• VISION STATEMENT
• DEPARTMENT NEWS
• OFFICE LOCATION
• ADMINISTRATION & STAFF

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry News

CSUF Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry to Host the 29th Informal Symposium on Kinetics and Photochemical Processes in the Atmosphere
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is proud to sponsor the 29th Informal Symposium on Kinetics and Photochemical Processes in the Atmosphere on February 24, 2012 from 8 am to 5 pm at the TSU Pavilions at California State University Fullerton. The main goal of the conference is to share scientific knowledge and foster collaborations between research communities and air pollution management agencies in Southern California. Typically, the conference gathers 100-150 participants each year, and it is hosted by one of the Southern California major campuses. The conference always attracts attendants from a broad spectrum of research areas including Atmospheric Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Engineering, Earth System Sciences, Energy Sciences, Environmental Toxicology, etc. To bring in the largest possible number of students, the conference features free registration, and several invited talks by established scientists, and a poster session. All are invited to register and attend this Symposium.

Lunch with Seminar Speaker Series
This semester, the Department is giving graduate and undergraduate research students an opportunity to meet informally over lunch with distinguished speakers from different academic institutions and industry. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about advanced studies (MS,PhD) or industrial careers and we hope you take advantage of it. You will get to interact with distinguished and up-and-coming scientists and talk about your research. You will get to make those important connections, which may just give you that needed step up in the future. The best part of it all: pizza or sandwiches and drinks will be served. To make sure you can interact appropriately with the speaker, seating is limited to ~15 students only. First come, first served! Please contact Dr. Peter de Lijser to reserve your space.

CSUF Hosts Johns Hopkins Program to Encourage STEM Studies
CSUF scientists and mathematicians shared their experiences and research with 100 middle and high school students and their parents Jan. 28 at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth family academic program. Participants learned about the mathematics of cryptography, benefits of stem cell research and antibiotic-resistant bacteria through demonstrations and lectures.

CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB) 24th Annual CSU Biotechnology Symposium January 5-7, 2012 Santa Clara, CA
Drs. Cuajungco and Hope Johnson from the biology department and Drs. Maria Linder, Chris Meyer, and Nicholas Salzameda from the chemistry and biochemistry department served as panel members of the Graduate School Information workshop sponsored by CSUPERB. The session aimed to help and guide, as well as provide insightful information to CSU students who are thinking of pursuing graduate education.

At the CSUPERB Symposium, graduate student Erick Morales from Dr. Madeline Rasche's lab was awarded the Crellin Pauling Student Teaching Award, which recognizes an outstanding CSU student teaching in a biotechnology-related program. The award is named after Professor Crellin Pauling (San Francisco State University) for his contributions to the training of teachers and scientists and his commitment to the creation of a scientifically literate electorate. As part of the CSU state-wide competition, Erick submitted an essay entitled, "Our Civic Duty as Scientists."

New Course Offering for Spring 2012: CHEM 480T Green Chemistry
If you've heard of green chemistry and wondered about its applications in industry, now is your chance to learn! The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is offering CHEM 480T Green Chemistry for Spring 2012. Learn how companies are going green and put yourself in a better position to obtain a job. Enroll now!

HHMI Weekend Research Experience
The CSUF Research Scholars Program put on its 4th annual Weekend Research Experience for beginning undergraduates and high school students Nov. 12, 13 and 19, to great acclaim and enthusiasm.  Nicholas Salzmeda’s research on finding inhibitors for the deadly botulinum neurotoxin was the subject.  16 community college students, and 8 high school students (plus two high school science teachers) participated in synthesizing small molecules, and testing them for inhibition of the botulinum neurotoxin.  This is an outreach program supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, designed to interest young people in going into biomedical research careers. Dr. Salzameda was assisted by Drs. Michael Bridges (from Chem/Biochem, CSUF) and Patty Oertl (Santa Ana College), as well as by his research students, in supervising the research of the participants. 

Advising for Spring 2012
Mandatory advising for Chemistry & Biochemistry majors begins on October 10th and runs through October 28th. Please refer to our Advisement page for more information.

Welcome to the Fall 2011 Semester
The Department would like to welcome back all our returning students as well as our new students! We have two new tenure track faculty members joining our department, Dr. Michael Bridges and Dr. John Haan, as well as some new part time faculty and teaching associates.

HHMI Summer 2011 Program News
A news story about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholars Program.

