The Chemistry Department at Boston College presents dozens of speakers each year from leading universities, industrial corporations, and the private sector. We would like to express our appreciation to the following companies for their generous support of our seminar series: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis Corporation, Schering-Plough, Sigma- Aldrich, and Abbott Laboratories.
View Our Collection of University Lecture Series Posters!
FALL 2008
SPRING 2009
FALL 2007
SPRING 2008
PREVIOUS SEMINARS
FALL 2008
August 22, 2008
Professor Art Cho, Korea University
“Quantum Mechanics in Protein Docking”
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
August 25, 2008
Professor Karin Hauser, Institute of Biophysics, University of Frankfurt, Germany
“Protein Folding and Dynamics studied by Infrared Spectroscopy”
Physical Chemistry Seminar
2:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 2, 2008
Professor Tohru Yamada, Keio University, Japan
“Enantioselective Borohydride Reduction Catalyzed by Optically Active Cobalt(II) Complexes”
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 4, 2008
Professor Joseph Harrity, University of Sheffield, UK
“Development of New Regio- and Stereoselective Heterocycle Syntheses through Cycloaddition Reactions”
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 9, 2008
Professor Tatyana Polenova
“Magic Angle Spinning NMR Specrtoscopy of Microtubule - Associated Proteins, Thioredoxin Reassemblies and Vanadium Haloperoxidases”
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 16, 2008
Professor Xi Chen
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 19, 2008
Professor Julia Chan, Louisiana State University
“Crystal growth and Physical Properties of Intermetallics: Challenges and Opportunities”
SEMINAR CANCELLED
September 23, 2008
Professor Herbert Mayr, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 30, 2008
Professor Tadhg Begley
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 7, 2008
Professor Mary K. Pflum
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 14, 2008
Professor Phil Dawson
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 16, 2008
Professor Masahiro Terada, Tohoku University, Japan
"Enantioselective Catalysis by Chiral Bronsted Acid/Base through Hydrogen Bonding as Strategic Interaction"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 21, 2008
An Organic Symposium Sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Dr. Rodney Parsons
Title: TBD
Professor Larry Overman, University of California, Irvine
"Recent Studies in Alkaloid Total Synthesis"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 127
October 22, 2008
Professor Q. Jason Cheng, University of California, Riverside
"Supported Lipid Membrane Interfaces for Biosensing with Surface Plasmon Resonance"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 28, 2008
Professor John Koh
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 30, 2008
Professor Emmanuel Lacote, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 4, 2008
Professor John Porco, Boston University
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 11, 2008
Professor Katherine Drennan
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 18, 2008
Professor Mei Hong
Title: TBD
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 8, 2008
Professor Naohiko Yoshikai, University of Tokyo, Japan
"Activation of Unreactive Carbon-Halogen and Carbon-Hydrogen Bonds by Transition Metal Catalysis of Nucleophilic Organometallics"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 9, 2008
Professor Melanie S. Sanford, University of Michigan
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
SPRING 2009
Janaury 22, 2009
Professor Hee Cheul Choi, Pohang University of Science & Technology, South Korea
Title: TBD
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 6, 2009
Professor Dan Yang, University of Hong Kong
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 14, 2009
Professor Tehshik Yoon, University of Wisconsin
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 15, 16, & 17, 2009
University Lecturer
Dr. Jay D. Keasling, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
Founding Director of the Synthetic Biology Department
University of California, Berkeley
Director of the Physical Biosciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Titles: TBD
4:00 - 5:00 PM, Merkert 127
April 23, 2009
Professor Scott Denmark, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Novartis Lecturer
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 28, 2009
Professor Uwe Bunz, Georgia Institute of Technology
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
FALL 2007
September 18, 2007 CANCELLED
Professor Clark Landis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"Enantioselective Catalysis with 3,4-Diazaphospholanes"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 28, 2007
Dr. John Kozarich, ActivX Biosciences, Inc.
