr. Hao Liu's group, in collaboration with Dr. Louis Piper and Dr. Manuel Smeu groups from Physics Department, has received a three-year NSF award (CBET-2028722, $605,209 in total) . This award, entitled "Rational Design of Oxide Cathode Coatings for High Performance Li-ion Batteries", will investigate the fundamental role of surface coating layers in battery electrodes. Surface coating is widely used as a practical method to improve the performance of Li-ion battery electrode, yet its impact on Li-ion transport and electrode-electrolyte interface stability is not well understood. The research will provide insight into atomic-level processes in order to guide the development of robust coating layers that can be scaled up into manufacturing-grade testing. 


 

Dan Ciulla

Dan Ciulla, first recipient of the prestigious John Eisch Summer Fellowship.

Congratulations to Dan Ciulla, 2nd year PhD student (Callahan Group), as the first recipient of the prestigious John Eisch Summer Fellowship. Following the example set forth by Professor Eisch, Dan is a dedicated scholar, tireless worker and fearless experimentalist. Dan fully embodies the theme of the John Eisch Summer Fellowship: Chemical Research Beyond Expectation.

Despite a relatively short time in our Chemistry PhD program, Dan already has 5 peer-reviewed publications, a list that includes two first-author publications, one in JACS and one in ChemComm, and a co-first author publication, also in JACS. Dan’s first-author paper in JACS was selected by the journal editors as the cover feature!

In his most recent work, Dan is applying the revolutionary CRISPR/Cas gene editing technology as a means toward discovering new and more effective cancer therapies. Dan’s newly created research tools have paved the way for an exciting collaboration focused on cancer drug discovery involving the Callahan lab and the National Institutes of Health.


Maureen Kitheka
Chemistry Ph.D. student receives Frontera Computational Science Fellowship

Maureen Kitheka, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Goyal group, has been awarded a Frontera Computational Science Fellowship for 2020-2021 by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) in order to carry out research on charge transport in organic battery materials. As part of this fellowship, Maureen will receive 50,000 node-hours on Frontera, paid summer residence at TACC, training on the latest tools in advanced computing, and collaboration/networking opportunities. She will also receive an annual stipend of $34,000 and support for travel to a Frontera user community event and/or professional conference. Congratulations Maureen!   


Dr. Whittingham

Stan Wittingham receives 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to M. Stanley Whittingham, distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science at Binghamton University, State University of New York.Whittingham won the prize for pioneering research leading to the development of the lithium-ion battery along with John B. Goodenough, Virginia H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and Akira Yoshino of Meijo University in Japan. Congratulations to Stan!

Binghamton University News

Nobel Prize in Chemistry


Dr. Grewer

Grewer laboratory receives major NIGMS grant

Dr. Grewer's laboratory has been awarded a NIH grant (1 R15 GM135843-01, $450,480, three years) with the title "How to Combat Glutamate Release by Reverse Transport: Mechanistic Studies and Development of Selective Efflux Inhibitors." This grant will support research on the mechanism of how the major excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is released into the extracellular space in the brain, by reverse transport through glutamate transporters. In addition, new avenues will be explored of how to selectively block glutamate release using pro-drug inhibitors. Glutamate release by neurons is important because glutamate becomes an excitotoxin, when present in the extracellular space of the brain in high concentrations. Such pathophysiological conditions are often encountered after a stroke, when glutamate induces irreversible neuronal cell death. The proposed research aims at understanding the glutamate release process and potentially preventing it through pharmacological intervention.


Dr. Grewer

Grewer laboratory receives collaborative NIH award with Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Christof Grewer's group has received a four-year NIGMS award in collaboration with Dr. Avner Schlessinger's laboratory at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (9 R01 GM108911-06A1, Schlessinger, PI, $81,024 total costs per year sub-contract to Grewer lab) with the title "Substrate Specificity Determinants in Cancer-related Solute Carrier Transporters." The glutamine transporter ASCT2 has been shown to be of major importance in glutamine homeostasis in rapidly-growing cancer cells, resulting in "glutamine addiction" of these cells. This is the second R01 grant funding the long-standing collaboration between the Grewer and Schlessinger laboratories. The major goals of this project are to characterize glutamine transporter ASCT2 substrate and inhibitor specificity using computational and experimental approaches, and to develop specific ASCT2 inhibitors with high affinity, as pharmacological tools and anti-cancer reagents.


