Archive for the ‘Faculty’ Category

Penghao Li

Posted on: August 3rd, 2020 by nhammer

Penghao Li, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Office: 480 Coulter Hall
662-915-5337| penghao@olemiss.edu

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
B.S., Nankai University, China, 2011
M.A., Boston University, 2014
Ph.D., University of Oregon, 2017
Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University, 2017-2023
Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi, 2023-present

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Synthesis of carbon nanoarchitectures, organic electronics, molecular recognition, self-assembly, organic synthesis, and physical organic chemistry

RESEARCH OVERVIEW
My research group aims to gain precise control over the spatial arrangement of π-conjugated molecules by means of covalent and non-covalent linkages to create functional entities with tailored physical properties. We rely on physical organic and supramolecular principles to guide the design of novel molecular, supramolecular, and macromolecular materials with unique optoelectronic, magnetic, and recognition behaviors for the development of enabling technologies related to energy, sustainability, and human health. Additionally, we seek to implement high-throughput and automated synthetic methods based on sustainable and green protocols. Major thrusts of our research group include (1) precise synthesis of graphene-based carbon nanoarchitectures, (2) molecular recognition of curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and (3) discovery of porous materials though hierarchical self-assembly.

Chemistry Majors Represent at SURC 2020

Posted on: January 26th, 2020 by nhammer

Congratulations Ivy Li, William Meador, Genevieve Verville, and Michael Valencia for receiving awards at SURC 2020 on January 25th, 2020 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  The Southeastern Undergraduate Research Conference is a unique opportunity for students in the SouthEastern region to present their undergraduate research work to other students and faculty members. Both oral and poster presentations are given. Students also network with graduate school recruiters and meet other students and faculty members engaged in chemistry research. Prizes are given for the best posters and oral presentations. The conference allows students to present their work in a friendly environment and obtain feedback and ideas related to their work.

3 Honors Freshman Scholars are Chemistry Majors

Posted on: September 11th, 2019 by nhammer

Douglass Sullivan-González (right), dean of the UM Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, welcomes the 2019 cohort of freshmen scholars, including (front row, from left) Tristan Tran, Jilkiah Bryant, Anastasia Jones-Burdick, Gracie Bush, Vivienne McCracken, Ethan Lambert and Addison Pratt and (back row) Julianna French, Maren McSparin, Eva Kiparizoska, Peter Nguyen and Luke Davis. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Seventeen freshmen in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi have been awarded a total of $130,750 from four of the university’s most distinguished scholarship programs.

Five of the freshmen earned McDonnell Barksdale Scholarships, six were recipients of Doris Raymond Honors Scholarships, three were awarded Harold Parker Memorial Scholarships and three were honored with Annexstad Family Foundation Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarships.

“Each year, a new group of high-performing students distinguish themselves to join the ranks of our SMBHC scholarship holders,” said Douglass Sullivan-González, Honors College dean.

“We are extremely proud of this year’s freshman group who already understand the demands of what it means to be ‘citizen’ and ‘scholar’ in a challenging environment. We anticipate four great years of their involvement in our university community.”

Those students receiving McDonnell Barksdale Scholarships are:

  • Jilkiah La’Destinee Bryant, of Macon
  • Gracie Bush, of Long Beach
  • Eva Kiparizoska, of Laurel
  • Indu Priya Nandula ,of Cleveland
  • Kaylee Nicole Sims, of Madison

Bryant is a graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, where she was a Golden Triangle Area Scholar, MSMS Ambassador, 4-H Ambassador and Northeast Mississippi Student Leadership Conference Scholar. She is majoring in biochemistry.

Kiparizoska is a graduate of West Jones Junior-Senior High School. She won the AP Biology Award, first place in advertising design at the State Beta Convention, Spanish III Award and Algebra III Certificate. She is majoring in biochemistry.

Those receiving Harold Parker Memorial Scholarships are:

  • Luke Alexander Davis, of Lakeside, California
  • Julianna Grace French, of Malden, Missouri
  • Addison Paige Pratt, of Corinth

French graduated from Malden Hills High School, where she was on the Principal’s Honor Roll, Who’s Who and Academic All-State in volleyball. French is majoring in chemistry.

Click here for the original story by .

Former PhD Graduate John Kelly Highlighted in C&E News

Posted on: September 11th, 2019 by nhammer

2016 physical chemistry PhD graduate John Kelly was highlighted for his postdoctoral work in the September 9, 2019 issue of C&E News.  Dr. Kelly commented on his successful European postdoctoral experience.  The article points out that US-based chemists can consider going abroad for their postdocs. John Kelly, a chemist at SRI International, moved from the US to Leipzig University for his postdoc, which he finished in 2018. He says he decided to make the move because it would be a completely different experience from studying anywhere in the US.

“It was the best experience I could ask for,” Kelly says. While he enjoyed his research project, he says the most rewarding part was simply living abroad. Of course, he says, he faced hurdles he wouldn’t have if he had stayed in the US, like changing banks and sorting out visas and work permits. But those shouldn’t deter anyone interested in doing a postdoc abroad, he says.

“You could spend a year in the US and learn less than you would in a week in another country,” Kelly says. Working abroad gives you diversity in approaching a way to solve a problem, he adds. “If everybody in the room speaks the same and writes the same and approaches the problem the same, then you’re only going to have one solution.”

