CURRICULUM VITAE
William J. Skawinski
Department of Chemistry and Environmental
Science
New Jersey Institute of
Technology
University Heights
Newark, NJ 07102
Office:
973-596-5793
EMAIL:
skawinski@adm.njit.edu
www-ec.njit.edu/~skawinsk
EDUCATION
1991 Ph.D. in
Chemistry; Rutgers, The State University, Newark, NJ; Advisors‑Professor Frank
Jordan and Professor Richard Mendelsohn; topic: 15N‑Nitrotyrosyl and
15N‑Aminotyrosyl Residues as NMR Reporter Groups of
Proteins.
1980 M.S. in Chemistry;
New Jersey Institute of Technology; Advisor‑Professor Joseph Bozzelli; Topic: Development of a computer program, using
quantum mechanical techniques, to simulate infrared emission spectrum of nitric
oxide.
1970 B.S. in Chemistry;
Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ
EXPERIENCE
Present Position
Currently Research
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey
Institute of Technology.
1996-present-
Instructor of undergraduate organic chemistry, New Jersey Institute of
Technology.
1991‑2000 Senior Research Associate;
Advisor‑Professor Carol A. Venanzi, New
Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ
07102; quantum mechanical and NMR studies
of analogues of the sodium ion channel blocking drug amiloride,
computational investigations of drug-DNA interactions; Application of rapid prototyping
to the fabrication of
accurate physical molecular models from
computer images.
1978‑91 Macrolab
Project on Laboratory Accessibility for Disabled Persons, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, Mechanical
Engineering Department.
Initiated and supervised graduate and undergraduate student projects on
adaptation of laboratory
instrumentation for independent use by physically disabled
persons. Developed computer
software
interfaces for laboratory instrumentation. Made presentations on the results of Macrolab
projects.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Characterization of
interactions between biological macromolecules (proteins and nucleic acids), and
small ligand molecules, such as drugs and toxins.
Application of
spectroscopic and computational techniques to the investigation of
intermolecular interactions.
Identification of
structural features of molecules responsible for biological
activity.
Application of rapid
prototyping techniques for the construction of unique molecular models designed
as research and teaching tools.
TEACHING INTERESTS
Introduction and
evaluation of information technology into the classroom and laboratory with the
goal of enhancing student access to relevant materials and augmenting classroom
presentations.
Incorporating modern
computational techniques into traditional chemistry courses with the goal of
introducing biomedical concepts into organic chemistry.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
1. Award, Excellence in
Teaching by a Special Lecturer, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Academic
Year 2000-2001.
2. Honorable Mention Award,
Excellence in Teaching by a Special Lecturer, New Jersey Institute of
Technology, Academic Year 1999-2000.
3. New Jersey Institute of Technology,
Provost Challenge Grant for the Incorporation of Information Technology into the
Organic Chemistry course, $6100, 1999.
4. National Science Foundation grant for
The Fabrication of Accurate Plastic Molecular Models by the Use of Laser
Stereolithography, Carol A. Venanzi and William J. Skawinski, $367,000,
1993-1996.
5. The Fales Award for Unique Achievement
in Experimental Chemistry, Chemistry Department, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ,
1992.
6. The Lighthouse Charles E. Dillman Career
Incentive Award, New York Association for the Blind, $2500, 1985.
7. "Equipment Grant: Macrolab", State of
New Jersey Excellence in Education Grant, $17,500, 1985.
8. "Equipment Grant: Macrolab", State of
New Jersey Excellence in Education Grant, $18,100, 1986.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member, American
Chemical Society (since 1970); Committee on the Handicapped
(1979‑1990).
Contributor to American Chemical Society Manual
"Teaching Chemistry to Physically Handicapped Students"
Member, American
Association for the Advancement of Science.
Listed in the AAAS "Resource Directory of
Scientists and Engineers With Disabilities" as a source of information and
advice on the adaptation of laboratory devices and general access for blind
scientists and students
Member, National
Federation of the Blind
PRE‑COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Lectured to the FEMME
(Pre-college program for Women in Science and Engineering) and SMED (Science and
Math Education for the Disabled) pre‑college students on how technology and
human engineering approaches can be
applied to provide solutions to the
problems encountered by physically disabled
persons. Provided the SMED program
with adaptive devices and advice for participating visually disabled
students.
TEACHING AND STUDENT SUPERVISION
Currently Research
Professor and lecturer of undergraduate organic chemistry.
Currently integrating
multi-media information technology and computational methods into classroom
lectures in organic chemistry.
Developed web site to
augment organic chemistry lectures at New Jersey Institute of
Technology.
Lectured to psychology
classes at NJIT (1980-1991) on the attitudinal and physical barriers faced by
disabled persons and the coping strategies that can be employed to overcome
them.
