Biography
Carmen Valdez Gauthier earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of New Hampshire; she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. At the present time, Dr. Gauthier is the Chair of the Chemistry and Physics Department at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Her general area of research is in the field of supermolecular chemistry and she has presented scholarly papers internationally on various aspects of her research. Dr. Gauthier has taught in a college preparatory school, a community college and liberal arts colleges. The majority of her higher education career has taken place in predominantly undergraduate institutions. She has served as a faculty member, earning tenure and full professor status, as a department chair, director of the Honors Program, and faculty representative to the New England Board of Higher Education. Dr. Gauthier has facilitated the development of teacher training programs, faculty development through grants from the Flinn Scientific Foundation, local foundations and the American Chemical Society to name just a few.
Dr. Gauthier serves on the International Activities Committee and the Committee on Membership Affairs of the American Chemical Society, and is the past-chair for the Florida Section of the American Chemical Society. She is a member of the International Center for Undergraduate Chemistry, the Peruvian Chemical Society, the National Science Teacher Association, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honors Society, Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society, and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
Education
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of New Hampshire
B.Sc., Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
Honors and Awards
- Salutes to Excellence, award presented by the Florida Local Section of the American Chemical Society - 2008
- ODK Teacher of the Year - 2006
- Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers - 2003/2004
- Dissertation Fellowship for Outstanding Ph.D. Candidate, University of New Hampshire - 1987-1988
Projects
Dr. Gauthier’s research project has been focused on the synthesis and characterization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). MOFs are a class of coordination polymers constructed by metal ions and multi-dentate organic ligands with one-, two, or three-dimensional crystalline structures. Most recently, she has explored the synthesis of cyclic imides using the Cocrystal Controlled Solid-State Synthesis (C3S3) approach. students in her research group gain experience in multinuclear NMR, IR, microwave reactor synthesis and x-ray diffraction.
She has mentored over eighteen students at FSC. All her students have presented their research at the ACS National Meeting, ACS Regional Meeting and the Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Research Presentations (made by C. Valdez Gauthier's undergraduate students at national meetings (name of undergraduate authors are underlined)
Solid state synthesis of imide ligands, Sarah Grossman, and C. Valdez Gauthier, 44th Biennial Conference of Gamma Sigma Epsilon – Chemistry Honor Society, Pembroke, NC, March 2011.
Synthesis of metal-organic frameworks using copper (II) and dicarboxylic acids, Patricia Gomez, and C. Valdez Gauthier, 239th ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2010.
Complexation studies of cobalt II and teraphenylporphyrins, Madelane Teran, and C. Valdez Gauthier, 238th ACS National Meeting, Washington, DC, August 2009.
Synthesis of coordination polymers using the imide ligand [N-(4-carboxyphenyl)-5-carboxypthalimide] and other novel imide ligands, A. Tamasi, L. WolfeCarmen Valdez Gauthier, 237th ACS National Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, March 2009.
Synthesis and coordination of novel imide ligands from 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic anhydride and aminobenzoic acid derivatives: A green chemistry approach, J. Massing, K. Yerton and C. Valdez Gauthier; 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2008.
Synthesis and Characterization of {[Co2(1,3-ADC)2(4,4’-BPY)4(NO3)2]•MeOH}n. Courtney Baker and Carmen Valdez Gauthier; 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 2007.
Design and synthesis of supramolecular compounds containing dicarboxylic acids and copper ions. B. West, and Carmen Valdez Gauthier; Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME) 2006, Orlando, FL, May 2006.
Bradley West, won second place in the Undergraduate Research competition in Orlando, Fla., May 11, as part of the FAME.
Synthesis and Characterization of 1-D coordination polymers of [Cu(NO3)2(4,4’-BPY)2]n and [Cu(NO3)2(4,4’BPY)2]n. E. Garcia Cardona and Carmen Valdez Gauthier; 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 2006.
Design and synthesis of supramolecular compounds using copper (II) ion, 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid and pyridine derivatives. C. Cherenfant, B. West and Carmen Valdez Gauthier; 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 2006.
Design of Supramolecular compounds using copper (II) ion, 1,3-cyclohexanedicarboylic acid, 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid, and ammonia derivatives. A. Vedenko, B. West, and Carmen Valdez Gauthier; 229th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 2005.
Self-assembly of coordination polymers using zinc(II), glutaric acid and 4,4’-bypiridine. H. Darwiche, and C. Valdez Gauthier; ACS 55th Southeast Regional Meeting, Atlanta, GA, November 2003.
Crystal engineering: self-assembly of supramolecular arrays using copper carboxylates and amine derivatives. S. Bronson; and C. Valdez Gauthier; ACS 55th Southeast Regional Meeting, Atlanta, GA, November 2003.
Self-assembly of one-dimensional supramolecular arrays using transition metal salts and hexamethylenetetramine. H. Darwiche; D. Nyalani, and C. Valdez Gauthier; 225th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 2003.
Publications and Exhibitions
“Poly(methylmethacrylate) composites of copper-4, 4’-trimethylenedipyridine”, Shisi Liu, Lukasz Wojtas, Justin Massing, Carmen Valdez Gauthier, Julie P. Harmon, New J. Chem., 2012, 36, 1449-1456.
Spattering of hot cooking oil with water, G Pinto, C.V. Gauthier, J. Chem. Educ., 2009, 86 (11), 1281-1285.
Some consideration regarding the active learning in chemistry, G Pinto, C.V. Gauthier, P. Kelter, G. Weaver, Chem. Educator [online], 2008; DOI 10.1333/s00897082130a.