Recent News

Rotello Going Online to Discuss Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Vincent Rotello, Distinguished Professor and Goessmann Professor of Chemistry, will discuss “Nanomaterials for Fighting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” on a free webinar Thursday, April 26 from 2-3 p.m.

The webinar is hosted by the American Chemical Society. Organizers say the number of bacteria gaining resistance to traditional antibiotics is rapidly increasing. Rotello will discuss how nanomaterials provide an “outside the box” alternative that shows considerable promise against these rapidly emerging pathogens. This new area of research is perhaps the most promising strategy to averting the health crisis threatened by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Participants will learn how antibiotic-resistant bacteria present one of the greatest threats to human health, how nanomaterials provide new weapons against bacteria that access paths not available to traditional therapeutics, and how nanomaterials provide potentially “resistance-free” therapeutics that can fight dispersed bacteria and biofilms.

Participation is free with registration at https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/acs-webinars/drug-discovery/antibioti...

Jeanne Hardy Wins Inaugural Mahoney Life Sciences Prize for High-Impact, Applied Research

Jeanne Hardy, associate professor of chemistry, whose research focuses on a key protein linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, is being recognized with the inaugural Mahoney Life Sciences Prize at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

A panel of expert judges from the life sciences sector observed that the “biomedical implications are significant” and “this could turn out to be one of ‘the’ pivotal studies in the effort to combat Alzheimer’s.” Hardy will receive the prize and present her research with life sciences experts and UMass officials and scientists at a breakfast ceremony on June 19 at the UMass Club in Boston.

“Professor Hardy’s research rose to the top of three highly competitive rounds of review,” said Tricia Serio, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “Her work exemplifies the outstanding translational research for which our faculty are well known.”

Emil Samson Wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

For the third consecutive year, UMass Amherst has finished as the third leading institutional producer of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship recipients among Massachusetts colleges and universities. Eight UMass representatives—including seven graduate students and one undergraduate—have won the fellowships in the 2017-18 competition, placing the university behind only Harvard and MIT in the statewide rankings.

Emil Samson, a graduate student in chemistry, is one of the Graduate Research Fellowship awardees. Three-year awards providing an annual stipend of $34,000 to recipients and a yearly $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to their graduate institutions, Graduate Research Fellowships support the master’s and doctoral training of academically talented students pursuing careers in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This year’s cohort of 2,000 Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) awardees was selected from an applicant pool comprised of more than 12,000 students.

Christie Ellis wins CNS Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

The CNS Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards recognize and honor excellence and achievement in promoting a climate of diversity and inclusion within the college. Christie Ellis demonstrated leadership and innovation in increasing, retaining, and supporting the success of individuals who have been historically underrepresented in CNS and/or in removing the barriers that prevent full participation of all members of our community.

Upcoming Events

Professor Maria Oliver-Hoyo
North Carolina State University
Thursday, April 26, 2018

“Instructional resources designed to promote visualization of chemical phenomena”
Host:
Gabriela Weaver
11:30 am
LGRT 1634
Morgan Baima
Dissertation Defense
Friday, May 4, 2018

“Surface Functionalization of Fabrics and Threads for Smart Textiles”
2:00 pm
LGRT 745E
Research Adviser:
Trisha Andrew