News Archive - 2019


Congratulation to Polina Novoseltseva who received the Chemistry Medal!

Photo:Polina Novoseltseva  with her mother, Olga

Every year at convocation, one top student from each department receives a departmental medal. The candidate, put forth by the Department of Arts and Science, must graduate with a first-class honours degree and achieve the highest standing in the particular concentration offered by the Department. In Chemistry, this year’s recipient was Polina Novoseltseva, seen here with her proud mom, Olga, and holding her medal. Throughout her undergraduate degree, Polina has balanced a high course load of the most academically demanding 'Specialization in Chemistry' undergraduate degree with extensive research experience in a variety of chemical disciplines, including biological chemistry, catalysis, and inorganic synthesis, which she acquired during her summer studies as an NSERC-USRA student in the laboratories of Dr. Avena Ross, Dr. Cathleen Crudden, and Dr. Suning Wang. While being awarded the medal, Polina was working on her thesis in organometallic chemistry with Dr. Cathleen Crudden, investigating photophysical properties of novel gold nanoclusters. Polina is currently completing her M.Sc. Honors degree under the supervision of Dr. Anne Petitjean, investigating pH responsive luminescent BF2 b-diketonates at the bridge of organic and inorganic chemical syntheses. The full story can be found on the Queen's Alumni Review.
Congratulations, Polina! We wish you luck in your future endeavours!


 

Photo: In memory of Dr. Natalie Cann

It is with great sadness that Dr. Natalie (nee Goudreau) Cann, 51, passed away on Sunday, December 15th, 2019. Flags will be lowered to half-mast on campus Friday, December 20 for our former faculty member in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Science, Dr. Natalie Cann, who served as department head from July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2016.

Natalie will be sadly missed by her husband Brian and her two children, Alexander and Jennifer; sisters Carol Lévesque (Léo-James), Joanne Thomas (Allan) and Janet Cormier (Gérard); many nieces and nephews and extended family members. Family and friends are invited to share memories at the visitation on Thursday, December 19th, 2019 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and Friday, December 20, 2019 from 10:00 to 11:00 am at Wartman Funeral Home - Kingston Chapel. A memorial service to celebrate her life will follow at 11:00 am in the chapel on Friday December 20, 2019. Natalie’s family express their deepest gratitude to all the staff and personnel at Kingston General Hospital as well as other health professionals that cared for Natalie over the past year and a half.

If desired, memorial donations to the Cann Foundation @RBC, Breast Cancer Research or University Hospital Kingston Foundation (UHKF) Cancer Care Centre at KGH would be appreciated by Natalie. Online condolences at Wartman Funeral Home.

 


Dr. Tucker Carrington was elected to the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science

Photo: Dr. Tucker Carrington

Congratulations to Dr. Tucker Carrington who was elected as a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. For more information, please visit the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science website.


Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti was selected as the 2019 Ferrier Lecturer for her group’s research in the field of carbohydrate synthesis and chemical glycobiology.

Photo: Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti presenting the Ferrier Lecture in New Zealand

Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti was selected as the 2019 Ferrier Lecture for her group’s research in the field of carbohydrate synthesis and chemical glycobiology. Invited Ferrier Lecturers, who are recognised internationally in chemistry or a related field, are brought to New Zealand to lecture and engage with postgraduate students. The Ferrier Lecture is given at Victoria University of Wellington and at Universities across New Zealand each year in honour of the late Professor Robin Ferrier. It was Robin Ferrier’s particular belief that young chemists could benefit greatly from mixing with leaders in their field.


Here’s to the 4th year thesis poster presentation event!

Photo: Student show the 4th Year Project PosterPhoto: 4th Year Project PresentationPhoto: 4th Year Student stand with poster

 

Here’s to the 4th year thesis poster presentation event! Thank you to everyone who attended and well done to all students who presented their projects on November 28, 2019.  


