Emslie Group - People
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MOST RECENT GROUP PHOTO
Emslie Group in May 2012 - From left to right - Back row:Aathith, Nick, Kris, Adam and Emslie,
Middle row: Brad, Kelly, Preeti and Jeffrey, Front row: Judy and Meera
CURRENT GROUP MEMBERS
Brad Cowie (cowieb@mcmaster.ca)
Ph.D. student: 2008-current.
OGS (2008-2009), NSERC PGS-D (2010-2013).Brad obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from McMaster University in 2008.
He started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in September 2008, and transferred into the Ph.D. program in May 2010. Brad's research is focused on the synthesis, study and reactivity of late transition metal ambiphilic borane-containing ligand complexes. He currently has 4 papers: 1 from his undergraduate research and 3 from our group (2 full papers on ambiphilic ligand complexes and 1 review).
Kristopher Kolpin (kolpinkb@mcmaster.ca)
Ph.D. student: 2008-current.Kris obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Trent University in 2008.
Kris started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in September 2008, and transferred into the Ph.D. program in May 2010. Kris' research is focused on the synthesis of late transition metal vinylborane complexes and their study by crystallographic, spectroscopic, electrochemical and computational methods. He also has significant expertise with DFT calculations, and performed all of the calculations in our 2012 uranium paper. He currently has 3 papers (1 on vinylboranes, 1 on uranium, and 1 review).
Nick Andreychuk (andreynr@mcmaster.ca)
Ph.D. student: 2009-current.
NSERC CGS-M (2009-2010), OGS (2010-2012), Richard Fuller Memorial Scholarship (2012-2013)Nick obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Lakehead University in 2009.
Nick started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in September 2009, and transferred into the Ph.D. program in September 2011. His research is focused on synthesis, structures, redox chemistry and reactivity of low-coordinate electropositive metal complexes. He currently has 3 papers [2 on uranium chemistry (Dalton and Organometallics) and one on potassium alkane complexes (Angewandte)].
Kelly Motolko (motolkks@mcmaster.ca)
Ph.D. student: 2009-current.Kelly obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario in 2009. Her final year undergraduate research thesis in the Corrigan group was focused on the synthesis and study of ternary semiconducting nanoparticles.
Kelly started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in September 2009, and transferred into the Ph.D. program in September 2011. Her research is focused on the organometallic chemistry of early transition metal and f-element complexes supported by ultra-rigid pincer ligands.
Jeffrey Price (pricej4@mcmaster.ca)
M.Sc. student: 2011-current.
OGS (2012-2013)
A very hungry man!Jeffrey obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from McMaster University in 2011.
He started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in May 2011, and his research is focused on the development and study of new reaction chemistry for metal Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).
Aathith Vasanthakumar (vasana4@mcmaster.ca)
M.Sc. student: 2012-current.Aathith obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto (Mississauga campus) in 2011. His final year undergraduate research thesis in the Fekl group was focused on coordination, organometallic and redox chemistry of palladium.
Aathith started as an M.Sc. student in the Emslie group in May 2012. His research is focused on ligand design and metal-ligand bonding in actinide chemistry.
Dr. Preeti Chadha (pchadha@mcmaster.ca)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: September 2011-current.
Preeti obtained her B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry in 2002 from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in India, and an M.Sc. degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in India. She then worked for 2 years as a research associate with Prof. B. D. Gupta at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. In 2007, Preeti started as a graduate student in the Ragogna group at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in Canada. She received her Ph.D. degree in 2011, and her thesis was entitled "Exploring the Chemistry of Cyclopentadienyl-Cobalt-Cyclobutadiene (CpCoCb) Complexes and Synthesis of Side-Chain CpCoCb Polymers". Preeti joined the Emslie group in September 2011, and her research is focused on the development and study of new reaction chemistry for metal Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).
Judy (Fu An) Tsao (tsaofa@mcmaster.ca)
NSERC USRA student in 2012.
Started as a final year undergraduate thesis project student (ISCI 4A12) in September 2012.Judy is an Integrated Science (iSci) student with a concentration in Chemistry. She has now completed 3 years in the program and will go into her final year in September. Her research is focused on the synthesis of a new ambiphlic ligand, coordination of the new ligand to late transition metals, and investigation of these complexes for cooprerative activation of small molecules.
