UWinChem

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Holiday party!











Term is almost over! Come celebrate at the annual:

Chemistry and Biochemistry Holiday Party

Contact: Marlene, Gyllian, Corey or Zainab for tickets

Where: Rock Bottom Bar and Grill
When: Saturday, December 14th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $10 - includes food and a drink!

All undergrads, graduate students, staff and faculty are welcome!


Friday, November 22, 2013

Chemists develop innovative method for making bendable electronics

A chemist and her team of researchers have made a major stride forward in the race to make cell phones, televisions and other electronics that can bend and stretch.

Tricia Carmichael, an associate professor in chemistry and biochemistry, and her PhD student Michael Miller, are two of five co-authors on a recently published paper describing a process that uses tiny silver nanowires as conductors and then arranging and mixing them right in to the adhesive that bonds them to surfaces like the plastic which could be used in bendable electronic devices.
“Glues are really durable material, so it made sense to do it that way,” Dr. Carmichael said of the never-before-used process described in the academic journal Applied Materials and Interfaces. “We wanted it to be general enough that it could be used by everyone in the industry. It’s just really practical.”
Until now, manufacturers have relied on indium tin oxide as a conductor in electronic light-emitting displays, but it’s completely unsuitable for flexible devices because it’s a brittle ceramic which cracks under relatively low bending strains and causes electrical failure.
Click here to read the whole story on the Daily News.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Hallowe'en Party and Costume Contest - Oct. 31 at 12:00 p.m.

Potluck Style! Please contact Zainab or Marlene if you want to bring a dish

ONLY $2 for all the spooky treats!!
Please join us for some creepy costumes and frightening food!
Prizes for best costumes will be announced at 1:00!

Thursday, October 31 
12:00-1:30 p.m
Room 273 Essex Hall (conference room)

Monday, October 21, 2013

50th anniversary celebrations this weekend for ChemBiochem Alumni



We are pleased to extend a warm invitation to our Alumni and Friends
to help us celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of Windsor with
the ChemBiochem Alumni Symposium.

On the weekend of Oct. 25-26, 2013, you are welcome to join us for celebrations of our department history.

Oct. 25, 2013 - warm up party, 7-10 p.m.
Oct. 26, 2013 - ChemBiochem Alumni Symposium (morning and afternoon) 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Oct. 26, 2013 - gala anniversary dinner at "The Bank", 5-10 p.m.

For more information, please visit:
http://chembioalumni.cs.uwindsor.ca/index.html


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Applications of nanoparticles topic of public lecture

UWindsor biochemistry professor Bulent Mutus will discuss the applications of nanoparticles— submicroscopic collections of atoms—in a free public lecture on Wednesday, October 16, at Canada South Science City.
Nanoparticles are roughly the size of molecules and too small to be seen in optical microscopes. They have properties that can differ significantly from the bulk material and that open new possibilities in analysis and therapeutic treatment.
Dr. Mutus will show how he and his research group use the properties of nanoparticles in a variety of applications, including:
  • detecting sulfur-containing compounds in the atmosphere and in our bodies;
  • identifying the location of sulfur-containing moieties in proteins that are susceptible to alteration in their structure and function by the gasotransmitters nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide; and
  • making wound-healing bandages.
An award-winning Senior Research Chair and the head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mutus is the founding director of the University of Windsor’s Health Research Group and has published widely in his area of chemistry for health sciences.
Wednesday’s lecture, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is part of the Science Cafés series, discussions of important science research for the general public. The series is sponsored by the Faculty of Science at the University of Windsor.
Canada South Science City is located at 930 Marion Avenue.
Click here to see this story on the Daily News.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Crystal Flask Golf Tournament - Aug. 28

Crystal Flask Golf Tournament - Aug. 28
Where: Roseland Golf and Curling Club, 455 Kennedy Dr. W., Windsor, ON
When: Wed. Aug. 28, 2013, first tee-time: 9 a.m.
Holes: 18
More: Additional fees are covered by the Chem Club.  
Please RSVP to Isabelle (kolodzii@uwindsor.ca) ASAP.
If rides/equipment are issues, please inquire.  And...if golf isn't your game, this tournament is just for you!  So come on out and feel proud to have your name on the Crystal Flask.  It's no green jacket, it's better!


