ChemNews - Department of Chemistry - University of Minnesota

Dr. Laura Gagliardi joins U of MChemistry Department facultyFACULTYLaura Gagliardi will be joining the Chemistry Department facultyin January 2009 as a full professor. Laura is an Italian citizen,spending her childhood in Bologna, where she completedher undergraduate studies in 1992 with a major in IndustrialChemistry and later her doctoral degree in Theoretical Chemistry in 1996.She then spent two years at Cambridge University as apost-doctoral associate in the group of Professor Nicholas Handy.There she worked on the development of a new Density Functional Theory program, called MAG-IC, designed for the study of systems containing heavy elements. It was at that time that she developeda real interest in uranium, plutonium, and other relativistic elements that she still maintains today.After her post-doctoral work, she returned to Italy as a researcher at the University of Bologna, collaboratingclosely with groups at the University of Lund from 1999 to 2001. Beginning in 2002 shewent to the University of Palermo as an assistant professor of Chemistry, and in 2005 she moved to Switzerlandto take an associate professor position at the UniversityChemistry PromotionsLee Penn: to Professorof Geneva, where she rapidly built a very active research group.In 2004 Laura received the annual award of the InternationalAcademy of Quantum Molecular Science carrying the citation,‘‘for her innovative contributions to prediction and understandingof new inorganic molecules using quantum chemical methods.’’ She is the author of some 90publications in international journals. Her scientific interests include the development and application of quantumchemical methods for the study of molecular systems containing heavy elements and the prediction ofnovel inorganic species and chemical bonds. Laura can be reached at Laura.Gagliardi@chiphy.unige.ch.Pete Carrreceives2009 ACSAward inAnalyticalChemistryPete Carr is to receivethe 2009ACS Award in AnalyticalChemistry,a major national award recognizing leadershipin the field, at the spring 2009 national meetingof the American Chemical Society next March in SaltLake City.This award has been sponsored by Battelle Memorial Institutesince 2004 to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions tothe science of analytical chemistry, pure or applied, carried out in theUnited States or Canada. Special consideration is given to independenceof thought and originality, or to the importance of the workwhen applied to public welfare, economics, or the needs and desiresof humanity.Campus Club Kitchen Chemistry Buffeta huge successOn February 29 Campus Club members were treated to a tastydinner where the Chemistry Department's Joe Franek demonstratedmany common chemical reactions that take place in ourkitchens. The effort met with great success andis being replicated in Boston this October. Atthe University of Minnesota, next year's KitchenChemistry Buffet has alreadybeen schedule for Thursday,February 19, 2009. Bring yourfamily!family!Page 3