2019 Graduate Studies Information Session

Photo: Dr. Zechel presents at the Graduate Studies Info Session Photo: Graduate Studies Info Session

On November 19th the Chemistry Department held our Graduate studies information session for the undergraduate students. The session focused on graduate degree options, advantages of a graduate degree, finding a supervisor, application tips and scholarship opportunities! To find out more, visit our website. 


Congratulations to Victor Snieckus on receiving the Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision!

Photo: Dr. Victor Snieckus

Congratulations to Victor Snieckus on receiving the Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision! The Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision is to recognize those outstanding supervisors who demonstrate excellence in advising, monitoring and mentoring graduate students through their training.


Congratulations to Sue Blake for being awarded the Distinguished Service Award!

Photo: Sue Blake

Congratulations to Sue Blake for being awarded the Distinguished Service Award for this year. The award was presented honouring her extraordinary achievements and in recognition of her exemplary service to Queen’s over an extended period of time. Ms. Blake has been a mainstay at Queen’s University since graduating with Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1975, holding various roles in the Chemistry Department before joining the Faculty of Arts and Science in 1999 as Director of Student Services.


Queen’s Chemistry Innovation Council returns to the Department

Photo: Student showcasing poster at Queen’s Chemistry Innovation Council eventPhoto: Queen’s Chemistry Innovation Council returns to the DepartmentPhoto: Queen’s Chemistry Innovation Council Meeting

Many members of our QCIC came to Queen’s on Oct. 17th and 18th to participate in our student poster session, dinner and day-long meeting with departmental representatives on the state and future of the chemistry department. The QCIC was founded in 2001 as an advisory board to our chemistry department. Consisting mostly of alumni who have, since their graduation, progressed into positions of influence, the QCIC has been supporting our department in countless ways – some deliver courses, others coach graduate students, or make substantial donations. This year, the dinner was held in Chernoff Hall in the 4th floor lounge and the after-dinner speaker was alumnus Anton Toutov Founder & Chief Science Officer, Fuzionaire and Fuzionaire Diagnostics.


2019 Queen's Alumni Review features many faces of Chemistry

Photos from left to right, Matthias Hermann, Cathleen Crudden and Victor Snieckus. Credit of 2019 Alumni Review

Be sure to check out the 2019 Queen's Alumni Review to see the many faces of Chemistry; Matthias Hermann, PhD student in the Oleschuk group, talks about inventing a portable spectrometer to detect toxic metals in water. Dr. Cathleen Crudden talks about pushing the boundaries of science. Lastly, Dr. Victor Snieckus discusses the importance of fundamental science and the magic of chemistry. Photo credit of the Queen's Alumni Review.


Congratulations to Soren Mellerup, Queen's Chemistry alumni, who won the 2019 CAGS Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award!

Photo: Soren Mellerup

Soren Mellerup, a recent PhD graduate from the Suning Wang group, has won the 2019 AGS (Canadian Association for Graduate Study) Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award. This award is given to two top doctoral students by CAGS per year in recognizing the student distinguished contributions to research. To read more, please visit the CAGS website.


Congratulations to Morgan Lehtinen for bringing home 3rd place in the Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition

Photo: Morgan Lehtinen at the Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition

Morgan Lehtinen, PhD Candidate in the Liu group, placed 3rd in the Young Person's World Lecture Competition in London, England on Oct. 10, 2019! This global competition, hosted annually by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining since 2005, brings together young researchers who were all winners of their respective national final. The goal of the competition is to enhance technical communication and science translation skills by inviting each finalist to present a short lecture on their research to an audience of various backgrounds and participate in a week of outreach and networking around London. Congratulations Morgan! 


Queen’s Chemistry alumna Dr. Josephine Tsang throws her hat in the ring as a candidate in the upcoming federal election

Photo: Dr. Josephine Tsang


Dr. Nunzi Appointed Professor of Research at Kanazawa University

Photo: Dr. Jean-Michel Nunzi and collaborators

A delegation of professors and students from Kanazawa University visited our Department last week to announce, with team members, the appointment of Jean-Michel Nunzi on a 3-year Professor position for Research at Kanazawa University. Team members in Nunzi’s team will be offered opportunities to travel to Japan for the study of Perovskite, organic solar cells and advanced energy materials at the Nanomaterials Research Institute (NanoMaRi) of Kanazawa.


