Zaphod Beeblebrox is just this guy, you know?

(last updated 9/06)

OK, that's not me. He has two heads. Plus, I did not grow up anywhere near Betelgeuse.

I was born in Los Angeles, California in 1955 and grew up in one of its suburbs, North Hollywood. As a little kid, I was interested in physics, astronomy, ham radio, and computers. Naturally, when I entered Caltech in 1972, I hoped to study either physics or astronomy. My physics instructors persuaded me to pursue another direction, so I turned to chemistry and received my B.S. from Caltech in 1976. Along the way I was able to do some research with a brand new assistant professor Peter Dervan. I then entered graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and obtained my Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry in 1981 under the direction of Charles Casey.

Several brief jobs followed: postdoctoral researcher with the late Earl Muetterties at the University of California-Berkeley; postdoctoral researcher with Dan Meyerstein at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel; a lecturer in chemistry at the University of Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv, Israel, and a visiting scientist at the IBM research laboratory in San Jose, California.

In 1985 I became an assistant professor in chemistry at Pomona College in Claremont, California. This position marked the real beginning of my teaching career. I taught at Pomona for four years before moving to Reed, but the Pomona period proved crucial because while I was there I met Corwin Hansch, Warren Hehre, and Gwen (Raine) Shusterman.

Corwin got me interested in QSAR, especially in its applications to predictive toxicology, and he encouraged me to learn more about computational chemistry (see below). My collaborations with Corwin in the 1990's probably signify my most productive research period (see Publications).

I spent my 1989 sabbatical in the laboratory of Warren Hehre at UC Irvine in order to learn more about computational chemistry. Warren left UCI shortly after that to start Wavefunction, Inc. Warren and I have collaborated on several projects relating to computational chemistry and chemical education. These have included publication of "The Molecular Modeling Workbook for Organic Chemistry", and contributing modeling materials to several popular organic chemistry textbooks (McMurry's "Organic Chemistry 5/e", and Carey's "Organic Chemistry 4/e"). This work gradually absorbed most of the time that had been devoted to research.

It was also during my 1989 sabbatical that I met Gwen Raine, another visitor in Warren's lab. Gwen Raine became Gwen Shusterman in 1990 and a tenured professor in the chemistry department at Portland State University in 1998. We have two daughters, Kristen and Alexis, a dog, an article that we both claim as our own (see Publications), and a kayak that goes in circles when we both try to paddle.

Gwen and I moved to Portland, Oregon in 1989, and I have been teaching organic chemistry at Reed College ever since. I am currently working on the following challenges:

• integrating modern molecular models with traditional organic chemistry instruction (I have been editing the Molecular Modeling Exercises & Experiments feature for the Journal of Chemical Education since 2005).
• developing undergraduate courses in computational chemistry and green (sustainable) chemistry
• developing web-based Keller Plan-type testing methods to encourage student learning
• developing green oxidation catalysts with Professor Terrence Collins, Carnegie Mellon University

When I can find the time, I practice Tai Chi, play petanque and bocce, bike, Morris dance, garden, read, and watch soccer. Tea, beer, and wine are good bribes. So is chocolate. If you don't have either, not to worry. I also appreciate being reminded to take a deep slow breath.

Education

• B.S. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 1976.
• Ph.D. in Chemistry University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 1981.

Professional Experience

• 1998-present Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Reed College, Portland, OR
• 1989-1998 Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Reed College, Portland, OR
• 1989 Visiting Assistant Scientist, Dept. of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA
• 1985-1989 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Pomona College, Claremont, CA
• 1984-1985 Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA
• 1983-1985 Lecturer, College of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
• 1982-1983 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
• 1981-1982 Miller Research Fellow, Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Awards

• 1985 Distinguished New Faculty in Chemistry, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., Pomona College
• 1983 Alon Fellow, Planning and Grants Committee, Council for Higher Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1982 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
• 1981 Miller Research Fellow, Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California-Berkeley
• 1979 AMOCO Graduate Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 1976 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison

