Trinity University, Chemistry Department
715 Stadium Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200
(210) 999-7381    FAX: (210) 999-7569
Email:  cpursell@trinity.edu

Education
Ph.D. in Chemistry, The University of Chicago, (June 1990).
 Thesis: Infrared-Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy using a Color Center Laser.
B.S. in Chemistry, California State University-Sacramento, (June 1985).

Academic Positions
Visiting Scholar (Faculty) at University of Colorado, C.I.R.E.S.
    (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences), 8/00-5/01.
Associate Professor, Chemistry Department, Trinity University, 8/99-present.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, Trinity University, 6/93-7/99.
Postdoctoral Research with Dr. C.S. Parmenter, Indiana University, 6/90-6/93.
Lecturer, Chemistry Department, Indiana University, 6/92-8/92, 1/91-5/91.
Ph.D. Research with Dr. T. Oka, University of Chicago, 6/86-5/90.
Summer Instructor for High School Chemistry Teachers, University of Chicago, 8/88.
Teaching Assistant, Chemistry Department, University of Chicago, 9/85-6/86.
Research Associate with Dr. T. Oka, University of Chicago, 6/85-9/85.

Grants and Awards
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Faculty Start-up Award, $10,000. (1993-1998)
Cottrell College Science Award (Research Corporation):
"Photo-induced chemical reactions on amorphous solid surfaces with emphasis on systems of atmospheric interests", $35,000. (1993-1996)
Petroleum Research Fund Starter Grant (administered by the American Chemical Society):
"Photo-induced chemical reactions on amorphous solid surfaces with emphasis on systems of atmospheric interests", $20,000. (1994-1997)
Welch Foundation Research Grant:
“Heterogeneous Chemistry on Ice”, $102,000. (1996-1999)
Petroleum Research Fund Grant (administered by the American Chemical Society):
 “Chemical Reactivity of Ice and Ice-like Surfaces”, $30,000 (1999-2001)
Welch Foundation Research Grant:
“Chemistry on Hydrogen-Bonding Molecular Solids”, $135,000. (1999-2002)
Visiting Scholar Program at University of Colorado, C.I.R.E.S.
    (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciecnes), $33,500. (August 2000-May 2001)
Henry Dreyfus Teacher - Scholar Award, $60,000. (November 2002-October 2007)

Memberships
The American Chemical Society
Council for Undergraduate Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Project Kaleidoscope, Faculty for the 21st Century

Undergraduate Research Students (25 total)
Jay Conyers, Phil Alapat, Ruksana Parveen, Carilee Denison, Andy Zillman, Mona Zaida, Tiffany Malinky, Stacy Paul, Rene Rodrigues, Lambert Doezema, Jeff Grunes, Andy Zurovec, Fernando Campos, Justin Dye, Julie Tucillo, Sylvia Olejnikova, Yinyu Tang, Amir Baluch, Candice Fraser-Gaston, Alexis Thompson, Eric Vela, Kyris Agapiou, Brian Bushnell, Omid Soltani, Mary Falgout, Diana Sanchez, Caitlin McEathron

Reviews (since coming to Trinity University in 6-93)
Refereed articles for the Journal of Physical Chemistry and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Reviewed grant proposals for the Petroleum Research Fund, Research Corporation, and the National Science Foundation.