Adam Pantaleo (pantalan@mcmaster.ca)
NSERC USRA student in 2012.
Started as a final year undergraduate thesis project student (ISCI 4A12) in September 2012.Adam is an Integrated Science (iSci) student with a concentration in Chemistry. He has now completed 3 years in the program and will go into his final year in September. His research is focused on the synthesis of main group and transition metal derivatives of a preposterously bulky pincer ligand.
March 2013 update: Adam is the winner of the Hyperchem Award for the best undergraduate thesis presentation in the department of chemistry.
PREVIOUS GRADUATE STUDENTS
Dr. Carlos Cruz - Ph.D. degree received from the Emslie group in 2010.
Thesis title: "Rigid Non-Carbocyclic Ancillary Ligands in Organothorium Chemistry".
Carlos obtained his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from McMaster University in 2004, and he graduated with his Ph.D. from the Emslie lab in 2010. His research resulted in 5 first-author publications and 1 non-first-author publication, and he was Chemistry Graduate Student President from 2006-2007. Carlos held OGS from 2006-2008, and an NSERC PGS-D for 2008-2010. He was also the recipient of Morrison (2005) and Lock (2006 and 2007) Scholarships.Carlos is currently a Research Chemist in the Polyolefins Catalyst and Product Development Group at Chevron Phillips Chemical Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Natalie Huk
M.Sc. degree received from the Emslie group in 2006.
Thesis title: "Borane-Containing Ligands Based on Thioxanthene, Xanthene and Acridine: Synthesis and Platinum Coordination Chemistry".
Natalie Huk received her B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from the University of Windsor in 2003; her final year undergraduate thesis was with Dr. Chuck Macdonald. She graduated with an M.Sc. from the Emslie lab in 2006, before going on to pursue a 2nd graduate degree in California. Her research was included in 1 paper from the group.PREVIOUS PDFs OR VISITING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
Dr. Bala Vidjayacoumar
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: 2007-2010Bala obtained his M.Sc. in Chemistry in 1999 from Pondicherry University in India, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2005 from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in India. Upon completion of his Ph.D. degree, Bala worked for 7 months as a research associate in the group of Prof. R. Mukherjee at IIT Kanpur. He then moved to a position as a PDF with Prof. S. Gambarotta (U Ottawa) in September 2005, and in March 2007, Bala joined the Emslie research group. During this time, his research focused on the development and study of new methods for late transition metal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and he also mentored various students in the area of organouranium chemistry. He has 5 papers so far from his research in the group. In September 2010, Bala moved to his current position as a research associate with Prof. S. Gambarotta (U Ottawa).
Dr. Venkat Ramalingam
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: 2008-2009Venkat obtained his B.Sc. (1999) and M.Sc. (2001) degrees in Chemistry from Madurai Kamaraj University, India. He then completed a Ph.D. in chemistry with Prof. Maravanji S. Balakrishna at IIT Bombay, India. The title of his thesis was "Phosphorus Based Multidentate Ligands: Synthesis, Organometallic Chemistry and applications". In July 2007 he joined the group of Prof. W. Malisch as a PDF at the University of Würzburg, Germany. In December 2008, Venkat joined the Emslie group as a PDF; his research focused on the development and study of new methods for late transition metal atomic layer deposition (ALD). He has 1 paper from this work, and at the end of October 2009, Venkat returned to India.
Dr. Sougandi Ilango
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: 2007-2008Sougandi obtained her M.Sc. in Chemistry (1999), an M.Phil. in Bioinorganic Chemistry (2000) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry (2003) from Pondicherry University in India. From January 2004 to December 2005, Sougandi worked as a PDF in the group of Prof. Jean Marc Latour in Grenoble, France. This postdoctoral work focused on protein purification and EPR titration of metalloproteins. In March 2006, Sougandi moved to a position as a PDF in the group of Prof. S. Gambarotta (U Ottawa), and this was followed by a position as a PDF in the Emslie group (August 2007 to May 2008). During this time, her research focused primarily on organometallic and low valent uranium chemistry and she has 2 papers from this work. She is currently looking after a son (Shiva, born July 2008) and a daughter (Sivani, born August 2012).
