News

Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.

AirUCI team members honored!

At the 2008 Edward K.C. Lee dinner held at the University Club on May 29, two AirUCI  team members were presented with awards.  Matt Brown received the prestigious Lee Award for scientific achievements and personal characteristics of integrity, cooperation, and friendship.  Olivia Ryder received the Don L. Bunker Award, the Chemistry Department's most prestigious (and only) undergraduate honored at the Lee Dinner.  This award emphasizes research for a senior planning to pursue graduate work in chemistry outside of medicine.  Congratulations, Matt and Olivia!

In addition, two UCI Chemistry students — Jonathan Bass and Freddy Toledo — were presented with the second annual Michael E. Gebel award for second year graduate students working in environmental chemistry and who have had a period of work before continuing on to graduate school.  Best of luck, Jonathan and Freddy!

Barbara Finlayson-Pitts wins ACS Tolman medal!

AirUCI Director Barbara Finlayson-Pitts is this year's recipient of the Richard C. Tolman Medal awarded by the Southern California American Chemical Society.  The Tolman Medal is presented each year in recognition of outstanding contributions to chemistry in Southern California.  Congratulations, Barbara!

Olivia Ryder wins ACS poster award!

AirUCI undergraduate researcher Olivia Ryder presented a poster on SAM ozonolysis at April 7th evening session of the American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans and won one of four poster awards for the whole session!  Good going, Olivia!

AirUCI presents at UCLA symposium!

On February 20, 2008, several AirUCI team members gave presentations and poster talks at UCLA's informal symposium on atmospheric chemistry.  Jim Pitts delivered the opening remarks, entitled "The Past is Prologue".

Finlayson-Pitts group on the cover of PCCP!

In a recent paper featured on the cover of the January 28, 2008 issue of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, AirUCI PI Barbara Finlayson-Pitts and her group describe a new mechanism for ozonolysis of unsaturated organics on solids: phosphocholines on NaCl as a model for sea salt particles.  Special recognition goes to Federico Karagulian and Christopher Dillbeck!  Read the article

Community Day Has Been Cancelled

We have cancelled our 2008 Community Day and hope this causes no inconvenience to those who planned to attend.  Look for details about possible future Community Day presentations on this News page.

AirUCI boldly goes where no EMSI has gone before!

Dr. Tracy Caldwell, NASA astronaut, took a bit of AirUCI with her on the August, 2007 launch of the space shuttle Endeavour.  She was a Dreyfus Environmental postdoc with AirUCI PIs Barbara Finlayson-Pitts and John Hemminger at UCI in 1997-1998 and an undergrad with Prof. Finlayson-Pitts at Cal State Fullerton.  Dr. Caldwell brought a token of AirUCI with her into space — UCI mascot Peter the Anteater holding a flag with the AirUCI logo labeled "First EMSI in Space".  See photos

Professors Finlayson-Pitts and Hemminger were invited to attend the shuttle launch and conveyed to Dr. Caldwell the deep pride felt by the entire AirUCI team at her great success in her lifelong quest to become an astronaut.

Tracy visited UCI on October 17, 2007 to describe her research and discuss science in space.  Details

AirUCI's Jim Pitts interviewed in The Spectrum!

The latest edition of The Spectrum, prestigious publication of the Center for Photochemical Sciences at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, is entirely devoted to an interview with our own Jim Pitts!  Jim is one of the giants in the field of photochemistry, and his experiences in the early days of the field are compelling to read.  We're very proud of you, Jim!

UCI Chemistry Department honors AirUCI team!

At the 2006-2007 Lee Dinner, held at UCI on May 23, 2007, several members of our AirUCI team were recognized for their outstanding contributions to UCI's Department of Chemistry.  Olivia Ryder received the Undergraduate ACS Award, Chris Harmon received an Outstanding Upper Division Teaching Assistant award, Samar Moussa received the Gebel Award, Maggie Walser received the Lee Award, Steve Mang and Eric Knudsen each received Hypercube Scholar Program awards, Tanza Lewis received the ACS Analytical Chemistry Division award, and Jennie Thomas received the Joan Rowland award.  Congratulations, one and all!

Prof. Nizkorodov wins prestigious award!

Sergey Nizkorodov, AirUCI researcher and PI, has been awarded a 2007 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Dreyfus Foundation to support the teaching and research careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences.  We're very proud, Sergey!

Olivia Ryder wins ACS award!

AirUCI undergraduate researcher Olivia Ryder has been awarded the Orange County chapter of the American Chemical Society Award this year for a junior with a high GPA and significant accomplishments in research. Congratulations, Olivia!

Maria Krisch wins L'Oréal USA Fellowship!

Maria Krisch of AirUCI has been selected as a recipient of the 2007 L'Oréal USA Fellowships for Women in Science award!  This prestigious award recognizes outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress.  Big congratulations, Maria!

Samar Moussa wins scholarship and award!

AirUCI's Samar Moussa has won a scholarship for academic excellence from the Air & Waste Management Association.  In addition, she was given the Milton Feldstein Award for her work in air quality. Way to go, Samar!

AirUCI's Tobias and Jungwirth publish "hot paper"!

AirUCI researchers Doug Tobias and Pavel Jungwirth have been recognized for their recent article published in Chemical Reviews, entitled “Specific Ion Effects at the Air/Water Interface.”  The paper is being featured on the ACS Publications website  as a “Hot Paper” as defined by Thomson ISI ® Essential Science Indicators.
 
Hot Papers are articles published within the last two years receiving the most citations over the most recent two-month period.  In a typical two-month period, ISI ® Essential Science Indicators recognizes more than 200 total Hot Papers in chemistry alone; amongst those Hot Papers in chemistry, articles published in ACS journals, like this paper, are typically responsible for nearly half of the top 100 ‘hottest’ papers!  Congratulations, Doug and Pavel!

Jim Pitts receives prestigious award!

AirUCI advisor Jim Pitts has been awarded the prestigious 2007 Carl Moyer Award given by the Coalition for Clean Air for his "Scientific Leadership and Technical Excellence,"  recognizing his lifetime of work on air pollution and atmospheric chemistry!  Way to go, Jim!