Debbie Tahmassebi, Ph.D., joined the faculty in 1999.  She is an organic chemist with interests in the synthesis and structural studies of molecules, primarily studying novel nucleosides and amino-acid derivatives.  She enjoys teaching the excellent undergraduate students at USD and working with them on collaborative research projects in the laboratory.

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Lauren Benz, Ph.D., joined the University of San Diego in 2009 as the recipient of a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professorship. Her teaching interests are in the areas of general, inorganic, and physical chemistry. She strives to motivate students by incorporating fun and interactive demonstrations in class, and by connecting the course material to the real world. Lauren’s research merges the general areas of surface science and materials chemistry, and focuses on the development of an atomic-level understanding of structure-reactivity relationships.

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James Bolender, Ph.D., came to University of San Diego in 1996 after a post-doctoral experience in the department of Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University.  He currently serves as the director of USD’s Honors Program. Bolender has received more than $700,000 in grants to assist in the purchase of equipment and to support undergraduate research. Bolender was awarded the Davies Award for Teaching Excellence in 2007.

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Mary K. Boyd, Ph.D., was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2008. Prior to USD she was professor and chair of Chemistry at Georgia Southern University from 2005-2008 and a faculty member in the department of Chemistry at Loyola University Chicago from 1990-2005.  Boyd was a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Ethics and Social Justice at Loyola in 2004. She received the Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola.

Boyd is a chemistry councilor for the Council of Undergraduate Research, and serves on the American Chemical Society Committee on Minority Affairs and the executive committee of the Division of Organic Chemistry. She has served as secretary and advisory board member of the Inter-American Photochemical Society.

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Christopher J. A. Daley, Ph.D.,  joined the faculty in 2007.  He teaches general and inorganic chemistry undergraduate courses.  His current research focus is in the areas of bioinorganic and inorganic chemistry with an emphasis on enzyme modeling and catalyst design.

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David O. De Haan, Ph.D., came to USD in 2001 from Lyon College. He teaches technology-rich courses in analytical and environmental chemistry.  His undergraduate research group is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the chemical changes occurring in clouds and aerosol.  As part of this project, USD students are identifying and quantifying new, previously unknown sources of urban haze.  He recently worked with USD’s Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) to create a greenhouse gas inventory for San Diego County and to outline ways to meet state targets for greenhouse gas reductions by 2020.

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Robert N. Dutnall, Ph.D., is a biochemist and structural biologist. He teaches lecture and laboratory courses in biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, general chemistry and also genetics. His research focuses on understanding how proteins can manipulate packaging of genetic material in a eukaryotic cell to control gene expression that, in turn, drives cellular functions involved in the development and well being of complex multicellular organisms.

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Tammy J. Dwyer, Ph.D.,  joined the faculty at the University of San Diego in 1994. She served as chair of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 2001-2009. Dwyer is passionate about chemistry and enjoys teaching how theory and experiment blend to enhance our understanding of the physical world and of chemical phenomena. She strives to create a positive and relaxed classroom atmosphere to facilitate learning while setting high standards for her students and providing them with the tools to meet the course goals. She maintains an active research program involving undergraduates focused on using NMR spectroscopy and computational methods to study structure and dynamics in both small and large molecules.

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Peter M. Iovine, Ph.D., became a member of the faculty in 2002,  His teaching interests lie in the areas of organic chemistry, organometallic chemistry and polymer chemistry.   In addition to formal classroom teaching,  Iovine is interested in how community service learning can be implemented into the chemistry curriculum.  Iovine’s research bridges organic and polymer chemistry, placing an emphasis on the organic chemistry of boron and the conversion of biomass into functional materials.

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Jeremy Kua, Ph.D., teaches courses in physical chemistry, general chemistry and computational chemistry. His current research interest is investigating the dynamics of self-assembly in a variety of chemical systems.

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Mitch Malachowski, Ph.D., has been on the faculty since 1984.  He believes strongly in finding ways to enhance student learning and student outcomes and makes this a priority in his teaching, research and service.  He teaches courses in various aspects of organic chemistry and organic chemistry laboratories. His research interests range from the synthesis of novel organic molecules to the history and philosophy of science to the proper role of research at undergraduate institutions.   He has served as the president of the Council on Undergraduate Research and takes on many roles in that organization. Malachowski has received two University Professorships from USD (1996-1997 and 2002-2003) and the Charles B. Willard award for distinguished career achievement from Rhode Island College.

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Kimberly I. Matulef, Ph.D.,  joined the faculty in 2008.  Her expertise is in biochemistry, and her research focuses on understanding how proteins found in cellular membranes regulate the flow of ions into and out of cells. 

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Stephen A. Mills has been a member of the faculty since 2006. He is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where he teaches organic and biochemistry. His research focuses on the role of metals in proteins. Currently, he is focusing on two protein families: the Ferric Uptake Regulator family and the Copper Amine Oxidase family.

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