Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry
Howard University - August 2017
Doctor of Philosophy - Inorganic Chemistry
Purdue University - May 2012
B.S. Neuroscience; B.A - Chemistry
UC Santa Cruz - June 2007
Howard University - August 2017
Doctor of Philosophy - Inorganic Chemistry
Purdue University - May 2012
B.S. Neuroscience; B.A - Chemistry
UC Santa Cruz - June 2007
Experience
Post-Doctoral Scholar with Assistant Professor Ben Stokes
University of California, Merced
May 2015 - June 2017
University of California, Merced
May 2015 - June 2017
Looking to gain practical experience, I joined the newly minted Stokes research group. While here, I worked with young graduate and undergraduate students to develop a novel transfer hydrogenation method that capably uses water as the hydrogen source. This led to a JACS communication where we detailed the effectiveness of our method. I helped lay the groundwork for follow up studies into the mechanism, which we believe to occur, in part, through an unprecedented oxidative addition of palladium to the diboron.
Post-Doctoral Scholar with Distinguished Professor Chris Reed University of California, Riverside
May 2012 - March 2015
May 2012 - March 2015
Desiring to expand my experience with S and P block chemistry, I began research under Dr. Chris Reed focused on carborane anions. Building on previous research with the help of Irina Stoyanova, I synthesized and isolated the strongest Brønsted acid. With this acid, I isolated and characterized the protonated carbon dioxide disolvate.
Becoming interested in chemistry at UCSC, I decided to attend Purdue University for graduate school. Wanting to do research research in inorganic chemistry, I joined the lab of Dr. Tong Ren. Due to the approaching limitations of current printing techniques in CPU manufacturing, I synthesized and characterized various diruthenium compounds. I developed compounds that were capable of being attached to a silicon surface, and found the diruthenium core could hold a charge offering potential for molecular memory devices.
Undergraduate Student with Professor Scott Oliver
University of California, Santa Cruz
September 2005 - June 2007
University of California, Santa Cruz
September 2005 - June 2007
I began working in the Oliver lab under, then graduate student, Claudia Swanson. I initially assisted in synthesizing Bing-5, the first cationic layered material, which was useful for exchange of harmful anions in aqueous filtration. I then began using solid state synthesis to try and isolate new cationic layered materials
About Steven
I was born in California, and grew up in the small town of Wrightwood, California. I became interested in the sciences during high school, which led me to attend UCSC to study neuroscience. While taking classes from various chemistry faculty, such as Drs. Cruz, Masharak, Oliver, and Williamson, I began to develop a passion for chemistry that sent me on a path of investigation and study, culminating in being allowed to pursue my own research agenda here at Howard University.
I am interested in bike-riding, hiking, brewing beer (and thus drinking it), whiskey, politics, Dodgers, Lakers, Colts, and everything Boilermakers.
I am interested in bike-riding, hiking, brewing beer (and thus drinking it), whiskey, politics, Dodgers, Lakers, Colts, and everything Boilermakers.
| cummings_steven_-_cv.pdf |
