The research interests of the Chemical Physics faculty are described briefly below. Additional information is available at the indicated web sites.

• David A. Blank, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Condensed phase physical dynamics.  Two-dimensional fifth-order resonant and non-resonant studies of intermolecular, vibrational, and solvation dynamics in condensed phase systems.
See also:  http://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/blank
 

• Victor A. Bloomfield, Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry 


Molecular biophysics. Structure and behavior of DNA. Polyelectrolyte properties of biopolymers. Dynamics in crowded solutions.
See also:  http://biosci.cbs.umn.edu/labs/victor/VB.html
 

• C. Barry Carter, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Defects and interfaces in semiconductors, metals, and ceramics. Growth of thin films. Glasses. TEM, AFM, and SEM.
See also:  http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/carter.htm
 

• James R. Chelikowsky, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science 

Development and implementation of electronic structure methods to describe real materials: clusters, liquids, amorphous solids, surfaces, and defects in solids. 
See also: http://jrc.cems.umn.edu/jim/index.html
 

• Christopher J. Cramer, Professor of Chemistry 

Theoretical modeling of chemical structure and reactivity. Solvation effects. Structure-activity prediction from computational models. Molecular modeling of biological processes.
See also: http://pollux.chem.umn.edu/
 

• John S. Dahler, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 

Quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Electron collisions with atoms and molecules. Thermodynamics and flow of polymers and suspensions. Transport, relaxation and reactions in small-molecule liquids. 
See also: http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/dahler.htm
 

• H. Ted Davis, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science 

Statistical mechanics. Interfacial phenomena. Flow in porous media. Large-scale computer-aided mathematics. 
See also: http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/davis.htm
 

• David M. Ferguson, Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry 

Computational biophysics. Molecular dynamics simulations of macromolecules. Thermodynamic perturbation theory. Protein folding and conformation from simplified polymer models.
See also: http://www.pharmacy.umn.edu/resgrad/medchem
 

• Jiali Gao, Professor of Chemistry 

Research is in the general area of computational organic and biological chemistry involving theoretical and computational investigations to understand the structure and reactivity of chemical processes in condensed phases and in biological systems. This work involves quantum mechanics, computers, biochemistry, and structural biology.
See also: http://vesta.chem.umn.edu
 

• W. Ronald Gentry, Professor of Chemistry 

Molecular energy transfer. State-to-state reaction dynamics. Laser chemistry and spectroscopy. Quantum dynamics of atomic and molecular collisions at ultralow kinetic energies. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/gentry.html
 

• Clayton Giese, Professor of Physics 

Interactions of molecules - reactive collisions, nonreactive inelastic collisions, photodissociation, and photoionization.
See also: http://www.physics.umn.edu/profiles/giese
 

• Allen M. Goldman, Professor of Physics 

Experimental investigations in condensed matter physics including superconductivity and magnetic, electrical, and transport properties of systems which are either disordered or have reduced dimensionality. Growth and characterization of superconducting and magnetic oxide films and heterostructures. Study of the pairing state of high temperature superconductors. 
See also: http://www.physics.umn.edu/profiles/goldman
 

• J. Woods Halley, Professor of Physics 

Theory of the electrode-electrolyte interface and electron transfer in heterogeneous reactions. Molecular dynamics of water. Theory of disorder in polymeric, magnetic, and metallic systems. Theory of charged and quantum liquids. 
See also: http://www.physics.umn.edu/profiles/woods
 

• Cheng Cher Huang, Professor of Physics 

High-resolution thermal, optical and mechanical investigations near various phase transitions. 
See also: http://www.physics.umn.edu/profiles/huang
 

• Doreen G. Leopold, Associate Professor of Chemistry 

Negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy of gas phase metal clusters, metal-ligand complexes, and organic radicals. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/d_leopold.html
 

• Kenneth R. Leopold, Professor of Chemistry 

Partially bonded molecules. Medium effects on chemical bonds. Microwave spectroscopy. Atmospheric chemistry. Van der Waals interactions. Far infrared spectroscopy. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/k_leopold.html
 

• Sanford Lipsky, Professor of Chemistry 

Electron impact spectroscopy and emission spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. Spectroscopic studies of excitation and ionization processes in non-polar organic liquids. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/lipsky.html
 

• Richard B. McClurg, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Thermodynamics and kinetics of phase changes.
See also:  http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/mcclurg.htm
 

• Wilmer G. Miller, Professor of Chemistry 

Experimental studies of polymers. Projects are oriented toward answering specific questions concerning the chemical system, rather than toward using a particular experimental technique. Current interests include studies on polymer-surface interactions, properties of stiff-chain polymers, and polymer latexes. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/w_miller.html
 

• David C. Morse, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Statistical mechanics. Polymeric and complex fluids.
See also:  http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/morse.htm 
 

• Karin Musier-Forsyth, Associate Professor of Chemistry 

Use of chemical, biophysical, and molecular biology techniques to study protein-RNA recognition. Recognition of tRNA by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and protein-RNA interactions in HIV. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/musier-forsyth.html
 

• Jeffrey T. Roberts, Associate Professor of Chemistry 

Mechanisms of chemical vapor deposition. Surface chemistry of ice under ultrahigh vacuum. 
See also: http://www.chem.umn.edu/faculty/roberts.html
 

• Lanny D. Schmidt, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science 

Surface chemistry. Catalysis. Adsorption and reactions on metal surfaces. 
See also: http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/schmidt.htm
 

• J. Ilja Siepmann, Associate Professor of Chemistry 

Statistical mechanics. New approaches for simulating complex fluids: Applications to phase equilibria, organic films, adsorption in zeolites, and nucleation. 
See also: http://siepmann6.chem.umn.edu/~group
 

• David D. Thomas, Professor of Biochemistry 

Biophysical chemistry and spectroscopy. Muscle biomolecular dynamics. Biophysics of cardiac muscle regulation. Electron paramagnetic resonance and time-resolved laser spectroscopy. 
See also: http://ddt.biochem.umn.edu/
 

• Donald G. Truhlar, Institute of Technology Professor of Chemistry 

Chemical dynamics. Quantum chemistry. Theory of photochemistry. Collision theory. Theoretical studies of chemical reaction rates, molecular energy levels, and energy transfer. Variational transition state theory and tunneling. Enzyme reactions and the theory of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Supercomputer calculations. 
See also: http://comp.chem.umn.edu/WWW/Truhlar/Truhlar.html
 

• Renata M. Wentzcovitch, Associate Professor of Chemical Engingeering and Materials Science

Electronic and structural properties of condensed matter systems. First principles molecular dynamics.
See also:  http://www.cems.umn.edu/People/wentzcovitch.htm
 

• Darrin M. York, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Linear-scaling electronic structure methods for biological macromolecules.  New-generation molecular simulation force fields for biomolecules.  Combined QM/MM approach based on linear-scaling DFT and CPE methods.
See also:  http://pinot-noir.chem.umn.edu/~york
 

• Xiaoyang Zhu, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silicon & their applications. Molecular electronics & electron transfer at interfaces.
See also:  http://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/zhu
 

U of M | Chemistry | Physics | CEMS

Last updated May 24, 2001.