Start of Summer Research Party, May 31, 2011 in the TSU Garden Café, 5-7 pm
The HHMI-CSUF Research Scholars Program, along with LSAMP, is sponsoring this year’s “Start of Summer Research Party”. We encourage all faculty, staff and all research students to come and mingle, and join in on the fun!

Professor Phil Janowicz Headed to Washington, DC for the ChemEd DL/Chemical Education Research Summit
Dr. Janowicz was recently selected as one of 15 participants (out of over 80 candidates!) for a NSF sponsored ChemEd DL/Chemical Education Research Summit Conference in Washington, DC this summer. The criteria to evaluate candidates was based on “demonstrated ability to design technology-based instructional materials, familiarity with ChemEd DL resources, and experience in chemical education research”.

2010-2011 Faculty Leadership in Collegial Governance Award Presented to Professor Scott Hewitt
Dr. Hewitt is the recipient of this most prestigious award in recognition of his 20 years of outstanding leadership and service in all aspects of University life at California State University, Fullerton and within the CSU system. Through his leadership, he has advanced the principles of shared governance and promoted consensus building through collegiality. Since joining the Cal State Fullerton faculty in 1991, he has served as a member, vice chair or chair of 95 department, college, or university committees. As Vice Chair of the Academic Senate Executive Committee and subsequently as Senate Chair, Dr. Hewitt successfully championed efforts to increase funding of intramural research grants and sabbaticals. He also successfully tackled important and complex university issues within the framework of collegial governance and forged positive and productive working relationships with a broad range of constituents. In addition, he worked tirelessly to advance university sustainability efforts. As a result of this dedication, President Milton Gordon, identified sustainability as a campus goal in his 2008 Convocation address and agreed to sign the national and international sustainability pledges on behalf of the university. Dr. Hewitt's vision and influence will be present at California State University, Fullerton for years to come. Congratulations!

Outstanding Senior Honors Project Mentor Award Presented to Professor Paula Hudson, May 2011
Dr. Hudson was nominated for this award by undergraduate students, Amanda Alves and Steven Schill, who are in the University Honors Program. We thank Dr. Hudson for her hard work and dedication to her students and to the department! Congratulations!

Photos from Commencement Ceremony
The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics held its commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22, 2011. Please check out our Commencement photos.

College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics 28th Annual Awards Reception
The Annual Awards Reception was held on Friday, May 6 at the TSU Pavilions at Cal State Fullerton to honor and recognize all the outstanding undergraduates and graduate students as well as faculty and staff within the College of NSM. Please visit our NSM Awards page to see a list of the award winners.

NSM INTERCLUB COUNCIL 8th Annual Symposium on "Women in Science and Mathematics" April 19- 20, 2011
April 19: Dr. Margaret D. Lowman Keynote and book signing, 5-6:15 pm, TSU Pavilions BC
April 20: Student Poster Session, Student Poster Contest, Student Oral Presentations, concluding with Keynote by Dr. Tanya Atwater, TSU Pavilions ABC. Check out the complete details at NSM ICC Agenda.

NSM CAREER DAYS April 19-20, 2011
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics presents Exploring Careers in Sciene and Math on Tuesday, April 19- Wednesday April 20. Explore career options for those with degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Meet with representatives from Allergan, Inc. Research, Terracon, ProThera, Beckman Coulter, KennedyJenks, Raytheon, Pacific Life and many more. Register now.

241st AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY NATIONAL MEETING, SPRING 2011, March 27-31
The Spring 2011 ACS National Meeting is in Anaheim, and it attracts an estimated 11,000 to 13,000 chemists, chemical engineers, academicians, graduate and undergraduate students and other related professionals. Attend the meeting to facilitate networking opportunities, career development and placement, learn about important research advances and walk away with a greater understanding of the role chemistry plays in the global economy, health, safety, and the environment. Expositions at the national meetings give attendees the the chance to meet exhibitors who are showcasing the latest technological developments. A number of exhibitors also offer free workshops to learn about these new technologies. Registration is open and more information can be found at the ACS website.

The Career Fair at the 241st ACS National Meeting will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center – Hall C. Members will have the opportunity to meet with employers to discuss potential job opportunities in the Career Fair hall and in Recruiters Row which will be located in the Exposition hall. Job seekers will be able to enhance their professional development by participating in mock interviews, resume reviews and attend over 30 career-oriented workshops.

