FEATURED AUTHOR
Vera M Kolb
Vera M. Kolb is Professor of Chemistry at University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering, and MS and PhD in Organic Chemistry. She has worked in astrobiology field with Stanley Miller and Leslie Orgel from 1992-1994. She has over 150 publications in chemistry and astrobiology. She has received various research and educational awards as well as grants from Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium/NASA.
Subjects: Chemistry
Biography
My professional experience since I started working in astrobiology field:6/1990-present Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Department of Chemistry, Kenosha, WI
2007-2008 Wisconsin Teaching Scholar
6/2002-8/2003 Visiting Scientist, Northwestern University, worked with Prof. Joseph B. Lambert
5/1995-8/1995 Visiting Scientist, Scripps Institution for Oceanography, La Jolla, California (worked with Prof. Gustaf Arrhenius)
7/1992-7/1994 Visiting Scientist, The Salk Institute, Chemical Evolution Laboratory, San Diego, California (worked with Dr. Leslie E. Orgel)
7/1992-7/1994 Visiting Scholar, Department of Chemistry, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California (worked with Prof. Stanley L. Miller)
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, green chemistry, astrobiology, education
Personal Interests
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I love science and anything interdisciplinary. Making connections between different fields is always exciting to me. I started as a chemical engineer, then moved to the organic chemistry (loved stereochemistry!), then into the organic reaction mechanisms, medicinal chemistry (how opiates fit into their receptors, stereochemistry again!). However, since the age of 13 I was fascinated about the chemical origins of life, and I finally was able to get involved in this field and learn from Orgel and Miller, from 1992-1994. I stayed with this field since. I still love interdisciplinary connections and make them constantly.
I have a great hobby! I play violin, since the age of 8. For many years I played in various orchestras, most recently in Parkside Symphony. Playing in the orchestra is fabulous, since one is in the middle of the sounds coming from all different instruments. I make connections between different musical messages, which is like my love of interdisciplinarity.
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