| education
Postdoc
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Advisor: Prof. Christopher C. Cummins
Dr. rer. nat. (summa
cum laude)
Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry
(previously MPI for Radiation Chemistry) Mülheim
a. d. Ruhr, Germany, Jan. 1998
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt
Dissertation: "Molecular and Electronic Structure
of High-Valent Transition Metal Nitrido Complexes"
Diploma in Chemistry
Ruhr-University
Bochum, Germany, May 1995
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt

research fellowships and experience
Jan.
2006 - present
Professor at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg (Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II)
Jan.
2001 - 2005
Assistant Professor at UCSD
Oct.
1998 - Oct. 2000
Postdoctoral Fellow, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
(DFG) at MIT with Prof. Christopher C. Cummins
Feb.
1998 - Oct. 1998
Research
Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society
July
1995 - Jan. 1998
Ph.D.
Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society

awards
and professional affiliations
Alfred
P. Sloan Award,
2004/2005
Faculty
Career Development Award,
Academic Senate, 2003
Hellman
Fellow,
Chris & Warren Hellman Young Faculty Award,
2002
DFG
Postdoctoral Fellowship,
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 1999/2000
American
Chemical Society,
Member (since 1997)
German Chemical Society,
Member (since 1995)
American
Nuclear Society,
Member (2001 - 2005)
Currently
Reviewer for J. Am. Chem. Soc.,
Inorganic Chemistry, Science, Organometallics,
Chem. Commun., Dalton Transactions,
Polyhedron, Journal of Organometallic
Chemistry, Angewandte Chemie, and National
Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy
(DOE), Volkswagen Stiftung
Volume
Editor for Comprehensive Organometallic
Chemistry-III
(Volume 2: alkaline and alkaline earth metals,
Cu and Zn group)

invited
lectures and presentations
2007 - present
Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Mie University, Tsu-Mie, Japan. November, 2007. Invited Seminar
Tripodal Carbene Chelators for Small Molecule Activation at
Electron-Rich Iron and Cobalt Centers
Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan. November, 2007.
Invited Seminar
Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
International Workshop on "Bioinorganic and Organometallic Perspectives
in Activation of Small Molecules"
Institute for Molecular Sciences (IMS), Okazaki, Japan. November, 2007. Invited Talk
Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
John van Geuns Lecture, Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences,
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. November 2007. Invited Talk
Custom-Tailored Ligands for Uranium Coordination Chemistry: Exploration of Reactivity and Electronic Structure.
ACTINET Meeting, Avignon, France. October 2007, Invited Talk
Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Heron Island Conference on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules (Heron4). Heron Islands, Queensland, Australia. July 2007. Invited Talk
Chemie zwischen Phobie und Begeisterung: Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Komplexen des Urans.
Universität Bielefeld. GDCh-Vortrag. June 2007
Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC/CNRS) / Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France. June 2007
Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Universität Regensburg. Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium. June 2007
Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Freie Universität Berlin. Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium. June 2007
Nuclear Materials in Inorganic Chemistry: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, May 2007. Invited Seminar
Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München. Kolloquium Anorganische Chemie. Mai 2007
Small Molecule Activation at Uranium Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
F. Albert Cotton Award Symposium. A symposium at the 233rd National Meeting of the ACS. Chicago, Illinois, USA. March 2007. Invited Talk
2006
Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an reaktiven Koordinationsverbindungen des Urans.
Anorganisches Kolloquium. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Chemischen Institute. Bonn, Germany. November 2006. Invited Talk
Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Coordination Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
Workshop on the Chemistry of Actinide Molecular Clusters. Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU). Karlsruhe, Germany. November 2006. Invited Talk
Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Symposium. University of Erlangen. Germany. October 2006. Invited Talk
Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Inorganic Seminar. University of Kanazawa. Kanazawa, Japan. September 2006. Invited Talk
Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
13. Vortragstagung der Wöhler-Vereiningung für Anorganische Chemie. Aachen, Germany. September 2006. Invited Talk
Synthetic Chemistry at the Bottom of the Periodic Table: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Nuclear Chemistry in Context.
A symposium at the 232nd National Meeting of the ACS. San Francisco, California, USA. September 2006. Invited Talk.
Koordinationschemie an reaktiven Verbindungen des Urans: Eine Geschichte wie Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Antrittsvorlesung, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät II der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. Juli 2006
Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle.
Kolloquium für anorganische und analytische Chemie. Philipps-Universität Marburg, Fachbereich Chemie. Hamburg, Germany. Juni 2006. Invited Talk
Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexen.
Anorganisches Kolloquium. Universität Hamburg, Fachbereich Chemie. Hamburg, Germany. Juni 2006. Invited Talk
Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung. Karlsruhe, Germany. April 2006. Invited Talk
Control of Structure & Reactivity by Ligand Design: Applications to Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Symposium. Karl Wieghardt's Inorganic Chemistry ACS Award. ACS Spring Meeting Atlanta, GA. March 2006.
Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. March 2006. Invited Talk
Looking at the Bright Side of an Element from Hell: Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Centers.
Seminar. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk
Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N-Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Northwestern University. Chicago, IL. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk
Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. Jan. 2006. Invited Talk

