People

George B. Richter-Addo
Principal Investigator

General

Professor, OU Presidential Professor and George Lynn Cross Professor
Ph.D. University of British Columbia
B.Sc. (Hons) & Dip. Ed., University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Editorial Board Member: American Journal of Biomedical Sciences Scientific Advisory Board Member:  Ekips Technologies, Norman OK.

Division: Inorganic chemistry

Research Interests

Bioinorganic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Nitric Oxide, Nitrite, Metalloporphyrins, Heme Models, Heme Biomolecules, Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Cytochrome P450, Anaerobic Organisms

Teaching

Chem 1335 (Signature General Chemistry I); Chem 1315 (General Chemistry I); Chem 1415 (General Chemistry II); Chem 4333 (Senior level Inorganic Chemistry); Chem 4923 (Senior level Capstone); Chem 5213 (1st yr graduate Foundations class); Chem 5233 (1st semester graduate level Inorganic Chemistry); Chem 5360 (Frontiers in Inorganic Chemistry); Chem 5433 (Graduate level Main Group Chemistry); Chem 6850 (Graduate level Inorganic Seminar coordinator); Chem 6863 (Special Topics; Bioinorganic Chemistry); Chem 6970 (Departmental Colloquium Coordinator)

Erwin Abucayon
Post-doc

Education

University of Oklahoma - Ph.D. 2017 - Chemical Modeling of Unstable Intermediates in Heme-mediated NOx Biology

De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines - MS Chemistry (2012) – Bisphenol-A Imprinted Polymers for the Binding and Molecular Recognition of Bisphenol Derivative Compounds

Western Mindanao State University, Philippines - BS Chemistry (2008)

Teaching

Teaching Assistant:
CHEM 4444 (Advance Organic Synthesis) - Fall 2015
CHEM 3152 (Organic Chemistry I) - Spring 2015
CHEM 4444 (Advance Organic Synthesis) - Fall 2014
CHEM 1315 (General Chemistry I) - Spring 2014

Work Experience

Science Research Specialist I (2008-2012) - Packaging Technology Division
Industrial Technology Development Institute, DOST, Philippines

Awards

Sherril D. Christian Award for outstanding research and scholarship (2017) - OU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Provost’s Ph.D. Dissertation Prize, University of Oklahoma 2017.

Belle W. Goodman Award for outstanding scholarship (2016) - OU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Peer Recognition Award (2016) - OU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Awarded by the OU Society of Chemistry and Biochemistry Researchers.

International Travel Fellowship (2016) - OU College of Arts and Sciences.

Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship (2016) - OU Office of the Provost.

Roger E. Frech Award for Outstanding Research Performance (2015) - OU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Jeremy Zink
Graduate Student

Education

University of Oklahoma - PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (2016-Present)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - MS in Chemistry (2016)
Southern Illinois University Carbondale - BS in Chemistry (2014)

Teaching 

Teaching Assistant:
University of Oklahoma (2016-2019)
General Chemistry II
General Chemistry I & II – Head TA
Advanced Synthesis and Characterization

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Fall 2014 & Spring 2016)
General Chemistry I
Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2014)
General Chemistry II

Work Experience

Graduate Research Assistant (Summer 2019-Present)
PI: Dr. George B. Richter-Addo
Bioinorganic chemistry of metal-HxNOy systems.

Graduate Research Assistant (2015)
PI: Dr. Michael J. Shaw
Redox behavior and kinetic study of nitric oxide heme models via electrochemical techniques.

Awards

Outstanding Teaching Assistant in General Chemistry Award (2019) - University of Oklahoma

Jerry J. Zuckerman Award (2018) – University of Oklahoma

Provost Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (2016) - University of Oklahoma

Graduate Research Award (2015) - Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Merck Index Award (2013) - Southern Illinois University – Carbondale

Jennifer Londoño-Salazar
Graduate Student

Education

University of Oklahoma - PhD. (2018 - Present)
Universidad del Quindío, Colombia - BS in Chemistry (2017)

Teaching 

Teaching Assistant (2018-Present)
University of Oklahoma
General Chemistry I
Honors General Chemistry I
Honors General Chemistry II

Work Experience

Merck Internship - Associate Chemist/Discovery Chemistry (Summer 2021)

Internship with the discovery chemistry department focused on delivering clinical candidates on 2 lead optimization programs for infectious diseases.

Graduate Research Assistant (Summer 2020)
PI: Dr. George B. Richter-Addo
Bioinorganic chemistry of metal-NOx systems.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (Fall 2018-Present)

Undergraduate Research Assistant (2014)
Structural characterization of aminopyrazole and iminopyrazole compounds and their Palladium complexes.

Awards

Outstanding General Chemistry Teaching Assistant Award (Spring 2020) – University of Oklahoma

Provost Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021) - University of Oklahoma

Michael Abraham Teaching Award (2018) – University of Oklahoma

Honor Bachelor’s in Chemistry Thesis Award (2017) - Universidad del Quindío

EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program (2017) 

Tsitsi Kapfunde
Graduate Student

Education

University of Oklahoma PhD in Chemistry (2019 – present)
University of Johannesburg MS in Chemistry (2018)
University of Johannesburg BS in Chemistry (2016)

Teaching

University of Oklahoma: Teaching Assistant
General Chemistry II (Fall 2019 & Spring 2020)
British International College (South Africa)
Chemistry Tutor (2018-2019)
University of Johannesburg: Tutor and practical demonstrator
General and inorganic Chemistry (2014-2018)

Brad Ross
Graduate Student

Education

University of Oklahoma - PhD. (2019-present)

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry- Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, MI

Teaching

General Chemistry I

Organic Chemistry I for majors 

Awards

Saginaw Valley State University Student-Led Research Grant

Saginaw Valley State University Travel Grant