Supervised chemistry
students under the Minority Biomedical Research Student grant program of the
National Institutes of Health at Rutgers University, 1983‑1988, also served as a
student mentor in this program.
Supervised
undergraduate and graduate student Macrolab research projects in mechanical and
electrical engineering directed toward the design and construction of devices to
aid physically disabled persons and heighten the awareness of engineering
students to human factors in their design process. Also worked with blind adults,
undergraduates and professionals, supervising projects designed to solve
problems encountered in their work.
Supervised 4 graduate
and 3 undergraduate students at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department
of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Environmental Science on the application
of stereolithography to the fabrication of accurate molecular models, Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy in cryosolvents, and computational studies of
DNA-ligand interactions.
PUBLICATIONS
1. "Quantum Mechanical Computations on
Analogues of Amiloride. Electrostatic Potentials and Identification of
Pharmacophores", (in preparation).
2. 1 H and 13 C NMR Structural Studies
of Amiloride in Cryosolvents, William J. Skawinski, ; Ana Ofsievich, and Carol A. Venanzi, Structural
Chemistry (In Press).
3. "Nature of Intercalator
Amiloride‑Nucleobase Stacking. An Empirical Potential and Ab Initio Electron
Correlation Study."
Dmitry A. Bondarev, William J. Skawinski, Carol
A. Venanzi; J. Phys. Chem. B, 104
(4), 815‑822, 2000.
4.
"Molecular Models
by Laser Stereolithography", C.A. Venanzi, W.J. Skawinski, and A.D. Ofsievich,
in Physical Supramolecular Chemistry, L. Echegoyen and A. Kaifer, Eds., Kluwer,
Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1996, pp.127‑142.
5. "The Application of Stereolithography to
the Fabrication of Accurate Molecular Models", Skawinski, William, J.; Busanic,
Thomas, J.; Ofsievich, Ana, D.; Venanzi, Thomas, J.; Luzhkov, Victor, B.;
Venanzi, Carol, A.; J. Mol. Graphics, (1995), 13,
p126-135.
6. "The Use of Laser Stereolithography to
Produce Three‑Dimensional Tactile Molecular Models for Blind and Visually
Impaired Scientists and Students", Skawinski, William, J.; Busanic, Thomas, J.;
Ofsievich, Ana, D.; Luzhkov, Victor, B.; Venanzi, Carol, A.; Venanzi, Thomas J.;
Information Technology and Disabilities, (1994), 1(4), On-line Journal,
URL:
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv01n4/article6.html.
7. "From Maps to Models: A Concerted
Computational Approach to Analysis of the Structure-Activity Relationships of
Amiloride Analogues", C.A. Venanzi, R.A. Buono, W.J. Skawinski, T.J. Busanic,
T.J. Venanzi, R.J. Zauhar, and V.B. Luzhkov, in: Computer-Aided Design of
Agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, , C.H. Reynolds, M.K. Holloway and
H.K. Cox, Eds., ACS Symposium Series 589, American Chemical Society, Washington,
D.C., 1995, pp. 51‑63.
8. "From maps to models. A concerted
computational approach to analysis of the structure‑activity relationships of
amiloride analogues", Venanzi, Carol A.; Buono, Ronald A.; Skawinski, William
J.; Busanic, Thomas J.; Venanzi, Thomas J.; Zauhar, Randy J.; Luzhkov, Victor
B.; ACS Symp. Ser. (1995), 589(Computer‑Aided Molecular Design),
51‑63.
9. "Labeling of tyrosines in proteins with
[15N]tetranitromethane, a new NMR reporter for nitrotyrosines", Skawinski,
William J.; Adebodun, Foluso; Cheng, Jung T.; Jordan, Frank; Mendelsohn,
Richard, Biochim. Biophys. Acta (1993), 1162(3), 297‑308.
10. "Preparation of 15N‑Labelled
Tetranitromethane C(15NO2)4", W. J. Skawinski,
J. Flisak, A. C. Chung, F. Jordan, and R. Mendelsohn; J. Labelled Compounds and
Radiopharmaceuticals, 28, 1179‑83 (1990).
11. "Hearing is Believing", The Modified
Spectroscope, L.V. Hinchliffe and W.J. Skawinski; The Science Teacher, 50, 53‑55
(1983).
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Member, Committee for Persons with Disabilities,
New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Invited Papers
1. Use of Multi Media for the Correlation
of Static 2-Dimensional Symbols with Dynamic 3-Dimensional Images in Organic
Chemistry Courses. 3rd
Annual Best Practices Showcase at NJIT, November 9, 2001, NJEDge.Net Educational
Activities Task Force (EATF),
2. Panel discussion, guidance counselors
and disabled students and careers in science, NJIT, May,
1996.