2005
Uranium
Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry:
Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. Texas A&M University. College Station,
TX. Sept. 2005. Invited Talk
Alkane
Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen
Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent
Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Seminar. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Berkeley, CA. May 2005. Invited Talk
Coordination
Chemistry with the Heaviest Element, Uranium:
A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Departmental Seminar. University of Arkansas.
May 2005. Invited Talk
Alkane
Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen
Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent
Uranium Coordination Complexes.
2005 DOE-BES Separations and Heavy Element Contractor's
Meeting. Rockville, MD. April 2005
SFB
583: Redox-Active Metal Complexes: Control of
Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Symposium. University of Erlangen - Nuremberg,
Germany. March 2005. Invited Talk
Redox-Active
Transition and Actinide Metal Complexes for Small
Molecule Activation: Control of Reactivity via
Molecular Architecture.
Departmental Seminar. University of California,
Irvine. February 2005. Invited Talk
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation
& Nitrogen Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Technical University Munich, Germany.
January 2005. Invited Talk

2004
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona,
Spain. November 2004. Invited Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain.
November 2004. Invited Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Organic Chemistry Seminar. University of Zuerich,
Switzerland. November 2004. Invited Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic
Chemistry, Muelheim/Ruhr, Germany. November 2004.
Invited Talk.
Aktivierung
kleiner Molekuele an elektronenreichen Uebergangsmetall-
und Urankomplexen.
Group Seminar (Prof. Huttner). Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet
Heidelberg, Germany. November 2004. Invited Seminar.
Uebergangsmetall-
und Actinoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen
Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung
kleiner Molekuele.
Inorganic Chemistry Colloquium. Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet
Freiburg, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany. November
2004. Invited Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic
Seminar. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
October 2004. Invited Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic
- Electrochemistry Seminar. California Institute
of Technology, Pasadena, CA. October 2004. Invited
Talk.
Small
Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium
Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Departmental
Seminar. University of Delaware, Newark, DE. September
2004. Invited Talk.
Uranium
Coordination Chemistry: From Alkane Coordination
to CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer
Chemistry.
Departmental
Seminar. Georgetown University, Goergetown, Washington
DC. August 2004. Invited Talk.
Metal
Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene
Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity.
228th
ACS National Meeting. Symposium: The Use of N-Heterocyclic
Carbenes in Catalysis (Steve Nolan). Philadelphia,
PA. August 2004. Invited Talk.
Nitrogen
Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent
Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality
as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.
XXIst
International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry,
Vancouver, Canada. July 2004. Oral Presentation.
Gordon
Research Conference: Inorganic
Chemistry.
Discussion
Leader: Structure & Bonding. Salve Regina
University, Newport, Rhode Island, July 2004.
NSF/DOE
Workshop "Actinide
Science for the 21st Century"
Discussion Leader: Actinide Coordination Chemistry,
Washington DC, May 2004.

