EIU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty Research Interests

Michael W. Beck  Assistant Professor: PhD University of Michigan, 2015

Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, and Organic Chemistry: Design, synthesis, and (bio)chemical characterization of chemical tools as: (1) fluorescent probes for enzymatic activity and (2) moieties to direct small molecules to specific subcellular regions.

Hongshan He  Professor: PhD Sun Yat-Sen University, 1996

Inorganic Chemistry: Organic and inorganic materials for photovoltaics; near-infrared emitting materials for biosensing; ordered inorganic nanostructures; density functional theory calculation; crystallography; photocatalysts for water splitting, porphyrin chemistry.

Steven Pellizzeri Assistant Professor: PhD Syracuse University, 2013

Physical Chemistry:  Computational screening for the discovery of materials exhibiting enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity; Predicting reaction kinetics and thermodynamics of molecular transformations; Modeling adsorption behavior of water containments. 

Gopal R. Periyannan  Professor: PhD Miami University (Ohio), 2004

Biochemistry: Bacterial polysaccharide metabolism; Bacterial membrane transport and nanodisc-based membrane biology; Role of Zn-metalloproteases in cancer and stroke.

Radu F. Semeniuc  Professor: PhD University of South Carolina, 2004

Inorganic Chemistry: Supramolecular self-assembly: synthesis and characterization of mechanically interlocked molecules; Bioinorganic chemistry: synthesis and characterization of bio-inspired metal complexes as models for the active sites of metalloproteins.

Daniel J. Sheeran  Associate Professor: PhD University of Kansas, 1985

Chemical Education: Synthesis of lignin model compounds; optimizing transition metal catalyzed cleavage reactions of the model compounds. Applying this chemistry to depolymerize lignin into high value aromatic compounds.

Edward M. Treadwell  Professor: PhD University of Iowa, 2001

Organic Chemistry: Synthesis of simple photochromic organic materials; Design of experiments for undergraduate organic labs; New methodology for organic synthesis via phosphonates; Natural products isolation and chemistry.

Zhiqing Yan  Associate Professor: PhD Miami University (Ohio), 2004

Organic Chemistry: Organic synthesis of Basket shaped molecular containers based on Resorcin[4]arene and calix[4]arene; Synthesis of Tweezers shaped organic molecules. Molecular recognition studies upon the synthesized molecular hosts.

EMERITUS FACULTY

Jonathan P. Blitz  Professor: PhD Colorado State University, 1987

Analytical Chemistry: Experimental studies of materials useful for adsorption of various compounds. Experimental and computational modelling of adsorption and surface modification reactions.

Douglas G. Klarup  Professor: PhD University of California-Berkeley, 1986

Environmental Chemistry: Trace level analysis and the study of reactions and processes relevant to chemical contaminant migration and site remediation.

Barbara A. Lawrence Professor: PhD University of California-Irvine, 1990

Physical Chemistry: Use of NMR spectroscopy to study biological systems: protein structure in spider silks and phosphorus metabolites in freeze-tolerant animals.

Mark E. McGuire  Professor: PhD University of Rochester, 1985

Inorganic Chemistry: The design and use of biomimetic catalysts (molecules that mimic enzyme behavior) to carry out "green" oxidation reactions using atmospheric oxygen.