Credentials
Education
- 
            B.S., Chemistry	
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
1997
Research Advisor: Professor Ayusman Sen
Honors Thesis: “New Process for Synthesis of Polymers via Oxidative Carbonylation using Palladium (II) Catalysts.” - 
            Ph. D., Chemistry
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
2003
Research Advisor: Professor T. Don Tilley
Dissertation: “Early Transition Metal Complexes in σ-Bond Metathesis: The Activation of Si–H, Si–C, and C–H Bonds.” 
Professional Appointments
- 
            Postdoctoral Research Associate
Eidgenössische Technische
Hochschule Zürich (ETH, Zürich) Switzerland
2003 – 2005
Advisor: Professor Antonio Togni
 - 
            Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Iowa State University
2005 – 2011 - 
            Associate Professor of Chemistry 
Iowa State University
2011 – 2016 - 
            Professor of Chemistry 
Iowa State University
2016 – Present - 
            Senior Scientist 
Ames Laboratory
2017 – Present 
Honors & Awards
- 
            ISU Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award
2016
 - 
            LAS Early Achievement in Research Award 
2011 - 
            Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow
2010 - 
            NSF Career Award
2010 
Research
Publications
Catalytic Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage and Carbon-Element Bond Formation Gives New Life for Polyolefins as Biodegradable Surfactants
            Chem, 
        
                    2021
            
          
        
      Synthesis and Characterization of Tris(oxazolinyl)borato Copper(II) and Copper(I) Complexes
            Helvetica Chimica Acta, 
        
                    2021
            
          
        
      Catalytic Upcycling of High-Density Polyethylene Via a Processive Mechanism
            Nature Catalysis, 
        
                    2020
            
          
        
      Two-step conversion of Kraft lignin to nylon precursors under mild conditions
            Green Chemistry, 
        
                    2020
            
          
        
      Toward Hydrogen Economy: Selective Guaiacol Hydrogenolysis under Ambient Hydrogen Pressure
            Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 
        
                    2020
            
          
        
      Silica-supported Organolanthanum Catalysts for C–O Bond Cleavage in Epoxides
            Journal of the American Chemical Society, 
        
                    2020
            
          
        
      Transition metal-like carbocatalyst
            Nature Communications, 
        
                    2020
            
          
        
      Upcycling Single-Use Polyethylene into High-Quality Liquid Products
            Journal of the American Chemical Society, 
        
                    2019
            
          
        
      Heteroleptic Four-coordinate Tris(oxazolinyl)borato Iron(II) Compounds
            Inorg. Chem., 
        
                    2019
            
          
        
      CO Displacement in an Oxidative Addition of Primary Silanes to Rhodium(I)
            Inorg. Chem., 
        
                    2019
            
          
        
      Interconverting Lanthanum Hydride and Borohydride Catalysts for C=O Reduction and C−O Bond Cleavage
            Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 
        
                    2019
            
          
        
      Cobalt(II) acyl intermediates in carbon-carbon bond formation and oxygenation
            Dalton Trans., 
        
                    2018
            
          
        
      Rare Earth Arylsilazido Compounds with Inequivalent Secondary Interactions
            Chem. Commun., 
        
                    2018
            
          
        
      Direct 3D Printing of Catalytically Active Structures
            ACS Catal., 
        
                    2017
            
          
        
      β-SiH containing Tris(silazido) Rare Earth Complexes as Homogeneous and Grafted Single-Site Catalyst Precursors for Hydroamination
            Organometallics, 
        
                    2017
            
          
        
      Homoleptic organolanthanide compounds supported by the bis(dimethylsilyl)benzyl ligand
            Chem. Commun., 
        
                    2017