Think Grad Studies Day, October 10th 2019

Photo: Think Grad Studies Advertisement

Join us on October 10th, 2019 for a day of activities to experience what being a grad student at Queen’s is like first hand. Discover the state of the art facilities of Chernoff Hall, home to our Department of Chemistry, as well as, meet with members of our Queen's Graduate Chemistry Society and Faculty from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. For a full list of activities and to register visit thinkgradstudies.ca.


The first-ever Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative tour in Canada stops in at Queen's University

Photo: The first-ever Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative tour at Queen's

Queen’s University is hosting Nobel Laureates Martin Chalfie (Chemistry, 2008) and Queen’s own Art McDonald (Physics, 2015). Joining them is Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Mona Nemer and Globe and Mail columnist, André Picard. 


The 125th Anniversary Queen's Engineering Excellence Faculty Awards recognized the contributions of 14 faculty members

Photo: Dr. Ralph Whitney receiving award

Congratulations to Dr. Ralph Whitney who was recognized for his contributions in engineering and teaching excellence at the 125th Anniversary Queen's Engineering Excellence Faculty Awards, hosted in Mitchell Hall on Wednesday, September 18th. The 125th Anniversary Queen's Engineering Excellence Faculty Awards, recognized the contributions of 14 faculty members, past and present, for engineering and teaching excellence and was featured on the Gazette.


Congratulations to Dr. P. Andrew Evans for receiving the Salute to Excellence Award!

Photo: Dr. Andrew Evans

Congratulations to Dr. P. Andrew Evans on receiving the Salute to Excellence Award at the recent ACS Meeting in San Diego from the Division of Organic Chemistry for the Graduate Research Symposium, which was initiated by Dr. Evans and Dr. Molander in 2010. The Salutes to Excellence is a recognition award that gives ACS local sections, technical divisions, regional meetings, and national committees an opportunity to underscore outstanding accomplishments, achievements or service for individuals who have made a positive impact on everyday life. This award recognizes the achievements and leadership  Dr. Evans has accomplished in his field of research. For more information on Salutes to Excellence award please visit the ACS website. 


Congratulations to Dr. P. Andrew Evans on the renewal of Canada Research Chair – Tier I

Photo: Dr. Andrew Evans

Congratulations to Dr. P. Andrew Evans on the renewal of Canada Research Chair – Tier I; for a complete list of new and renewed Canada Research Chairs please go to Canada Research Chairs website.


Congratulations to Dr. Capicciotti and Dr. P. Wang on Securing CFI Funding

Photo: Dr. Peng Wang

Congratulations to Drs. Chantelle Capicciotti and Peng Wang on securing funding in the latest round of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI). Sixteen researchers at Queen’s University have secured $2.65 million in funding; to read more, please visit the Queen's Gazette Article.

Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti


Dr. P. Andrew Evans and Collaborators Uncover a New Method to Deliver Antibiotics

Photo Photoprotection by Orally Bioavailable SpEC

Professor P. Andrew Evans in collaboration with Dr. Grahame Mackenzie at the University of Hull and Professor Rebecca Goss at St Andrews recently reported an innovative way for the isolation and photoprotection of the potent light-sensitive antibiotic, marinomycin A.  This natural product is a member of a new family of macrodiolides, which are potent inhibitors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF).  In work reported in the Royal Society of Chemistry flagship journal Chemical Science, they demonstrated that encapsulating the agent in sporopollenin exine capsules, derived from Lycopodium clavatum, renders the agent almost indefinitely stable (>7 hrs).  This work has attracted significant media attention and was recently highlighted in the Times (UK) and the Queen's Gazette.


