Alexander Miller is one of Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30"

Alexander Miller

CENTC alumnus and collaborator Alexander Miller has been featured by Forbes Magazine in their annual listing of "30 Under 30". The individuals in each of 15 categories are selected as each field's brightest stars under the age of 30 who represent the entrepreneurial, creative and intellectual best of their generation.

Alexander Miller, who was recognized by Forbes under the category of "Energy", is currently Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina. From 2011-2012 he was a Dreyfus Environmental Chemistry Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Washington working with CENTC.

Click here to read the Forbes "30 Under 30" article.
Click here to learn more about Prof. Miller's research.

Mike Heinekey Named AAAS Fellow

Prof. Mike Heinekey

CENTC investigator D. Michael Heinekey has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The 2013 Fellows will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on Feb 16, 2013 during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.

Mike Heinekey is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington. His AAAS citation is in recognition of contributions to the field of organometallic chemistry, particularly for pioneering studies of dihydrogen and polyhydride complexes. Prof. Heinekey's election brings to 11 the number of AAAS Fellows in CENTC.

Read the AAAS press release and full list of new AAAS Fellows here.

CENTC Undergraduate Summer Research Program Accepting Applications

Get practical experience in chemical sciences this summer. The Center for Enabling New Technologies Through Catalysis (CENTC) invites college students with an interest in chemistry to apply for a unique summer research program as part of our NSF-funded, distributed center. 

Undergraduate fellowships are available to conduct research at a choice of CENTC’s 14 locations during the summer of 2013. Research projects include investigating new ways to produce clean, efficient fuels and ways to convert renewable resources to fuels and useful chemicals. The program is 10 weeks long, running from June 17, 2013 through August 23, 2013. Fellows will receive a stipend and compensation for travel and housing. For more information and to complete an application, visit this website.

Undergraduate students at all levels with an interest in chemical sciences will be considered for the program, with preference given to rising juniors and seniors. CENTC strongly encourages applications from women and individuals from groups underrepresented in the sciences. Previous research experience is not required, and participants must be United States citizens or permanent residents.

Visit the CENTC website to learn more about our research, and click here for the online application for the CENTC Undergraduate Summer Research Program.

SACNAS National Conference Features CENTC Symposium This Friday

The 2012 National Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists (SACNAS) runs October 11-14 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. CENTC has sponsored and organized a symposium on "Advances in Research in Sustainable Energy Technologies" that is scheduled for the morning of Friday, October 12. If you will be at the conference be sure to come to this symposium and hear presentations by CENTC investigators Karen Goldberg (University of Washington) and Levi Thompson (University of Michigan), and CENTC Advisory Board member Emilio Bunel (Argonne National Lab).

Visit the SACNAS National Conference website for the symposium schedule.

New Process to Make Para-Xylene from Ethylene

CENTC investigator Maurice Brookhart and co-workers at the University of North Carolina have reported a method to selectively prepare para-xylene from only ethylene. Para-xylene, which is currently mainly manufactured by catalytic reforming of petroleum, is used in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that is used as polyester fibers, resins and films for numerous applications. This new method could be used to manufacture para-xylene from natural gas or biomass sources and thus reduce reliance on oil.

Read the paper from Journal of the American Chemical Society, and the C&E News Science Concentrate.

Copper-based Water Oxidation Catalyst Reported in Nature Chemistry, Highlighted in C&E News

Copper-based electrocatalyst.

CENTC investigators James Mayer, Karen Goldberg, and graduate student Shoshanna Barnett have prepared a homogeneous, water oxidation catalyst containing the earth abundant metal copper. In work reported in Nature Chemistry, copper salts and bipyridine mixed at high pH form a bipyridine hydroxo complex that promotes dioxygen production. This work is of interest because electrolytic water oxidation to give dioxygen is a key challenge in the conversion of electricity to chemical fuels.

Read the paper from Nature Chemistry, and the C&E News Science Concentrate.

John Hartwig Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Prof. John Hartwig

CENTC investigator John Hartwig has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Established in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furthering science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Academy membership is one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States.

John Hartwig is the Henry Rapoport Chair in Organic Chemistry and Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

To learn more and see the entire list of new members read the Academy press release.