Dr. James Blackwell
Visiting Research Scientist for 4 months in 2003James obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. He then completed an M.Sc. with Prof. M. Lautens (U Toronto), followed by a Ph.D. with Prof. W. Piers (U Calgary), and a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. C. Cummins (MIT).
Before moving to his current industrial research position, he worked for 4 months in the Emslie lab as a visiting research scientist. During this time, his research focused on attempted synthesis of our ambiphilic phosphine-thioether-borane ligand, TXPB.
PREVIOUS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
* 11 out of 13 previous undergraduate students in the lab have continued on to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry.
Date Student Position in Emslie Group
Current Position 2011-2012 Meera Mehta Summer student, then CHEM 4G09 thesis student
1 of 2 runners up for undergrad thesis talk award
Graduate student in the Stephan group (U of T) 2010-2011 Jeffrey Price Summer student, then CHEM 4G09 thesis student
1 of 2 runners up for undergrad thesis talk award
Currently a graduate student in the Emslie group 2009-2010 Velislava Bachvarova CHEM 4G09 thesis student
Unknown 2009 Kelly Motloko Summer student after completing her B.Sc. in
Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario
Currently a PhD student in the Emslie group 2008-2009 Terry Chu CHEM 4G09 thesis student,
then summer studentM.Sc. from the Piers group (U Calgary). Now a Ph.D. student in the Nikonov group (Brock U) 2007-2008 Brad Cowie CHEM 4G09 thesis student,
then NSERC USRA summer student in 2008Currently a PhD student in the Emslie group 2007-2008 Jordan Thomson
CHEM 4G09 thesis student
Winner of undergraduate thesis talk awardPhD from the Ozin group (U Toronto). Now working at Green Centre Canada. 2007-2008 Matt Ray 3rd year undergraduate research student from the
University of Bristol, EnglandCurrently a PhD student in the Kilian group at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland 2006 Rachelle Kleinberger Summer student in 2006 Currently a graduate student in the Stover group (McMaster U) 2005-2006 Simon Oakley CHEM 4G06 thesis student, then summers student
Winner of undergraduate thesis talk awardCompleted an M.Sc. in the Hicks group
(U Victoria)2005 Kyle Parker NSERC USRA summer student Currently a graduate student in the Fryzuk group
(UBC)2004 Abdullah Alabousi B.HSc.(Honours) 3H03 undergraduate
research projectCurrently a Medical Student at UWO 2003-2004 Carlos Cruz CHEM 4G06 thesis student
Completed a Ph.D. in the Emslie group
(see above for more details)Pictures of previous undergraduate students not featured above:
Kyle Parker (2005)
Simon Oakley (2005-2006)
Rachelle Kleinberger (2006)
Jordan Thomson (2007-2008)
Matt Ray (2007-2008)
Terry Chu (2008-2009)
Velislava Bachvarova (2009-2010)
Meera Mehta (2011-2012)
SELECTED RECENT GROUP PHOTOS
Emslie Group - May 2012 - Action Shot! - From left to right -
Aathith, Preeti, Meera, Kris, Brad, Kelly, Jeffrey and Nick (Adam and Judy escaped being in the photo)
Emslie Group - 4G09 Presentation Day (on St. Patrick's Day!!) - Top left: Kris, Nick and Brad, Top right: Emslie and Brad, Bottom Left: Nick with green beer, Bottom Right: Jeffrey with Nataly and Lucia.
Most of the Emslie Group in Summer 2011 - Left to right (starting at the front of the table):
Imposter, Nick Andreychuk, Kris Kolpin, Kelly Motolko, Brad Cowie, Preeti Chadha, Meera Mehta
Emslie Group in Summer 2010 - Left to right (group members are marked with arrows): Sougandi Ilango, Bala Vidjayacoumar, Kristopher Kolpin, Brad Cowie, Kelly Motolko, Nick Andreychuk, Carlos Cruz
Carlos' Wedding in Summer 2009 - Left to right: Bala, Sougandi and their son Shiva Haari, Kelly and her boyrfriend Travis, Brad and his girlfriend Nat, Emslie with his wife Anastasia and their son James.
Emslie with his wife Anastasia and their son James, Sougandi, Bala, and their son Shiva Haari, previous undergrads in the group Rachelle and Simon, Brad and his girlfriend Nat, Kelly and her boyfriend Travis.