EIU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty Research Interests

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

Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry: Design, synthesis, and (bio)chemical characterization of chemical tools for studying enzymes that metabolize pharmaceuticals in live human cell cultures.

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

Inorganic Chemistry: Organic and inorganic materials for photovoltaics and photocatalysis; Near-infrared emitting materials for biosensing; Ordered inorganic nanostructures; Porphyrin chemistry.

César A. Ortiz Assistant Professor:  PhD New Mexico State University, 2019

Analytical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical instrumentation, Environmental Chemistry: Electrochemical sensors for detection of microplastics, proteins, living cells at single molecule level. Designing and engineering novel chemical instrumentation (in situ) to study electrochemical interfaces in energy storage, renewable energy and nanoconfined spaces. Electrocatalysis on non-noble metal materials and their reaction mechanisms towards electrochemical reactions.

Steven Pellizzeri Associate Professor: PhD Syracuse University, 2013

Physical Chemistry: Computational design of materials for wastewater treatment; Computational screening of materials exhibiting enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity; Predicting reaction kinetics and thermodynamics of molecular transformations.

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

Biochemistry: Disease relevant zinc metalloenzyme biochemistry, Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; Mechanisms of bacterial carbon compound metabolism and oligotrophic adaptations; Membrane protein biochemistry and synthetic biology.

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.

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

Organic Chemistry: Synthesis of organic materials; New methodology for organic synthesis via phosphonates; Development of new experiments for organic labs.

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 tweezer-shaped organic molecules; Molecular recognition studies upon the synthesized molecular hosts.

EMERITUS FACULTY

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.

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.