Poler Research Group

Congratulations to David Benitez for winning the 1^st runner-up honorable mention at the First Annual UNC Charlotte Summer Research Symposium.  In addition to the fine work he did on his project this summer I am sure David’s enthusiasm and love of science impressed the judges and all of the visitors to his poster.

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Forney for winning the 2011-12 Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award in Math, Physical Science and Engineering. This award is sponsored by the Graduate School to recognize outstanding research and scholarship by a doctoral student at UNC Charlotte.

I am very proud of the high quality work done by the students in the PRG. Great job Mike!

Congratulations to Jeff,  and Devon on getting the latest results published:

Jeffrey R. Alston, Devon Overson, and Jordan C. Poler, “Direct Measurement of the Interactions of Amide Solvents with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry” Langmuir 2011 ASAP dx.doi.org/10.1021/la203765j

Congratulations to Mike, Anjail, and Josh on getting the latest results published:

Michael W. Forney , Joshua S. Anderson , Anjail L. Ameen , and Jordan C. Poler “Aggregation Kinetics of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Non-Aqueous Solvents – Critical Coagulation Concentrations and Transient Dispersion Stability” J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115 (47), 23267–23272 DOI: 10.1021/jp206672r

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Alston.  Mazel Tov Jeff and Erin!

I want to welcome Maggie Chahoud, Albert Leon, Katherine Normile, Urvashi Damani, and Maurice Hord to the Poler Research Group.  This is their 1st semester doing research.  We are expecting great things from all of them.

Mike Forney successfully defended his dissertation on July 26^th 2011.  Mike was in the inaugural class for this novel “Nanoscale Science”graduate program in 2007.  While at UNC Charlotte he has been presenting author for three poster presentations and 10 oral presentations, including 1^st place awards in 2011 and 2010 at the Graduate Research Fair at UNC Charlotte.  Mike is a contributing author to a chapter in the CRC Press Handbook of NanoPhysics and he is 1^st author on a JACS full article and a JPC-C article.  Mike is also 1^st and corresponding author to a manuscript under review at JPC-C as well as three more journal articles in preparation.  Mike twice received an Honorable Mention for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

Dr. Forney just accepted a prestigious “Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellowship” at the Rochester Institute of Technology working with Brian Landi on developing anodes, based on hybrid carbon nanotube electrodes, for ultra high energy density Lithium ion batteries.

Congratulations Dr. Forney, the PRG will miss you!

Jeff and Erin (Erin did most of the work) gave birth to their daughter Ireland Jeanne Alston on 7/7 at 5:45pm, 8.3 lbs! Both mother and daughter are doing great, father needs a pint.  Congratulations to the whole family!

Devon Overson from Mint Hill, NC has joined the Poler Research Group for the summer 2011.  Devon is being supported through the American Chemical Society Southeastern Regional section.  This is Devon’s second summer in the PRG.  Last year he worked on the chemical oxidation of ruthenium coordination complexes.  He discovered the threshold for metal diimine decomposition in highly acidic nitric acid.  This summer he will be working with Jeff Alston on an Isothermal Titration Calorimetry project.  Devon will be studying the binding of various coordination compounds to nanoparticles.