External Grants

• 1996-1997 "Using Virtual Laboratories to Enhance Undergraduate Science Instruction", Keck Foundation, $200,000
• 1993-1995 "Using Models to Develop 'Chemical Intuition'", Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program, National Science Foundation. $44,999
• 1990 "Development of a Predictive Toxicology for Gene Toxic Chemicals", R. J. Reynolds Co. $25,000
• 1990-1992 "Predicting the Mutagenic Activity of Triazenes in S. Typhimurium", Partners in Science Program, M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust Grant of Research Corporation, $13,000
• 1990-1992 "A Graphics Workstation in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum", Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program, National Science Foundation. $16,149
• 1986-1988 "The Synthesis and Chemistry of Transition Metal Silaacyl and Silyl Complexes", Petroleum Research Fund, Type G Grant, American Chemical Society. $18,000
• 1985-1990 Grant to Distinguished New Faculty, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. $25,000

Publish! Publish! Publish!

Publications are listed in chronological order. Underlined names are undergraduate co-authors.

1. W. Xu, A.J. Shusterman, R. Marzke, C.A. Angell, "LiMOB, an Unsymmetrical Nonaromatic Orthoborate Salt for Nonaqueous Solution Electrochemical Applications", Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2004, 151, A632-A638.
2. R.P. Verma, S. Kapur, O. Barberena, A. Shusterman, C.H. Hansch, C.D. Selassie, "Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, and QSAR Analysis of X-Thiophenols in Rapidly Dividing Cells", Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2003, 16, 276-284.
3. W. Xu, A.J. Shusterman, M. Videa, V. Velikov, R. Marzke, C.A. Angell, "Structures of Orthoborate Anions and Physical Properties of Their Lithium Salt Nonaqueous Solutions", Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2003, 150, E74-E80.
4. C.D. Selassie, R.P. Verma, S. Kapur, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "QSAR for the Cytotoxicity of 2-Alkyl or 2,6-Dialkyl, 4-X-Phenols: the Nature of the Radical Reaction", Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 2, 2002, 1112-1117.
5. A.J. Shusterman, L.M. Hoistad, "Teaching Chemistry with Electron Density Models. 2. Can Atomic Charges Adequately Explain Electrostatic Potential Maps?" The Chemical Educator, 2001, 6, 36-40.
6. S. Kapur, A. Shusterman, R.P. Verma, C. Hansch, C.D. Selassie, "Toxicology of benzyl alcohols: a QSAR analysis", Chemosphere, 2000, 41, 1643-1649.
7. A. Shusterman, W. Hehre, "Learning Chemistry with Molecular Models: Using SpartanBuild and SpartanView". In F. Carey, "Organic Chemistry 4/e", McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA, 2000.
8. A. Shusterman, W. Hehre, Answers to "Molecular Modeling" exercises, In S. McMurry, "Study Guide and Solutions Manual for McMurry's Organic Chemistry", Brooks-Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.
9. A. Shusterman, W. Hehre, "Wavefunction's SpartanView and SpartanBuild" CD-ROM, in J. McMurry, "Organic Chemistry 5/e", Brooks-Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.
10. A. Shusterman, W. Hehre, "Molecular Modeling" exercises, In J. McMurry, "Organic Chemistry 5/e", Brooks-Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.
11. A. Shusterman, W. Hehre, "How to Use SpartanView and Interpret Molecular Modeling Data", In J. McMurry, "Organic Chemistry 5/e", Brooks-Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000.
12. C.D. Selassie, A.J. Shusterman, S. Kapur, R.P. Verma, L. Zhang, C. Hansch, "On the Toxicity of Phenols to Fast Growing Cells. A QSAR Model for a Radical-based Toxicity", Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 2, 1999, 2729-2733.
