Join us at our seminar series

For the current term, seminars are held each Friday afternoon and start at 3:15 PM in the Vernier Science Center, Room VSC 105, 1025 SW Mill St, Portland, OR 97201. Chemistry seminars are in person unless noted otherwise; seminars are free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided.

The Department of Chemistry hosts eminent scholars from throughout the field of chemistry at our weekly seminar series.

We have an exciting lineup of scientists who will be joining us. If you would like to be added to our seminar mailing list, please send an email to chemistry@pdx.edu and let us know!

UPDATES to the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 seminar listings are coming soon!

FALL 2024 SEMINAR SCHEDULE

November 1^st
Dr. Oluwatobi Odeleye

Invited by our Graduate Student Seminar Committee members, Dr. Tobi Odeleye will join our weekly seminar series. Tobi Odeleye is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University (WVU). She typically teaches general chemistry courses, and her research interests revolve around investigating the different factors that can broadly influence student attitudes towards chemistry and STEM fields. She believes teaching and chemical education research should go together and is always looking for techniques to improve student engagement in her classroom. She believes there is no perfect way to teach, but the teaching and learning process should always be student-centered. She enjoys playing and watching tennis, hanging out with family and friends

SPRING 2024 SCHEDULE

April 19^thRecent Advances in Fe-Catalyzed Multicomponent Cross-Couplings

Professor Osvaldo Gutierrez
Texas A&M University

Andy McNally looking toward the camera leaning against a purple sphere

May 10^th
Seminar topic coming soon!

Professor Andy McNally
Colorado State University

May 17^th Porphyrins and Hyperporphyrins

Professor Carl Wamser
Portland State University

June 7^th
Undergraduate Honors Symposium

June 14^th
65th Annual Department of Chemistry Commencement & Awards Ceremony

3:30 PM
Hoffmann Hall
1833 SW 11th Ave
Reception to follow
Ceremony RSVP

WINTER 2024

3M Graphic Films and Sustainability

Ryan Carns
3M Director Business Supply Chain

Representational competence under the magnifying glass: Instructional landscape, student competence, and a refined model of representational competence skills

Professor Maia Popova
University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Synthetic strategies toward fluorosulfurylation of organic molecules and sulfur-fluoride exchange (SuFEx)

Professor Nicolas Ball
Pomona College

FALL 2023

Lattice Planes, Crystal Facets, and Nanoparticle Shape Control

Professor Anne Bentley
Lewis & Clark College

Adventures in Aryne Chemistry

Professor David Stuart
Portland State University

Chemistry-specific mindset beliefs of undergraduate students: measurement and implications

Professor Suazette Mooring
Georgia State University

SPRING 2023

Robert Knowles is smiling for the camera standing in front of a light colored wall wearing a white polo shirt

Developing a coherent practical curriculum

Dr. Michael Seery
Head of Digital Learning
Cardiff Metropolitan University

Organic Synthesis Away from Equilibrium

Dr. Robert Knowles
Professor of Chemistry
Princeton University

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate: insight from manipulating adsorbate affinity

Dr. Kelsey Stoerzinger
Assistant Professor
Oregon State University

Transformation, reaction and organization of functional nanostructures using microreactor-assisted nanomaterial deposition processes

Dr. Chih-Hung Chang
Professor of Chemistry
Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs
Oregon State University

WINTER 2023

view of Mt. Hood downtown Portland, Oregon

Natural Product Inspired Novel Antimalarials

Dr. Papireddy (Reddy) Kancharla
Research Assistant Professor
Portland State University

Imaging research at NTNU Colourlab and its applications in cultural heritage

Dr. Jon Y. Hardeberg
Professor, Department of Computer Science
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Measurement, Modeling, and Mountain Biking: How I Spent My Sabbatical Year

Dr. Jack Barbera
Professor of Chemistry
Portland State University

A Pictorial History of Hookah Tobacco Use and Hookah Devices

Dr. Nada Kassem
Research Scientist
Director & Founder, Hookah Tobacco Research Center
Associate Director, Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health
San Diego State University School of Public Health

Developing a versatile contrathermal Cope rearrangement platform for enantioselective synthesis

Dr. Alex Grenning
Associate Professor
University of Florida

FALL 2022

Integrating rehearsal training in a mixed-reality teaching simulator to support graduate teaching assistants in active learning environments

Dr. Erin Saitta, Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida

My Chemical Adventures with Crystals and Nanocrystals

Dr. Andrea Goforth, Associate Professor
Portland State University

Documentary screening: Chilkat Dye Project

Dr. Tami Lasseter Clare, Associate Professor
Portland State University

Brief introduction to energy system modeling methodology and results

Dr. Pat DeLaquil, Chief Executive Officer
DecisionWare Group, LLC

Pulling oxygen from air, the story of a start-up

Dr. Theresa McCormick, Associate Professor
Portland State University

SPRING 2022

Controlled self-assembly of peptides for cancer detection and therapy

Dr. Adem Yildirim
Assistant Professor of the Division of Oncological Sciences and CEDAR, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine

An Alum's Tale: EXAFS, silent kinetics, and tackling the bioinorganic chemistry of Te!