"Mechanistic Adventures in Nucleotide Binding Space"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
2:00 PM, Merkert 127
October 4, 2007
Professor Dongping Zhong, Ohio State University
"Ultrafast Dynamics of Protein Surface Hydration"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 10, 2007
Professor Paul Barbara, University of Texas
O'Malley Lecturer
"Single Molecule Spectroscopic Studies of Organic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 11, 2007
Professor Paul Barbara, University of Texas
O'Malley Lecturer
"Single Molecule Kinetic Studies on Protein/Nucleic Acid Interactions in HIV-1 Reverse Transcription In Vitro"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
1:00 PM, Carney 206
October 11, 2007
Professor Moonsub Shim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"Charging Carbon Nanotubes: Electrons, Phonons, and Chemical Reactivity"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 23, 2007
Professor Dhandapani Venkataraman, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
"Triarylamines with a Twist"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 25, 2007
Professor Isamu Shiina, Tokyo University of Science
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 30, 2007
Professor Maurice Brookhart, University of North Carolina
"Catalytic Transformations Employing C-H and Si-H Bond Activation Reactions"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 6, 2007
Professor Feng Gai, University of Pennsylvania
"Fast Folding Events in Solution and in Membranes"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 13, 2007
Professor Catherine Drennan, MIT
"Structural Insights into Enzymatic Halogenation of Natural Products"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 15, 2007
Professor Song Jin, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"How to Make a Christmas Tree: General Chemical Synthesis of Silicide Nanowires and Complex Nanowire Structures"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 27, 2007
Professor Ronald Raines, University of Wisconsin
"Stereoelectronic Effects on Protein Structure: Lessons from Collagen"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 6, 2007
Professor Nick Melosh, Stanford University
"Bio-Electronic Interfaces and Plasmonic Integration with Molecular Electronics"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
SPRING 2008
January 8, 2008
Professor David Y. Gin, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
"Synthesis of Carbohydrate Immunostimulants and Bioactive Alkaloids"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
January 10, 2008
Professor M. Shane Hutson, Vanderbilt University
"Wavelength-Dependent Structural Failure of Collagen During Mid-IR Laser Surgery"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
January 15, 2008
Professor Ross A. Widenhoefer, Duke University
"Gold and Platinum-Catalyzed Hydrofunctionalization of C=C Bonds"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 5, 2008
Professor Joel Schneider, University of Delaware
"De Novo Design of Peptide Materials"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 7, 2008
Professor Jin Z. Zhang, University of California, Santa Cruz
"Novel Optical and Dynamic Properties and Emerging Applications of Nanomaterials"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 21, 2008
Professor J. Daniel Gezelter, University of Notre Dame
"Rippled Membranes and Imaginary Ice: Surprise From Molecular Dynamics"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 26, 2008
Professor Jeffrey W. Bode, University of Pennsylvania
"Organic Redox Reactions for Enantioselective Annulations and Chemoselective Ligations"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 11, 2008
Professor Yoshihisa Kobayashi, University of California, San Diego
"Heterocycles in Natural Product Synthesis"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 17, 2008
Professor Robin Kinnel, Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry, Hamilton College
"Adventures and Lessons from Three Decades of Natural Products -- Some Finished and Unfinished Business"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 18, 2008
Dr. Jewgeni Starikow, Institute for Nanotechnology
"DNA Interaction with Incident Electrons and UV Photons: The Role of Charge Transfer Electrons"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 25, 2008
Professor Chaitan Kosla, Stanford University
"New Insights into Macrolide Biosynthesis"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 27, 2008
Professor Martin Gruebele, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"Vibrational Energy Flow and Mode Selectivity: What Happens as Molecules Get Larger"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
12:00 PM, Cushing 210
April 1, 2008
Professor J. Fraser Stoddart, Northwestern University
"Chemistry and Molecular Nanotechnology for Tomorrow's World"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 5, 2008
Organic Symposium
Professor James Morken, Boston College
"Transition-Metal Catalyzed Enantioselective Diboration: An Enabling Tool for Organic Synthesis"
Merkert 127
Professor Justin DuBois, Stanford University
"Drawing Inspiration for Reaction Design from Nature's Products"
Merkert 127
Professor Eric Jacobsen, Harvard University
"A Search for Selective Yet General Catalysts"
Merkert 127
Graduate Student, TBD
April 8, 2008
Professor Christina White, University of Illinois
Title: TBD
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 15, 16, & 17, 2008
University Lecturer
Professor Peter G. Wolynes, Francis H. Crick Chair in Physical Science
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics
University of California, San Diego
Three Lectures on Energy Landscapes:
April 15, 2008
“Landscapes of the Sciences”
4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
April 16, 2008
“Energy Landscapes and the Solved Protein Folding Problems”
4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
April 17, 2008
“Beyond Protein Folding”
4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
Sponsored by: Sigma-Aldrich
April 22, 2008
Professor Blake Peterson, Pennsylvania State University
"Synthetic Mimics of Mammalian Cell Surface Receptors"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 24, 2008
Professor Paul Corkum, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences
"Laser Induced Molecular Imaging"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 29, 2008
Professor Scott Silverman, University of Illinois
CANCELLED
New Seminar date is May 6, 2008.