Publications (since coming to Trinity University in 6-93) ( * denotes undergraduates)
-"Ionization of Nitric Acid on Ice", Christopher J Pursell, Michael A. Everest, Mary E. Falgout, Diana D. Sanchez, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 106 (34), 7764 (2002).
-"Isotope Exchange of D2O on H2O Ice: Surface versus Bulk Reactivity", Michael A. Everest and Christopher J Pursell, Journal of Chemical Physics, 115 (21), 9843 (2001).
-"Acid-Base Chemistry on Crystalline Ice: HCl + NH 3", Christopher J Pursell, Mona Zaidi*, Alexis Thompson*, Candice Fraser-Gaston* and Eric Vela*, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 104 (3), 552 (2000).
-“The Electronic Absorption Spectrum of Molecular Iodine: A New Fitting Procedure for the Physical Chemistry Laboratory”, Christopher J Pursell and Lambert Doezema*, Journal of Chemical Education, 76, 839 (1999).
-“A New Class of Polyintercalating Molecules”, R. Scott Lokey, Yan Kwok, Vladimir Guelev, Christopher J Pursell, Laurence H. Hurley, and Brent L. Iverson, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 119(31), 7202 (1997). {Note: this was from a collaboration with a U of Texas professor}
-"Photochemistry of Chlorine Dioxide in Polycrystalline Ice (T=140-185K): Production of Chloryl Chloride, Cl-(OClO),"  Christopher J Pursell, Jay Conyers*, and Carilee Denison*, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 100, 15450 (1996).
-"Photochemistry of Chlorine Dioxide in Ice,"  Christopher J Pursell, Jay Conyers*, Philip Alapat*, and Ruksana Parveen*, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 99, 10433 (1995).
-"State-to-Field Vibrational Relaxation in S1 p-Difluorobenzene,"  David L. Catlett, Jr.,
Charles S. Parmenter and Christopher J Pursell, Journal of Physical Chemistry , 99, 7371 (1995).
-"State-to-State Collisional Vibrational Energy Transfer in S1 p-Difluorobenzene,"
David L. Catlett, Jr., Charles S. Parmenter and Christopher J Pursell, Journal of Physical Chemistry , 98, 3263-3269 (1994).
-"Vibrational Energy Transfer in S1 p-Difluorobenzene.  A Comparison of Low and Room Temperature Collisions,"  Christopher J Pursell and Charles S. Parmenter,
Journal of Physical Chemistry, 97, 1615-1621 (1993).

Publications (before coming to Trinity University in 6-93)
-"Measurement and Conjecture Concerning IVR Acceleration by a Methyl Group. CH3 vs CD3",  D.B.Moss, C.S.Parmenter, T.A.Peterson, C.J.Pursell, and Z-Q Zhao, Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. No. 126, Ultrafast Processes in Spectroscopy 1991, pg. 465-470, A.Lauberau and A.Seilmeir, Eds. (IOP Publishing Ltd., Bristol, UK, 1992).
-"Infrared Spectroscopy and Equilibrium Structure of H2O+ ( X 2B1)",   T.R.Heut, C.J.Pursell, W.C.Ho, B.M.Dinelli, and T.Oka, J. Chem. Phys., 97, 5977 (1992).
-"Pure Rotational Transitions in the ?3 State of Methane,"  C.J.Pursell and D.P.Weliky,
J. Mol. Spectrosc., 153, 303 (1992).
-"Infrared Spectroscopy in a H2-O2-He Discharge: H3O+,"  W.C.Ho, C.J.Pursell and T.Oka,
J. Mol. Spectrosc., 149, 530 (1991).
-"Infrared-Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy of CHF3 using a Color Center Laser," C.J.Pursell, D.P.Weliky, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 143, 251 (1990).
-"Collision-Induced Double Resonance Studies of HN2+ and HCN,"  C.J.Pursell, D.P.Weliky
and T.Oka, J.Chem.Phys., 93, 7041 (1990).
-"Infrared-Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions: HN2+,"  W.C.Ho, C.J.Pursell, D.P.Weliky, K.Takagi and T.Oka, J.Chem.Phys., 93, 87 (1990).
-"Observation of Direct and Collision-Induced Double Resonance of a Molecular Ion,"
C.J.Pursell, D.P.Weliky, W.C.Ho, K.Takagi and T.Oka, J.Chem.Phys., 91, 7997 (1989).
-"Infrared-Radiofrequency Double Resonance Spectroscopy of CH3F using a Color Center Laser,"  C.J.Pursell, W.C.Ho, F.Scappini and T.Oka, J.Mol.Spectrosc., 131, 241(1988).