Students from various research labs in our department will be presenting on their research. Dr. Phil Janowicz will also be giving an invited talk on Monday, titled “The Megastudent Classroom: Teaching One Million Students at Once”.

29th INFORMAL SYMPOSIUM ON KINETICS AND PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN THE ATMOSPHERE,2012
The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at CSUF will be hosting the conference in 2012! This year's 28th Symposium was held at the University of California, Irvine. The main goal of the conference is to share scientific knowledge and foster collaborations between research communities and air pollution management agencies in Southern California. Typically, the conference gathers 100-150 participants each year, and it is hosted by one of the Southern California major campuses. The conference attracts attendants from a broad spectrum of research areas including Atmospheric Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Engineering, Earth System Sciences, Energy Sciences, Environmental Toxicology, etc. The conference features several invited talks by established scientists, and a poster session. Be sure to check back for further details for the conference in 2012.

NSM COMMENCEMENT 2011 SPEAKER SEARCH
You are invited to be a Student Commencement Speaker for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics ceremony on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011. You must be in good academic standing and meet graduation requirements by end of Summer 2011. Application and speech (500 words) are due April 6, 2011. For the application and further details, please visit the NSM website.

NSM INTERCLUB COUNCIL 8th ANNUAL SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM, April 19-20, 2011
The theme of this year's Science Symposium is Women in Science and Mathematics. If you are a student doing research, the Interclub Council invites you to participate! They are looking for students who would like to present their research at the symposium in the form of a poster or oral presentation on April 20th. If you would like submit your abstract or have any questions regarding the symposium, please contact the Interclub Council at nsmicc.csuf@gmail.com, or visit them at nsmicc.blogspot.com.

MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY GETS APPROVAL
The MA degree in Chemistry is geared towards persons that seek to strengthen and enhance their knowledge in all areas of Chemistry beyond the Bachelor’s level. It is specifically intended for those who are interested in high school or community college teaching, technical librarianship, scientific writing, professional schools, or those with significant research experience who are currently employed in the industrial sector. 

The MA degree in Chemistry at CSUF will be the only one offered in Orange County or its surrounding areas. In California, MA degrees in Chemistry are currently offered only at San Diego State University and at San Jose State University. Orange County is home to a large number of chemical, biochemical, biotechnology and other technical industries. Many of those employed in those fields are known to be interested in pursuing an advanced degree that does not require extensive research activities.

This new program fits well with CSUF’s overall mission and goals. Students graduating with a MA in Chemistry will benefit the local high schools, community colleges, and technical industries. The graduates will reflect the highly diverse culture found in Orange County and Southern California in general. CSUF’s mission to pursue partnerships with educational and other institutions, as well as businesses can benefit tremendously from the relationships that we will have established with these alumni. We anticipate this program will allow us to be a center of activity essential for the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of our region and to expand connections and partnerships within our region.  The program will also be used to advance the idea of green chemistry, especially in the laboratory courses that are currently in existence and, more importantly, those being prepared for future offerings.

NEW FACULTY HIRES
The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has recently hired two faculty in the areas of Physical and Analytical Chemistry. Dr. John Haan will arrive this summer from Towson University located near Baltimore in Maryland. Dr. Haan's chemistry interests involve the development and characterization of novel palladium-based electro-catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells. Dr. Michael Bridges, currently a post-doctoral researcher at UCLA, will also be arriving this summer. His research interests include biophysical chemistry -- studying the dynamics of (small) intrinsically disordered proteins and the changes in dynamics due to activation or binding.  Dr. Bridges will primarily be using the techniques of site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) to study these proteins.

GRANTS FUND FACULTY RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS
A list of some of the grants and contracts awarded on campus during the second half of 2010. 

STUDENTS, TEACHERS STUDY PLANT DNA IN WEEKEND SCIENCE PROGRAM
Nearly 30 high school and community college students and teachers converged on campus last month to explore the genetics behind plants’ resistance to diseases by using some of the most current techniques and technology. The weekend findings became part of a faculty research project

SUMMER SCIENCE
Science students spent the summer months delving into research, investigating myriad topics from Alzheimer's treatments to fruit production and oyster habitats.

STUDENTS SPEND THE SUMMER CONDUCTING RESEARCH
One of our biochemistry majors is investigating a gene that allows energy storage by Thermatoga maritina, a bacteria that thrives in hot sediments on the ocean floor.