Beyond my regular responsibilities, I teach NMR spectroscopy to practising scientists and mentor students who are new to research. Both are ways of giving back to a community that has given me a great deal.
NMR is a powerful technique, but many researchers — analytical scientists especially — never get formal training in it. I have taught short courses at PITTCON and the Eastern Analytical Symposium nearly every year since 2013, along with courses at US Pharmacopeia and workshops here at Pitt.
| Year | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Taught Solid State NMR short course | PITTCON 2026, San Antonio, TX |
| 2025 | Taught NMR short course | Eastern Analytical Symposium, Princeton, NJ |
| 2025 | Invited talk | National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India |
| 2025 | Invited talk | National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India |
| 2025 | Invited talk (online) | Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil |
| 2025 | Taught Solid State NMR short course | PITTCON 2025, Boston, MA |
| 2024 | Taught NMR short course | Eastern Analytical Symposium, Princeton, NJ |
| 2024 | Taught Solid State NMR short course | PITTCON 2024, San Diego, CA |
| 2024 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON 2024, San Diego, CA |
| 2023 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON Online Short Courses |
| 2023 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON 2023, Philadelphia, PA |
| 2022 | Taught NMR short course | Eastern Analytical Symposium, Princeton, NJ |
| 2021 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON 2021, online |
| 2020 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON 2020, Chicago, IL |
| 2019 | Taught NMR short course | Eastern Analytical Symposium, Princeton, NJ |
| 2019 | Taught NMR short course | PITTCON 2019, Philadelphia, PA |
| 2019 | Taught NMR short course | North Central College, Naperville, IL |
| 2019 | Hosted and taught Small Molecules NMR Workshop | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2018 | Co-organized the 3rd Gateway NMR Conference | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2018 | Hosted and taught Small Molecules NMR Workshop | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2018 | Taught NMR short course | Eastern Analytical Symposium, Princeton, NJ |
| 2018 | Taught NMR short course | US Pharmacopeia, Rockville, MD |
| 2018 | Invited talk | Liquid Ion Solutions, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2017 | Taught NMR short course | US Pharmacopeia, Rockville, MD |
| 2016 | Invited talk: “Building a World Class NMR Facility” | Penn State University, State College, PA |
| 2016 | Outreach NMR workshop for users from regional universities | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2015 | Taught at the NMR Workshop | Penn State University, State College, PA |
| 2013 | Taught at the NMR Workshop | Penn State University, State College, PA |
Undergraduate research gives students a chance to see the concepts from their coursework at work, and the confidence to start careers as researchers. I have volunteered as an advisor to undergraduates and designed projects for them. Three examples:
Allen Potter
Research project: Solution NMR investigation of the self-association of an antilipemic agent.
David Newhouse
Research project: Multinuclear solid-state NMR studies of ionic solids.
Ben A. Barnhart
Research project: Investigating electronic versus ionic conductivity of lithium salts in viscous media.
Research opportunities for high school students ease the transition to college and, more importantly, spark an early interest in scientific research. I design projects that are challenging but achievable at that level.
Vishmayaa Saravanan’s project measured the temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficients of cations and anions in neat ionic liquids by pulsed field gradient NMR. She received an honourable mention in Pitt Magazine (page 45, Summer 2015).
A full list of the post-docs, students, and staff I have mentored is on my biography page. My editorial and peer-review work is on the professional service page.