Joseph MacNeil, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry

College of Arts & Sciences

412-365-1216

macneil@chatham.edu

Buhl - 234B

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Joined Chatham: 1997

ACADEMIC AREAS OF INTEREST

Chemical pedagogy, semiconductors, solvothermal synthesis, X-ray crystallography, solid-state computational chemistry

BIOGRAPHY

I completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry at St. Francis Xavier University in 1988 before moving on to a Ph.D. (organometallic chemistry) at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In 1993 I moved to San Diego to begin a post-doctoral research program studying environmental and mechanistic aspects of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

I have been at Chatham since 1997, and am now an associate professor in our chemistry program, Director of our Masters in Biology programs, and Director of the Chatham Scholars. I teach both semesters of general chemistry, as well as upper-level courses in inorganic and instrumental analysis. I also teach the scholars section of our general education science each year.

My research encompasses three distinct foci: chemical pedagogy, the synthesis of novel semiconductors, and the solid-state computational study of semiconductor materials.

EDUCATION

B. Sc. St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, NS) 1988
Ph.D. Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) 1993
Post-Doctoral Study, UC San Diego, 1994-1997

AWARDS

Buhl Professorship (2015)
Chatham University Undergraduate Advisor of the Year (2015)
Irene Heinz Given Associate Professor of Chemistry (2004-2007)
Pittsburgh Regional Undergraduate Leadership Excellence Award (2011)

