Lawrence Kraig  Steffen

 

Department of Chemistry                                          Office: (203) 254-4000  ext. 2254

Fairfield University                                                    Home: (203) 882-9605

Fairfield CT  06430                                                    Fax:    (203) 254-4034

email:  lsteffen@mail.fairfield.edu     

 

Education

 

Ph.D.   Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.                       1989

            Thesis: Stabilization of Electron Deficient Sulfur by Neighboring

            Sulfur and Oxygen Substituents.  Advisor:  Richard S. Glass

 

B. S.    Chemistry, Houghton College, Houghton, New York                        1983

 

Experience

 

Associate Professor of Chemistry, Fairfield University                                1998-Present

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Fairfield University                                1993-1998

Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellow, Trinity University Advisor: B. F. Plummer  1991-1993      

Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University Advisor: J. J. Gajewski                 1990-1991

Research Assistant, University of Arizona                                                    1987-1989

Guest Scientist, Hahn-Meitner Institute, Berlin FRG                                   1987

Teaching Assistant, University of Arizona                                                    1984-1987

Chemist I, National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research,                1983-1984

            Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Summer Student Chemist, Wilson Greatbatch Inc., Buffalo, New York                    1982

Summer Student Chemist, Phillips Petroleum Co.,  Bartlesville Oklahoma               1981

 

Honors, Awards, and Grants

 

SENCER SSI grant     (Core Science at Fairfield)                                           2003

NSF/CCLI  A&I         (High Field NMR)                                                      1999   

PRF/ACS Supplemental Faculty Grant (w. V. Rotello, UMass Amh.)            1996

Pfizer Summer Fellowship with Michael Gill                                                  1995

Pfizer Summer Fellowship with Maria Paolillo                                               1994

Camille and Henry Dreyfus Supplemental Grant                                            1993-1994

Camille and Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellow                                            1991-1992

Invited Participant, NATO-ASI: Reactive Sulfur Intermediates in                   1989

            Biology and Chemistry,  Maratea, Italy          

Outstanding Presentation, 65^th Annual Meeting, SWARM-AAAS                  1989

            Las Cruces New Mexico

Department of Chemistry Graduate Fellowship                                              1985, 1987

Outstanding Teaching Award, University of Arizona                                      1984

 

 

 

Professional Memberships

 

American Chemical Society, Western Connecticut Section, ACS (current Chair and Treasurer)

Division of Organic Chemistry, ACS

Sigma Xi, Fairfield University Chapter

 

           

Research Publications

 

Hill MS, C Stabile*, AL Hill, LK Steffen “Endocrine disrupters cause phenotypically identical developmental abnormalities in freshwater sponges.” Environmental Pollution 117: 295-300. (2002)

 

Angelika Niemz, Alejandro Cuello, L. Kraig Steffen, Benjamin F. Plummer, Vincent M. Rotello “Electron Confinement in Structurally Constrained s-bonded p Systems.  An Experimental and Density Functional Investigation” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 4798 – 4802. (2000)

 

L. Kraig Steffen, Ching Kong, Mike Papagikos"An AM1 Semi-empirical Study of Longitudinal Twisting in PAH and CPAH",Theochem, 419, 205-211. (1997)

 

L. Kraig Steffen, Benjamin F. Plummer , Tala L. Braley, W. Greg Reese, Kathryn Zych, Gregory Van Dyke, Michael Gill.  "Electron Transfer Properties of Non-Alternant, Substituted Compounds Related to Fluoranthene.  Experimental Determination and Theoretical Modeling of Electrochemical Oxidation and Reduction Potentials in Non-aqueous Solution." J. Phys. Org. Chem., 10, 623-630. (1997)

 

Plummer, B. F.; Currey, J. A.; Russell, S. J.; Steffen, L. K.; Watson, H. W.; Bourne, S. A., "The Synthesis and X-Ray Crystallographic Analysis of a Stable Norbornadienone: 17-Oxo-7,16-methano-7,16-diphenylcyclopenta[d,e]tribenzo[a,h,j]anthracene" Struct. Chem, 6, 167-173.  (1995)