2003
Hot
Chemistry with Depleted Uranium: From Carbene
and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation.
Departmental
Seminar. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland,
OH. November 2003. Invited Talk.
Synthesis
and Characterization of Tripodal Carbene Ligands
and Their Metal Complexes. Insights into the Electronic
Structure of Diaminocarbene Metal Complexes.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Riverside.
November 2003. Invited Talk.
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small
Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Group
Seminar (Prof. R.H. Holm) Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA. October 2003.
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small
Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, MA. October 2003. Invited
Talk.
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small
Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Santa
Barbara. October 2003. Invited Talk.
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small
Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Berkeley.
October 2003. Invited Talk.
Coordination
Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers:
From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar/Minority Access to Research
in Chemistry (MARC). University of Puerto Rico,
Rio Piedras, September 2003. Invited Talk.
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
5th
International Conference on f-Element Chemistry
2003, Geneve, Switzerland, August 2003. Invited
Talk.
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
Inorganic
Chemistry Gordon Research Conference 2003, Newport,
Rhode Island, July 2003. Invited Poster Award
Talk. have
a look @ it here
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
Plutonium
Futures 2003-The Science Conference, Albuquerque,
New Mexico, July 2003. Invited Talk.

2002
Metal
Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocycliuc Carbene
Ligands: A Combined Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet
Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.
Uranium
Tris-Aryloxide Derivatives Supported by Triazacyclononane:
Engendering a Reactive Uranium(III) Center with
a Single Pocket for Reactivity.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet
Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.
Hot
Chemistry in the Meyer Lab: The Wieghardt-Cummins
Fusion Chemistry. Lecture
in Honor of Prof. Karl Wieghardt's 60th Birthday,
Max-Planck-Institute for Radiation Chemistry,
Muelheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany, July 2002.

pre 2000
Molecular
and Electronic Structure of Simple High-Valent
Cr, Mn, Fe, and U complexes.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar, Yale University, New Haven,
CT, Jan. 2000.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN, Jan. 2000.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL, Dec. 1999.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Rochester,
Rochester, NY, Dec. 1999.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California,
Davis, CA, Dec. 1999.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California,
Berkeley, CA, Dec. 1999.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California,
San Diego, La Jolla, CA, Nov. 1999.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Chicago,
Chicago, IL, Nov. 1999.
Group Seminar (Prof. Richard H. Holm), Harvard
University, Cambridge, MA, Oct. 1999.
Inorganic
Chemistry Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, MA, Sept. 1999
A
New Generation of High-Valent Nitrido Complexes
- Synthesis, Molecular & Electronic Structure.
Royal
Danish Chemical Society, Inorganic Section, University
of Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 1997
Molecular
and Electronic Structure of High-Valent Nitrido-chromium
and -manganese Complexes.
Inorganic
Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,
Aug. 1997
Scientific Collaboration on Single-Crystal
Absorption Spectroscopy.
Prof. Dr. H.U. Güdel, University of Bern,
Switzerland, Feb. 1997

conferences
& poster contributions
August
2004
228th ACS National Meeting. Symposium: The Use
of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Catalysis (Steve
Nolan). Philadelphia, PA.
Metal
Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene
Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity.
July
2004
XXIst International Conference on Organometallic
Chemistry, Vancouver, Canada.
Nitrogen
Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent
Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality
as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.
July
2004
German-American Symposium, Frontiers of Chemistry,
Kloster Seeon, Munich, Germany.
CO/CO2
Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry
Utilizing High-Valent Uranium(V) Imido Complexes:
The Imdio Functionality as a Nitrogen Source for
the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.
August
2003
5th International Conference on f-Elements (ICFE),
Geneva, Switzerland
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
July
2003
Inorganic Chemistry Gordon Conference, Newport,
Rhode Island
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
July
2003
Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Conference, Newport,
Rhode Island
Tripodal N-Heterocyclic
Carbene Ligands and Their Metal Complexes: Synthesis,
Structure, and Bonding.
Engendering
Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single
Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic,
and Computational Study.
A
New Entry Into N-Heterocyclic Carbene Chemistry:
Synthesis and Characterization of Tris-Carbene
Complexes of Thallium(I).
August
2002
224th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA
A
Traditional Ligand for a Non-Traditional Metal:
Uranium Triazacyclononane Chemistry
July
2002 XXXVth International Conference on Coordination
Chemistry, Heidelberg (Germany)
Exploring New Modes of
Uranium Reactivity: Uranium Triazacyclononane
Chemistry
July
1999
Gordon Research Conference "Inorganic Chemistry",
Newport, RI
Jan.
1999
Gordon Research Conference "Metals in Biology",
Ventura, CA
June 1998 ICCC XXXIII, Florence, Italy
Oct.
1996 EICS VI, Karrebæksminde, Denmark
Sept.
1995
ICBIC VII, Lübeck, Germany
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