People

	Dr. Patrick Hatcher Email: phatcher@odu.edu Patrick Hatcher received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1970 from N.C. State University, his M.S. in Marine Chemistry in 1974 from the University of Miami (FL), and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1980 from the University of Maryland. In 1989 he joined Penn State University as Associate Professor. Promoted to Professor in 1995, he was appointed Director of the Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry in 1996, and to Adjunct Professor of Chemistry in 1996. In 1998, he joined the Department of Chemistry at Ohio State where he directed the NSF-funded Environmental Molecular Science Institute and held a faculty position in the Department of Geological Sciences. Dr. Hatcher came to ODU in 2006 where he serves as the Batten Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty Director of the College of Sciences Major Instrumentation Center, and the Executive Director of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium.
	Dr. Aron Stubbins Email: astubbin@odu.edu Aron Stubbins joined the Hatcher Group as an Assistant Research Professor in March 2007, taking a position as Assistant Director of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium. He attended the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne receiving a Marine Biology B.S. (Honors) in 1998. As an undergraduate he was awarded the Longbottom Prize for Most Outstanding Dissertation (A global nitrogen cycle model: balancing the present day cycle and predicting the effects of future anthropogenic perturbations upon tropospheric N2O) and, as a post-graduate researcher (summer 1998), adapted this model to explore the extent to which oceanic denitrification drives glacial-interglacial scale fluctuations in atmospheric N2O. He went on to study Marine Biogeochemistry at Newcastle and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, receiving a Ph.D. in 2001. His thesis explored how dissolved organic matter chemistry, source and diagenesis influence its photoreactivity, most notably the photoproduction of carbon monoxide and the photobleaching of coloured dissolved organic matter. His thesis work also provided estimates of carbon monoxide photoproduction, air-sea gas exchange and microbial oxidation for the global ocean and two contrasting temperate estuaries in the United Kingdom. Since finishing his Ph.D. he has worked as a post-doc at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - Edinburgh, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and Old Dominion University. His main research interests centre upon the carbon cycle, particularly organic carbon cycling, photochemical and microbial carbon processing, water-air gas exchange of radiative trace gases, and the assessment of potential feedbacks between the global carbon cycle and climate warming.
	Dr. Paolo Caricasole Email: pcaricas@odu.edu Paolo Caricasole joined the Hatcher Group in June 2009, as a Post Doc Research Associate, after obtaining his Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry at the "Universita' degli Studi di Bari", Italy, with advisors Prof. Provenzano M.R. and Prof. Senesi N.   The Ph.D. work was about "Investigating the chemical and spectroscopic characterization of composted organic wastes and dissolved organic matter during the domestic composting", using the following techniques: Fluorescence 1-dimension (excitation, emission, synchronic) and 3-dimensional; Uv-visible and FT-IR; Kjeldahl, EC (electric conductibility); microbiology (lactic bacteria and pathogens); agronomic test; differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and CPMAS 13C NMR. The NMR data was collected at the Old Dominion University, in 2008, were he worked for 5 month with Prof. P. G. Hatcher.   He got his Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences in 2003; the thesis was in Food Microbiology "Effects of non-starter lacto bacteria on cheese aging". He also has a Master/Specialization (2004) in Food Microbiology and obtained several Stages (2003-2005) in Alimentary Industry.   Presently his research work in the Hatcher Group focuses on the molecular scale study of organic matter using Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). This is a multi-disciplinary research that will use both FT-ICR MS and ATR-FTIR to obtain chemical structures of DOM and to gain an understanding of the chemical mechanisms of bonding of DOM and P to soil minerals.
	Dr. Elodie Salmon Email: esalmon@odu.edu Elodie Salmon joined the Hatcher Group as a Post Doctoral Research Associate in February 2008 after receiving her Ph.D. in Petroleum Geochemistry at Institut Nationale Polytechnique de Lorraine (France) and Institut Fran�ais du P�trole (France) under Dr. Paul-Marie Marquaire (INPL) and Dr. Fran�ois Lorant (IFP). She received her M.S. in Geology from Paris VI University (France) in 2004 and her M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Aix-Marseille II (France) in 2003. Her Ph.D. work was to study the thermal decomposition of organic geopolymers by experimental observations and molecular dynamic simulations using a reactive force field, ReaxFF. This work involves collaborations with Materials and Process Simulation Center (Caltech, CA), the Hatcher Group (ODU, VA) and Biogeochemistry and Ecology of Continental Environment (Paris, France). Her current research with the Hatcher Group includes examining the molecular structural relationships between immature kerogen and the products obtained from low-level of maturation using NMR and FT-ICR-MS in order to test the possible pathways for petroleum formation.
