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April 7, 2022:
Don Truhlar, Omar Farha and Joseph Hupp among Top Scientists for 2022
Research.com, a prominent academic platform for scientists, has just published the 2022 edition of their Ranking of Top 1000 Scientists in the area of Chemistry. Don Truhlar, Omar Farha and Joseph Hupp are in the top 26 in the country. The ranking is constructed using the H-index data gathered by Microsoft Academic and includes only prominent scientists with an H-index of at least 40 for scientific papers published in the field of Chemistry. Congratulations Don, Omar and Joe!
view the rankings

December 21, 2021:
Laura Gagliardi named Editor in Chief of the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
"The Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation has an opportunity to play a role in forming and promoting the next generation of theorists and computational chemical scientists, and as editor in chief, I will make such community-building a priority. I plan to lead JCTC to a future that expands both the diversity of our authors and the scope of the journal’s focus, building upon the success of the journal to date in creating a world-class home for outstanding researchers.”
read the full article at ACS

December 7, 2021:
ICDC paper featured on JACS Spotlight
An ICDC paper on ethylene oligomerization on Ni/UiO-66 was featured in Spotlights on Recent JACS Publications.

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12834

September 3, 2021:
Karena Chapman named Senior Editor at ACS Letters
ACS Energy Letters welcomes its newest Senior Editor, Karena Chapman.

April 26, 2021:
Laura Gagliardi elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Laura Gagliardi has been elected into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Members are elected by their peers and this honor recognizes her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

read the article at NAS

April 22, 2021:
Joseph Hupp elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Joseph Hupp has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). The Academy honors people making preeminent contributions to their fields and the world. Members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.

view the article here

December 21, 2020:
Tim Goetjen writes about catalyst development for the Fall 2020 EFRC newsletter
Northwestern University graduate student Tim Goetjen’s first article in the EFRC’s Frontiers in Energy Research newsletter is now published. Titled A Crystalline Library of Metal Deposits, the article focuses on how researchers can advance in catalyst development by testing a library of metal precursors. Tim is co-advised by ICDC Senior Investigators Omar Farha and Joseph Hupp. His research interests include energy conversion and storage as well as general catalytic applications of MOFs as both catalysts and supports. Congrats, Tim!

view the article here

November 17, 2020:
Laura Gagliardi named Associate Editor of JACS
Beginning January 2021, Laura Gagliardi will serve as Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). The new JACS editorial team “aims to be more diverse and representative of the chemistry community” with new appointments in previously underrepresented topical areas.

read more here

July 16, 2020:
Matt Simons receives Amelar and Lodge Fellowship
University of Minnesota graduate student Matt Simons has received the Richard D. Amelar and Arthur S. Lodge Fellowship for Outstanding Collaborative Research in Materials for 2020-21. This award is given to a student whose research interests encompass the overlapping scope of chemistry and chemical engineering and materials science. Award winners must have demonstrated excellence in their areas of interest and a willingness to collaborate with other students and/or research groups. Matt is co-advised by ICDC Senior Investigators Aditya Bhan and Laura Gagliardi. His research focuses on studying the ability of Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials to activate light alkanes by direct oxidative pathways.

read more here

May 28, 2020:
Omar Farha elected as a Foreign Fellow to the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc)
ICDC member Omar Farha has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences. EurASc is a non-profit non-governmental, independent organization of the most distinguished scholars and engineers performing forefront research and the development of advanced technologies, united by a commitment to promoting science and technology and their essential roles in fostering social and economic development.

read more here

May 4, 2020:
Tim Goetjen Selected for EFRC Newsletter Editorial Board
Graduate student Tim Goetjen (Farha and Hupp groups, Northwestern University) has been selected to serve on the EFRC Newsletter Editorial Board. This exciting opportunity will allow him to highlight the important work conducted by ICDC and other EFRCs for a broad audience. Congratulations, Tim!

