Education:
• B.A., 1978, State University of New York at Potsdam
• Ph.D., 1984, Iowa State University of Science and Technology
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 1984-1986, University of Virginia

Honors & Awards:
• Distinguished Achievements in Boron Science, 2000

Courses:
• CHE 103: Chemistry in the Modern World
• CHE 113: Forensic Science
• CHE/SOL 306: Seminar in Forensic Science
• CHE 615: Main Group Chemistry

Welcome to our research group's website!  I certainly feel that the research in the group is at an exciting edge of modern chemical research and we look forward to continuing our exploration of new and interesting areas of chemistry.

Our group is, to some extent, both synthetically and physically oriented.  Ongoing investigations within the group encompasses many aspects of chemical research and most of the research projects typically transcend the traditional boundaries of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry.  The projects in the group are usually rather broadly based in these subdisciplines while maintaining a well focused center of interest.  Direct applications of our efforts can be made to areas as diverse as materials science, nanotechnology, hydrogen storage, nonlinear optical materials, and optoelectronics.  One of our primary research themes is the design and synthesis of new molecules using techniques that have developed in my group.  Our interests revolve primarily around studies of the chemical and physical patterns of clusters as extended to organometallic synthesis, reactivity, and their application to real life problems.  We are especially actively pursuing the application of clusters in the formation of new advanced solid state materials.  It should be pointed out, however, that I strongly welcome new directions and perspectives and that group members have an enormous guiding input in the direction and scope of their research projects.

Graduate and undergraduate researchers occupy the central position in the ongoing research of our group.  I have been particularly lucky to have had many extraordinary researchers as colleagues in the group in recent years.

If I can provide any additional information about our research, including possible collaborations, please feel free to contact me (or members of my group) directly.  Thanks for visiting our website!

Jim Spencer
Professor of Chemistry
Syracuse University