Alumni Spotlight

Charles Johannes named Head of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES)

Dr. Charles Johannes has assumed the role of Head of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES). He will hold a joint appointment at the Experimental Therapeutics Center (ETC) under the Agency of Science and Technology (A*STAR) for the Singapore government. In this new role, Dr. Johannes’ work will encompass drug discovery, green chemistry, process research and specialty chemicals. A doctoral student working in Prof. Amir H. Hoveyda’s group, he received his PhD in 1998. Most recently, Dr. Johannes was the Director of Chemistry at Forma Therapeutics.


Steven Malcolmson wins Reaxys PhD Prize

Dr. Steven Malcolmson, who earned his Ph.D. in Professor Amir Hoveyda’s group, was selected as a recipient of the 2011 Reaxys PhD Prize.  This highly competitive international award recognizes research and publication excellence.  Consideration is given for originality, innovation, importance to the field, applicability, rigor of approach and publication quality. A board of over 70 leading international chemists reviewed close to 300 submissions resulting in the naming of 3 winners.  Malcolmson was honored for his article, “Highly Efficient Molybdenum-Based Catalysts for Enantioselective Alkene Metathesis.”  He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Christopher Walsh, Harvard Medical School.


Dr. John L. LaMattina receives ACS Award

Dr. John LaMattina received the Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management from the American Chemical Society earlier this year. This award honors those who have shown excellent leadership and creativity in promoting chemistry through a proven record of successful research projects that have motivated fellow researchers and gained the recognition of their peers. Receiving a B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College in 1971, D. LaMattina is the former President of Pfizer Global R&D. He is currently a Senior Partner at PureTech Ventures. A friend of the Chemistry Department, Dr. LaMattina generously supports our graduate program with the annual award of Dr. John L. LaMattina Fellows.

Alumni Notes

Dr. Frank A. Robey, (BCC'72) recently founded AriaVax, Inc., a small molecule vaccine company following a successful career at the National Institute of Health. Currently a Senior Scientist at Life Technologies, Dr. Guobing Xiang received his Ph.D. in 1996. Dr. Yongquan Li, Ph.D. '02, is an R&D Scientist with Thermofisher Scientific.


Congratulations to our most recent graduates!

Ph.D. in Chemistry

Eric J. Dimise
The Discovery, Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Total Synthesis of the Fuscachelins, Nonribosomal Peptide Siderophores from the Thermophilic Actinomycete Thermobifida fusca
Advisor: Professor Steven D. Bruner

Kimberly R. Mendes
Catalysis and Regulation of the Allosteric Enzyme Aspartate Transcarbamoylase
Advisor: Professor Evan Kantrowitz

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