POWRE: Structure and Dynamics of Entrance Channel Complexes - an Opportunity to Initiate a Career Advancing Collaboration

Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA

Investigators

Abstract

This POWRE award by the Chemistry Division will extend a sabbatical leave for Dr. Helen Leung from her duties at Mount Holyoke College to spend a year in the Laboratory of Dr. Marsha Lester at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Leung will extend her work on weakly bound unreactive complexes to reactive complexes by learning to analyze the reaction dynamics of the latter class of materials, a field in which Dr. Lester is a leading researcher. She and Dr. Lester will establish a continuing collaboration in which Dr. Leung will apply the high sensitivity and high resolution of her Fourier Transform microwave spectrometers to the determination of geometry and energetics of reactive complexes thereby complementing Dr. Lester's laser studies. Dr. Lester will assist in the development and testing of a new source of the complexes which Dr. Leung will assemble and test in Dr. Lester's lab and take back to Mount Holyoke. Additional funds are awarded for development of this source as it is essential to sustaining the collaboration and developing a research program in reactive complexes at Mount Holyoke. Dr. Leung will also use her time at Penn to discuss ways of increasing the involvement of Mount Holyoke undergraduates in research and of presenting the results of her research to undergraduates through the regular curriculum.