Introducing Dr. Graeme Howe to the Department of Chemistry

Photo: Dr. Graeme Howe

Enzymes are remarkable catalysts that can accelerate reactions by as much as 1026-fold over the corresponding spontaneous processes. Despite intense scrutiny, the origins of this catalysis remain unclear. Dr. Graeme Howe’s research is focused on the use of physical organic chemistry to understand how enzymes achieve these accelerations. By studying enzymes along their evolutionary trajectories, the Howe group aims to understand both how modern enzymes function and the mechanisms by which evolution produces these modern catalysts.


Introducing Dr. Amanda Bongers to the Department of Chemistry

Photo: Dr. Amanda Bongers

Assistant Prof. Amanda Bongers’ research in Chemistry Education will help us transform our delivery of postgraduate chemistry knowledge and contribute to the growing body of work at the interface of education research and the nature sciences. Her group combines tools from educational research, cognitive science, and neuroscience to study learning, especially in the context of chemistry education. For these projects we use methods such as eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and in-depth interviews with qualitative analysis. Chemistry has a central role to play in solving global challenges, and we are exploring how sustainability is incorporated into organic chemistry education for the next generation of scientists. We’re also studying how the curriculum and assessments influence students’ self-concept as scientists, attitudes towards chemistry, and academic achievement.


Many Prizes Awarded to Graduate Students in the Beauchemin Group!

Photo: Dr. Diane Beauchemin and Alastair Kierulf

Congratulations to the Beauchemin group on their recent achievements! Alastair Kierulf, PhD Candidate, received the Burgener Research Graduate Student Travel Award at the 63rd International Conference on Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy. Calvin Palmer, MSc Candidate, received the prize for the second-best poster at the same International Conference held June 26-28 in Montreal, Quebec. During Spectr’Atom 2019, a conference entirely in French that was held in Montreal June 25-28, Margaret MacConnachie and Andrew Williams, both MSc Candidates, respectively received the best and second-best poster prizes.


Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Stamplecoskie on receiving the 2019 ThermoFisher Scientific Spectroscopy Award

Photo: Dr. Kevin Stamplecoskie receiving the Thermo Fisher Spectroscopy Award

During the 63rd International Conference on Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy, held June 26-28 in Montreal, Quebec, Dr. Kevin Stamplecoskie received the 2019 ThermoFisher Scientific Spectroscopy Award! This award is given to a Canadian spectroscopist in recognition of a significant contribution to the application of spectroscopy to analytical chemistry or to other technological problems relevant to industry, medicine, or the environment.


Morgan Lehtinen, Winner of Young Person's Lecture Competition Speaks on the CFRC

Photo: Morgan Lehtinen

Be sure to listen to the CFRC's podcast with Morgan Lehtinen, PhD student in the Liu Group; Morgan talks about her experience winning the Young Person's Lecture Competition on May 30th. The Competition was hosted by the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute and it was the first time it was hosted in Canada. Morgan will be travelling to the Young Persons'  World Lecture Competition in London, England this fall. Morgan is passionate about her research and she talks more in-depth of this in the Queen's Gazette article.


Dr. Jessop's Water Purification Technology is Closer to Commercial Reality

Photo: Dr. P. Jessop

Dr. Philip Jessop's water purification technology, also known as forward osmosis, is one step closer to commercial success. This highly energy efficient technology removes many pollutants and impurities from waste water. The technology could be of great interest to the chemical industry, municipalities, factories, etc. and would change the waste water to fresh water available for re-use or discharge. Dr. Jessop's technology was featured in the Queen's Gazette and to learn more about this technology, please visit the Forward Water website.


Dr. P. Andrew Evans was a Selected Speaker at the 2019 National Organic Symposium

Photo: Dr. Andrew Evans

Dr. P. Andrew Evans was selected to speak at the 2019 National Organic Symposium in Bloomington, Indiana. This is the ACS-Division of Organic Chemistry flagship meeting which happens every two years and those who speak are selected based on work accomplished in the last 2 years that is deemed highly innovative.


Two Students from the Wu Group Won presentation Awards at the CSC!


