Awards

Charles M. Knight Lectureship, University of Akron, April 2013

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, October 2007

Walter J. Chute Lectureship 1999–2000

Gold Medal for "Excellence in Main Group Chemistry Research" from The International Council on Main Group Chemistry, 1996

Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Prize, 1996

Education

B.S., Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1974; Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1976

Research

Our group’s research interests span the interfaces of organic, inorganic chemistry, and material science. They focus largely on the chemistry of new or unusual bonding arrangements and seek to take advantage of unusual valency to develop new materials and sustainable synthetic methodology. Applications of chemistry developed in our group can be found in diverse areas ranging from electronic materials, thermochromic materials, industrially important catalytic transformations, high-end environmentally-friendly automotive paints, and most recently advanced pharmaceutical intermediates and pharmaceutical products. In connection with resource sustainability, we have a long-standing collaboration with the Opatz group at the University of Mainz, Germany to develop technology to rebuilt the chemical manufacturing infrastructure on renewable bio-mass, specifically wood – what we refer to as “Xylochemistry.”

Our group also participates with an international team providing advances in pharmaceutical syntheses to allow implementation of sustainable, low-cost, manufacturing strategies to critically important medicines.  The ultimate goal of the research is to provide ready access to important pharmaceuticals that improve global human health and quality of life.  Recently, this latter effort has expanded through our involvement with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) programs directed to the development of new chemical technologies enabling the repatriation critical chemical and pharmaceutical capabilities to U.S. shores.  More details are available on the group’s web pages.