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Alumni teaching award recipient: Phil Dutton

Congratulations to Phillip Dutton, who was awarded the 2013 Alumni Teaching Award at the Spring Convocation on June 12, 2013.

From the Daily News:


Chemistry professor devises formula for successful teaching

Philip Dutton says that the development of his style of teaching drew on his experience in martial arts: “Observe good demonstrations, practice observed techniques, and if you remove all of the mistakes, what is left is not only correct, but is efficient.”

Philip Dutton, A former head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Dutton has observed speakers and instructors to figure what to do—and just as importantly, what not to do. The technique came to him as a graduate student watching a visiting scientist present a seminar, he says: “I promised myself never to do what he did.”

Honing his skills has paid off for Dutton’s students, and earned him the Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching, which he will receive at the Wednesday, June 12, afternoon session of Convocation.

In letters supporting his nomination for the award, current and former students praise Dutton’s passion for his material and commitment to his charges.

“Dr. Dutton’s enthusiasm helped me rise above my obstacles and strive for excellence,” wrote Sara Ghoneim. “He always challenged his students and engaged us in his lectures in ways that made the course material unforgettable.”

His colleagues tout his versatility, teaching courses in a variety of subjects, including large introductory classes, and helping to develop a redesigned undergraduate curriculum.

At the root of his commitment is what Dutton calls the true reward of the teacher: “There is nothing more satisfying than watching students move through the training of their undergraduate and graduate carers and go on to be successful contributors to society.”

The awards, established by the University of Windsor Alumni Association in 1987, recognize excellence in all areas of teaching, including classroom presentation, curriculum development, versatility, teaching methods, and student support. In addition to Dutton, education professor Kara Smith and English professor Dale Jacobs will receive the honour during the University’s 99th Convocation ceremonies this week. Click here for a list of past recipients.

Click here to see the original story on the Daily News

Monday, June 3, 2013

Mango Party - Fri. June 7, 2013 at 3 p.m.

Dr. Pandey's annual Mango Party will take place on Fri. June 7, 2013 at 3 p.m. at the front entrance of Essex Hall.  Contributions to the Canadian World Education Fund are welcome!

http://cwef.ca/site

See you there!



Sunday, June 2, 2013

Spring convocation BBQ - June 12, 2013 at 4:30 p.m.


The spring convocation is next Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 3:00p.m. for Faculty of Science.  The following students are graduating:

Ph.D. - Eric Bushnell, Shuai Chen, Meghan Doster, Vasantha Kallakunta, Jun Li, Bryan Lucier, Ronan San Juan.  

M.Sc. - Ahmed Cherry, Sinisa Djurdjevic, Haider Mohan, Jing Wang.

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry will be hosting a bar-b-que immediately following the convocation, at approximately 4:30 p.m.  Everyone from the department is invited to meet on the front steps of Essex Hall and share in the celebration.  Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.  Please come and join us to congratulate our students.

If you're planning on coming, please send me an email so I know how much food to purchase.

I'm also looking for volunteers to help setup for the bar-b-que.  If you're available, let me know.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Marlene Bezaire

Friday, May 17, 2013

NMR workshops - May 23 and 24, 2013


NMR Workshops

Introductory 2 Day NMR Workshops scheduled for the mornings of Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24, 9am to noon each day.

This introductory workshop is geared toward undergraduate students and/or graduate students with limited (or no) NMR experience, but who are expected to make use of the NMR spectrometers as part of their research projects. The workshop is meant as a supplement to the "one on one" training that new students receive and will allow an opportunity to go into greater depth on many topics. The schedule will consist of a lecture to start each day followed by hands-on learning sessions where participants will get the opportunity to make NMR samples as well as to collect and process NMR data.

The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

Visit the NMR facility site at:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/chemistry/nmr/
for more information.

Best 59-410 Projects for 2013


The Winners of the Best 59-410 Projects for 2013:

The Tuck Alumni Award for the Best Chemistry Research Project was a tie this year. The Tuck award is shared by Mr. Manar M. Shoshani (Johnson Lab) and Mr. Michael J. Jaroszewicz (Schurko Lab).