13. J.E. Bender IV, A.J. Shusterman, M.M. Banaszak Holl, J.W. Kampf, "X-ray Crystallographic and Theoretical Comparison of Ge[2,4,6-(CF₃)₃C₆H₂]₂ and Ge[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ as Ligands in (Ph₃P)₂NiGeX₂ Complexes", Organometallics, 1999, 18, 1547-1552.
14. W.J. Hehre, A.J. Shusterman, J.E. Nelson "The Molecular Modeling Workbook for Organic Chemistry", Wavefunction Press, Irvine, CA. 1998.
15. A.J. Shusterman, P.G. McDougal, A. Glasfeld "Dry-Column Flash Chromatography" Journal of Chemical Education, 1997, 74, 1222-1223.
16. G.P. Shusterman, A.J. Shusterman "Teaching Chemistry with Electron Density Models" Journal of Chemical Education, 1997, 74, 771-776.
17. W.J. Hehre, A.J. Shusterman, W. Huang "A Laboratory Book of Computational Organic Chemistry", Wavefunction Press, Irvine, CA. 1996.
18. A.K. Debnath, A.J. Shusterman, R.L. Lopez do Compadre, C. Hansch, "The Importance of the Hydrophobic Interaction in the Mutagenicity of Organic Compounds", Mutation Research, 1994, 305, 63-72.
19. W.J. Hehre, L.D. Burke, A.J. Shusterman, W.J. Pietro, "Experiments in Computational Organic Chemistry" Wavefunction Press, Irvine, CA. 1993.
20. W.J. Hehre, L.D. Burke, A.J. Shusterman, "A Spartan Tutorial" Wavefunction Press, Irvine, CA. 1993.
21. A.J. Shusterman "Using Spartan on the IBM RISC 6000 Workstation." Council on Undergraduate Research Newsletter, 1992, 13, 60-70.
22. A.K. Debnath, R.L. Lopez de Compadre, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Investigation of the Role of Hydrophobicity in Regulating Mutagenicity in the Ames Test: 2. Mutagenicity of Aromatic and Heteroaromatic Nitro Compounds in Salmonella typhimurium TA100." Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 1992, 19, 53-70.
23. A.K. Debnath, G. Debnath, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "A QSAR Investigation of the Role of Hydrophobicity in Regulating Mutagenicity in the Ames Test: 1. Mutagenicity of Aromatic and Heteroaromatic Amines in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100." Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 1992, 19, 37-52.
24. A.J. Shusterman, "Predicting Chemical Mutagenicity By Using Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR)." Food Safety Assessment, ACS Symposium Series 484, J.W. Finley, S.F. Robinson, D.J. Armstrong (Eds.), American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1992, p. 181-190.
25. L. Zhang, K. Sannes, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "The Structure-Activity Relationship of Skin Carcinogenicity of Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heterocycles." Chemical-Biological Interactions, 1992, 81, 149-180.
26. A.J. Shusterman, "Predicting Mutagenicity." CHEMTECH, 1991, 21, 624-627.
27. A.K. Debnath, R.L. Lopez de Compadre, G. Debnath, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "The Structure-Activity Relationship of Mutagenic Aromatic Nitro Compounds. Correlation with Molecular Orbital Energies and Hydrophobicity." Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1991, 34, 786-797.
28. A.J. Shusterman, A.S. Johnson, "The Role of Hydrophobicity and Electronic Factors in Regulating Alcohol Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 Mediated Aniline Hydroxylation." Chemical-Biological Interactions, 1990, 74, 63-77.
29. R.L. Lopez de Compadre, A.K. Debnath, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "LUMO Energies and Hydrophobicity as Determinants of Mutagenicity by Nitroaromatic Compounds in Salmonella typhimurium." Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 1990, 15, 44-55.