view the newsletter here

February 4, 2020:
Omar Farha awarded the 2019 Kuwait Prize for Applied Sciences

Introduced in 1979, the Kuwait Prize recognizes the lifetime achievements of scientists of Arab descent across the globe. The Kuwait Prize is awarded in five fields, four annually for Arabs (Basic Sciences, Applied Sciences, Economics and Social Sciences, Art and literature), and the fifth in Arabic and Islamic Scientific Heritage – Science, every third year for all nationalities. The awardees receive a cash prize [$130,000], a gold medal, a KFAS shield, and a certificate of recognition. The ceremony will take place in Kuwait, and the award will be presented by HH The Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

read more here

January 14, 2020:
University of Minnesota and Northwestern Collaboration

On January 14, University of Minnesota graduate student Siri Kanchanakungwankul from the Truhlar group visited Northwestern for discussions with PI Joe Hupp and graduate student Ying Yang on their collaborative project concerning spontaneous reduction of MOF-immobilized Cu(II) to Cu(0).

November 7, 2019:
Light alkane oxidation of Fe(II) sites in metal–organic framework nodes
Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with controlled nuclearity and porosity have the potential for use as biomimetic catalysts engendering the activation of light alkanes, opening new pathways for the enhancement of underutilized chemical feedstocks. In a highly collaborative work among the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, alongside colleagues at the University of California Davis, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), and Stony Brook University, researchers were able to report the activation of C2 and C3 alkanes over well-defined, mononuclear iron sites situated within the nodes of a MOF that bear similar nuclearity, oxidation state (+2), and spin state (S=2) to iron centers in certain enzymes that activate alkanes oxidatively. This study has recently been reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Experiments characterizing the bulk structure of the MOF and its reactivity were performed by Matthew Simons, a graduate student co-advised with Professor Aditya Bhan and Professor Laura Gagliardi. Jenny Vitillo, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research associate with Professor Gagliardi and Professor Connie Lu, performed the synthesis and quantum mechanical characterization of the material.

read the full article here

August 26, 2019:
Professor Gagliardi receives 2020 Peter Debye Award

Professor Laura Gagliardi has received the American Chemical Society's 2020 Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry. She is honored for her leadership in developing and applying quantum mechanical electronic structure methods to multi-configurational problems in bonding, catalysis, and inorganometallic chemistry.

read the article here

August 20, 2019:
Professor Truhlar elected Honorary Fellow of CRSI

The Council of the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) has elected ICDC member Donald Truhlar as an Honorary Fellow of the Society. A total of 57 chemists (16 from the USA) were elected to Honorary Fellowship in the years 2000-2018.

read the article here

August 2, 2019:
Professors lauded for top highly cited articles

ICDC Director Laura Gagliardi and ICDC members Christopher Cramer and Donald Truhlar are in the top 5 percent of highly cited authors in the Royal Society of Chemistry general chemistry portfolio of journals.

read the article here

July 22, 2019:
Laura Gagliardi elected to International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science

ICDC Director Laura Gagliardi has been elected as a member to the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science (IAQMS). The IAQMS is an international scientific society, covering applications of quantum theory, including chemistry and chemical physics. IAQMS members are chosen because of their distinguished scientific work, and their leadership in the application of quantum mechanics to the study of molecules and macromolecules.

read the article here

June 19, 2019:
ICDC featured in Frontiers in Energy Research

The ICDC was featured in the article "Hybrid Materials: Bringing Together the Best Features". The article references a recent paper in which ICDC researchers showed that they could control the purity of Metal Organic Framework (MOF) samples through the choice of different organic molecules that link the metals together.

read the article here

June 14, 2019:
7th Annual OpenMolcas Developers’ Workshop

In partnership with Molcas, ICDC co-sponsored the 7th Annual OpenMolcas Developers’ Workshop. The workshop took place on June 12-14, 2019 at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, MN. OpenMolcas developers gathered to discuss the latest features of the code and new directions. Some of the challenging topics of modern electronic structure theories for strongly correlated materials were highlighted. The workshop consisted of a mixture of technical and scientific reports from Molcas developers, scientific perspectives from Molcas users, and discussion sessions. The Minnesota Supercomputing Institute hosted the workshop.