Dr. Kelly Chacón
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Reed College

Design of Advanced Functional Surfaces using Oxygen-tolerant Photopolymerization

Dr. Christian Pester
Thomas K. Hepler Early Career Professor in Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Promoting Student Engagement in Active Learning Environments:
Characterizing Task Design and Implementation

Dr. Renée Cole
Professor & Associate Chair
Chemistry Department, University of Iowa

Luminescent polymer nanoparticles for diagnostics and imaging

Dr. Zachary Hudson
Associate Professor, The University of British Columbia

Directed α-C(sp3)–H lactonization of acid-tethered lactams: Direct access to [3-2-1] bicyclic lactam-lactones

Dr. Timothy Beng
Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry
Central Washington University

Volatile organic compounds in urban buildings: sources, removal, transformation

Dr. Elliott Gall
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Portland State University

Roles of Electrostricted and Structural Hydration in Modified DNA Duplex Stability

Dr. Luis A. Marky
Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center

WINTER 2022

New Synthetic Methods for C–F Bond Formation: From Fundamental Science to Applications

Dr. Melanie Sanford
Professor, University of Michigan

Nanomaterial structure and induced toxicity: A review of structure-activity relationships in nanotoxicology

Dr. Christie Sayes
Associate Professor, Baylor University

The Molecular Chemistry of Extended Solids

Dr. Hemamala Karunadasa
Associate Professor, Stanford University

Things Fall Apart: The Surprising Photochemical Fragility of Paul Cézanne’s and Edvard Munch’s Masterpieces

Dr. Jennifer Mass
Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Cultural Heritage Science, Bard Graduate Center, Carnegie Mellon
President of the Scientific Analysis of Fine Art, LLC

View seminar

Molecular Chemistry at the Intersection of Self-Assembly and Renewable Energy

Dr. Timothy R. Cook
Associate Professor, University at Buffalo

Elucidating Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Mechanisms Underpinning the Catalytic Generation of Renewable Fuels

Dr. Jillian Dempsey
Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Do We Ask Students to Do What We Want Them to Learn? An Investigation of the General Chemistry Laboratory Course

Dr. Erin Duffy
Assistant Professor, Western Washington University

Fall 2021

Robert Fitzmorris holding glowing test tube

Nanoparticle Design Rules for Colorimetric Plasmonic Sensors

Dr. Paige Hall
Assistant Professor
University of Portland

Technology Trends and Challenges Driving Nano-Electronics Scaling

Dr. Nabil Mistkawi
Senior Staff Engineer/Technologist, Samsung

View Dr. Mistkawi's seminar presentation

Safety and Inclusivity through Access

Ashley Neybert
Curriculum Designer, Independence Science

View Ashley's seminar presentation

The Power of Mindset: Making Chemistry Accessible One Atom at a Time

Dr. Hoby Wedler
Chemist & Entrepreneur

View Dr. Wedler's seminar presentation

Novel Interactions of DNA Oligomers with Gemini Surfactants

Dr. Richard D. Sheardy
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Texas Woman's University

Quantum Dots as Narrow Bands Emitters in Solid State Lighting

Dr. Robert Fitzmorris
Research Scientist

View Dr. Fitzmorris's seminar

An exploration of chemistry students' conception of light and light-matter interactions in the context of fundamental experiments

Dr. Alena Moon
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
University of Nebraska Lincoln

Dynamic ensembles: novel features of multivalent IDP assemblies in Hippo signaling

Dr. Afua Nyarko
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Oregon State University

Physical organic chemistry models for synthetic organic chemistry applications

Dr. David R. Stuart
Associate Professor, Chemistry Department
Portland State University

SPRING 2021

Hybrid Organic Electro-optics: Computational Chemistry to Commercialization

Dr. Lewis Johnson
Research Scientist, Department of Chemistry
University of Washington
View Dr. Johnson's seminar

Inflammasome assembly - an example of balance control in the immune system

Dr. Liman Zhang
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry
Oregon Health & Science University

Next generation computing enabled by organic electro-optic materials and other real-world applications of materials chemistry

Dr. Stephanie Benight
Founder, President, and Principal Scientist
Tactile Materials Solutions

Course-level social belonging: Effects on student performance and persistence in General Chemistry

Dr. Gina Frey
Ronald and Eileen Ragsdale Professor of Chemical Education and professor in chemistry
University of Utah
View Dr. Frey's seminar

Generation and Application of Novel Chemically Induced Dimerization Domains

Dr. Zachary Hill
Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder
Soteria Biotherapeutics

Shining a light on biology

Dr. Sally Plush
Associate Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry
University of South Australia

How do cells sense force and why is it important?

Dr. Swetha Murthy
Assistant Scientist & Assistant Professor
Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
View Dr. Murthy's seminar

Large Isotope Effects, Reclaimed Catalysts, and Air Exclusion in Organometallics

Dr. Miriam Bowring
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Reed College
View Dr. Bowring's seminar

De-freebasing: The Chemical Secret behind the Fabulous Success of both Traditional Cigarettes and JUUL

Dr. Robert Proctor
Professor of the History of Science
Stanford University

WINTER 2021

ariel view Portland State University campus

4th year graduate student presentations

Avik Bhattacharjee, McCormick Lab
Computational study of hydrogen gas production mechanism by nickel (II) tris-pyridinethiolate catalysts

Dayalis Santiago-Vazquez, McCormick Lab

4th year graduate student presentations

Megha Gupta, Strongin Lab
Elucidating the role of copper and homocysteine-related free radical and oxidative damage to biomolecules

Russell McFarland, Reichow Lab
Molecular shapeshifters: Novel Fibrillar Aggregates of the Lens Alpha-Crystallins