Derk Wierda

I teach introductory non-major and major course as well as courses related to characterization, analysis, and inorganic systems. In addition I teach about applications of science and chemistry to forensic applications.

• CH110 Principles of Physical Science I

• CH130 General Chemistry I - Lecture, Laboratory, Recitation and Honors

• CH131 General Chemistry II - Recitation, Honors

• CH220 Forensic Chemistry -Lecture and Laboratory

• CH250 & CH251 Organic Chemistry I, II

• CH270 Analytical Chemistry I - Quantitative Analysis

• CH310 Analytical Chemistry II - Instrumental Analysis

• CH340 Inorganic Chemistry I

• CH360 Inorganic Chemistry II

• CH370 Synthesis and Characterization (with other faculty members)

• CH400 Independent Study-Synthetic and Computational Methods in Chemistry

• CH420 Research and Seminar

Education

• 1984-1990 Harvard University: M.A. 1986; Ph.D. 1990. Thesis title: "Synthetic, Reactivity and Structural Studies of Rhenium Oxo-Methyl Compounds." Research advisor: Professor David M. Hoffman.

• 1980-1984 Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland: Bachelor of Science with Honors in Chemistry, summa cum laude.

Research Experience

• 1998-present University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. Adjunct Professor. Thermal and plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition studies of TiN and TiSiN films.

• 1990-1992 Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France, NSF Postdoctoral Research Associate with Professor John A. Osborn. Research: Sulfur supported molybdenum complexes as models for N2 reduction.

• 1985-1990 Harvard University: Synthetic, reactivity and structural studies of highly air sensitive inorganic compounds; manager of departmental single crystal x‑ray diffractometer: instructed and aided other users in data collection, structure solution and refinement; served as micro-VAX II system manager.

• 1982-1984 Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland. Research with Professor Timothy J. McNeese concerning synthesis and reactivity studies of chromium-carbonyl alkoxide complexes.

Teaching Experience

• 1992-present Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH: Professor and Chair [Associate 1997-2002][Assistant 1992-1997]. Senior inorganic lecture and synthesis courses, junior analytical and freshman general chemistry lecture and laboratory.

• 1991 Université Louis Pasteur: Graduate lectures on modern NMR techniques.

• 1984-1985 Harvard University: Teaching fellow for general chemistry lecture and laboratory courses.

Professional Affiliations

• American Chemical Society [1982-] Materials Research Society [1999-]

• Council on Undergraduate Research [1994-] Project Kaleidoscope [1994-]

Awards and Fellowships

• Camille and Henry Dreyfus Special Grant (with Carolyn K. Weinreb-1997-99)

• Cotrell Award-Research Corporation (1996-1998)

• Project Kaleidoscope, Faculty for the 21st century (1994)

• ACS-PRF Type G Grant (1993-95)

• C.N.R.S. "Post Rouge" Fellowship (1991-92)

• NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship for Study at Foreign Centers of Excellence (1990-1)

• Josiah Parsons Cook Fellowship in Chemistry (Harvard University (1984-85)

As an inorganic chemist I am interested in the roles that metals play in various processes, especially those that impact people and society. I concentrate on questions related to the structure, function and reactivity of model systems.

Currently students in my lab are working on studying systems related to the elimination of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) in the environment, and model compounds that mimic Nitrogenase (the enzyme responsible for nitrogen fixation in the environment).

1. Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity of Re(VII) and Re(V) Oxo-Alkyl Complexes. Cai, S.; Lappas, D.; Hoffman, D. M.; Wierda, D. A.; Huffman, J. C.; Folting, K. Presented at the Third Chemical Congress of North America (195th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society), Toronto, Canada; June 5-10, 1988.
2. Rhenium(V) Oxo-methyl Complexes. Hoffman, D. M.; Wierda, D. A. Presented at the 197th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX; April 9-14, 1989.
3. Synthesis of Rhenium Alkoxide Clusters. Hoffman, D. M.; Lappas, D.; Wierda, D. A. Presented at the 197th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX; April 9-14, 1989.
4. Synthesis and Reactivity of a Rhenium-oxo Alkylidene Dimer. Hoffman, D. M.; Wierda, D. A. Presented at the 199th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA; April 22-27 1990.
5. Synthesis of Dinuclear Rhenium (VI) Compounds Containing Sulfide Ligands. Cai, S.; D. M. Hoffman; D. A. Wierda Presented at the 199th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA; April 22-27 1990.
6. Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of Rhenium Alkoxo and Oxo-Alkyl Compounds. Cai, S.; Hoffman, D. M.; Lappas D.; Wierda, D. A. Presented at the 201st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Atlanta, GA; April 14-19, 1991.
7. Studies of Sulfur Supported Molybdenum and Vanadium Imido Complexes as Potential Mimics for the Active Site of Nitrogenase Presented to the University of New Hampshire, Department of Chemistry, March 5, 1996.
8. A Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry Facility for In Situ Characterization of Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes. Carmela Amato-Wierda, Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda.. Poster at the Gordon Conference on High Temperature Materials, Processing, and Diagnostics, Plymouth NH, July 1998.
9. Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry Studies of the Gas-Phase Decomposition of the Chemical Vapor Deposition of TiSiN. Carmela Amato-Wierda, Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda. Talk presented at 17^th Regional Kinetics Meeting, Albany, NY, Jan. 30, 1999.
10. Spartan in senior year inorganic chemistry. Derk A. Wierda Presented to Northeast Regional Molecular Modeling in the Undergraduate Curriculum Symposium, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, January 8, 1999
11. Studies of the Gas-Phase Chemistry During the Chemical Vapor Deposition of TiN and TiSiN from Ti(NMe₂)₄ and NH₃. Carmela Amato-Wierda Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda.. Poster presented at Gordon Conference on Chemistry of Electronic Materials, Henniker, NH, July 4-9, 1999.
12. Low Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Titanium Nitrde Thin Films With Hydrazine And Tetrakis-(Dimethylamide)Titanium. Carmela Amato-Wierda Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda.. Presented at Fall 1999 meeting of the Materials Research Society, Boston, MA, November 29, 1999.
13. Aspects of Gas Phase Chemistry During Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ti-Si-N with TDMAT, NH₃, and SiH₄. Carmela Amato-Wierda, Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda. Talk presented at Materials Research Society Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 29, 1999.
14. Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry Studies of the Thermal Decomposition of Tetrakis-(dimethylamido)titanium. Edward T. Norton, Jr., Carmela C. Amato-Wierda, and Derk A. Wierda. Poster presented at Materials Research Society Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 29, 1999.
15. Low Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Titanium Nitrde Thin Films. Carmela Amato-Wierda Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda.. Presented at the 219th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA; March 28, 2000.
16. Aspects of Gas Phase Chemistry During Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ti-Si-N with TDMAT, NH₃, and SiH₄. Carmela Amato-Wierda, Edward T. Norton, Jr. and Derk A. Wierda. Talk presented at American Chemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, March 28, 2000.
17. Chemical Vapor Deposition of Titanium Nitride and Titanium Silicon Nitride Thin Films from Tetrakis-(dimethylamido)titanium and Hydrazine as a Co-reactant. Derk A. Wierda and Carmela Amato-Wierda. Talk presented at the 197^th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Toronto, May, 2000.
18. Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ti-W-C Nanostructured Thin Films, Hua Xia Ji, Dale Delisle, Chistopher Blaise, Derk A. Wierda, and Carmela C. Amato-Wierda. Poster presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Fundamental Gas-Phase and Surface Chemistry of Vapor-Phase Deposition, 199th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, March 25-29, 2001.
19. Gas Phase Analysis of TiCl4 Plasma Processes By Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry. Derk Andrew Wierda, Chandra M. Reddy, Carmela C. Amato-Wierda. Presented at the 2001 International Conference on Metal Coatings and Thin Films, Conference, San Diego, May 2001.

Student Presentations

1. Photolytic Generation of Chromium Carbonyl Species And Their Subsequent Reactions. Mark S. Friend, Derk A. Wierda, at the Northeastern Section, American Chemical Society, 35th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, Boston University, April 27, 1996.
2. Detection of Total Mercury in Aquatic Species in the Piscataquog Watershed by ICP and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Amy Cannon, Deno Del Sesto, Barry J. Wicklow, Derk A. Wierda. Presented at Thirty-sixth Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, April 26, 1997.
3. Studies of Chloro- Fluor-carbon activation. Joel Sweetser, Derk A. Wierda. Presented at Thirty-seventh Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, April 25, 1998.