	Adair Johnson Email: eajohnso@odu.edu Adair Johnson joined the Hatcher Group as a research associate in August 2007.  She received her B.A. in Biology from Wake Forest University in 2004 and her M.S. in Marine Science from the University of Georgia in 2007.  During her master's work she studied under Dr. William Miller researching the carbon monoxide gene expression in the marine bacterium Silicibacter pomeroyi.    Her current research with the Hatcher Group includes the production of biodiesel from algal biomass and analyzing the fatty acid content using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).    In her spare time she enjoys a rousing game of Guitar Hero and rescuing animals to add to her menagerie.
	Hussain Abdulla Email: habdulla@odu.edu
	Daliana Abreu Email: dabreu@odu.edu
	Adam Blalock
	Hongmei Chen Email: hxchen@odu.edu Hongmei Chen joined the Hatcher Group in the Fall of 2007 as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.   Hongmei earned her B.S. in Marine Chemistry and her M.S. in Environmental Science from Xiamen University of China.  As a junior, she joined Professor Minhan Dai's Ocean Carbon Group in the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science in Xiamen University. Her master thesis was on the formative mechanism of hypoxia area in the Pearl River Estuary, China. She was mainly involved in experiments on the decomposition of dissolved organic matter and dissolved carbohydrates. She participated in cruise experiences of several months in the Northern South China Sea and the Pearl River Estuary, China.   Hongmei is currently involved in the "Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter Using Efficient Isolation Coupled to Advanced Analytical Techniques" project which involves the reverse osmosis-electrodialysis isolating system, FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry and NMR analyses.
	Nicole Didonato Email: Ndidonat@odu.edu
	Gina McKee Email: gmckee@odu.edu Gina McKee joined the Hatcher Group in the Spring of 2007.  Gina earned her Masters in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK in 2006 with a year of study in the USA at the University of New Mexico.   She has been involved in several research projects, as an undergraduate and as a graduate.  In the third year of her Masters she completed research at the University of New Mexico working with Dr. David Tierney researching five coordinate pyrazole Cobalt(II) complexes. In her final year she completed a dissertation on quantifying hydrogen bonding using NMR spectroscopy working with Professor Christopher Hunter at the University of Sheffield.  After completing her degree she returned to New Mexico to continue her research with Dr. Tierney. She is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Chemistry and is using nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to study nitrogen containing compounds in organic rich sediments. Additionally she is working on a project which examines the preservation of peptides in seawater, by firstly synthesizing and then reacting peptides with dissolved organic matter.
	Joshua Marsh Email: jmarsh@odu.edu I joined the hatcher group in Fall of 2008. Before being accepted to ODU, I obtained by bachelors of science degree in chemistry at Appalachian State University. While at Appalachian I worked under Dr. Nicole S. Bennett researching the production of biodiesel using solid clay catalyst and microwave processes.  I'm currently working towards obtaining my PhD in chemistry. My current research interest are looking at dissolved organic matter in ice core samples from Antartica and Greenland using Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry. I'm also taking part in assisting other research ventures around the lab that involve leaving the country ;). Other interests of mine are playing acoustic guitar, running and playing board games. I'm also a huge fan of poker!
	Rajaa Mesfioui Email: rmesfiou@odu.edu Rajaa Mesfioui joined the Hatcher Group in the Spring of 2008 and plans to begin the Ph.D. program in Chemistry in the Fall of 2008 after completeing her M.S in Chemistry this spring. Rajaa is from Morocco where she was born in a small town called Beni-mellal.  She earned, with honor, her Master's in Sciences and Techniques in an extensive program from Cadi Ayad University in Beni-mellal.  Her major area of study was  analytical techniques and quality control in chemistry.   In her final year she joined the quality control team of AKZO NOBEL Coating Company in collaborative research with Cadi Ayad University.  At the end of her final year she completed a dissertation on the Influence of the Particle Size Distribution on the Quality of Thermosetting Decorative Powder Coating. Her research with the Hatcher Group will be on using advanced analytical techniques for the characterization of lipids concentration in algae.
	Wassim Obeid Email: wobeid@odu.edu
	Rachel Sleighter Email: rsleight@odu.edu Rachel Sleighter joined the Hatcher Group during the Summer of 2005 as a first-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  She attended the University of Delaware where she graduated, with distinction, with her B.S. in Chemistry.  During her last two years at UD, she performed undergraduate research in a mass spectrometry laboratory interested in air quality and the organic contaminants present in urban air. Now, as a Ph.D. candidate in Analytical Chemistry, her current interests involve the transformation of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) along a river to bay to ocean transect.  Tracking these DOM changes from a terrestrial to marine environment is achieved using Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).  This extensive characterization aids in the determination of how small molecules and model pollutants can interact with DOM and possibly become less bioavailable to organisms in the water.