Click here for the full C&E News article.

 

Forensic Chemistry Major Named Portz Scholar

Posted on: August 20th, 2019 by nhammer

Kennedy Dickson (SMBHC 19) has been named a 2019 National Collegiate Honors Council Portz Scholar. She is one of three recipients nationwide and will present her honors thesis, “Cannabinoid Conundrum: A Study of Anti-Epileptic Efficacy and Drug Policy,” at the NCHC conference in New Orleans this coming November as well as collect her certificate and award of $350.

This summer, California-native Kennedy is working as a Forensic Science Intern for the Orange Crime Laboratory in Southern California. She has begun the law school admissions process and hopes to study intellectual property, patent law, and bioethics. This fall, she will continue researching cannabinoids with Professor Kristie Willett, who also advised her honors thesis. Kennedy is grateful for Professor Willett along with Ms. Cammi Thornton and Professors Zach Pandelides, Erin Holmes, and Nicole Ashpole.

Congratulations, Kennedy!

Two Chemistry Majors Accepted into Rural Physician Scholarship Program

Posted on: August 20th, 2019 by nhammer

UM students and alumni who have been selected for the the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program for 2019 are (from left) Jamie Johnson, Cole Stephens, Katelyn Barnes, Nader Pahlevan, Jamie Riggs and Riley Brown. Photo by Jay Ferchaud/UM Medical Center

Four University of Mississippi students and two recent graduates have been selected to participate in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.

The students are:

Katelyn Barnes, daughter of Donna Barnes and the late Scotty Barnes, of Tishomingo, a junior majoring in biological sciences

Riley Brown, daughter of Oatis Wilfred Brown III and Kimberly Rusty Brown, of Gautier, a senior majoring in biochemistry

Jamie Johnson, daughter of Janee Conner and Mark Johnson, of Falkner, a junior majoring in biological sciences

Nader Pahlevan, son of Amir and Amalia Pahlevan, of Biloxi, a senior majoring in computer science

Jamie Riggs, daughter of Alton and Jackie Haley, of Goodman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry

Cole Stephens, son of Craig and Shaye Stephens, of Mantachie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry

Created in 2007, MRPSP identifies college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate the necessary commitment and academic achievement to become competent, well-trained rural primary care physicians in the state. The program offers undergraduate academic enrichment and a clinical experience in a rural setting.

Upon completion of all medical school admissions requirements, participating students can be admitted to the UM School of Medicine or William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

During medical school at either institution, each MRPSP scholar is under consideration for $30,000 per year, based on available funding. Consistent legislative support of MRPSP translates to 61 medical students sharing $1.83 million to support their education this fall.

Additional benefits include personalized mentoring from practicing rural physicians and academic support.

Upon completion of medical training, MRPSP scholars must enter a residency program in one of five primary care specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology or pediatrics. The MRPSP scholar must provide four years of service in a clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community of 15,000 or fewer population located more than 20 miles from a medically served area.

The MRPSP provides a means for rural Mississippi students to earn a seat in medical school, receive MCAT preparation, earn a $120,000 medical school scholarship in return for four years of service and learn the art of healing from practicing rural physicians.

For more information, contact MRPSP Associate Director Dan Coleman at 601-815-9022 or jdcoleman@umc.edu or go to http://mrpsp.umc.edu.

The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program and the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program are state-funded efforts to increase the number of dentists and physicians serving the health care needs of Mississippians in rural areas.

Housed at the UM Medical Center in Jackson and collaborating with its medical and dental schools and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, the programs use various outreach, mentoring and training methods to identify, support, educate and deploy new generations of health care workers for Mississippi’s underserved populations. To learn more about either program, click here.

To see the original news story click here.

Recent Chemistry Graduate Wins Big Fellowship

Posted on: July 31st, 2019 by nhammer

One recent UM graduate is adding a prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship to her list of accolades. Ellie Smith, a biochemistry major with a double minor in Spanish and biology, plans to use the scholarship to offset the costs of her first year in medical school.

Ellie Smith recently received a national PKP Fellowship. She is the sole recipient from the University of Mississippi.

The award is given by the prestigious Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, which “recognizes and encourages superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promotes the unity and democracy of education,” according to its website. Currently, the society awards 50 Fellowships of $8,500 each, six at $20,000 each, and two at $35,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study.

Smith is the recipient of one of the 50, $8,500 awards. Although she said she plans to defer the scholarship for a year to pursue a gap year in South America, she intends to apply the scholarship to Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

“I aspire to serve Latinx populations in the urban United States and help diminish inequities in healthcare access,” she said.

Each university in the U.S. with a Phi Kappa Phi chapter has the opportunity to submit one student to be considered at the national level for a fellowship. Smith was required to submit a writing sample, obtain letters of recommendation, and write a personal essay.

“Despite being in the midst of a busy academic and extracurricular week, I took the time to apply and I was so thrilled when I found out I was selected as the University’s candidate,” she said. “There are clearly so many amazing students at our school, so I was greatly honored to be chosen. Further, to be chosen out of the national candidates as one of the students receiving a fellowship, I was incredibly proud and so glad to represent the University of Mississippi.”