30. A.J. Shusterman, A.K. Debnath, C. Hansch, G.W. Horn, F.R. Fronczek, A.C. Greene, S.F. Watkins, "Mutagenicity of Dimethyl Heteroaromatic Triazenes in the Ames Test. The Role of Hydrophobicity and Electronic Effects." Molecular Pharmacology, 1989, 36, 939-944.
31. A.J. Shusterman, B.E. Landrum, R.L. Miller, "Kinetic and Labeling Studies of the Formation and Trapping Reactions of Dimethylgermylene" Organometallics, 1989, 8, 1851-1855.
32. A.J. Shusterman, A.S. Johnson, C. Hansch, "Correlation of Mutagenicity of 1,1-Dimethyl-3-(X-Phenyl)triazenes with Molecular Orbital Energies and Hydrophobicity" International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 1989, 36, 19-33.
33. R.L. Lopez de Compadre, A.J. Shusterman, C. Hansch, "The Role of Hydrophobicity in the Ames Test. The Correlation of the Mutagenicity of Nitropolycyclic Hydrocarbons with Partition Coefficients and Molecular Orbital Indices" International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 1988, 34, 91-101.
34. A.J. Shusterman, I. Tamir, A. Pross, "The Mechanism of Organometallic Migration Reactions. A Configuration Mixing (CM) Approach" Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 1988, 340, 203-222.
35. E.M. Kosower, R. Giniger, A. Radkowsky, D. Hebel, A. Shusterman, "Bimanes. 22. Flexible Fluorescent Molecules. Solvent Effects on the Photophysical Properties of syn-Bimanes (1,5-Diazabicyclo[3.3.0]octa-3,6-diene-2,8-diones)." Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1986, 90, 5552-5557.
36. H. Cohen, D. Meyerstein, A.J. Shusterman, M. Weiss, "A Novel Formyl Complex [(H₂O)₅CrCHO]⁺. A Pulse Radiolysis Study." Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 1985, 424-425.
37. C.P. Casey, A.J. Shusterman, "Generation and Spectroscopic Observation of a Tungsten-Carbene-Alkene Intermediate in Cyclopropane Formation" Organometallics, 1985, 4, 736-744.
38. H. Cohen, M. Nutkovich, D. Meyerstein, A.J. Shusterman, "Ligand-Metal Inter-relationships. 2. Effect of the Change from Square Planar to Octahedral Coordination on the pKa of the Ligand in Unsaturated Tetraaza Macrocyclic Nickel Complexes: A Pulse Radiolytic Study" Inorganic Chemistry, 1984, 23, 2361-2363.
39. H. Cohen, D. Meyerstein, A.J. Shusterman, M. Weiss, "Mechanistic Study of the b-Hydroxyl Elimination from [(H₂O)₅CrCH₂C(CH₃)₂OH]⁺ in Aqueous Solution" Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1984, 106, 1876-1877.
40. R.R. Burch, A.J. Shusterman, E.L. Muetterties, R.G. Teller, J.M. Williams, "Coordinately Unsaturated Clusters. A Novel Catalytic Reaction" Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1983, 105, 3546-3556.
41. C.P. Casey, A.J. Shusterman, N.W. Vollendorf, K.J. Haller, "Synthesis and X-Ray Structure of cis-Tetracarbonyl[(Z)-h⁴-(Allylamino)(p-tolyl)carbene]tungsten(0); A Stable Metal-Carbene-Alkene Complex" Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1982, 104, 2417-2423.
42. C.P. Casey, A.J. Shusterman, "Tungsten-Carbene-Alkene Complexes" Journal of Molecular Catalysis, 1980, 8, 1-13.
43. C.P. Casey, D.M. Scheck, A.J. Shusterman, "Mechanism of Rearrangement of Platinacyclobutanes" Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1979, 101, 4233-4236.
44. C.P. Casey, S.W. Polichnowski, A.J. Shusterman, C.R. Jones, "Reactions of (CO)₅WCHC₆H₅ with Alkenes" Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1979, 101, 7282-7292.
45. C.P. Casey, D.M. Scheck, A.J. Shusterman, "Mechanistic Studies Related to the Olefin Metathesis Reaction" Fundamental Research in Homogeneous Catalysis Volume 3, M. Tsutsui ed., Plenum, New York, 1979, pp 141-150.