June 3, 2019:
Summer Undergraduate Theoretical Chemistry Research Fellowship Participants Arrive

ICDC, along with the Nanoporous Materials Genome Center (NMGC) and the Chemical Theory Center (CTC), sponsors an annual theoretical chemistry fellowship program for talented undergraduates entering their senior year. The fellowship program provides a 10-week research experience under the guidance of one or more of the CTC faculty members, and includes a stipend and travel allowance.

Read more from the UMN Department of Chemistry


May 8, 2019:
Laura Gagliardi awarded McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair

ICDC Director Laura Gagliardi has been awarded a prestigious McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair, one of the University's highest faculty awards. The Presidential Endowed Chair acknowledges the critical contributions of important University faculty who have distinguished themselves and their departments in the missions of research, education, and public engagement.

Read more from the UMN Department of Chemistry


April 9, 2019:
Benjamin Yeh earns NSF Graduate Student Fellowship honors

ICDC junior investigator Benjamin Yeh, co-advised by Laura Gagliardi and Aditya Bhan at the University of Minnesota, has received a fellowship in the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). His research focuses on measuring the kinetics and determining the reaction mechanism for the oligomerization of propenes and butenes on nickel-based metal-organic frameworks through experiment and computation.


March 29, 2019:
Omar Farha receives JSCC Award for Creative Work

ICDC member Omar Farha has received the Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry (JSCC) International Award for Creative Work.This award is presented to an early-career researcher who has contributed to the development of coordination chemistry through outstanding and pioneering work. Prof. Farha will deliver his award lecture during the 69th Conference of Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry in Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan, 21-23 September 2019.


January 16, 2019:
ICDC Director Gagliardi receives 2019 Award in Theoretical Chemistry

Professor Gagliardi has received the 2019 Award in Theoretical Chemistry from the Physical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS). She was honored "for her contributions to the development of quantum chemical methods and their application to multireference systems containing metals, relevant to catalysis, and excited states." With this award the Physical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society recognizes the most outstanding scientific achievements of members of the Division. The 2019 recipients will be honored at the fall 2019 ACS National Meeting in San Diego.

Read more from the UMN Department of Chemistry


November 27, 2018:
Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers

ICDC members Christopher Cramer, Donald Truhlar, Omar Farha and Joseph Hupp have been included in the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher list.

view the list


November 27, 2018:
Joseph Hupp Receives George S. Hammond Award

The Inter-American Photochemical Society has named Joseph Hupp the 2019 recipient of the George S. Hammond Award. This biennial award is presented “for lifelong achievement in, and contributions to, the photochemical sciences.” Joe’s contributions span the range from fundamental work on light-induced electron-transfer reactions to elucidation of mechanisms for molecule-powered solar cells and to design and synthesis of new classes of light-harvesting and photocatalytic materials.

read more on the I-APS website


September 24, 2018:
EFRC Director's Meeting

Laura Gagliardi and Joe Hupp are excited to participate in the 2018 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) Directors’ Meeting for the new EFRC cycle 2018-2022!

EFRC Director's Meeting Information


September 17, 2018:
Professor Truhlar receives 2019 ACS Award in Theoretical ChemistryStudent Photo

Regents Professor Donald Truhlar has received the 2019 American Chemical Society Award in Theoretical Chemistry. He is being honored for his creative contributions to theoretical chemistry, and developing new density functionals for practical calculations of thermochemistry, thermochemical kinetics, and noncovalent interactions.

Read more at UMN Chemistry


September 6, 2018:
Students honored as outstanding TAs
Student Photo

The Department of Chemistry honored its 2017-18 Outstanding Teaching Assistants, including Siri Kanchanakungwankul (Truhlar Group, at left) and Riddhish Umesh Pandharkar (Cramer & Gagliardi Groups, at right) who received honorable mentions. Congratulations Siri and Riddhish! For more information about this award, see the full article at UMN Chemistry.


August 10, 2018:
Undergraduates at ICDC and CTC
Student Photo

It was wonderful having the summer undergraduates participate in ICDC and Chemical Theory Center (CTC) activities!


July 26, 2018:
ICDC member Alex Martinson wins award!

The Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry has awarded ICDC member Alex Martinson the 2019 R. W. Murray Young Investigator Award! Congratulations, Alex!


