BIO

My research interest lies at the interface of inorganic chemistry, materials science and engineering, microbiology and environmental remediation. It is my goal to use expansive, challenging research projects as a tool to help prepare highly qualified students for the next steps in their professional development. As a tenured, full professor at the College of Idaho, I have had the privilege of mentoring approximately 20 undergraduate students on a variety of research projects over the course of the past five years. Approximately half of the students who have conducted research with my group have continued their education in medical, dental, pharmacy, or Ph.D. programs around the country, including at Colorado State University, University of Utah, the University of Washington WAMI program, Colorado School of Mines and the Nation Renewable Energy Laboratory/University of Colorado-Boulder. The output of the undergraduate student researchers from my group has taken the form of three honors theses, numerous presentations at local, regional and national level scientific meetings and multiple peer-reviewed publications. Perhaps most importantly, undergraduate students have been directly responsible for generating the data that has lead to sustaining funding for all of the activities in my research group.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry & Materials Science, Rice University, 2003

B.S., Chemistry, Centenary College of Louisiana, 1999

SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH

Representative national level presentations:

N. Hunter, K. Cornell, J. Thurston; “The antimicrobial properties of graphitic carbon nitride”; 250th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA

J. Thurston, L. Wayment, N. Hunter, P. Erstad, D. Xu K. Cornell; “Design, synthesis and evaluation of N,N’-diarylurea complexes as next-generation inhibitors of the bacterial enzyme MTN”; 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego CA

J. Thurston, N. Hunter, K. Cornell; “Broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of photocatalytically active nanostructured graphitic carbon nitride (ns-g-C3N4) coatings under visible radiation”; 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego CA

K. Bertagnolli, S. Nick, P. Erstad, D. Xu, J. Thurston, K. Cornell “Characterization of Potential Allosteric Effectors of Bacterial MTN”; 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA

J. Thurston, K. Cornell, N. M. Hunter “Enhanced visible-light driven antibiotic activity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) films derived from urea”; 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Tenure (2012), The College of Idaho

Harry B. Weisner award for excellence in research (2003) and in teaching (2002), Rice University

Graduated Magna cum Laude with departmental honors (1999), Centenary College

Chemistry Graduate of Year (1999), Centenary College

Organic chemistry student of year (1998), Centenary College

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Research Chemist, Condea Vista Corporation, Austin, Texas, 2001-2002

Industrial Internship in synthetic organometallic chemistry.

Responsible for the design and synthesis of novel olefin oligomerization catalysts.