Dr. Karen Molek

• Position: SEFAB Chair, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Administrative Fellow for Student Engagement, Chemistry Scholars Program Director
• Department: Chemistry
• Office Location: Building 58, Room 004
• ksinclair@uwf.edu
• Campus: 8504742799

Biography

Dr. Karen Sinclair Molek, a Associate Professor of Chemistry, won three major prizes in 2016:

• A UWF Florida Research Fellows Award
• A Distinguished Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activities Award
• The Zaida C. Morales‐Martinez Prize for Mentoring from the American Chemical Society Scholars Program

Molek, who began teaching at UWF in 2008, has helped raise more than $2 million in outside funding. This includes $974,565 from the National Institutes for Health to increase the number of underrepresented minority students in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The National Science Foundation is providing $649,888 to increase retention, academic performance, degree attainment, employment, and graduate school matriculation rates among financially disadvantaged, academically talented students in the College of Science and Engineering.

Molek said research shows that economically disadvantaged students are less likely to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers. Molek is director of UWF’s Chemistry Scholars Program, which was established in 2011. To date, every graduate of this program who has applied has been accepted into professional or graduate schools. In addition, UWF was tied for second place nationwide (with Stanford) with nine American Chemical Society Scholars receiving $75,000 in annual, renewable scholarships.

Molek has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Chemistry from Mercer University. Her research covers several areas: development of a safety relay for high vacuum systems; rebuilding reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometers surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization of materials using RTOF-MS; synthesis and characterization of transition metal oxide nanopowders; synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide quantum dots; and development of a physical chemistry laboratory experiment measuring the speed of sound using nitrocellulose.

Degrees & Institutions

Ph.D. Physical Chemistry, University of Georgia
B.S. Chemistry, Mercer University

Research

Her research covers several areas: development of a safety relay for high vacuum systems; rebuilding reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometers surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization of materials using RTOF-MS; synthesis and characterization of transition metal oxide nanopowders; synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide quantum dots; and development of a physical chemistry laboratory experiment measuring the speed of sound using nitrocellulose.

Publications

The Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Fluorescent Charge Carrier Heteroaromatic Polycyclic Chromophores - Containing Azaborine, Carl J. Saint-Louis, Julie A. Wilson, Andrew R. Schroeder, Sarah E. Harrell, Nicolle S. Jackson,Jamie A. Trindell, Saraphina Kim, Alexander R. Fisch, Lyndsey Munro, Vincent J. Catalano, Charles E. Webster, Pamela P. Vaughan, Karen S. Molek, Alan K. Schrock, and Michael T. Huggins, in preparation

Burnette, Brandon A.; Stepherson, Jacob R.; Reyes, Karl A.; Molek, Karen S. “Measuring the Speed of Sound Using Nitrocellulose”, J. Chem. Educ., 2015, 92 (4), pp 762–766.

Molek, Karen S.; Anfuso-Cleary, Chantelle; Duncan Michael A. “Photodissociation of Iron Oxide Cluster Cations” J. Phy. Chem. A 2008, 112 (39), 9238–9247.

Molek, Karen S.; Reed, Zachary D.; Ricks, Alan M.; Duncan Michael A. “Photodissociation of Chromium Oxide Cluster Cations” J. Phy. Chem. A 2007, 111(33), 8080-8089.

Seney, Caryn S.; Sinclair, Karen V. (also Molek); Bright, Robin M.; Momoh, P.O.; Bozema, A.D.; “Development of a multiple-element flame emission spectrometer using CCD detection” J. Chem. Ed. 2005, 82(12), 1826-1829.

Keywords: high vacuum system safety relay, reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometers, SALDI of materials using RTOF-MS, transition metal oxide nanopowders, zinc oxide quantum dots, measuring the speed of sound using nitrocellulose, STEM attracting academically talented, financially disadvantaged students, mentoring, underrepresented minorities in STEM