Former Members of the Hatcher Group

Ryan Anstatt 

Dr. Heidi Bialk
U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center
http://ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=36553000

Corinna Byrne
University of Limerick
http://www.ul.ie/

Mary Briggs

Dr. Sonja Brodowski
Institut f�r Bodenkunde
sonja.brodowski@uni-bonn.de

Dr. Sarah Caccamise

Dr. Ashish Deshmukh
The Environ Foundation 
http://www.environcorp.com/

Dr. Karl Dria
Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI) 
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
http://chem.iupui.edu/Faculty/Dria/index.php

Dr. Ryan Fimmen 
Ohio State University
Byrd Polar Research Center
http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/

Dr. Amanda Grannas
Villanova University 
Department of Chemistry
http://www95.homepage.villanova.edu/amanda.grannas/

William Hockaday 
Rice University
Department of Earth Science
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~wch2/

Dr. Pang-hung Hsu 
Formerly postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Michael Freitas at The Ohio State University
Returned to Taiwan

Dr. Sunghwan Kim
University of Florida 
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/staff/getperson.asp?title=Kim,%20Sunghwan

Amanda Koeing 
Scotts
http://www.scotts.com/index.cfm/event/Home.normal

Robert Kramer 
Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Budweiser Corporation
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.budweiser.com/default.asp

Eunjee Lee 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
eunjee@MIT.EDU

Dr. Sarah Pilkenton
Emmanuel College 
Department of Chemistry
pilkensa@emmanuel.edu

Dr. Paula Mazzer
Old Dominion University 
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
http://sci.odu.edu/chemistry/directory/mazzer.shtml

Isaiah Ruhl 
Ohio State
Department of Chemistry
ruhl.31@osu.edu

Dr. Rakesh Sachdeva 
Ann Arbor, Michigan (Midland, MI)

Dr. Andre Simpson 
University of Toronto - Scarborough 
Department of Chemistry
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/%7Easimpson/

Dr. Myrna Salloum Simpson
University of Toronto - Scarborough 
Department of Chemistry
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/%7Emsimpson/

Lin Sun
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
linsun@mit.edu

Dr. Beena Thomas 
University of Calgary

Jeffrey Turner 

Dr. Oleg Trubetskoy 
Institute of Basic Biological Problems
Russian Academy of Sciences
142290 Puschino Moscow Region, Russia

Olga Trubetskoy
Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov
Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry
Russian Academy of Sciences
142290 Puschino Moscow Region, Russia