Presentations (since coming to Trinity University in 6-93)
-"Chemistry on the Surface of Ice", Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Austin, TX, November 2002.
-"Chemical Reactivity of the Ice Surface", National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA, August 2002 (poster).
-" Knudsen Cell Study of the Heterogeneous Reaction of Gaseous Nitric Acid on Iron Oxide", National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, August 2001 (poster).
-"Isotopic Exchange on the Surface of Ice", Regional ACS Meeting, San Antonio, TX, October 2001 (student poster).
-"Heterogeneous Chemistry on Ice", Invited Chemistry Seminar, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, November 2001.
-“Investigation of Heterogeneous Chemistry in the Surface of Ice”, Invited Chemistry Seminar, Baylor University, Waco, TX, February 2000.
-“Acid-Base Chemistry on Ice: HCl + NH3.” (poster) ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, August 1999.
-“Acid-Base Chemistry on Ice: HCl + NH3.” (poster) Gordon Research Conference (Dynamics at Surfaces) New Hampshire, August 1999.
-“Chemistry on Ice”, Invited Chemistry Seminar, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, May 1998.
-“Chemistry on Ice: Implications for Atmospheric Chemistry”, Invited Chemistry Seminar,
Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, November 1997.
-“Heterogeneous Chemistry on Ice”, Invited Lecture, Chemical Physics Symposium,
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, October 1997.
-“Reactions on Ice: Is there a ‘liquid-like’ layer on the surface?”.
ACS National Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, September 1997.
-“Chemistry on Ice”.
Invited Chemistry Seminar, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, August 1997.
-“Ionization of Acids on Ice Surfaces.”
Poster presented at Gordon Research Conference (Atmospheric Chemistry), Rhode Island, July 1997.
-“Infrared Spectral Identification of the Ionization of HCl and HBr on Ice.”
Telluride Workshop on Physical Chemistry and the Atmosphere, Telluride, CO, August 1996.
-“Ionization of HCl on Ice.”
ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 1996.
-"Photochemistry of Chlorine Dioxide in Ice: Implications for Ozone Loss."
Invited Local ACS Meeting Seminar, November 1995.
-"Photochemistry of Chlorine Dioxide in Ice: Implications for Ozone Loss."
Poster presented at Gordon Research Conference (Matrix Isolation), July 1995.
-"Photochemistry of Chlorine Dioxide in Ice: Implications for Ozone Loss."
Invited Chemistry Seminar, University of Colorado, May 1995.
-"Photochemistry of OClO in Ice."
Telluride Workshop on Physical Chemistry and the Atmosphere, Telluride, CO, August 1994.
-"Vibrational Energy Transfer in Polyatomics."
Chemistry Seminar, University of Houston, March 1994.

Presentations (before coming to Trinity University in 6-93)
-"Supersonic Free Jet Studies of Vibrational Energy Transfer in S1 p-Difluorobenzene,"
47th Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, The Ohio State University, June 1992.
-"Pure Rotational Transitions in the ?3 State of Methane,"
47th Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, The Ohio State University, June 1992.
-"Rovibrational Energy Transfer in S1 Polyatomics using Crossed Molecular Beams,"
(poster) Conference on the Dynamics of Molecular Collisions, Lake George, NY, July 1991.
-"Infrared-Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy of Collision-Induced Transitions
Between Rotational Energy Levels in the Isoelectronic Species HN2+ and HCN,"
45th Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, The Ohio State University, June 1990.
-"Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Molecular Ions,"
Molecular Dynamics Seminar, Cornell University, September 1989.
-"Infrared Spectroscopy of a Hydrogen/Oxygen Discharge : I - the H3O+ ion" and
"Infrared Spectroscopy of a Hydrogen/Oxygen Discharge : II - the H2O+ ion,"
44th Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, The Ohio State University, June 1989.
-"Infrared-Radiofrequency Double Resonance Spectroscopy of CH3F using a Color Center Laser,"
43rd Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, The Ohio State University, June 1988.
-"Infrared Spectroscopy on Molecules of Astrophysical Interest,"
Special Seminar, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Maryland, January 1988.