Phi Kappa Phi Ole Miss board member Deborah Wenger said this is the fifth year the University has produced a national winner.

“Elaine’s award is an incredible honor for her and for Ole Miss. Winners are judged, not only on their academic achievement but also on their service and leadership,” she said. “I think that’s why Ole Miss has had national winners for the past five years – our university offers many opportunities for our students to learn important life skills beyond the classroom.”

Ole Miss’ 2018 PKP Fellowship Award winner was Kathryn Prendergast. 

Smith’s academic achievements are as follows:

Taylor Medalist
4.0 cumulative GPA – Summa Cum Laude, Chancellor’s Honor Roll, Ventress Scholar
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Class Marshal
Outstanding Chemistry Graduate
2017-2018 Biochemistry Student of the Year
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Mortar Board

Click Here for the original story from Hotty Toddy.com

James Cizdziel

Posted on: July 18th, 2019 by nhammer

Interim Coordinator of Forensic Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

380 Coulter Hall
662-915-1814  |  cizdziel@olemiss.edu

James Cizdziel, Associate Professor of Chemistry

James Cizdziel, Associate Professor of Chemistry

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
B.S., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1991
Ph.D., University of Nevada Reno, 1998
National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, US EPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 1998-2000
Senior Chemist, Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2000-2005
Associate Research Professor, UNLV, 2005-2008
Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi, 2008-2015
Associate Professor, University of Mississippi, 2015-present

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, forensic chemistry, biogeochemical cycling of mercury, environmental radioactivity, environmental monitoring and fingerprinting, analytical method development

RESEARCH SUMMARY
My research interests are in the area of analytical, environmental, and forensic chemistry. I am particularly interested in environmental monitoring and fingerprinting using isotope based methods. What counts in science is novelty. To that end, we enjoy developing new measurement techniques or applying standard techniques in novel ways. Listed below are some examples of the type of research that you may pursue if you were to join my group. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these and other research possibilities with you as you decide whether to pursue graduate education in chemistry at Ole Miss.

Trace Elemental Analysis. I am interested in studying the behavior of trace elements (both stable and radioactive) in the environment. This sometimes involves developing novel analytical methods for measurement of the element or forms of the element (speciation). One of the methods we employ involves direct elemental and isotopic analyses of environmental or biological samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). This allows us to map the elemental distribution in, for example, tree rings, thin sections of brain tissue, glass shards, paint chips, fish otiliths, leaves, etc. Current research projects in this area include in-situ elemental analysis of leaves, herbal supplements, and biological shells, and the analysis of human hair and animal fur for metals. Future work may include environmental fate and transformation of nanoparticles, and evaluating metal redistribution in soils and biological uptake resulting from invertebrate burrowing, among others.

Mercury. Mercury (Hg) has probably the most complex biogeochemical cycle among the elements. Because of its tendency to bioconcentrate in food chains in the form of methyl-Hg and cause detrimental human health and ecological effects, it continues to be a hot button issue and a priority pollutant. Indeed, Hg is responsible for the most fish consumption advisories in the nation due to elevated Hg levels in fish flesh. This includes reservoirs in northern Mississippi nearby our campus. Current research projects in this area include the distribution and cycling of Hg in the Yocona River Watershed and development of a combustion-CVAFS system for Hg analyses. Future research projects may include, addressing spatial and dry deposition data gaps in Hg cycling chemistry models, evaluating Hg release characteristics from compact fluorescent lamps, environmental forensic investigations of Hg using high precision isotope measurements, and using mosquitoes as bio-indicators methyl-Hg accumulation in food webs, among others.

From the above examples and the select publications listed below you can get a sense of the type of research my group conducts. The studies often include a combination of method development and field experiments that serve to provide much needed quality data to address current hype on an issue or to increase understanding of natural phenomena. My experience and expertise in environmental and analytical chemistry offers opportunities for students to apply chemical principles to understand environmental problems, the first crucial step in solving them.

Instrumentation. Our research laboratory is well-equipped for trace elemental and isotopic analysis. It includes a high resolution ICP-MS (Element-XR), a quadrupole-ICP-MS (X-Series 2), a laser ablation system (UP-213 New Wave), an ICP-OES (Perkin Elmer Optima 2100), a microwave digestion system (Milestone Ethos EZ), a cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometer (Tekran 2600), a direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80 Milestone), an automated MeHg analysis system, airborne mercury speciation equipment, and clean-room facilities. We also have access to a variety of other instruments commonly found in Chemistry Departments such as GC/MS, NMR, XRF, FT-IR, and IRMS.

ICP-MS Facility. We are fortunate to have a new state-of-the-art ICP-MS facility housed in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. ICP-MS is a sensitive multi-element technique which provides a powerful analytical tool for trace elemental and isotope analysis. It is used in a wide-variety of environmental, biological, medical, forensic, geological and archaelogical studies. For more information, see the instrumentation section below and visit our website at: https://www.olemiss.edu/depts/chemistry/icp-ms/index.html

COURSES. Quantitative Analysis (CHEM 314); Introduction to Instrumental Analysis (CHEM 469); Advanced Instrumental Analysis (CHEM 512); Applied Spectroscopy (CHEM 563); Environmental Forensics (CHEM 615); Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CHEM 615)

RECENT GRANTS

“Assessing Microplastic Pollution in the Mississippi River System and at Oyster Reefs in the Mississippi Sound Estuary” National Water Resources Institute (2018-2021).

