Doctoral Program in Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry at Brooklyn College is considered among the most dynamic and diverse in the City University of New York. Its fourteen faculty members (40 percent women) are actively engaged in research in the fields of analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry, and biochemistry. Many faculty hold membership on the CUNY doctoral faculties of both the Chemistry and Biochemistry departments.

Research
Faculty members are working in a wide range of fields, many crossing the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. Of current interest are challenges in biomedical research, in catalysis and new materials, and in spectroscopy applied to biological systems. Current faculty projects include research on drug design (including metal based), drug resistance studies, work on organic and inorganic catalysis, studies of ionic liquids, investigations of chemical sensors, laser studies of biological systems, green chemistry, and theoretical interpretation of Raman spectroscopy of biological systems, among others. Chemistry faculty members currently have more than $5.2m in total grants from various institutes at the National Institutes of Health, the Petroleum Research Fund, and the American Heart Association. See the list of faculty for brief summaries of current research interests.

Research Resources and Equipment
Brooklyn College is regarded as one of the most technologically advanced campuses in the CUNY system. High-power computing facilities are available in the department, as well as throughout the academic facilities, and CUNY has shared, high-performance computing resources available to faculty and graduate students. There is shared-use access to facilities in other science departments and in core research facilities in aquatic research and in environmental testing and analysis. The recently refurbished and expanded Brooklyn College Library houses more than 1.3 million print volumes and provides access to more than 40,000 electronic books and more than 28,000 electronic journals. Access to all 20 CUNY library collections is available through interlibrary loan.

The doctoral program in the Department of Chemistry runs within a center of excellence in science education and research serving in the heart of the borough of Brooklyn for more than 75 years. Ph.D. students conduct thesis research with a faculty mentor in the research areas outlined above, and also gain experience as teaching assistants. Research laboratory space exceeds 50,000 square feet in a five-story science building, and planning is under way for a completely new science facility for education and research. A broad range of state-of-the-art research instrumentation can be found by clicking here.

The Brooklyn College Doctoral Program in Chemistry
The doctoral specializations in chemistry available at Brooklyn College include analytical, inorganic, organic, physical/theoretical, and biochemistry, through the CUNY Graduate Center's Ph.D. Program in Chemistry.

Chemistry and biochemistry doctoral students work closely with the faculty in pursuing their research interests. Thesis research in a variety of specialties is mentored in a student-friendly environment, housing state-of-the-art equipment for measurement, analysis and computation. A low student/faculty ratio means that faculty are highly available and supportive.

The research faculty of chemistry understands that students are concerned about their careers after the doctoral degree. To ensure our doctoral students are competitive after they obtain their degrees, Brooklyn College offers students free professional development workshops in such areas as science teaching, grant writing, laboratory management, effective scientific communication, writing in the sciences, building a competitive curriculum vita, and searching for academic, industrial, and research jobs. Faculty commitment to chemistry doctoral students is not complete when they file their dissertations; the faculty continues to provide a supportive professional mentoring network to chemistry doctoral students as they advance in their careers.

• Brenner, Stacey E., Organic
  Research focuses on organic synthesis; development of new reaction catalysts that are not metal-based; new organic reactions using non metal-based catalysts; and synthesis of small natural products that have medicinal properties.
• Ciszkowska, Malgorzata, Analytical, Electrochemistry
  Research focuses on utilization of electroanalytical and electrochemical methods for characterization and applications of polymeric gels, biopolymeric materials, and polymeric electrolytes for new power sources, sensors and environmentally important methodologies.
• Contel, Maria, Inorganic, Organometallic, Medicinal Chemistry, Homogeneous Catalysis
  Research focuses on homogeneous catalysis and bioinorganic (green) chemistry; design of new recoverable and recyclable transition metal catalysts for reactions with potential industrial applications; and use of organogold compounds as novel catalysts for several reactions and as anticancer agents.
• Davenport, Lesley, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry
  Research focuses on conformation, dynamics and interaction of important biomolecules and assemblies using state-of-the-art fluorescence methods; currently we are studying the dynamics of quadruplexed DNA dound within telomeric DNA located at the end of chromosomes, and which is a target for the interaction of potential chemotherapeutics.
• Dowd, Terry l., Analytical, Biochemistry
  Another project investigates structural and functional properties of the gap junction protein connexin. Gap junctions between cells "gate" with voltage. Dowd's lab combines structural studies using NMR and functional studies of channel conductance to determine a molecular mechanism for voltage gating in gap junction channels.
• Gibney, Brian R., Inorganic
  The Gibney laboratory is interested in understanding how proteins fold, incorporate metal ions and perform catalysis. The research approach uses detailed thermodynamic analysis of metal-peptide and metal-protein interactions to understand fundamental metalloprotein structure-function relationships. Currently, lab personnel are studying the role of Zn(II) in protein folding and the role of porphyrin structure on heme biochemistry.
• Greer, Alexander, Organic
  Research focuses on mechanistic organic chemistry using preparative, physical organic, theoretical, bio-organic and photochemical methods; and on factors that influence the reactivity of oxygen- and sulfur-containing compounds.
• Jarzecki, Andrzej A., Theoretical
  Research focuses on the quantum-mechanical estimate of a molecular wave function: wide application of electronic structure calculations to predict structure, reactivity and spectroscopic properties of molecules. Special focus on recent developments in biological inorganic chemistry; structure and function of various metalloproteins and mechanism of poisoning by heavy metals such as lead and mercury.
• Juszczak, Laura J., Biophysical
  The photophysics of tryptophan and its model compounds. The interaction of tryptophan with metals; interpretation of the UV resonance Raman spectrum of tryptophan with respect to protein environment and structure. Correlated interpretation of UVRR and fluorescence spectra for tryptophan. Spectroscopic methods: primarily UV resonance Raman but also including IR, steady-state fluorescence, absorption and circular dichroism.
• Kobrak, Mark, Physical
  Research focuses on theoretical physical chemistry, specializing in quantum and classical dynamics in the condensed phase. Current research is on room-temperature ionic liquids, a class of molten salts relevant to green chemistry and of great technological interest.
• Magliozzo, Richard, Biochemistry
  Research focuses on exploring the origins of resistance to the antibiotic pro-drug isoniazid; spectroscopic and kinetic methods are used to study the structure and function of the heme enzyme catalase-peroxidase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis to learn why mutant enzymes are inactive for activation of isoniazid.
• Sanchez-Delgado, Roberto, Inorganic, Organometallic
  Research focuses on synthesis and characterization of new inorganic/organometallic compounds and materials and possible applications in (1) the discovery of novel metal-based drugs against malaria and cancer, and the study of their mechanisms of biological action; and (2) the development of new catalysts for reactions related to the production of cleaner fossil fuels and biodiesel, including the study of reaction mechanisms.
• Tomkiewicz, Micha, Electrochemistry