June 4, 2018:
2018 Summer Undergraduate Researchers

We are happy to welcome three undergraduate students as part of the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Theoretical Chemistry Research Fellowship sponsored by ICDC, Chemical Theory Center (CTC), and Nanoporous Materials Genome Center (NMGC). They will conduct research in theoretical chemistry for 10 weeks (June-August) at the Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota.

Elizabeth Smithwick (Duke University, Durham, NC) is working in the Goodpaster group, Jan Kadlec (Charles University, Prague) is working in the Gagliardi group, and Hung Vuong (Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA) is working in the Truhlar group.


April 26, 2018:
Professor Gagliardi honored with Humboldt Research Award
ICDC director, Laura Gagliardi, has been honored with a prestigious Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which will enable her to conduct research with scientists in Germany in 2019.

Read more from the Department of Chemistry


March 22, 2018:
ICDC research published in CE&N
Research by a team of ICDC researchers led by Laura Gagliardi and Christopher Cramer is published in an article titled, "Study elucidates mechanism of MOF-mediated catalysis" in CE&N.


February 22, 2018:
Jingyun Ye earns poster award at KAUST Research Conference
ICDC researcher, Jingyun Ye, received an award for her poster, “Computational Study of MOF-Supported Metal Catalysts for Ethylene Dimerization,” at the conference on New Challenges in Heterogeneous Catalysis at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Jan. 29.


December 21, 2017:
Bao receives Graduate Award in Theoretical Chemistry given by the American Chemical Society Physical Chemistry Division
ICDC researcher, Junwei "Lucas" Bao, has been named as one of two recipients of the 2018 Graduate Award in Theoretical Chemistry given by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Physical Chemistry Division.


November 21, 2017:
Farha named 2017 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow
ICDC Investigator Omar Farha was named a 2017 AAAS Fellow in recognition of his "contributions to science and technology, scientific leadership, and extraordinary achievements across disciplines."


November 20, 2017:
ICDC research featured in the latest Frontiers in Energy Research newsletter
An article titled, Science and Automobile Fuels from Natural Gas, written by ICDC researcher Jingyun Ye was published in the Fall 2017 Frontiers in Energy Research Newsletter.


November 17, 2017:
ICDC Investigators named Clarivate Analytics 2017 Highly Cited Researchers
ICDC Investigators Omar Farha, Joseph Hupp, Randy Snurr, and Don Truhlar were named to the Clarivate Analytics 2017 Highly Cited Researchers list.


August 2, 2017:
Bernales receives postdoctoral travel award
ICDC researcher Varinia Bernales was awarded the postdoctoral travel award from the Minnesota Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS).


July 25, 2017:
ICDC Investigators among highly prolific ACS authors
Two ICDC Investigators, Donald Truhlar and Aditya Bhan, were named by ACS in a list of highly prolific authors published as part of the celebration of ACS's one-millionth article publication. Truhlar is recognized for his contributions to the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation and the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, and Bhan is recognized for his contributions to ACS Catalysis.


July 10, 2017:
CTC/ICDC host ab Initio Modeling with CRYSTAL week-long 'school'
Ab initio modeling has become of ever-increasing interest in solid state chemistry, physics, and materials science. The Minneapolis School will provide the necessary formal background to understand the main theoretical methodologies and approximations underpinning modern ab initio solid state computational tools and it will also provide practical guidelines for the actual use of standard and advanced features of CRYSTAL.

Read more from the Department of Chemistry


June 29, 2017:
CTC/ICDC Summer Undergraduate Researchers
We are happy to welcome four undergraduate students who will perform summer research in theoretical chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, for 10 weeks.

Katherine Kidder from Franklin & Marshall College will work in Laura Gagliardi’s group, Hirbod Heidari from Sharif University will work in Don Truhlar’s group, Ryan Wilson from James Madison University will work in Jason Goodpaster’s group, and Qining Wang from Rutgers University, will work in Chris Cramer’s group. Welcome to all of you and all the best with your summer research experience.