“Physical and Chemical Trace Evidence from 3D-Printed Firearms”; National Institute of Justice (2018-2021).

“Microplastics in the Mississippi River and Mississippi Sound: concentrations, sources, sizes, types, and loadings to the northern Gulf of Mexico”; Water Resource Research Institute and the USGS (2018-2019). 

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Scircle A., Cizdziel J.* (in review) “Occurrence of microplastic pollution at oyster reefs impacted by freshwater inflows in the Mississippi Sound, USA.” Toxics

 

  1. Jeon B., Cizdziel J.* (in review) “Determination of metals in tree rings by ICP-MS using ash from a direct mercury analyzer” Molecules

 

  1. Scircle A., Missling K., Cizdziel J.* (2020) “Single-Pot Method for Collection and Preparation of Natural Water for Microplastic Analyses: Microplastics in the Mississippi River System During and After Historic Flooding in 2019” Environ Toxicol Chem. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4698

 

  1. Li R., Liu Y., Sheng Y., Xiang Q., Zhou Y., Cizdziel J. (2020) “Effect of prothioconazole on the degradation of microplastics derived from mulching plastic film: apparent change and interaction with heavy metals in soil”, Environ Poll. 260:113988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113988

 

  1. Jeon B., Scircle A., Cizdziel J.*, Chen J., Black O., Wallace D., Zhou Y., Lepak R., Hurley J. (2020) “Historical deposition of trace metals in a marine sapropel from Mangrove Lake, Bermuda with emphasis on mercury, lead, and their isotopic composition”, J. Soils Sediments 20(4), 2266-2276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02567-6

 

  1. Gao Z., Cai L., Liu M., Zhang Z., Gao B., Zhao W., Cizdziel J., Chen L. (2019) “Total mercury and methylmercury migration and transformation in an A2/O Wastewater Treatment Plant” Sci. Tot. Environ. 710: 136384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136384

 

  1. Albakain R., Al-Degs Y., Cizdziel J., Elshohly M. (2019) “Comprehensive classification of USA cannabis samples based on chemical profiles of major cannabinoids and terpenoids”, (18 Dec. 2019) J. Liq. Chrom. & Related Technol. 43: (5-6) 172-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826076.2019.1701015

 

  1. Scircle A. and Cizdziel J.* “Detecting and Quantifying Microplastics in Bottled Water using Fluorescence Microscopy: A New Experiment for Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry Courses”, J. Chem. Ed. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00593

 

  1. Jeon B. and Cizdziel J.* (2019) “Can the MerPAS Passive Air Sampler Discriminate Landscape, Seasonal, and Elevation Effects on Atmospheric Mercury? A Feasibility Study in Mississippi, USA”, Atmosphere 10: 67. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10100617.

 

  1. Yu J., Wang P., Ni F., Cizdziel J., Wu D., Zhao Q., Zhou Y. (2019) Characterization of microplastics in environmental samples by thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy” Mar. Poll. Bull. 145: 153-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.037

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Jiang Y., Nallamothu D. Brewer J.S., Gao Z. (2019) “Air/surface exchange of gaseous elemental mercury at different landscapes in Mississippi, USA”, Atmosphere 10(9): 53 https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10090538.

 

  1. Black O., Cizdziel J.*, The advent of 3D-printed firearms and its implications for forensic analyses. In Forensic Analysis of Gunshot Residue, 3D-Printed Firearms, and Gunshot Injuries, 2019, Cizdziel J. & Black O. (Eds), Nova Science Publishers Inc., NY, pp. 55-74.

 

  1. Spencer C., Robert A.E., Black O., Roy S., Cizdziel J., Godfrey M., “Evaluation of fingerprint development techniques on 3D-printed firearms”, In Forensic Analysis of Gunshot Residue, 3D-Printed Firearms, and Gunshot Injuries, 2019, Cizdziel J. & Black O. (Eds), Nova Science Publishers Inc., NY, pp. 75-92.

 

  1. Orr S, Barnes M, George H, Joshee L, Jeon B, Black O, Cizdziel J, Smith B, Bridges C (2018) Exposure to mixtures of mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic alters the disposition of single metals in tissues of Wistar rats. J. of Toxic. and Environ. Health, Part A. 81 (24) 1246-1256. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2018.1551164

 

  1. Reddy K., Cizdziel J., Williams M., Maul J., Rimando A., Duke S. (2018) “Glyphosate Resistance Technology Has Minimal or No Effect on Maize Mineral Content and Yield” J. Agric. Food Chem., 66 (39) 10139-10146. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b01655

 

  1. Chen J., Scircle A., Black O., Cizdziel J.*, Watson N., Wevill D., Zhou Y. (2018) “On the use of multicopters for sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds in the air by adsorption / thermal desorption GC-MS” Air Qual., Atmosphere & Health, 11:835-842. DOI: 10.1007/s11869-018-1588-y.

 

  1. Black O., Chen J., Scircle A., Zhou Y., Cizdziel J.* (2018) “Adaption and use a quadcopter for targeted sampling of gaseous mercury in the atmosphere” Environ Sci and Poll Res, 25:13195-13202. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1775-7.