May 1, 2008
Professor George Shields, Hamilton College
"Computational Design of a Small Peptide that Inhibits Breast Cancer"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 6, 2008
Professor Scott Silverman, University of Illinois
"DNA as a Catalyst for Bioorganic Chemistry"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 8, 2008
Professor John Brauman, Stanford University
"Hydrogen Bonding: Acidity, Basicity, and Effects on Reactivity"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 13, 2008
Professor John L. Wood, Colorado State University
SEMINAR CANCELLED
PREVIOUS SEMINARS
FALL 2006
September 7, 2006
Professor Jianshu Cao, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Statistical Analysis of Single Molecule Measurements"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 14, 2006
Dr. Christopher B. Murray, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center
"Preparation and Properties of Multicomponent Nanocrystal Superlattices: Building with Artificial Atoms"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 19, 2006
Professor Colin Nuckolls, Columbia University
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 21, 2006
Professor Norbert F. Scherer, University of Chicago
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
September 26, 27, & 28, 2006
Professor Nicola L. Pohl, Iowa State University
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 3, 2006
Professor Hisashi Yamamoto, University of Chicago
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
2006/2007 Novartis Lecturer
October 6, 2006
Professor Tianquam Tim Lian, O'Malley Visiting Scholar
Emory University
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 17, 2006
Professor Jinquan Yu, Brandeis University
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 20, 2006
Professor Motomu Kanai, University of Tokyo, Japan
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 25, 2006
Professor Bernhard Breit, Albert Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Germany
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 26, 2006
Professor Albena Ivanisevic, Purdue University
"Fabrication and Characterization of Biological and Chemical Architectures"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
October 31, 2006
Professor Melanie S. Sanford, University of Michigan
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 2, 2006
Professor Steven Baldelli, University of Houston
"Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy and Imaging of Surfaces"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 7, 2006
Professor F. Dean Toste, Chevron Professor
University of California, Berkeley
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 9, 2006
Professor Torsten Fiebig, Boston College
"DNA Photonics - Probing the Electronic Properties of DNA"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 14, 2006
Professor David E. Cane, Brown University
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 16, 2006
Dr. William Chameides, Environmental Defense Fund
"Why an Academic Left the Hallowed Halls to Advocate for Action on Global Warming"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 21, 2006
Dr. Albert Stolow, National Research Council Canada
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
November 28, 2006
Professor Benjamin T. King, University of Nevada, Reno
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 6, 2006
Professor Steven Bruner, Boston College
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 7, 2006
Professor Christopher J. Bardeen, University of California
"Energy Transport in Amorphous and Crystalline Organic Materials"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
December 12, 2006
Professor Jeffrey S. Johnson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
SPRING 2007
January 23, 2007
Professor Anne Gershenson, Brandeis University
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
January 30, 2007
Professor Gregory Petsko, Brandeis University
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 6, 2007
Professor Timothy M. Swager, John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 13, 2007
Professor Michael D. Burkart, University of California - San Diego
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
February 20, 2007
Professor John Montgomery, University of Michigan
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
2006/2007 Bristol-Myers Squib Lecturer
February 27, 2007
Professor Brian M. Stoltz, California Institute of Technology