The Winner of the Hutnik Research Award for the Best Biochemisty Project was Ms. Jasmin Nari (Vacratsis Lab). Congratulations!



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Public lecture to explore organic electronics - May 15, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.


Organic electronics is generating interest not only in the science community but in the business world as well. Its current market of about one billion dollars is expected to grow to $45 billion by 2016.

In a free presentation entitled “Organic Electronics: From Serendipitous Discovery to Market,” Holger Eichhorn will provide some of the facts behind the buzz.

The public is invited to join the discussion on Wednesday, May 15, for a journey from the early beginnings of organic electronics to today’s and tomorrow’s printable, flexible, and stretchable organic electronic devices. The free public session starts at 7:30 p.m. at Canada South Science City, 930 Marion Avenue.

Dr. Eichhorn is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Windsor. His research group studies self-assembling organic and nanostructured materials with applications to chemical sensors, drug delivery, and advanced electronic devices.

The event is part of the Science Café series, which offers discussion of important science research for the general public.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

More Accolades for Our Undergraduate Students: Samantha Leahy won 'Best Oral Presentation' at the NeuroXchange Conference http://www.neuroxchange.org/# at McMaster University on May 1, 2013. Samantha is a member of the Pandey Research Group. Congratulations Samantha!

Bulent Mutus

Thursday, April 25, 2013

59-410 Undergrad Defences - April 29-30

59-410 final defences and research presentations for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry take place on April 29-30, 2013 in Room 186 Essex Hall.

The schedule is available online at:

http://chem410.cs.uwindsor.ca/Schedules/index.html




The seminars are open to the public, so you can invite family and friends.
Hope to see you there!

Rob Schurko, 59-410 coordinator.

Monday, April 8, 2013

ChemProm MMXIII - Friday May 3, 2013

The biggest social event of the year happens at ChemProm, Fri. May 3, 2013 starting at 7 p.m. at the Caboto Club.  Tickets are available from the main office, or from Chris, Gyllian and Corey (from the Chem Club).  Be there, or be square planar.



Two three-minute thesis winners from Chemistry!

A sweep for science: Biology student Rebecca Williams and chemistry students Chris Allan and Heather Filiatrault claimed all the hardware at UWindsor’s inaugural Three Minute Thesis Competition, Monday in the CAW Student Centre.
Congratulations to Chris Allan (Macdonald group) and Heather Filiatrault (Carmichael group) for winning first place and the people's choice awards, respectively, in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition.

From the Daily News:

Winning the University’s inaugural Three Minute Thesis Competition was a little overwhelming for Chris Allan, but he is already looking ahead: “I am really excited to be going to Kingston,” he said.

The doctoral student in chemistry will represent Windsor in the province-wide competition, April 18 at Queens University, after taking top local honours Monday with his presentation “From your TV to the lab: Exploring the reactivity of indium.” He also will receive a $1,000 cash award.


Joining Allan in Kingston will be runner-up Rebecca Williams, a biology student whose presentation “Great Lakes Undercover: Can fish evolve to survive pollution?” was good for the $500 second-place prize.


And crowd favourite Heather Filiatrault won the people’s choice award and $250 with her précis “Stretchable electronics cast in a new light.”


Dean of graduate studies Patti Weir said the competition highlighted the excellent research conducted by graduate students across campus.


“This has been an awesome three days!” she said.


Click here to see the original article.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Undergrad researchers successful at SOUSCC

21 students from the 59-410 research project class attended the 41st Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC) at McMaster University.  

Congratulations to all who presented their work, and also to our five prize winners:


Biological-Cell Chemistry
1st place - Yousif Atwan (Mutus)
2nd place - Hyder Ali Khan (Mutus)

Organic Materials
1st place - Hi Taing (Eichhorn)

Physical Chemistry - Materials and Spectroscopy
1st place - Mike Jaroszewicz (Schurko)

Physical Chemistry
3rd place - Paul Prochazka (Carmichael)


For more information on the 59-410 project course, visit our website.