 

  1. Bu K., Freile D., Cizdziel J. Sidhu V., Duzgoren-Aydin N. (2018) “Geochemical Characteristics of Soils on Ellis Island, New York-New Jersey: Sixty Years After the Abandonment of the Hospital Complex” Geosciences, 8(1):13 https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8010013

 

 

  1. Black O., Cody R., Edwards D., Cizdziel J.* (2017) “Identification of Polymers and Organic Gunshot Residue in Evidence from 3D-Printed Firearms using DART-Mass Spectrometry: A Feasibility Study”, J. Forensic Chem., 5:26-32.

 

  1. Duke S., Rimando A., Reddy K., Cizdziel J., Bellaloui N., Williams M., Maulf J. (2017) “Lack of transgene and glyphosate effects on mineral nutrition and amino acid content of glyphosate-resistant soybean” Pest Management Sci. DOI: 10.1002/ps.4625

 

  1. Bussan D., Ochs C., Jackson C., Anumol T., Snyder S., Cizdziel J.* (2017) “Concentrations of select dissolved trace elements and anthropogenic organic compounds in the Mississippi River and major tributaries during the summer of 2012 and 2013” Environ. Monitor. & Assess., 189:73-90.

 

  1. Wolff S., Brown G., Chen J., Meals K., Thornton C., Brewer S., Cizdziel J.,* Willett K. (2016) “Mercury Concentrations in Fish from Three Major Lakes in North Mississippi: Spatial and Temporal Differences and Human Health Risk Assessment”, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A. 79(20):894-904. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2016.1194792

 

  1. Plukiene R., Plukis A., Puzas A., Gvozdzite R., Barkauskas G., Cizdziel J. Bussan D., Remeikis V (2016) Actinides input to the dose in the irradiated graphite of RBMK-1500 reactor”, Nuclear Engineering and Design, 300:530-53.

 

  1. Bussan D., Sessums R., Cizdziel J.* (2016) “Activated carbon and biochar reduce mercury methylation potentials in aquatic sediments”, Bull. Environ Contam Toxicol. 96(4): 536-539.

 

  1. Bussan D., Sessums R., Cizdziel J.* (2015) “Direct mercury analysis in environmental solids by ICP-MS with on-line sample ashing and mercury preconcentration using a direct mercury analyzer”, J. Anal. Atom. Spec., 30:1668-1672 https://doi.org/10.1039/C8JA00009C

 

  1. Chen J., Chakravarty P., Davidson G., Wren D., Locke M., Zhou Y., Cizdziel J.* (2015) “Simultaneous Determination of Mercury and Organic Carbon using a Direct Mercury Analyzer based on Thermal Decomposition – Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry” Anal. Chim. Acta., 871:9-17 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2015.03.011

 

  1. Hawkins A.D., Thornton C., Kennedy A.J., Bu K., Cizdziel J., Jones B.W., Steevens J.A., Willett K.L. (2015) “Gill Histopathologies following exposure to nanosilver or silver nitrate” J. Toxicol & Environ. Health Part A, 78:301-315.

 

  1. Reidy L., Williams, R., Bussan D., Brewer S., Cizdziel J.* (2014) “Elemental fingerprinting of gypsum drywall using sector field ICP-MS and multivariate statistics” Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., 94:1273-1287.

 

  1. Hawkins A., Bednar A., Cizdziel J., Bu K., Steevens J., Willett K. (2014) “Identification of silver nanoparticles in Pimephales promelas gastrointestinal tract and gill tissues using flow field flow ICP-MS”, RSC Advances, 4:41277-41280.

 

  1. Lu D., Cizdziel J.*, Yi J., White L., Reddy R. (2014) “Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Mercury in the Mid-South USA”, Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 7:525-540.

 

  1. Brown G., Sleeper K., Johnson M., Blum J., Cizdziel J.* (2013) Mercury concentrations, speciation, and isotopic composition in sediment from a cold seep in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Marine Pollution Bulletin 77:308-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.030

 

  1. Reidy L., Bu K., Godfrey M., Cizdziel J.* (2013) “Elemental fingerprinting of soils using ICPMS and multivariate statistics: A study for and by forensic chemistry majors”, Forensic Science International 233:37-44.

 

  1. Yi J., Cizdziel J.*, Lu D. (2013) “Temporal patterns of atmospheric mercury species in northern Mississippi during 2011-2012: influence of sudden population swings”, Chemosphere 93(9): 1694-1700.

 

  1. Gremillion P., Hermosillo E., Sweat K., Cizdziel J. (2013) “Variations in mercury concentration within and across Xanthoparmelia spp individuals: Implications for evaluating histories of contaminant loading and data interpretation”, Environmental Chem. 10(5): 395-402. https://doi.org/10.1071/EN13053

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Dempsey S., Halbrook R. (2013) “Preliminary evaluation of the use of homing pigeons as biomonitors of mercury in urban areas of the USA and China”, Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 90:302-307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0918-y

 

  1. Nowinski P., Hodge V., Gerstenberger S., and Cizdziel J. (2013) “Analysis of mercury in rock varnish samples in areas impacted by coal-fired power plants”, Environmental Pollution 179:132-137.