June 16, 2017:
Investigator Lee Penn appointed Merck II Professor of Chemistry
“R. Lee Penn has been appointed the Merck II Professor of Chemistry for a five-year term starting, July 1, 2017. This is one of several departmental professorships that recognize and reward the Department of Chemistry's most distinguished faculty. Penn has an outstanding record of research accomplishments and service to the department, College of Science & Engineering (CSE), and University of Minnesota.”
Summary from the Department of Chemistry.

Full Article from the Department of Chemistry


June 12, 2017:
ICDC researchers awarded Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
Researchers Junwei Lucas Bao and Peter Dunn received competitive Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships from the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry

Full Article from the Department of Chemistry


May 12, 2017:
Varinia Bernales receives Computers in Chemistry Outstanding Postdoc Award
“Varinia Bernales, Ph.D., a post-doctoral associate working with Professor Laura Gagliardi, has received a Wiley Computers in Chemistry Outstanding Postdoc Award for her work, “Towards multiconfiguration quantum embedding methods for solids state.” This work is important because researchers want to treat difficult chemical systems with highly accurate computational methods. The development of these methods will allow researchers to better understand the nature of the systems, accelerating the rational design and control of the electronic and magnetic properties of matter, and the discovery of new materials with exceptional properties. ”
Summary from the Department of Chemistry.

Full Article from the Department of Chemistry


May 1, 2017:
A new issue of Frontiers in Energy Research is now available.

EFRC Newsletter


April 28, 2017:
Penn receives Community Excellence Award
“R. Lee Penn is receiving a Community Excellence Award for equity and diversity work. This award recognizes employees, students, departments, and groups who go above and beyond in their commitment to and work with the University of Minnesota’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life.”
Summary from the Department of Chemistry


April 25, 2017:
Farha research featured in C&EN in article titled, “Lowest density MOF to date”.


April 25, 2017:
ICDC research featured in Frontiers in Energy Research article, written by ICDC members Manuel Ortuno and Zhanyong Li, titled, “Opening Efficient Routes to Everyday Plastics”.


April 3, 2017:
Bhan wins 2017 Acid Base Catalysis Young Scientist Award
Read more from the University of Minneosta Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.


January 30, 2017:
Register for “The Minnesota Workshop on ab Initio Modeling in Solid State Chemistry with CRYSTAL”
Registration for “The Minnesota Workshop on ab Initio Modeling in Solid State Chemistry with CRYSTAL” is now open! The Minnesota Chemical Theory Center and the Theoretical Chemistry Group of the Torino University are organizing a school on the ab initio simulation of solids, entitled “The Minnesota Workshop on ab initio Modelling in Solid State Chemistry with CRYSTAL”.

Ab initio modeling has become of ever-increasing interest in solid state chemistry, physics, and materials science. The Minneapolis School will provide the necessary formal background to understand the main theoretical methodologies and approximations underpinning modern ab initio solid state computational tools and it will also provide practical guidelines for the actual use of standard and advanced features of CRYSTAL.

Details and Registration


January 24, 2017:
ICDC Research received front cover feature in ACS Central Science
The publication, “Metal–Organic Framework Supported Cobalt Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane at Low Temperature” has been published in ACS Central Science. Additionally, the article has made the front cover and has been highlighted by the journal through a First Reactions comment.


January 3, 2017:
Professor Gagliardi receives Isaiah Shavitt Lectureship.

Read more


December 15, 2016:
Paper by Truhlar and Cramer named one of 25 most cited papers
ICDC investigators Don Truhlar and Christopher Cramer received recognition for their 2009 Journal of Physical Chemistry publication titled, “ Universal Solvation Model Based on Solute Electron Density and on a Continuum Model of the Solvent Defined by the Bulk Dielectric Constant and Atomic Surface Tensions,” which was named on of the 25 most highly cited papers.

Read more


November 21, 2016:
Register for CellPress webinar: MOFs: What are they good for?
ICDC investigator, Omar Farha, will be speaking at the CellPress Webinar, “ MOFs: What are they good for?” on December 7, 2016. Register for the webinar online!