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 5, 2007
Professor Barry M. Trost, Stanford University
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 13, 2007
Professor Janis Louis, University of Utah
"The Versatility of Nickel Cycloaddition Catalysts"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 15, 2007
Professor Jim Maher, Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine
"DNA Flexibility Enhancement in vivo"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
March 21, 22, & 23, 2007
University Lecturer
Professor Richard R. Schrock, Frederick G. Keyes Professor of Chemistry
Nobel Laureate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"The Discovery and Development of High Oxidation State Catalysts for the Metathesis of Alkenes and Alkynes"
March 21, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
"Applications of High Oxidation State Metathesis Catalysts in Organic and Polymer Chemistry" March 22, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
"Catalytic Reduction of Dinitrogen to Ammonia with Protons and Electrons"
March 23, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Merkert 127
View the Poster for Dr. Schrock's University Lecture Series
March 27, 2007
Professor Joseph P. Noel, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
"Traversing Evolutionary Pathways in Three Dimensions: Divergent Substrate and Product Specificities in Specialized Metabolism"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 2, 2007
Professor Alan S. Goldman, Rutgers University
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
Abbott Lecturer
April 3, 2007
Professor Antonio M. Echavarren, Institut Català d’Investigació Químa, Spain
"The Mechanistic Puzzle of Gold-Catalyzed Cyclizations of Enynes and Beyond"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 10, 2007
Professor Chuan He, University of Chicago
"Regulation of Virulence, Antibiotic Resistance and Metal Ions in Bacteria"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 17, 2007
Professor Samuel Danishefsky, Columbia University
Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecturer
"Natural Products and Total Synthesis in the Drug Discovery Process"
with Dr. Carl P. Decicco
Bristol-Myers Squibb
"Innovation in Drug Discovery"
Bristol-Myers Squibb sponsored Symposium
Organic Chemistry Seminar
3:30 PM, Merkert 127
April 19, 2007
Professor Claudio Margulis, University of Iowa
"Dynamics, Thermodynamics and Spectroscopy of Novel Room-Temperature Ionic-Liquids"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 - 5:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 24, 2007
Professor Anna K. Mapp, University of Michigan
"Small Molecule Control of Gene Activation"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
April 26, 2007
Professor Norman Tolk, Vanderbilt University
"Ultra-fast Laser Induced Vibrational Dynamics at Surfaces Leading to Bond Scission and Traveling Phonon Wave Induced Oscillations"
Chemical Biology Seminar
4:00 - 5:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 1, 2007
Professor Phil S. Baran, The Scripps Research Institute
"The Catalytic Cycle of Discovery in Total Synthesis"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 2, 2007
Professor Janine Cossy, Ecole Supérieure de physique et chimie Indistrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI)
"Chemoselective reactions. Towards the Synthesis of Biologically Active Natural Products"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
May 8, 2007
Professor Victor Batista, Yale University
"Modeling Photo-induced Reaction Dynamics and Coherent Control: from Small Molecules to Sensitized Semiconductors."
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 - 5:00 PM, Merkert 130
SUMMER 2007
June 13, 2007
Professor Toshikazu Hirao, Osaka University, Japan
"Sumanene: A New π-Conjugated Bowl"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
July 12, 2007
Professor Tetsuro Majima, Osaka University
"Charge Transfer Through DNA Nanoscaled Assembly Programmable With DNA Building Blocks"
Physical Chemistry Seminar
4:00 - 5:00 PM, Merkert 130
July 20, 2007
Professor Alexandre Alexakis, University of Geneva
"Chiral Diamines as Ligands and Organocatalysts"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 130
August 27, 2007
Professor Shinichi Saito, Tokyo University of Science
"New Cycloaddition Reactions of Electron-Deficient Methylenecyclopropanes: Efficient Synthesis of Medium-Sized Rings"
Organic Chemistry Seminar
4:00 PM, Merkert 127