 

  1. Bu K., Dasher D., Cizdziel J.* (2013) “Plutonium concentration and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio in biota collected from Amchitka Island, Alaska: Recent measurements using ICP-SFMS”, Environ. Radioactivity 124:29-36.

 

  1. Bu K., Russ J., Cizdziel J. (2013) “The source of iron-oxide pigments used in Pecos River style rock paints”, Archeometry (16 Jan. 2013). https://doi/10.1111/arcm.12011

 

  1. Davidson G.R., Rigby J.R., Pennington D., Cizdziel J. (2013) “Aqueous chemistry of sand-boil discharge used to trace variable pathways of seepage beneath levees during the 2011 Mississippi River flood” Applied Geochemistry 28: 62-68.

 

  1. Bu K., Reidy L. and Cizdziel J.* (2013) “Analysis of Herbal Supplements for Selected Dietary Minerals and Trace Elements by Laser Ablation- and Solution-Based ICPMS”, Microchemical Journal 106: 244-249.

 

  1. Duke S., Reddy K, Bu K., and Cizdziel J. (2012) “Effects of Glyphosate on the Mineral Content of Glyphosate-Resistant Soybeans (Glycine max)”, J. Agric. Food Chem., 60 (27), pp 6764–6771.

 

  1. K. Drace, A. Kiefer, M. Veiga, M. Williams, B. Ascari, K. Knapper, K. Logan, V. Breslin, A. Skidmore, D. Bolt, G. Geist, Lorlyn Reidy, Cizdziel, J, “Mercury-free, small-scale artisanal gold mining in Mozambique: Utilization of magnets to isolate gold at clean tech mine”, J. of Cleaner Production, 29 March 2012 (10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.03.022).

 

  1. Russ J., Bu K., Hamrick J., Cizdziel J. (2012) “Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Lower Pecos Rock Paints and Possible Pigment Sources” in Collaborative Endeavors in the Chemical Analysis of Art and Cultural Heritage Materials, ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1103, Ch 5, pp 91–121 (DOI: 10.1021/bk-2012-1103.ch005).

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Bu X., Nowinski P. (2011) “Determination of elements in situ in green leaves by laser ablation ICP-MS using pressed reference materials for calibration”, Analytical Methods 4: 564-569.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Jiang Y. (2011) “Concentrations of Gaseous Elemental Mercury in Ambient Air within an Academic Chemistry Building”, Bull. Environ Contam Toxicol 86:419–422.

 

  1. Cizdziel, J.* (2011) “Mercury in Environmental and Biological Samples Using Online Combustion with Sequential Atomic Absorption and Fluorescence Measurements: A Direct Comparison of Two Fundamental Techniques in Spectrometry”, Journal of Chemical Education Vol. 88, 2:209-215.

 

  1. Nowinski P., Hodge V., Cizdziel J., Lindley K. (2011) “Rock varnish: a passive forensic tool for monitoring recent air pollution and source identification”, Nuclear Technology, 175:351-359. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed100054j

 

  1. Nowinski P., Hodge V., Lindley K., Cizdziel J. (2010) “Elemental Analysis of Desert Varnish Samples in the Vicinity of Coal- Fired Power Plants and the Nevada Test Site Using Laser Ablation ICPMS”, The Open Chemical and Biomedical Methods Journal, 3: 153-168.

 

  1. Gamage S.V., Hodge V.F., Cizdziel J., Lindley K. (2010) “Determination of Vanadium (IV) and (V) in Southern Nevada Groundwater by Ion Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry”, The Open Chemical and Biomedical Methods Journal, 3, 10-17.

 

  1. Cizdziel, J.* and Chen, W.-Y. (2010) Chapter 2, GC/MS for Combustion and Pyrolysis Research in Handbook of Combustion Vol 2: Combustion, Diagnostics and Pollutants (Eds M. Lackner, F. Winter and A.K. Agarwal) Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, pp. 51 – 74.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Brown G., Tolbert C. (2010) “Direct analysis of environmental and biological samples for total Hg with comparison of sequential atomic absorption and fluorescence measurements from a single combustion event”, Spectrochemica Acta Part B,65:176-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2009.12.002

 

  1. Panta Y., Qian S., Cizdziel J.*, Cross C. (2008) “Mercury content of whole cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco packets by pyrolysis atomic absorption spectrometry with gold amalgamation”, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 83:7-11.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Wei Y., Stetzenbach K., Hodge V., Cline J., Howley R., Phillips F. (2008) “Recent Measurements of Chlorine-36 in Yucca Mountain Rock, Soil, and Seepage” Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 275: 133-144.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Ketterer M.E, Farmer D., Faller S., Hodge V., (2008) “239Pu-240Pu-241Pu fingerprinting of plutonium in western US soils using ICPMS: solution and laser ablation measurements”, Special Issue: Stable Isotopes in Analytical Chemistry, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 390:521-530.

 

  1. Cizdziel J*., Guo C., Yu Z., Steinberg S., Johannesson, K. (2008) “Chemical and Colloidal Analyses of Natural Seep Water Collected from the Exploratory Studies Facility inside Yucca Mountain, USA”, Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 30:31-44.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.* (2007) “Determination of lead in blood by laser ablation ICP-TOF-MS analysis of blood spotted and dried on filter paper: a feasibility study”, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 388:603-611

 

  1. Pollard J., Cizdziel J*, Stave K., Reid M. (2007) “Selenium Concentrations in Water and Plant Tissues of a Newly Formed Arid Wetland in Las Vegas, Nevada”. Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 135:447-457.

