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Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Siena College, Loudonville, NY, 2019-present
Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Siena College, Loudonville, NY, 2012-2019
Visiting Assistant Professor, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, Spring 2012
Visiting Scholar, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, 2011-2012
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomolecular Chemistry, University of WI–Madison, Madison, WI, 2008-2010  

Degree Program University
Ph.D. Chemistry University of Wisconsin, Madison,WI
B.S. Chemistry Juniata College

My Siena Experience

My Teaching Philosophy

The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them. -Sir William Lawrence Bragg, Nobel Laureate in Physics

Many of the most meaningful mentors in my life have been teachers. A high school chemistry and biology teacher, an elementary principal, and an assistant professor of pediatrics comprise my immediate family; as a result, I have been exposed to the importance and impact of education on students of all ages throughout my life. I am drawn to academia and, in particular, to teaching at a predominantly undergraduate institution, because I want to encourage and inspire the next generation of leaders, workers, and thinkers as well as continue to learn through teaching others. In addition, I view teaching as a service – a way to give back to society and to make a difference in the lives of individual students, the next generation of leaders. My goal as an educator is to foster an enthusiasm, or at the least, a respect for the scientific endeavor and for chemistry and biochemistry in particular through the lecture classroom, laboratory courses, and a vibrant undergraduate research group.

What I Love About Siena

The reason why I love to teach at Siena is simple: the students. The students at Siena are hard-working, considerate, socially responsible, and engaging. In my job, I am able to meet new students every year and, over the course of four years, see them grow academically and personally to be well-rounded graduates, ready to make their way in the world. I am honored to be a part of that process, and I look forward to interacting with students in my classroom, in my laboratory, in my office, and around campus each day. 

My Favorite Courses to Teach

Organic Chemistry I and II
Physical Biochemistry Lab (Senior Chemistry/Biochemistry major course)

My Professional Experience

Year Title Organization
2012 - Now Assistant Professor Siena College
2011 - 2012 Visiting Assistant Professor and Scholar Franklin & Marshall College
2008 - 2010 Postdoctoral Fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison

Current Research

Our group has two main research areas:
 
* Biochemistry:  We use biochemical and chemical techniques to understand the chemistry of enzyme structure and activity. The goal is to increase the basic knowledge of methyltransferases that are key in human health and disease.
 
* Organic chemistry:  We use NMR spectroscopy to study the rate and substrate sensitivity of a common esterification reaction, the Steglich esterification. The goal is to better understand a key reaction used widely in academia and industry.

Articles & Book Reviews

  • Synthesis of (E)-cinnamyl ester derivatives via a greener Steglich esterification
    Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry
    2018
  • Catalytic activation of histone acetyltransferase Rtt109 by a histone chaperone
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, vol. 107
    2010
  • Kinetic mechanism of the Rtt109−Vps75 histone acetyltransferase−chaperone complex
    Biochemistry
    2010
  • A polymeric domain that promotes cellular internalization
    Journal of the American Chemical Society
    2009
  • Chemical probes of bacterial signal transduction reveal that repellents stabilize and attractants destabilize the chemoreceptor array
    ACS Chemical Biology
    2008
  • General synthetic route to cell-permeable block copolymers via ROMP
    Journal of the American Chemical Society
    2008

Presentations

  • Antimicrobial Activity of Cinnamic Acid Derivatives: A Multi-Week Synthesis Project for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    2017
    Eastern New York ACS Undergraduate Research Poster Session, Loudonville, New York
  • Synthesis of trans-Cinnamyl Ester Derivatives via a Greener Steglich Esterification
    2017
    45th National Organic Symposium, Davis, California
  • Biochemical and kinetic investigation of the histone methyltransferase PRDM2
    2015
    Eastern New York Section of the American Chemical Society 7th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, Loudonville, New York
  • Biochemical investigation of the histone methyltransferase PRDM2
    2015
    250th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Biochemical and kinetic investigation of the histone methyltransferase PRDM2
    April, 2014
    Eastern New York ACS Undergraduate Research Poster Session, Loudonville, New York
  • Kinetic Investigation of the Histone Methyltransferase PRDM2
    September, 2013
    Upstate NY Undergraduate Research Conference, Canton, New York