Research Assistants 1986 - present

Postdoctoral Assistant

1. Bruce E. Landrum, Ph.D., University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, 1987 (Dreyfus)

Visiting High School Teacher

1. Linda Wolfe, Glencoe High School, 1990-1992 (Partners in Science)

Undergraduate Assistants

1. Todd A. Olsen, B.A.in Chemistry, Pomona College, 1987
2. Rebecca L. Miller, B.A. in Chemistry, Pomona College, 1988
   • Los Alamos National Laboratory (as of 10/05)
3. W. Chase Boyd, B.A. in Chemistry, Pomona College, 1988
4. A. Sherwood Johnson, B.A. in Chemistry, Pomona College, 1989
5. Kristin Sannes, B.A. in Chemistry, Pomona College, 1989
6. Aleta B. Finnila, B.A. in Geology, Pomona College.1990
7. Peter Macaj II, B.A. in Art, Pomona College.1990
8. Rochelle Webster, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1990
9. Terra Goodnight, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1991
10. Melissa Haendel, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1991
11. Katherine Aubrecht, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1992
    • Assistant Professor, College of the Holy Cross (as of 10/05)
12. Kristopher P. McNeill, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1992
    • Assistant Professor, U. Minnesota (as of 10/05)
13. Inga F. Sidor, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1992
14. Michael P. Clark, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1993
15. Janet L. Gunzner, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1993
    • Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry, Genentech (as of 10/05)
16. Peter Martensen, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1993
    • Scynexis (as of 6/04)
17. Laura Case, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1994
18. Jeffrey Goby, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1994
19. Heather Helming, B.A. in Biochemistry, Reed College, 1995
20. Carolyn Nakamura, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1995
    • Graduate student, Columbia (as of 10/05)
21. Yi-Kang Hu, B.A. in Biochemistry, Reed College, 1995
22. Kim Wong, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1996
23. Jeremy Kua, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1996
    • Assistant Professor, U San Diego (as of 3/05)
24. Brad Johnson, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1997
25. Brian Kirschenmann, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1997
26. Jordan Katz, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 1999
    • Graduate student, Caltech (as of 10/05)
27. Takashi Nakai, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2000
    • 2003 photo (w/ Laura Kahn, Josh Vaughan, Brian Austin)
28. Joshua Vaughan, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2000
    • Graduate student, MIT (as of 10/05) | 2003 photo
29. Katherine Brown, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2000
30. Rebecca LaLonde, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2001
    • Medicinal Chemistry, Genentech (as of 2/04)
31. Nicole Johnson, Colorado College, 2001
32. Hattie Brown, B.A. in Biochemistry, Reed College, 2002 (NSF-AIRE)
33. Michael Campbell, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2002
    • Computational Chemistry, Schrodinger (as of 2/04)
34. Peter Jordan, B.A. in Biochemistry, Reed College, 2003
35. Allison Stelling, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2004
36. Jonathan Rupp, B.A. in Biochemistry, Reed College, 2004
37. Kathryn Bray, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2005
38. Amanda Cort, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2005
39. Chris Feige, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2005
40. Katharine Richards, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2005 (SF 2004)
41. Kellie Linn, Reed College, B.A. in Chemistry, 2006 (NAS 2004)
42. Jessica Hacker, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2006
43. Julia Robinson, B.A. in Chemistry, Reed College, 2006 (NAS 2005)
44. Michael Williams, Reed College, 2007?
45. Derek Oldridge, Reed College, 2007? (SF 2005)
46. Renee Garfin, Reed College, 2006?
47. Emily Justusson, Reed College, 2008? (NAS 2006)
48. Bryce Cragg, Reed College, 2008? (SF 2006)
49. Hassan Ghani, Reed College, 2008? (SF 2006)