Photo: Sherry Dai at the CSC held in Quebec, June 3 to 7, 2019

Congratulations to Sherry Dai and Betty Lin from the Wu group for winning the Best Student Oral Presentation and Best Poster Presentation prizes, respectively, at the CSC held in Quebec, Quebec, June 3-7, 2019.

Photo: Betty Lin at the CSC held in Quebec, June 3 to 7, 2019 


Dr. Nunzi Won a Two-Year Research Grant with Partners at National Institute of Technology in Durgapur

Photo: Dr. Jean-Michel Nunzi

The Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), a Government of India Initiative offered Dr. Jean-Michel Nunzi and graduate students in his team $55,000 to conduct research at the partner’s institute, National Institute of Technology in Durgapur, on the design and fabrication of hybrid nanostructured organic field-effect transistors for environmental and bio-fluid detection and monitoring. For more information on the proposal please see the SPARC website.


Plantee Bioplastics receives $138,000 Plastics Challenge Grant!

Photo: Drs. Prashant Agrawal and Praphulla Tiwari

Plantee Bioplastics, founded by Chemistry alumnus, Dr. Prashant Agrawal and Chemical Engineering alumnus Dr. Praphulla Tiwary received a $138,000 Plastics Challenge grant for their innovative idea to develop a proof-of-concept for a biodegradable fishing line. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognized their work on a sustainable solution to a world-wide problem and on June 25, 2019, Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands announced the grant award. To read more, please visit the Fisheries and Oceans Canada News release. 


A recent paper from the Snieckus group is highlighted in Chemistry World

Photo: Drs. Victor Snieckus & Jignesh Patel

The Directed Metalation Group Dance, a reaction coined in the Snieckus group, may be useful in advancing syntheses of azaindoles,  a currently active antitumor agent class of molecules. Research of Dr. Jignesh Patel (shown) and others was featured in Chemistry World.


Congratulations to Julius Knöller for his Prize Winning Student Presentation!

Photo: Julius Knöller

Congratulations to Julius Knöller in the Suning Wang group, for receiving the Organic Chemistry Division of the Canadian Society for Chemistry prize for his outstanding presentation at the 102nd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CCCE) in Quebec in June 2019. Julius is a MSc Candidate in the Stuttgart-Queen's dual MSc degree program.


Congratulations to Morgan Lehtinen, PhD candidate in the Liu group, who is the Canadian Finalist in the 2019 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition

Photo: Morgan Lehtinen PhD candidate in the Liu group, who is the Canadian Finalist in the 2019 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition

Morgan received first place in the 2019 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition presented by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Arthur McDonald Institute for her talk on her research in and the importance of innovative green technologies in oil/water separation. Morgan will be representing Canada in the World Young Persons’ Lecture Competition in London, UK this October. Special mention to Hannah Ramsay, PhD candidate in the Stamplecoskie group who did a wonderful job and placed second.

 

 


The 2018-19 Distinguished University Professor Awarded to Two Chemistry Professors!


Photo: Dr. Suning Wang

Congratulations to Suning Wang and Cathy Crudden for being awarded the highest research-related honour at Queen’s, by being named a Distinguished University Professor for 2018-19.

Photo: Dr. Cathleen Crudden


The "O" lab Awarded a NSERC Strategic Grant!

Photo: Oleschuk Group

Dr. Richard Oleschuk and the “O” lab have been awarded a NSERC Strategic Grant $734,600 for a project entitled “Advanced Sample Introduction for Mass Spectrometry”. The grant partners the “O” lab with researchers at Queen’s, Laval, and SCIEX (a Canadian mass spectrometry instrument manufacturer) to develop novel molecular imaging and sampling tools. The tools will enable the mapping of tissue (surgical) samples, faster drug screening and improved environmental monitoring. The exciting news was featured in the Queen's Gazette, read more here.

 

Photo: Samples

Figure clockwise from left, SCIEX Open Port Probe Mass Spectrometer Interface; H and E stained cancerous tumor sample; molecular “heat map” image of cancerous tumor; sample array formed with superhydrophobic/ superhydrophilic patterned materials. Figure clockwise from left, SCIEX Open Port Probe Mass Spectrometer Interface; H and E stained cancerous tumor sample; molecular “heat map” image of cancerous tumor; sample array formed with superhydrophobic/ superhydrophilic patterned materials."


NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize awarded to four Queen's University Researchers!


Photo: NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize with Justin Trudeau

Four leading Canadian researchers from Queen's University have been awarded the NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize for their work in building a sustainable future. Congratulations to Dr. Michael Cunningham, Dr. Pascale Champagne, Dr. Philip Jessop and Dr. Warren Mabee on receiving this prestigious award. Please visit the Queen's Gazette article.

Photo: NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize


Congratulations to Tucker Carrington for winning the 2019 Prize for Excellence in Research!

Photo: Dr. Tucker Carrington

Congratulations to Tucker Carrington for winning the 2019 Prize for Excellence in Research! He is one of five recipients of the award at Queen’s University this year and the latest in a long list of outstanding researchers from our department. The prize will be presented at the Spring Convocation this year and a public lecture will follow within the next six months. To read more about recognizing research excellence please see the Queen's Gazette article.


Dr. Ian Harrison presented at the Harrison-MacRae Lecture on March 29th

Photo: Dr. Ian Harrison, Elizabeth Harrison and Dr. Peter Loock

The Harrison-MacRae Family Lecture Series was established through the generosity of Queen’s alumni, the late John H. Harrison and Elizabeth Harrison. This year we were excited to invite their son, Dr. Ian Harrison, to speak about Alkane Reaction Dynamics at Metal Surfaces. We were especially honoured to have his mother in the audience!

Photo: Dr. Ian Harrison presenting at the Harrison-MacRae Lecture


Dr. Philip Jessop Interviewed on The Morning Show on CKWS

Dr. Philip Jessop was on The Morning Show on CKWS discussing his inventive work on carbonated water as it applies to solving environmental problems. Dr. Jessop spoke at the University Relations and The Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute's IGnite: Research Stories to Inspire Generations series on March 28; this quarterly event focuses on showcasing the breadth of research happening across Queen’s University in a series of short talks. The talk gave Dr. Jessop an opportunity to elaborate to the public on his innovative research. Quoted from the talk and featured in the Gazette: “Society allows me to do research and it is only fair that in return I let society know what I’m doing,” he says. “I find that many people like to hear about new ways to reduce environmental harm.” One of his graduate students, Sarah Ellis, also had the opportunity to present her research. Afterwards, guests were able to see live demonstrations at the reception.

Photo:Dr. Philip Jessop presenting at the IGnite series Photo: Dr. Philip Jessop presenting at the IGnite series Photo: Sarah Ellis presenting at the IGnite series

Congratulations to Dr. Diane Beauchemin, the recipient of the Clara Benson Award!

Photo: Dr. Diane Beauchemin

This year, the recipient of the Clara Benson Award is our very own, Dr. Diane Beauchemin. Congratulations! This award is presented to a woman for her contribution to chemistry. For more information on the award and Dr. Beauchemin’s successes, please visit the Canadian Society for Chemistry's website.


Congratulations to Dr. Crudden who has been awarded the 2019 Montréal Medal!

Photo: Dr. Cathleen Crudden

Congratulations to Dr. Cathleen Crudden for being this year’s recipient of the Montréal Medal! This award is presented to an individual for their leadership and outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. For more information about the award and Dr. Crudden’s successes, please visit the Cheminst's Awards page.


An Exciting Collaborative Funding for the Petitjean and Mulligan groups

Photo: Petitjean Group

Mulligan and Petitjean groups secure one of the four 2019 provincial Cancer Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline grants from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research to collaboratively work on the regulation of the RET protein. CongRETulations!