 

Plummer, B.F.; Steffen, L.K., Braley, T. L.; Reese, W.G.,; Zych K.; VanDyke, G.; Tulley,B., “A Study of Geometry Effects on Heavy Atom Perturbation of the Electronic Properties of Derivatives of the Non-Alternant Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Fluoranthene and Acenaphth[1,2-k]fluoranthene” J. Am. Chem. Soc, 115, 11542-11551. (1993)

 

Plummer, Benjamin F.;  Steffen, L. Kraig; Herndon, William C.  “Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with five-membered rings: modeling of experimental x-ray and neutron-diffraction structures” Structural Chemistry, 4(4), 279-85.  (1993)

 

 

Glass, Richard S.;  Steffen, L. Kraig; Swanson, Dale D.; Wilson, George S.; de Gelder, Rene; de Graaff, Rudolf A. G.; Reedijk, Jan “Bis(trithiacyclononane)metal(II) compounds and Jahn-Teller distortions from octahedral geometry, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and crystal structures of the copper bis(tetrafluoroborate) bis(acetonitrile) complex at 177 K and the cadmium bis(tetrafluoroborate) and copper bis(tetrafluoroborate) bis(nitromethane) complexes at 300 K” Inorganica Chimica Acta, 207(2), 241-52.  (1993)

 

 

Steffen, L. Kraig ; Glass, Richard S.; Sabahi, Mahmood; Wilson, George S.; Schoeneich, Christian; Mahling, Sabine; Asmus, Klaus Dieter “Hydroxyl radical induced decarboxylation of amino acids.  Decarboxylation vs bond formation in radical intermediates”  J. Am. Chem. Soc., 113(6), 2141-5.  (1991)

 

Aced, Ahmed; Anklam, Elke; Asmus, Klaus Dieter; Pohl, Klaus; Glass, Richard S.;   ***Steffen, L. Kraig***  ; Wilson, George S. “Anodic oxidation of 1,n-halo(alkylthio)alkanes and 1,n-chloro(alkylsulfinyl)alkanes” Phosphorus, Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements, 48(1-4),  53-62.  (1990)

 

 

Glass, Richard S.; Hojjatie, Massoud; Sabahi, Mahmood; Steffen, L. Kraig; Wilson, George S. “Synthesis and crystal and molecular structure of the conformationally restricted methionine analog (+-)-2-exo-amino-6-endo-(methylthio)bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-endo-carboxylic acid and neighboring group participation in its anodic oxidation” J. Org. Chem. , 55(12), 3797-804. (1990)

 

 

Glass, Richard S.; Andruski, Stephen W.; Broeker, Jeffrey L.; Firouzabadi, Habib; Steffen, L. Kraig; Wilson, George S. “Sulfur-sulfur lone pair and sulfur-naphthalene interactions in naphtho[1,8-b,c]-1,5-dithiocin” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 111(11), 4036-45.  (1989)

 

 

 

Chemical Education Publications

 

Janet E. Nelson, Stewart A. Williamson, L. Kraig Steffen, "Using Molecular Modeling to Enhance Visualization in the Organic Chemistry Classroom" Chemical Educator, 1, 6,  S 1430-4171 (97)06074-3.  Available at URL:  htt p://journa ls.springer-ny.com /chedr, (1996)

 

Steffen, L. K.; Gill, M.; Gundersen, J, "Creating Simple, Low Cost, Animations for Organic Chemistry Instruction"  Chemical Educator,  1, 5 S 1430-4171 (96) 05058-3. Available at URL:http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr (1996)

 

Steffen, L. Kraig; Yarrington, Jo; Berton, Marissa; Sinatra, Mike “Depicting chemistry in a big way: A joint chemistry club, art club mural project”

Chemical Educator [Electronic Publication] (1996), 1(4)

 

Steffen, L. Kraig, “Teaching Chemistry with ChemOffice,” Cambridge Soft Catalyst, 3, 10-11.  (1995)

 

Steffen, L. K.; Holt, P.L., “Computer Modeling of Chemical Kinetics in the Undergraduate Curriculum”, J. Chem. Ed.  1993, 70, 991-993.