Details


November 18, 2016:
Truhlar selected as “Most Highlight Prolific” and “highly cited” author
ICDC Investigator, Donald Truhlar, was selected as the most highly prolific and highly cited author for the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation.

Read more


October 31, 2016:
Omar Farha: The Patriotic Chemist
ICDC investigator, Omar Farha, speaks about his research and diversity and inclusion in the sciences and encourages us to get out to vote this election season in a Chemistry World article and video titled, “The Patriotic Chemist.”

Read more


October 27, 2016:
Interactive MOF game developed by team of researchers, inlcuding ICDC's Gagliardi and Cramer
ICDC investigators, Laura Gagliardi and Chris Cramer, helped develop an interactive game to test MOF Frameworks.

Read more


October 11, 2016:
Gagliardi elected a Fellow of American Physical Society
ICDC director, Laura Gagliardi, "has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society, honored for her seminal contributions to the development of electronic-structure methods and their application to the understanding of complex chemical systems, including the prediction of new materials and associated properties." — UMN Department of Chemistry

Read more


August 22, 2016:
Chapman named one of C&E News “Talented Twelve”
ICDC investigator, Karena Chapman, was named one of C&E News “Talented Twelve.” The “Talented Twelve” are a “group of skilled young operatives who have been covertly using chemistry to safeguard the planet!” — C&E News

Read more


August 22, 2016:
Farha speaks at Kavli Lecture Series
ICDC investigator, Omar Farha, was a featured speaker August 22 at the 2016 Kavli Lecture Series with a lecture titled, “Bioinspired Sponges: Metal-Organic Frameworks for Combating Nerve Agents and Toxic Gases.”

Read more


August 16, 2016:
Johannes Lercher awarded 2016 Eni award
ICDC investigator, Johannes Lercher, is awarded the 2016 Eni award. “The Eni Award aims to promote a better use of energy sources and to stimulate new generations of researchers, a demonstration of the importance given by Eni to scientific research and innovation.” — Eni

Read more


July 25, 2016:
Laura Gagliardi becomes associate editor for Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
“Professor Laura Gagliardi has been named an associate editor of the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation (JCTC), bringing her expertise in quantum mechanics, inorganic, nanoscience, and materials science to this leading American Chemical Society publication.” — University of Minnesota Chemistry Department

Read more


July 25, 2016:
A new issue of Frontiers in Energy Research is now available.

EFRC Newsletter


May 26, 2016:
2016 All Hands Meeting and Workshop, August 15–17
The 2016 All-Hands Meeting location is the St. Paul Hotel — the same location as the 2015 meeting. The meeting is Monday, August 15 (all day) and Tuesday morning, August 16. In addition, Prof. Ian Tonks of the University of Minnesota will lead a workshop on reaction mechanisms during the afternoon of August 16 and the morning of August 17, also at the St. Paul Hotel. More information will be available soon. As information becomes available, details will be posted to the 2016 All Hands Meeting page.

2016 All Hands Meeting


May 9, 2016:
Laura Gagliardi receives Bourke Award from the RSC
Professor Laura Gagliardi has received the Bourke Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, honored for her contributions to quantum chemistry focused on predicting new materials for catalysis, gas separation, and excited state phenomena.

2016 Bourke Award


April 28, 2016:
Penn and Stein win 2016 TechConnect National Innovation awards
Two teams of chemistry researchers led by ICDC investigators Lee Penn and Andreas Stein won 2016 TechConnect National Innovation awards.

Full article from UMN Chemistry


April 26, 2016:
Targeted singe-site MOF node modication research published in ACS virtual issue
Collaborative research led by professors Christopher Cramer and Laura Gagliardi has been selected for publication in a special American Chemical Society virtual issue on atomic layer deposition (ALD). Read the full article from the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry.

ACS virtual issue


April 21, 2016:
Shaohong Li receives Overend Award for Graduate Research in Physical Chemistry
ICDC researcher Shaohong Li, a 4th-year graduate student working with ICDC investigator Donald Truhlar at the University of Minnesota, has received the 2015-16 Overend Award for Graduate Research in Physical Chemistry. The award honors outstanding physical chemistry graduate student researchers. Read details about Li's research from the Truhlar website.