Dr. Swierk

John Swierk's Group Receives Doctoral New Investigator Award

John Swierk’s group has received a Doctoral New Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society ($110,000 for 2 years) to investigate methods for using visible light to desulfurize fuels. Sulfur-containing molecules represent a major source of pollution in fuels and their removal during the refining process is inefficient and energy intensive. The grant will investigate molecules that selectively bind sulfur-containing impurities and then subsequently transform those molecules into an easily removed form using only light and oxygen.


Award photo

2019 Graduate Student Excellence Awards

On March 27, 2019, 4 of our graduate students were presented with certificates in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the excellence of Binghamton University. Our recipients are:

  • Yiliang Luan - Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research
  • Lynn Schmitt - Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • Victor Wambau - Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • Shan Yan - Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research

Photo: Yiliang Luan, President Stenger, Lynn Schmitt, Shan Yan, Probost Nieman, Victor Wambau, Dean Tarhule


Alumus Jared DeCoste

Alumnus Jared DeCoste Named Maryland Chemist of the Year

Jared DeCoste, Ph.D., a graduate of the Chemistry program here at Binghamton and now a scientist at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Chemical Biological Center has been named Maryland Chemist of the Year by the American Chemical Society.

Jared received the prestigious award for to his efforts to further the understanding and development of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense applications. For the past eight years, DeCoste has been a leader in MOF research with the goal of protecting Soldiers from CBRN threats on the battlefield.

Congratulations to Jared on his excellent work!


Dr. Rozners

Eriks Rozners' Group Receives NIGMS Award

Eriks Rozners’ group has received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA R35 GM130207, $2,040,290 for 5 years) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to support their broad research portfolio on Chemical Approaches to Control the Function of Regulatory RNAs. This award will support two long-standing research programs in Rozners’ lab on amide-modified RNA and on sequence selective recognition of RNA via triplex forming peptide nucleic acids.

The goals of MIRA R35 Outstanding Investigator Awards are to increase the stability of funding for NIGMS-supported investigators, enhance their ability to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively, and increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions, while reducing the time spent on writing and reviewing grant applications. The current award to Rozners’ group is the first R35 award received by Binghamton University.

Congratulations to Eriks and his group!


Dr. Fang

James Fang Receives DOE EFRC Grant

James Fang has received a $400,000 research grant over four years from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Center for Alkaline-Based Energy Solutions (CABES), led by Professor Abruña at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. The CABES is one of the 22 new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) that received four-year awards. The mission of CABES is to achieve a detailed understanding of the nature, structure, and dynamics of electrocatalysis in alkaline media.

Links:

Congratulations to Dr. Fang!


Dr. Whittingham

Stan Whittingham Awarded the 2018 David Turnbull Lectureship

Stan Whittingham has been awarded the 2018 David Turnbull Lectureship by the Materials Research Society (MRS).  The Turnbull Lectureship is given to recognize the career of a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to understanding materials phenomena and properties through research, writing, and lecturing.

Stan was chosen from a group of outstanding nominees for "fundamental contributions to solid state ionics including the discovery of the key role of intercalation mechanisms, and the development and commercialization of rechargeable Li-ion batteries.” The award will be presented at the 2018 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, at the Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, at 6:15 p.m.

Congratulations to Stan!


Dr. Fang

James Fang Awarded Major NSF Grant

Dr. Fang has been awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (1808383, $504,124 for 3 years) to support his work for the development of catalytic sites with lattice strain that exists in several types of shape-controlled state-of-the-art nanocrystals as the model systems. This project aims to explore some fundamental understandings of the lattice strain formation and solutions of catalytic improvement of some emergent electrochemical reactions in energy conversion and environmental protection.

Recently, Dr. Fang also received a grant totaling $110K from the ACS Petroleum Research Fund,entitled “Ceria Facet-Dependent Oxidative Coupling of Methane towards C2 Products”. This is the second-year’s support of the two-year “New Direction” grant, initially awarded on 9/1/2017. This project is aimed at the methodological development of facet-tailored CeO2 synthesis, and the observation of CeO2 facet stability as well as facet-dependent CH4 conversion/C2 selectivity.

Congratulations to Dr. Fang!