ORGANIZATIONS

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Fast Lithium Ion Conductivity in Li2SnS3: Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization and Electronic Structure, Chemistry of Materials (2015)
Synthesis, structure, physiochemical characterization and electronic structure of the thio-lithium super ionic conductors Li4GeS4 and Li4SnS4, Journal of Alloys and Compounds (2014)
Journal of Alloys and Compounds (2013) Brunetta, C.D.; Brant, J.A.; Rosmus, K.A.; Henline, K.M.; Karey, E.; MacNeil, J.H. ; Aitken, J.A.
J. Chem. Educ. (2012) "Mushroom Magic: Analysis of Metals in a Familiar Food" MacNeil, J., Gess, S, Gray, M, McGuirk, M and McMullen, S.
J. Acta Cryst. (2011) "Bis[2,2'-(2-aminoethylimido)di(ethylammonium)] hexasulfidodistannate(IV)" Karey, E. , Rosmus, K.A., Aitken, J.A., MacNeil, J.
Chemosphere (2011) "The impact of EDTA on the rate of accumulation and root / shoot partitioning of cadmium in mature dwarf sunflowers Meighan, M., Fenus, T., Karey, E., MacNeil, J.
J. Chem. Educ.(2010) "When Learning the Hard Way Makes Learning Easy: Building Better Lab Note-taking Skills" MacNeil, J. & Falconer, R.
J. Chem. Educ. (2008) "Determining the Solubility Product of Fe(OH)3 : An Equilibrium Study with Environmental Significance" Meighan, M. , Falconer, R. & MacNeil, J.
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Chemical Society
Molecular characterization of a homolog of the ferric-uptake regulator, Fur, from the marine bacterium Marinobacter algicola DG893. (2015) Biometals 28(1):197-206. Barker RA, Tisnado J, Lambert LA, Gärdes A, Carrano MW, Carrano PN, Gillian C, Carrano CJ.
Bordetella pertussis FbpA binds both unchelated iron and iron-siderophore complexes (2014) Biochemistry 53 (24): 3952–3960. Banerjee, S; Weerasinghe, AJ; Parker-Siburt, CJ; Kreulen, RT; Armstrong, SK; Brickman, TJ; Lambert, LA; Crumbliss, AL
Borate as a synergistic anion for Marinobacter algicola ferric binding protein, FbpA: A role for boron in iron transport in marine life (2013) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135 (39):14504–14507. Weerasighe, AJ; Amin, SA; Barker, R; Othman, T; Romano, AN; Siburt, CJP; Tisnado, J; Lambert, LA; Huxford, T; Carrano, CJ; Crumbliss, AL
Molecular evolution of the transferrin family and associated receptors. Biochim. BioPhys. Acta. (2012) 1820:244-255. Lambert, LA.
Evidence of Fe3+ interaction with the plug domain of the outer membrane transferrin receptor protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Implications for Fe transport. (2012) Metallomics 4:361-372 Banerjee, S; Siburt, CJP; Mistry, S; Noto, JM; DeArmond, P; Fitzgerald, MC; Lambert, LA; Cornelissen, CN; Crumbliss, AL
Molecular evolution and selection pressure in alpha-class carbonic anhydrase family members. Biochim. BioPhys. Acta. (2011) 1814(12):1854–1861. McDevitt ME; Lambert LA.
The structure and evolution of the murine inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase: A member of the transferrin superfamily. (2010) Protein Science: 19(9): 1616-1626. Eckenroth BE, Mason AB, McDevitt ME, Lambert LA, Everse SJ.
Molecular evolution and characterization of hepcidin gene products in vertebrates. (2008) Gene: 415(1-2): 40-48. Hilton KM; Lambert LA
A novel murine protein with no effect on iron homeostasis is homologous to transferrin and is the putative inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (2007) Biochemical Journal 406(1): 85-95. Wang F, Lothrop AP, James NG, Griffiths TA, Lambert LA, et al.
Molecular evolution of hemojuvelin and the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family. (2007) Journal of Molecular Evolution Jul;65(1):68-81. Camus, LM; Lambert, LA.
Molecular evolution of the transferrin receptor/glutamate carboxypeptidase II family. (2007) Journal of Molecular Evolution 64(1):113-28. Lambert, LA; Mitchell, SL.
Evolution of the transferrin family: Conservation of residues associated with iron and anion binding. (2005) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B 142(2):129-41. Lambert, L; Perri, H; Halbrooks, PJ; Mason, AB.
Evolution of duplications in the transferrin family of proteins. (2005) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B.140(1):11-25. Lambert, LA; Perri, H; Meehan, T.
Disease Detective: A game simulation of a food poisoning investigation. (1989) American Biology Teacher 51(7): 429-432. (EDPRESS Award winner) Lambert, LA.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Joseph MacNeil, Maike Blakely, Rebecca Thoma and Heather Hunter "Solvothermal snytheses of first-row transition metal complexes using the template-directing ligand tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren)" 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference, (Quebec City, Canada) May 26-30, 2013.
Joseph MacNeil "Determining levels of multiple heavy metals in mushrooms" 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference, (Quebec City, Canada) May 26-30, 2013.
Joseph MacNeil, Heather Hunter**, Emma Karey**, Rebecca Thoma**, Kimberly Rosmus, Jennifer A Aitken Solvothermal synthesis of thiostannate complexes using the template directing ligand tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) 244th ACS National Meeting (Philadelphia, PA) August 2012.
Jacilynn A. Brant, Balamurugan Karuppannan, Jinlei Yao, Carl D. Brunetta, Beth M. Leverett, Joseph MacNeil, Jennifer A. Aitken Advancements in crystal growth and characterization of novel I2 II IV VI4 diamond-like semiconductors . 244th American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (Philadelphia, PA) August 2012.
J. MacNeil Determining levels of multiple metals in wild and cultivated mushrooms 243rd American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (San Diego, CA) March 2012.
4. Solvothermal Synthesis and physical characterization of the series [M(tren)]2Sn2S6 R. Thoma**, H. Hunter**, J. Aitken, J. MacNeil, 243rd American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (San Diego, CA) March 2012.Solvothermal Synthesis and physical characterization of the series [M(tren)]2Sn2S6 243rd American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (San Diego, CA) March 2012.
D. Massi**, K. Rosmus, T. Gentile**, C. Burnetta, J. MacNeil, J. Aitken, Crystal structure, optical band gap and thermal analysis of thio-lithium super ionic conductors, 243rd American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (San Diego, CA) March 2012.
J. MacNeil, J. Aitken, E. Karey**, H. Hunter**, D. Massi**, K. Daley**, T. Gentile** Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Chalcogenide Materials 241st American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (Anaheim, CA) March 2011.
K. Daley**, J. MacNeil, J. Aitken Synthesis, Structure and Physiochemical characterization of Quaternary Diamond-like Semiconductors 241st American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (Anaheim, CA) March 2011.
D. Massi**, K. Rosmus, T. Gentile**, J. MacNeil, J. Aitken Synthesis, Structure, and Ion Conductivity of Li4GeS4, Li4SnS4, and Li2SnS3, 241st American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (Anaheim, CA) March 2011.
Hunter**, E. Karey**, J. Aitken, J. MacNeil. Solvothermal Synthesis of novel materials based on the Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) Ligand H. 241st American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (Anaheim, CA) March 2011.
J. MacNeil & R. Falconer "When Learning the Hard Way Makes Learning Easy: Building Better Lab Note-taking Skills" 239th American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting (San Francisco, CA) March 2010
Emma Karey**, Joseph MacNeil, Beth Leverett, Jonathan Lekse, Jennifer Aitken "Synthesis and Characterization of Lithium-containing Quaternary Diamond-like Semiconductors" . 239th American Chemical Society Annual National Meeting, (San Francisco, CA) March 2010
E. Karey, J. MacNeil, M. Meighan and L. Zigmond "Hydroponic and Soil-Based Models to Evaluate the Impact of Plant Maturity on the Phytoremediation of Cadmium by Dwarf Sunflowers" 30th SETAC North American Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA) Nov 2009