Photo: Ontario Institute for Cancer Research logo


Somayeh Mirzaee and Dr. Jean-Michel Nunzi featured in OSA Publishing

Photo: Somayeh Mirzaee and Jean-Michel Nunzi (J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 36(1) 53-60 (2019))

The Optical Society (OSA) selected a recent exploration by Somayeh Mirzaee and Jean-Michel Nunzi (J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 36(1) 53-60 (2019)) for their Spotlight on optics. It highlights the impact of ongoing study on the development of next-generation broad-band photodetectors and solar energy harvesters based on electro-optic rectification of light to voltage. These devices distinguish themselves from regular photodetectors by the simplicity of the materials used and thier relevance to electronics manufacturing, as they do not rely on band-to-band transitions. To view the Spotlight, please visit the OSA Publishing website.


Congratulation to Soren Mellerup in Suning Wang’s group who has won the 2019 CCUCC (Canadian Council of University Chemistry Chairs) Chemistry Doctoral Award

Photo: Soren Mellerup

This award is to recognize outstanding achievement and potential in research by a graduate student whose PhD thesis in chemistry was formally accepted by a Canadian university in the 12–month period preceding the nomination deadline. Soren is currently a Banting postdoctoral fellow in Professor Holger Braunschweig’s group at the University of Würzburg, Germany. He will receive this award at the 102nd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CCCE 2019) which will take place in Quebec City from June 3-7, 2019.


Saying Goodbye, Dr. Erwin Buncel

Photo: The late Dr. Erwin Buncel

Dr. Erwin Buncel passed away on December 19, 2018.

For over 50 years Erwin was a one of the pillars of our department. He joined the chemistry department in 1962, and was research-active well beyond his retirement in 1997.

He co-supervised students as recently as 2015. Erwin also published over 400 papers, over 20 book chapters and review articles, three books and over a dozen edited monographs. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and has received many awards for his work in physical-organic, bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry. In 1998 a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry was published in his honour.

Erwin had a strong loyalty to our department and cared deeply about our students. In 2008, Erwin, his wife Penny and daughters Irene and Jacqui established the Dr. Erwin Buncel Scholarship to support students who enter the 3rd year of a chemistry program.

Erwin was born in Presov, eastern Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), in 1931; he and his family suffered greatly during the atrocities of the Second World War. The Buncel scholarship had been established in memory of his parents, Ignacz and Irena, and his sister Marta, who were persecuted and died during the war.

Erwin only received a continuous and high-quality education after moving to England in 1946, where he attended William Ellis Grammar School in London, obtained a B.Sc. degree and eventually a Ph.D. at University College London on organosilicon chemistry in 1957. He then performed postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina with Joe Bunnett, and at McMaster with Arthur Bourns. After a brief stint as an industrial chemist at the American Cyanamid Central Research Labs in Stamford, CT, he returned to Canada to join our department at Queen’s in 1962. He quickly rose through the ranks and was a Full Professor by 1970.

Erwin’s many humanitarian contributions must be mentioned; he was the director of a CIDA-funded project for the establishment of the Centre for Agrochemical Technology in Nigeria, and he served as the Canadian representative on the IUPAC initiative Chemical Research Applied to World Needs (CHEMRAWN). In his humble and gentle way Erwin was making our world a better place.

He will be missed by all of us!

Erwin Buncel obituary from the Globe and Mail (PDF, 78 KB).


Introducing the new NSERC-funded graduate student program CREATE-Materials for Advanced Photonics and Sensing (MAPS)

CREATE-Materials for Advanced Photonics and Sensing (MAPS) is a new NSERC-funded program that provides graduate students with comprehensive training in photonics problem solving using the best tools and approaches from physics, chemistry and engineering. We do this by providing: international and industrial internships, an innovative approach to supervision including external mentors, a new method of planning, tracking and summarizing skill development tailorable to each student's unique professional goals, and learning modules that focus on problem solving, leadership, ethics and professional development. For more information, please visit the Materials for Advanced Photonics Sensing website.


Queen's remembers Dr. Alfred Bader

Photo: the late Dr. Alfred Bader

Queen’s remembers Dr. Alfred Bader, an accomplished student, dedicated alumnus, and one of the university’s most generous benefactors. To read more of Dr. Bader's extraordinary life, please view the Queen's Gazette article.