December 2018:  Two new graduate students, Ishanka Liyanage and Ashley Schneider, are welcomed into the group!  Ashley Flores earns her M.S. Chemistry degree, congratulations!

October 2018:  Nate Black and Janaka Abeysinghe both present their research at the Midwest Regional ACS Meeting down I80 in Ames, Iowa.

September 2018:  Dr. Nate Coleman, Jr. (Ph.D. 2015) starts as a visiting professor (he later turned this into a longer term instructor position) at the University of Toledo, best wishes!

August 2018:  Tony Montoya earns his Ph.D. in Chemistry for his successful research on carbon nitride and 3d metal-modified titania synthesis and photocatalysis, a degree well-earned!

December 2017:  Janaka Abeysinghe joins the group as a new graduate student, welcome to the world of metathesis thermochemistry!

January 2017:  Majid Nada joins our group as a co-advised graduate student with Prof. Sarah Larsen (solvent-free and mechanochemical zeolite synthesis).

December 2015:  Ashley Flores joins our research group, welcome to the world of metal phosphide synthesis!

August 2015:  Nate Coleman, Jr. earns his Ph.D. in Chemistry for metal phosphide and sulfide research using solid-state metathesis and halide exchange chemical routes. Great job! 

January 2015:  After some time in the nano-startup world, we welcome Nate Black back to research as new graduate student!

July 2014:  Gillan presented a poster on the group's recent botanically templated metal oxides at the Solid State Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in New London, New Hampshire.

June 2014:  Tony Montoya delivered an oral presentation on his carbon nitride research at the Midwest Organic Solid State Conference in Iowa City.  Great job Tony!

April 2014:  Brian Barry (2010 Ph.D.) has accepted a tenure-track faculty position at the University of Wisconsin, Platteville.  Brian was a postdoctoral associate at the University of New Mexico/Sandia National Labs and later both a postdoctoral associate and analytical chemistry instructor at St. Mary's University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada).  We send Brian a big congratulations as he embarks on his independent academic career!

June 2013:  Tony Downs from Morehouse University joined our group for a UI summer NSF-REU program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, working with Tony Montoya on photocatalytic systems.  Glad you could join our summer research efforts!

May 2013:  Nathan Black, received his B.S. Chemistry degree (with a Greek Minor) from the University of Iowa and continues part-time research in the Gillan Group along with starting synthetic work with a UI startup company - NanoMedTrix. Stin iyá su, Nate!

April 2013:  Tony Montoya successfully conquered his comprehensive examination hurdle and is racing ahead with his doctoral research.  Great job Tony!

January 2013:  Andrew Zimmerman was awarded a Chemistry M.S. degree and has moved on to seek out new research challenges in the Pacific Northwest.  The Jade and ZZ plants will miss your oxide materials templating attention.  Best wishes Andrew!

December 2012:  Matt Lovander joins our group as the its first official joint grad student, co-advised with Professor Johna Leddy - an electrochemical energy systems expert.  Matt will be taking on a big challenge of integrating our materials work with electrochemical measurements.  This new program has a lot of strong "potential"!  Welcome aboard Matt!

June 2012:  Liam Taylor from Notre Dame University joined our research group as part of the UI summer NSF-REU program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, working with Nate Coleman.  Welcome to Iowa City Liam!  [Follow-up - after graduation from ND, Liam entered Chem grad school at University of Texas, Austin]

March 2012:  Both Nate Coleman and Andrew Zimmerman presented posters on their research at the ACS national meeting in San Diego.  Congratulations!

March 2012:  Andrew Zimmerman successfully completed his comprehensive examination!   Good job, Andrew!

May 2011:  Tyler Van Heest from Luther College joins us as part of the UI NSF-REU program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology working with Nate Coleman.  Welcome Tyler!

April 2011:  Joey Squires is awarded a UI undergraduate chemistry research award and earns his B.S. degree this spring.  [Follow-up - Joey is moving up the ranks as a lab chemist at Penford Products in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!]

March 2011:  Nate Coleman presents his SSM titania research at the ACS National Meeting in Anaheim.

January 2011:  Nate Coleman successfully completed his comprehensive examination. Great job!

November 2010:  Grad student Nate Coleman presented his solid-state metathesis metal oxide research at the NOBCChe (National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) Midwest Regional Conference at the University of Iowa.

August 2010:  Undergrad Miller Li has begun his Ph.D. journey at MIT in Boston- We all wish him the best of luck in his new grad school adventures back East!

Summer 2010:  UI undergrad Joey Squires conducted summer research with the UI NSF REU program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

March 2010:  Andrew Zimmerman presented his botanical templating research at the ACS National Meeting in San Francisco.

February 2010:  Brian Barry graduated with his Ph.D. and traveled to Albuquerque to start a postdoctoral position at the University of New Mexico/Sandia National Labs with Prof. Rick Kemp.