Full article from UMN Chemistry


April 19, 2016:
Truhlar receives COGS Outstanding Faculty Award
ICDC investigator Donald Truhlar has received a 2015-16 Outstanding Advising and Mentoring Award from the Council of Graduate Students, Professional Student Government, and Student Conflict Resolution Center.

Full article from UMN Chemistry


March 21, 2016:
Haoyu Yu Recieves Job Offer
Haoyu Yu, a graduate student in Prof. Donald Truhlar's group, has recieved an offer to work for Schrodinger as a Senior Scientist in their New York office. He will begin his new position this coming summer.

More about Schrodinger


February 11, 2016:
Farha Receives ACS Award
Omar K. Farha has been named the “Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecturer” for the August ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

More about ACS award


January 28, 2016:
Hupp Elected to 2016 MRS Fellows
Joseph Hupp has been elected to the class of 2016 MRS (The Materials Research Society) Fellows

More about MRS Fellows


January 2016:
ICDC Members Named Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers
Four of the Principal Investigators (Principal Investigators) of the Inorganometallic Catalyst Design Center have been named to the 2015 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list:

Deputy Director of the ICDC Joseph T. Hupp, Omar K. Farha, and Randall Q. Snurr, all of Northwestern University, and Donald G. Truhlar.

From the announcement from Thomson Reuters: "You were selected as a Highly Cited Researcher due to the number of citations your work has received from your fellow researchers. Essentially, your peers have identified your contributions as being among the most valuable and significant in the field of Chemistry."

Congratulations to the ICDC Principal Investigators on this significant accomplishment!

Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers


January 2016:
ICDC Featured in EFRC Newsletter
Laura Gagliardi was mentioned in an article titled “Perspectives on women in energy science” published in the Winter 2015 issue on Energy Frontier Research Centers Newsletter.

"Perspectives on Women in Energy Science"


November 2015:
New ICDC Members
Three new graduate students — Hung Pham, Debmalya Ray, and Prachi Sharma — join the ICDC in Dr. Gagliardi's group at the University of Minnesota. Welcome!


November 2015:
Gates' Request For SSRL Beamtime Approved
Bruce Gates, co-investigator at University of California, Davis, made a successful request for beamtime at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) with his proposal entitled “Single-Site Metal Catalysts Supported on Nodes of Stable MOFs.” SSRL is a forefront lightsource providing bright X-rays and outstanding user support. He and his group will use the beamtime for ICDC samples.


October 26-17, 2015:
ICDC Members attend 2015 EFRC Principal Investigator Meeting
ICDC Director Laura Gagliardi, along with several other members of ICDC, attended the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) Principal Investigator meeting in Washington, DC, where they gave talks and presented posters on ICDC work.

Samuel Odoh, a Postdoctoral Researcher in Laura Gagliardi's group, gave a talk at the EFRC Principal Investigator Meeting and won one of the three Postdoctoral presenter awards.


October 21, 2015:
Supercomputer Fuels Research to Limit Carbon Emissions
Mesabi, the University of Minnesota's most powerful supercomputer, provides a resource for computational chemists' computationally intensive research projects, such as capturing carbon emissions and the design of new catalysts, two of Gagliardi's projects that are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read the full article


October 4-5, 2015:
Annual All Hands Meeting
The Annual ICDC All-Hands Meeting was held in St. Paul, MN at the St. Paul Hotel


August 2015:
ICDC Members Attend Gordon Research Seminar and Conference
ICDC Director Laura Gagliardi, along with several other members of ICDC, attended a Gordon Research Seminar and Conference in New Hampshire, where they gave talks and presented posters on some of the work of the ICDC.

Nanoporous Materials and Their Applications


July 2015:
Hupp and Penn Named 2015 ACS Fellows
ICDC Deputy Director Joe Hupp of Northwestern University and ICDC co-Principal Investigator R. Lee Penn of the University of Minnesota have been named 2015 Fellows of the American Chemical Society. They were honored at the ACS Fall Meeting in Boston.