3. "The Use of Novel Molecular Models
Fabricated by Laser Stereolithography in the Interpretation of
Structure-Activity Data", Carol A. Venanzi, William J. Skawinski, Ana D.
Ofsievich, and Ronald A. Buono;
NATO Advanced Workshop on Physical Supramolecular Chemistry, Miami, FL,
January, 1996.
4. "Real Virtuality: The use of Laser
Stereolithography for the Fabrication of Molecular Models", NJIT, Chemistry
Dept. October 1995.
5. Report on the Use of Rapid Prototyping
to Fabricate Models of Molecular Structures for Blind Scientists and Students,
Research and Development Committee, National Federation of the Blind, National
Convention, Chicago, IL, July 1995.
6. "The Application of Stereolithography to
the Fabrication of Accurate Molecular Models", William J. Skawinski and Carol A.
Venanzi; Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Engineering Week, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, February, 1995.
7. Employment of Blind Persons in Science,
National Federation of the Blind, National Convention, Charlotte, NC, July,
1992.
8. Parents of Blind Children of New Jersey,
panel discussion on careers available to disabled persons, March,
1992.
9. New Jersey Association of College
Admissions Counselors, Conference Panel on Barriers to Handicapped Students,
June, 1985.
10. New Jersey Commission for the Blind
"Employer Awareness Day", June, 1985.
11. "Readily Available Technology Can Make
the Laboratory Environment Accessible To Physically Handicapped Persons",
Symposium on High School High Tech, Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting of the
American Chemical Society, May, 1984.
12. "Science Careers for Physically
Handicapped Persons", Career Counseling Workshop for Chemical Educators, Middle
Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, May,
1984.
13. "Saving and Using Our Human Scientific
Resources, The Handicapped Scientist", AAAS National Meeting, January,
1982.
14. American Chemical Society Workshop on
Teaching Chemistry to Physically Handicapped Students, April,
1980.
Contributed Papers
1. "Novel Tactile Models by Laser
Stereolithography", W. j. Skawinski, A. D. Ofsievich, C. A. Venanzi; Meeting of the North American Chemical
Society, Can Cun , Mexico, Nov., 1997.
2. "Novel Molecular Models by Laser
Stereolithography", Carol A. Venanzi, William J. Skawinski, Ana D. Ofsievich,
and Ronald A. Buono; reception for
projects funded by the National Science Foundation; sponsored by the Coalition
for National Science Funding, Cannon House Congressional Caucus Room,
Washington, DC, March, 1996.
3. "The Use of Novel Molecular Models
Fabricated by Laser Stereolithography in the Interpretation of
Structure-Activity Data", William J. Skawinski, Ana D. Ofsievich, Ronald A.
Buono, and Carol A. Venanzi; Third
Panamerican Chemical Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico, September,
1995.
4. "Molecular Modeling by Laser
Stereolithography", Jean Simeon, Ana D. Ofsievich, William J. Skawinski, Ronald
A. Buono, and Carol A. Venanzi; NSF
Alliance for Minority Participation Undergraduate Research Symposium, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, July, 1995.
5. "Fabrication of Phenyl Acetate Models by
Laser Stereolithography", Michael Jaffar, Ana D. Ofsievich, William J.
Skawinski, Ronald A. Buono, and Carol A. Venanzi; American Chemical Society Undergraduate
Research Symposium, Barnard College, NY, May, 1995.
6. "The Fabrication of Accurate Molecular
Models by Laser Stereolithography", Ana D. Ofsievich, William J. Skawinski,
Ronald A. Buono, and Carol A. Venanzi;
Mini-Tech Conference, New Jersey Institute of Technology, May,
1995.
7. "The Fabrication of Accurate Molecular
Models by Laser Stereolithography", Ana D. Ofsievich, William J. Skawinski,
Ronald A. Buono, and Carol A. Venanzi;
Middle Atlantic Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Washington, DC,
May, 1995.
8. "Molecular Modeling of Amiloride
Analogs", Carol A. Venanzi, Ronald A. Buono, William J. Skawinski, Randy J.
Zauhar, Thomas Busanic, Victor B. Luzhkov, and Thomas J. Venanzi; Symposium on the Application of
Computer-Aided Molecular Design to Agrochemicals, Materials, and
Pharmaceuticals; National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego,
CA, March, 1994 .
9.
"Molecular
Modeling of Amiloride Analogs", Carol A. Venanzi, Ronald A. Buono, Thomas J.
Venanzi, William J. Skawinski, and Christopher Plant; Third Biennial Workshop on Molecular
Mechanics and Dynamics, Florida State University, April,
1992.