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Rensselaer’s department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology provides courses and programs of study that reflect the central role of chemistry in the science and technology of tomorrow.
The programs offered lead to B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry — a minor in chemistry is also available.
In addition to a strong focus in the traditional areas of chemistry — such as synthesis, molecular structure, and chemical reactions — Chemistry and Chemical Biology offers courses and research programs in the rapidly developing frontiers of modern science. These areas include biochemistry, biophysics and biotechnology, materials and polymer chemistry, and medicinal chemistry.
The department is home to the editorial offices of the ACS journal, Chemistry of Materials
In the News:
Professor Peter Dinolfo Receives NSF CAREER Award
Peter Dinolfo, assistant professor, has won a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation.
Prof. Dinolfo, whose work contributes to the School of Science interdisciplinary “Water, Energy, and Sustainability” science theme, will use the five-year, approximately $563,000 award to improve the efficiency of solar cells that use light-absorbing organic compounds—similar to the mechanism plants use to generate energy—rather than silicon to generate electricity.
JP Trasatti, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Accelerated B.S./Ph.D. student had won the prestigeous NSF Graduate Fellowship.
JP, co-advised by Professors Karande and Linhardt, is currently studying the biochemical interactions that govern the blood brain barrier. According to NSF Graduate Fellowship site, NSF Graduate Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education they choose. Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, Google founder, Sergey Brin and Freakonomics co-author, Steven Levitt.
For more information about JP Trasatti and his current activities at Rensselaer, please see: http://science.rpi.edu/academics/bsphd/trasatti.html
Congratulations, JP! We are proud of you.
Bradley Burcar, Chemistry graduate student, is the first recipent of James P. Ferris Fellowship in Astrobiology
This distinguished Fellowship comes with complete stipend and tuition support beginning this summer and continuing throughout the remainder of Bradley’s Ph.D. studies. Bradley earned this Fellowship for his work in pre-biotic “RNA World” chemistry under the mentorship of Professor Linda McGown, as part of the New York Center for Astrobiology. Congratulations, Bradley!
Dr. Frank J. Csillag (Chemistry Ph.D. 1980) Named Vice President of R&D of Saint Gobain
Dr. Frank J. Csillag (Chemistry Ph.D. 1980, Advsior: Professor Harry Wiedemeier) was recently promoted to Vice President of Research and Development of Saint Gobain, France.
Dr. Cillag’s thesis was entitled as “The Chemical Vapor Transport, Crystal Growth and Thermodynamic Properties of Selected Tin Chalcogenides.” Needless to say, that the numerous publications Professor Wiedemeier and he had together indicate his outstanding contributions to their crystal growth activities over many years. His contributions to science in general are reflected in his promotion to VP of R&D.
Saint-Gobain, S. A. (http://www.saint-gobain.com/en) is a multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris with headquarters on the outskirts of Paris, at La Defense and in Courbevoie.
Dr. Cillag lives in Hopkinton, MA, and is responsible for the activities of some 28 Gobain companies in 26 different countries.
Professor Chulsung Bae Joins Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology as Associate Professor
C&CB Department welcomes our new faculty, Prof. Chulsung Bae. Professor Bae joined RPI in July, 2012 after working as an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
He is an expert in the fields of organic chemistry, catalysis, green chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials science and will be a key faculty member of NY State Center for Polymer Synthesis at RPI.
His research program involves the application of new organic synthetic method to the synthesis of new functional materials that might have special applications in sustainable technologies. The major focuses in his group include the development of novel recoverable polymeric catalysts, new organic/polymeric materials for electronics or energy storage, and polyelectrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications.
Professor Bae won an NSF CAREER Award from DMR POLYMER Program in 2008.
Welcome Professor Bae!
Professor Curt Breneman Named as New Head of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Rensselaer has named Curt Breneman as the new head of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Breneman has been with Rensselaer since 1989. He was formerly the acting head of the department.
“I congratulate Dr. Breneman and look forward to his continued, strong leadership within the School of Science at Rensselaer,” said Dean of the School of Science Laurie Leshin. “Dr. Breneman is an exceptional teacher and scientist. As acting head of the department, his leadership has been an important part of the success of chemistry at Rensselaer and I am delighted to formalize his role here.”
Breneman has written more than 85 academic papers and 15 book chapters, and has presented over 250 invited lectures. Throughout his career, he has served as a consultant to many companies, including General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Google, and multiple pharmaceutical and drug discovery companies. He was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2011.
Read the complete news release
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
120 Cogswell
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180
Phone: (518) 276-6456
Fax: (518) 276-4887
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