 

  1. Gremillion P., Cizdziel J.*, (2005) “Caudal fin mercury as a predictor of fish-muscle mercury”, Environ Chem. 2:96-99.

 

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Zhou, X. (2005) “Sources and concentrations of Hg and Se in compartments within the Las Vegas Wash during a period of rapid change” Environ Monitoring & Assess 107:81-99.

 

  1. Cizdziel J., Farmer D., Hodge V., Lindley K., Stetzenbach K. (2005) “234U/238U isotope ratios in springs and groundwater from southern Nevada: a comparison of alpha counting and magnetic sector ICP-MS”, Science of the Total Environment 350:248-260.

       

  1. Kimura H, Azmy K, Yamamuro M, Zhi-Wen J, Cizdziel J. (2005) “Integrated stratigraphy of the upper Neoproterozoic succession in Yunnan Province of South China: re-evaluation of global correlation and carbon cycle”, Precambrian Research 138:1-36.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Gerstenberger S. (2004) “Determination of total mercury in human hair and animal fur by combustion atomic absorption spectrometry” Talanta 64: 918-921.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.* (2004) “Mercury concentrations in groundwater collected from wells on and near the Nevada Test Site”, Bulletin of Environ. Contamination and Toxicology 72:202-210.

       

  1. 7. Cizdziel*, Pollard J., Hinners T., Cross C. (2003) “Distribution of mercury in the tissues of five species of freshwater fish from Lake Mead, U.S.A.”, Journal of Environ. Monitor. 5:1-8.

       

  1. Turner M., Rudin M., Cizdziel J., Hodge V. (2003) “Excess plutonium in soils near the Nevada Test Site, U.S.A.” Environ. Pollut. 125: 193-203.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Pollard J., Hinners T., Heithmar E., Cross C. (2002) “Mercury concentrations in fish from Lake Mead related to fish size, condition, trophic level, location and consumption risk”, Archives of Environ.Contamination and Toxicol. 43: 309-317.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Hinners T. Heithmar E. (2002) “Determination of total Hg in fish tissues using combustion atomic absorption spectrometry with gold amalgamation”, Water Air Soil Pollut. 135: 357-372.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Hodge V. (2000) “Attics as archives for house infiltrating pollutants: trace elements and pesticides in attic dust and soil from southern Nevada and Utah,” Microchemical J., 64, 85-92.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Hodge V., Faller S. (1999). “Resolving Nevada Test Site and global fallout plutonium using 137Cs/239+240Pu activity ratios,” Health Physics, Vol. 77, No. 1, 67-75.

       

  1. Cizdziel J.*, Hodge V., Faller S. (1998). “Plutonium anomalies in attic dust and soil at locations surrounding the Nevada Test Site,” Chemosphere, Vol. 37, No. 6, 1157-1168.

 

Tackling the Forensic Unknowns of 3D-printed Firearms

Posted on: June 14th, 2019 by nhammer

James Cizdziel (right), UM associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and recent doctoral graduate Oscar ‘Beau’ Black have spent two years researching 3D-printed firearms through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice. Photo by Megan Wolfe/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

OXFORD, Miss. – In the summer of 2016, Transportation Security Administration screeners at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada confiscated an oddity: a 3D-printed handgun in a man’s carry-on baggage.

The plastic gun was inoperable but accompanied by five .22-caliber bullets. The passenger said he had forgotten about the gun and willingly left it at the airport and boarded his flight without being arrested.

The TSA later said the plastic gun was believed to be the first of its kind seized at a U.S. airport.

Since the world’s first functional 3D-printed firearm was designed in 2013, such guns have increasingly been in the news. Proponents of the firearms – 3D-printed with polymers from digital files – maintain that sharing blueprints and printing the guns are protected activities under the First and Second Amendments. Opponents argue the guns are concerning because they are undetectable and also untraceable since they have no serial numbers.

Tackling some of those forensic unknowns are a University of Mississippi chemistry professor and a graduate student. Their research is developing analytical methods to explore how the firearms might be traced using chemical fingerprints rather than relying on physical evidence, with the goal of offering tools for law enforcement to track the guns as they become more widespread.

“We can positively identify the type of polymer used in the construction of the gun from flecks or smears of plastic on bullets, cartridge cases and in gunshot residue collected on clothing,” said James Cizdziel, an associate professor in the UM Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Cizdziel, who joined the Ole Miss faculty in 2008, and Oscar “Beau” Black, who recently earned his doctorate in chemistry, have spent two years researching 3D-printed firearms through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The three-year, $150,000 grant, “Physical and Chemical Trace Evidence from 3D-Printed Firearms,” has resulted in a 2017 peer-reviewed paper in Forensic Chemistry, a growing reference library of mass spectra from 3D-printed firearms for use by law enforcement and a book, “Forensic Analysis of Gunshot Residue, 3D-Printed Firearms, and Gunshot Injuries: Current Research and Future Perspectives.”