Article about Penn


Full list of honorees


July 2015:
Hod Wins 2015 ACS Postdoctoral Research Award
Idan Hod, postdoctoral researcher in the Hupp group at Northwestern, has been named one of the winners of the 2015 postdoctoral awards in the PHYS Division of ACS. He, too, was honored at the ACS Fall Meeting in Boston

Full list of honorees


June 5, 2015:
MOF nodes as nearly ideal supports for molecular catalysts
ICDC Minnesota members Samuel Odoh and Prof. Chris Cramer, in collaboration with ICDC partner institutions UC Davis and Northwestern University, have determined that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have potential applications as supports for catalysts of molecular precision. A video describing the reaction occurring at the material was produced by Minnesota ICDC member Josh Borycz and Minnesota Supercomputing Institute's Ben Lynch.

article and video


June 2015:
Co-investigator Charlie Campbell of the University of Washington was selected to receive the AVS Medard W. Welch Award for 2015. Prof. Campbell was cited “for seminal contributions to determining accurate adsorption energenetics and for developing key concepts for the analysis of important catalytic reactions.”

He will also be honored at the 2015 meeting of the North American Catalysis Society as the 2013 recipient of The Robert Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis, which is given in recognition of substantial contributions to one or more areas in the field of catalysis with emphasis on discovery and understanding of catalytic phenomena, catalytic reaction mechanisms and identification and description of catalytic sites and species.

ACS Medard W. Welch Award


Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis


May 30-31, 2015:
Catalysis Crash Course given by Bruce Gates and hosted in Minneapolis, MN.

Event details


May 29, 2015:
Junior Investigator Workshop held in Minneapolis, MN.


May 15, 2015:
The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents has approved the promotions of ICDC co-investigators Connie Lu and Lee Penn.


May 1, 2015:
Professor Donald Truhlar has received a 2015 Council of Graduate Students (COGS) Outstanding Faculty Award. This award was established in 2010 as a way to recognize contributions of faculty members who go above and beyond in their work with graduate students. It is the only award where faculty members are nominated by and winners are selected by graduate students.

Full article


April 23, 2015:
ICDC co-investigator Donald Truhlar of the University of Minnesota has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors remarkable men and women who have made pre-eminent contributions to their fields and the world.

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April 23, 2015:
Omar Farha, co-investigator at Northwestern University, gave the 2015 M. Frederick Hawthorne Lecture at UCLA, on “Bioinspired Sponges: Functional Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).”

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Spring 2015:
ICDC co-investigator Omar Farha of Northwestern University, won the Royal Society of Chemistry's Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Early Career Award.

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March 2015:
ICDC co-investigator Karena Chapman of Argonne National Laboratory has been named the 2015 Materials Research Society's Outstanding Young Investigator for contributions to energy-relevant systems

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March 2015:
Bruce Gates, co-investigator at University of California, Davis, made a successful request for beamtime at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL). SSRL is a forefront lightsource providing bright X-rays and outstanding user support. He and his group will use the beamtime for ICDC samples.


February 2015:
Laura Fernandez, Ph.D., a member of the Truhlar Group at Minnesota, has assumed the role of Scientific Coordinator for the ICDC. In this role, she will lead coordination of all junior investigator efforts, as well as provide some of the reports of their research activities. She also recently joined the EFRC Newsletter Editorial Board.


February 18, 2015:
ICDC Leadership Team Attends Management Review
The leadership team of the ICDC (Director Gagliardi, Deputy Director Hupp, Managing Director Kaplan, and Scientific Coordinator Fernandez) participated in the ICDC EFRC Management Review in Washington, DC. The team made a comprehensive presentation to several program officers from the U.S. Department of Energy and a DOE-selected panel consisting of five expert peer reviewers from different institutions.


June 23, 2014:
University of Minnesota Receives $12 Million Grant for Energy Research
The University of Minnesota announced today that it has been awarded a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to lead an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), aimed at accelerating scientific breakthroughs in energy research. The University of Minnesota’s Center is one of only 32 innovative energy research projects nationwide, chosen from a highly competitive field of 200 proposals.

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This work was supported as part of the Inorganometallic Catalyst Design Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under Award DE-SC0012702.

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