University Professor with 24 years of Chemistry and Physical Science Teaching Experience

Lev's resume

Lev Rudolf Ryzhkov
1 Stoneridge Ct
Towson, MD 21239
(concealed information) (concealed information)

Education: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, March 1991 - May 1994: Yale University
Studies of dia- and paramagnetic intermediates in the photolysis of nitramines utilizing low-temperature single crystal EPR and FT-IR spectroscopy.

Research Director Prof. J. Michael McBride

Ph.D. Physical Organic Chemistry, 1991: Brown University, Providence, RI
Title of Dissertation "Evidence for the Existence of a Short-Lived Acyloxy-Alkyl Radical Pair in Thermal Decomposition of Lauroyl Peroxide"

Research Director Prof. Ronald G. Lawler

B.S. (with Honor), Chemistry, 1986: Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ

Experience: Professor, March 2008 - November 2018: Towson University

Sabbatical Leave, January 2003 - May 2003: The Johns Hopkins University

Associate Professor, March 2001-2008: Towson University

Assistant Professor, August 1995 - March 2001: Towson University

Visiting Research Scientist, Summer 1997, 1998: The Johns Hopkins University

Visiting Assistant Professor, August 1994 - June 1995: Skidmore College

Graduate Research: February 1987 - May 1991: Brown University.
Study of dynamics and stability of lauroyloxyl radicals produced in thermolysis of lauroyl peroxide by quantitative GC analysis of trace products and qualitative and quantitative CIDNP spectroscopy.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, September 1986 - February 1991: Brown University.
Intro General Chemistry, Intro Organic Chemistry, Adv Inorganic Chemistry, Computer Assisted Organic Chemistry Instruction.

As part of my teaching experience at Towson University I was instrumental in introducing computer-assisted instruction into the General and Organic Chemistry courses. In General Chemistry I worked to introduce modular, hand-held universal measurement instruments that allowed for data collection from various probes (temperature, pressure, electrode, etc.). This enabled students to collect a far larger data set per experiment and also engage in fairly sophisticated computerized data analysis. In Organic Chemistry instruction I introduced a set of experiments that allowed students to acquire FT-IR data of the unknown reaction products and analyze it using database searches. This enabled students to gain a better understanding of practical aspects of preparative organic reactions. Analysis of the structure of by-products aided in far better grasp of the reaction mechanisms.




Skills and Scientific Expertise:

⇒ Spectroscopy, including FT-IR, UV/VIS, multinuclear NMR, liquid, solid state and ultra-low temperature single crystal EPR/ESR, variable temperature qualitative and quantitative CIDNP (Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization spectroscopy)

⇒ Chromatography, including 1D and 2D Thin Layer, various column techniques, GC/FID, GC-MS and LC-MS.

⇒ Theoretical Background. As an undergraduate and graduate student I’ve taken nine courses in math (Calculus I-IV, Linear Algebra, Applied Computer Analysis, Differential Equations, Functions of Complex Variables, Advanced Topics in Analysis) and eight courses in Physics (Introductory Physics I, II with Lab, Waves and Oscillations, Analytical Mechanics, Computational Physics, Modern Physics, Mathematical Physics, Spectra and Structure). This rich and diverse and math-intensive background in exact sciences provided me with special abilities to do research based on theory and methods rooted in advanced application of math and physics in Chemistry.

⇒ Chemistry Background. On the undergraduate level I’ve taken twelve courses in Chemistry including General I and II, Organic I-III, Theoretical I and II (Thermo/Kinetics and Quantum Mechanics), Instrumental Analysis I and II, and graduate level courses in Advanced Organic Chemistry, Chemical Kinetics, and Chemometrics (obtaining A in all three courses).

Research: Mechanism of diacyl peroxide decomposition; stability and dynamics of acyloxy radical intermediates. High-precision quantitative CIDNP and GC/FID or GC/MS studies of ultra-low concentrations of radical reaction products. Mechanism of photolysis of cyclic diazoalkanes and solution phase studies of their excited triplets. Low-temperature, single-crystal EPR of cyclic hydrocarbon and other biradicals. EPR studies of aqueous free-radical inclusions in single crystals of KHP (potassium hydrogen phtalate).

Teaching
Experience: General Chemistry I, II
Organic Chemistry I and II (lecture and lab)
Physical Chemistry I and II (lecture)
Essentials of Organic Chemistry (lecture and lab)


Awards: Priestley Prize (best senior in Chemistry Department), May 1986
Stevens Institute of Technology

Outstanding Chemistry Student Award, May 1986, Hudson-Bergen Chapter of New York Section of the ACS