The world’s first functional 3D-printed firearm was designed in 2013. The guns are 3D-printed with polymers from digital files and are untraceable since they have no serial numbers. Photo by Megan Wolfe/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

The research involved Cizdziel and Black being the first to use Direct Analysis in Real Time, or DART, Mass Spectrometry to identify polymers and organic gunshot residue in evidence from 3D-printed guns. The idea is forensic experts could trace the polymer that might show up in chemical evidence from the discharge of a 3D-printed firearm back to the type of plastic used in the gun.

“Our growing database provides a second means of identification or grouping of samples, alleviating the need for subjective interpretation of the mass spectral peaks,” said Cizdziel, a Buffalo native. “We also published fingerprinting protocols on surfaces of 3D-printed guns. 

“Overall, we demonstrated that our methods are particularly useful for investigating crimes involving 3D-printed guns.”

The pair’s research arises from an undergraduate chemistry class Cizdziel taught in 2014, Introduction to Instrumental Analysis. Before earning his bachelor’s degree in forensic chemistry in 2015, Black, who also was an undergraduate researcher in Cizdziel’s laboratory, took the class, where talk soon turned to 3D-printed firearms.

“We discussed how developing new reliable analytical methods for forensic practitioners dealing with trace evidence from 3D-printed guns would make a good doctoral research project,” Cizdziel said. “Apparently this sparked a fire in (Black), and he not only joined my research group as a graduate student but was awarded a research fellowship from the Department of Justice to do that very project.”

Black, from Weatherford, Texas, began the project in 2016, before funding was secured in 2017, and quickly realized he was in unexplored territory.

“There was such a dearth of information out there,” Black said. “There was only one, I think, report of an actual test fire (of a 3D-printed firearm) from a forensic agency.”

The pair began creating functional 3D-printed firearms – either .22-caliber or .38-caliber handguns – that used certain metal parts to comply with a federal ban on weapons that aren’t picked up by metal detectors. They test-fired them under controlled and safe conditions at the Mississippi Crime Laboratory in Pearl and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Hoover, Alabama.

“When you discharge them, they do exactly what they are designed to do,” Black said. “You can shoot them multiple times. There was one we shot dozens of times with no visible wear and tear on it.”

The discharges generated samples to analyze. The duo also evaluated the differences in evidence between 3D-printed guns and conventional guns, and used the analytical technique mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the various polymer types in 3D-printed gun evidence.

Research by University of Mississippi professor James Cizdziel and doctoral graduate Oscar ‘Beau’ Black has led to a growing reference library of polymers from 3D-printed firearms for use by law enforcement. Photo by Megan Wolfe/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

This work was the beginning of creating a reference library of various polymer samples to provide the basis of categorizing an unknown sample. The reference library holds about 50 polymer samples.

Cizdziel and Black were assisted in their research by undergraduate students and Murrell Godfrey, director of the UM forensic chemistry program and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Black graduated Saturday (May 11), but the pair’s research is ongoing, including expanding and improving the 3D-print polymer reference library.

“The ultimate goal would have the reference library in a format that’s similar to the other reference libraries that are out there for fingerprints, etc.,” Black said. “Every different arena has a reference library that goes along with that discipline.”

Beyond work on the reference library, the twosome is examining DNA methods on 3D-printed firearms and studying the longevity of polymer evidence under weathering conditions. Cizdziel and Black also are working on a paper that presents all their scientific discoveries when it comes to 3D-printed firearms.

Not knowing what they might find in their investigations has led to some exciting findings and groundbreaking work, Cizdziel said.

“That’s when things get interesting,” he said. “When you don’t quite know what to expect.”

 

 

Click Here to see the original May 13, 2019 article by Shea Stewart.

Gerald Rowland Wins Teaching Award

Posted on: May 21st, 2019 by nhammer

Gerald Rowland, instructional assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been named Outstanding Instructor of the Year.

OXFORD, Miss. – Chemistry faculty member Gerald Rowland was honored Friday (May 10, 2019) by the College of Liberal Arts for his excellence in teaching.  Gerald Rowland, instructional assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received the Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award.  “The College of Liberal Arts is extremely proud of Dr. Rowland,” said Donald L. Dyer, associate dean of faculty and academic affairs. “He represents everything that is good about teaching at the university.  His skills for teaching and compassion for students are evident not in only the classroom, but also in the letters of support received from students and colleagues this year in support of his nomination. The college is pleased to add this exceptional educator to a long list of distinguished and influential teachers on our campus.”  

Prof. Rowland was recognized during Commencement exercises Saturday (May 11, 2019) in the Grove.  The awards are fuel for encouragement, appreciation and gratitude, said Rowland, who received the Lambda Sigma Excellence in Teaching Award earlier this year and the Student Members of the American Chemical Society Faculty Award in 2016.

“To learn that the students were the driving force behind the award nomination is a bit overwhelming,” he said. “It has been a privilege of mine to be able to have the opportunity to teach some of the brightest minds at the university during their formative years in college.” 

One of Rowland’s nomination letters said, ” … (his) attitude to help students is unparalleled within the chemistry department and across campus.”

“(Dr. Rowland) has gone above and beyond to make sure that each of his students is successful in his class,” wrote an anonymous student. “I love how his class focuses on how to think rather than what to think.”

 

Click Here to see the original May 10, 2019 article by .