 

Other Publications

 

Steffen, L. K.; Rakowitz, S; Snyder T. L.;  “SENCER and the Science Core at Fairfield University”, SENCER E-Newsletter, 4(5),  5-6   (2005)

 

 

Presentations

 

L. K. Steffen  “Delivering Carbon – Teaching Organic as a mix of Old and New”  NERM 2005, 33^rd Northeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, July 14-15 2005, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT

 

Steffen, L. Kraig   “Chemistry, Energy and the Environment – Honors Core” NERM 2005, 33^rd Northeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, July 14-15 2005, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT

 

Steffen, L. K.; Rakowitz, S.; Snyder, T. L. “The Fairfield University SENCER Experience: Bringing Science to All at Fairfield University” Paper presented to the SENCER Summer Institute: Santa Clara University, Santa Clara California, on August 10, 2004

 

Lawrence K. Steffen, Science as a Way of Knowing: Bringing Science to All at Fairfield University, Paper presented at the SENCER Regional Symposium, Wagner College, Staten Island NY, NY on June 3, 2004

 

Steffen, L. K. J. Michael Mcbride, M. Kunitake, J. Swift, “Direct Observation by AFM of Asymmetric Dissolution From the 001 Crystal Face of Benzoin”  New England Regional ACS Meeting, June 2000, Storrs CT.

 

Steffen, L. K., “Integrating  Molecular Modeling into the Undergraduate Curriculum – Getting past the Pretty Picture” New England Regional ACS Meeting, June 2000, Storrs CT.   (Organized and Presided over a Symposium at this meeting on Molecular Modeling in the Classroom)

 

Steffen, L. K.,  K. J. Yarrington  "The Future of the Image" Society for  Literature and Science National Meeting, November 1998, Gainsville Fl. 

 

Steffen, L. K. “Comparison of the COSMO, Dipole,  PCM and SCI-PCM Solvation Models of Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Cation Radicals.”  L. Kraig Steffen, N. Schindler, FairfieldUniversity,  Fairfield Connecticut 06430.  214th National Meeting, American Chemical Society, September 1997, Las Vegas NV.

 

Steffen, L. K. “Electronic Communication in Substituted Cyclopentane Fused Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.  Generation and In-Situ ESR Investigation of CPAH Anion  Radicals”  191st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Special Symposium in Honor of Petr Zuman.  Montreal Canada, May 1997.

 

Steffen, L. K.  "Electron Transfer Properties of Substituted PAH, an Electrochemical, Fluorescence and EPR Investigation"  Connecticut College, New London Connecticut.  October 29th, 1996.

 

Steffen, L. K. "Of Course They are Flat:  Studying the Electronic Properties of PAH in the Laboratory" Western Connecticut State University, Danbury Connecticut.  Friday, September 20th, 1996.

 

Steffen, L. K.”Organic Electrochemistry: A Practical Tool for Studying Reactivity”  Pfizer Pharmaceutical Drug Discovery Group.  Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Groton CT.  Thursday, January 11th, 1996.

 

Steffen, L. K. “Integrating Molecular Modeling into the Organic Classroom”  479th Meeting of the Western Connecticut ACS, Tuesday November 21st, 1995.

 

Steffen, L. K.;  Paollilo, M.P.; Plummer, B. F.; "The Use of Semiempirical Methods to Model the Redox Properties of Novel Cyclopentene Fused Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons" 210th ACS National Meeting, Chicago, Illinois 1995.