Physical Chemistry Division
Research in the Physical Chemistry division is highly focused upon the use of spectroscopic techniques and theoretical methodologies to understand fundamental chemical processes across multiple length and time scales. Topics investigated by our faculty include: protein signaling, chemical reactions on surfaces, electron transfer, ab initio electronic structure, the design of new technologies, and biomolecular machinery.
News & Events
Seminar Award Winners
Congratulations to our graduate students who presented the best Physical Chemistry and Materials Science seminars for the 08/09 academic year: Mihindra Dunuwille (Yoo group - Dodgen award), Chris Rich (McHale group - Dodgen Award honorable mention), Candy Mercado (McHale group - Crosby Award), Bryan Wiggins (Hipps group - Crosby Award honorable mention)
Undergraduate Awards
Ms. Stephanie Wescott (A. Clark group) was acknowledged for the best poster presentation in the Physical Sciences at the Annual Undegraduate Research Poster Competition held by the College of Sciences.
Mr. Brandon Kvamme (A. Clark group) received an undergraduate research excellence award from the Office of Undergraduate Education.
National Meetings
Professor Aurora Clark received a Hewlett-Packard Junior Faculty award from the Comp Division at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Salt Lake City, March 22-26. Professor Clark also was awarded an ACS Dreyfus/Progress Lectureship that will fund travel to present her research at a prestigious university of her choosing.
Prof. Mazur was the vice-chair for this year’s annual symposium of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the AVS, which was held the 18-19th of September in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national scientific user facility, located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. For more information see http://www2.avs.org/chapters/pnw/
National Science Foundation Grants
Congratulations to Profs. Ursula Mazur and Jeanne McHale who were awarded a grant from the NSF for their proposed study: "Resonance Raman and Scanning Probe Microscopy of Light Harvesting Chromophore Aggregates" for $619,353 over the next 3 year period.
Upcoming Seminars
TBA
Prof. Stuart Lindsay, Department of Chemistry, Arizona State University
Seminar Location: Fulmer 438; Seminar Time: Mon Sep 14 16:10
Abstract Link
Student Perspective
"I chose WSU because of the nationally known professors, Kerry Hipps and Jeanne McHale, both of which have a great reputation as spectroscopists. One of the best things about the department is the sharing of resources; it's easy for me to approach a professor that has some equipment I want to use and use it. "
--Jon Downing, McHale group
"Since my arrival to WSU — from Florida — there has been nothing but friendly, helpful people more than willing to go out of their way to help me get on track as a new grad student. The graduate students and faculty seem to be such a tight-knit group that it makes being far away from home very easy."
--Catherine Trejo, 1st year Ph.D student