Department of Chemistry
Mathematics and Science Center,
Room 260
146 Library Drive
Rochester,
MI
48309-4479
(location map)
(248) 370-2320
fax: 370-2321

Research
The Department of Chemistry offers exceptional opportunities year-round for students, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, to participate in faculty research.
Graduate students in the Ph.D. and Masters programs have the opportunity to conduct research in any branch of the chemical sciences. Research should be discussed with a faculty research advisor of the students’ choice from the list below. Course credit may be earned in CHM 690/799.
Undergraduate students that are interested and qualified can participate in faculty research for course credit (CHM 290/490/491) and/or full-time during the summer. Students should feel free to discuss research opportunities with members of the chemistry faculty. Specific arrangements with an individual faculty member must be made before enrollment CHM 290/490/491.
Research fellowships are available for interested undergraduate students. The Summer Research Program is a paid 12-week program (May – July). Additional information and application materials can be found on the Center for Biomedical Research website.
Tuition awards are available each semester to qualified students who elect undergraduate research in chemistry. Recipients are chosen by the faculty of the Department of Chemistry.
Adam Avery
- Molecular mechanisms of neuronal morphogenesis and disease
- Protein biochemistry and Drosophila genetics
- Advanced fluorescence techniques and drug development
Kodiah Beyeh
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Weak Interactions
- Hybrid and Biohybrid Materials
Maria Bryant
- Computer Modeling of Intermolecular Forces
Ferman Chavez
- Synthetic Models for Metalloenzymes
- Nitric Oxide Releasing Materials
- Development of Synthetic Nucleases
- Ligand Design for Asymmetric Catalysis
Roman Dembinski
- Novel Synthetic Methods
- Nucleoside (DNA/RNA) Analogs
- Bioorganic and Organometallic Chemistry
- Fluorous Chemistry
Linda Schweitzer
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry
- Drinking Water Quality and Treatment Processes
John Seeley
- Development of Novel Analytical Methods
- Two Dimensional Gas Chromatography for Analysis of Trace Species in Air
- Analysis of Biofuels
Michael Sevilla
- Mechanisms of Radiation Damage to DNA
- Electron Spin Resonance Analysis for Free Radicals
- Quantum Chemistry Calculations of Free Radical Properties and Structure
David Szlag
- Water Quality monitoring and modeling
- Aquatic Microbial Ecology
- Harmful Algal Blooms and other emerging contaminants
Evan Trivedi
- Tetrapyrrole and lanthanide coordination chemistry; synthetic methods
- Luminescence spectroscopy; solid state and near-infrared
- Therapeutic development in vitro; tissue culture and fluorescence microscopy
- Drug development in vivo; molecular imaging in small animal models
Colin Wu
- DNA replication, recombination, and repair
- Mechanisms of DNA unwinding and translocation by helicases
- Thermodynamic, kinetic, and structural understanding of protein-DNA interactions
Ziming Yang
- Biogeochemical transformation of soil organic matter
- Mineral-organic interactions
- Kinetics, mechanisms, and thermodynamics of organic reactions in geological and environmental systems
- Microbial wastewater treatment
Xiangqun Zeng
- Novel Sensor technique and electrode array development
- Novel Chemical and biointerface development for life science applications
- Characterization and applications of Carbohydrates and Conductive Polymers
- Analytical Applications of Ionic Liquids Water Quality monitoring and modeling Aquatic Microbial Ecology