Dr. John Lee wins award, will include Chattanooga State transfer student in research

When Ashley Riner begins work on her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Emory University in fall 2015, she will fondly remember many of her professors in the UTC Department of Chemistry who “care for their students and wish nothing more than for the students to learn and grow in their experiences at school.”

Dr. John Lee, Assistant Professor in the UTC Department of Chemistry, recently earned an award because he shows promise in establishing undergraduate research.

“Dr. Lee has played an instrumental role in the student and leader that I have become,” Riner explained.  “If he had not reached out to me and guided me as I learned and developed as a researcher, I would not be the person I am today; his faith in me and his position as a mentor have shaped me into the future researcher that I will be.”

Riner, a Grote Scholar and a Chancellor’s Scholar, and Trevor Latendresse, Marvin Anthony Scholarship and the Inorganic Chemistry Award recipient, have both been conducting research with Lee.  Riner’s work could have applicable uses in the petroleum field.  Latendresse has contributed to Lee’s research goal of finding new chemical compounds to transform raw materials like petroleum, coal, or natural gas, into useful chemicals in a way that requires fewer harsh reaction conditions and less energy.

Latendresse’ contributions involve the first step in Lee’s proposal, Acrylic Acid From CO₂ and Ethylene Catalyzed By Cyclopentadienyl-Co(III) With Bidentate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands That Contain a Bridging Amine, which earned him the Cottrell College Science Award from Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The competitive process included R-1 research institutions.  Lee was one of 33 recipients for a College Science Award of $55,000 for two years; there were 48 winners among 300 applicants.

“John plans to use the award to carry out research with four undergraduate students for two summers. The unique feature of his proposal is to include a student from Chattanooga State to promote transfer to UTC,” explained Dr. Jisook Kim, Associate Professor of Chemistry at UTC.

Lee describes his reasoning for including a transfer student from Chattanooga State as a little bit of history combined with a realistic look at the current state of higher education.

“For the history side, I was a graduate of Chattanooga State prior to attending UTC, and since then have kept in contact through the years with the Chattanooga State Department Head of Physical Sciences, Professor David Stanislawski,” Lee said.  “The other half comes from the recognition that two-year college education has received in the past few years.  I decided, and Professor Stanislawski supported, to include in my in proposal a stipend to not only financially support UTC students during the summer but also a Chattanooga State student who is planning to transfer to UTC.”

The summer before the research at UTC actually begins, the Chattanooga State student will work on well-defined experiments in the UTC lab, learning new techniques.  At the same time, the student will meet faculty and current students before beginning chemistry classes at UTC, a smooth way to acclimate to a four-year school.

In addition to his research, Lee’s classes range from large enrollment general chemistry classes to small senior classes.  He creates relevant, “fun” group activities in general chemistry.  Seniors are introduced to literature so that they can see the applications of the topics taught in class.

Lee, Latendresse, and Riner presented their research at the 2015 Spring National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Denver, the largest scientific conference in the world.  The students’ travel and attendance at the meeting were supported by Provost Student Research Awards and the UTC Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities.

“This meeting was a culmination of a lot of hard work the students accomplished during their time at UTC while taking full course loads,” Lee explained.

Both received a Westbrook Scholarship for Summer Undergraduate Research in 2014.

Latendresse said his attendance at both regional and national ACS meetings enhanced his academic experience at UTC.

“My research has not only taught me so much important chemistry, it has also taught me how to think critically and apply my knowledge to solve specific problems.  By attending the regional and national meetings, I learned how to present my work to other scientists and also gained valuable connections that will help me in the future.  I feel that these experiences have given me the tools that I need to have a successful future,” said Latendresse, who will enter the Chemistry Ph.D. program at Texas A & M in fall 2015.  He is considering becoming a research professor in academia or entering the workforce in an industrial position.

Riner says having the opportunity to present her research has been an amazing experience.

“I felt as though the conversations I held with fellow scientists viewing my poster promoted my growth as a researcher. It was also helpful to learn about the other facets outside of my area of research; this allowed me to learn what research is being completed all over the nation and to add to the knowledge I have been taught in the classroom at UTC. Being a senior, my attendance at these events has made me more excited for what is to come within the next years,” she said.

Lee enjoys seeing all of his students make progress in the field he loves.

“For the freshman, it is encouraging when I get to see the light bulb go off when a concept is understood and I know that I was a part of that.  For the seniors, I get to show them how the concepts they have learned during their four years are applied to real-world scientific challenges, and help guide them as they approach graduation and the next step on their path.”

“UTC is blessed with talented junior faculty like John who is dedicated to teaching and research, and I invite everybody to join me in congratulating him,” said Dr. Kim.