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Education
2001- 2007 Ph.D.
(Bioenvironmental Science)
Morgan
State University
Concentration: Synthetic Organic Chemistry
June. 2000
Master of Science (M.S., Chemistry)
Delaware State
University
Concentration: X-Ray Crystallography, Organic
Chemistry
May.1996
Bachelor of
Science (B.S., Biology) Richard
Stockton College (NJ)
Concentration:
Molecular Biology
Work and Research Experience
2007- Present
Assistant Professor
Department
of Chemistry and Physics
Arkansas
State University, Jonesboro Arkansas
2005 Participant,
Summer Workshop at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing
Center, Bioinformatics
Group
“Modeling Proteins and Nucleic Acids with Amber, VMD, and the MMTSB
Toolkit”
(June
2005).
2004 MARC fellow, The
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Bioinformatics
Group, Bioinformatics.
Created
theoretical model using bioinformatics for
docking studies with synthetic molecules.
2001+
Graduate Research, Morgan State
University,
Improved
Microwave
Synthesis
of Bioactive
Molecules. Used microwave irradiation in
the solid state to improve yields and
times of current
conventional reaction mechanisms.
2000 Research Assistant,
Ashwin Inc, Developed electro-reactive polymers
for the creation of
energy
reflectance
properties on space bound vehicles.
1997 - 1999 Graduate
Research,
Delaware State
University, Crystal Engineering: A Systematic Study of
Phenoxypropionic Acid Derivates Towards Predictable Non-Centrosymmetric
Molecular
Architectures. Engineered and studied materials that when
irradiated under electromagnetic
radiation (light) can shorten its wavelength thereby increasing its
power.
1994 -1996 Undergraduate
Research Assistant,
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, The
Isolation
and Cloning of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Soybean. Isolated and
cloned the
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase
gene from soybean for later enzymatic research.
Teaching Experience
Sept.07 –
Present Assistant Professor,
Arkansas State University, Organic Chemistry
Prepared and administered organic chemistry &
labs to undergraduate students.
Sept.02 – June
03 Instructor,
Morgan State University, General Chemistry
Laboratory
Prepared and administered general chemistry
labs to undergraduate students.
Jan. 98 – May
99
Teaching Assistant, Delaware State University, General Chemistry Laboratory
Prepared and assisted in the teaching of
general chemistry to undergraduates.
Jan. 99 – May
99
Teaching Assistant, Delaware State University, Biochemistry Laboratory
Prepared and assisted in the teaching of
biochemistry to undergraduates.
Jan. 99 – May 99
Teaching Assistant, Delaware State University, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
Prepared and assisted in the teaching of
inorganic chemistry to undergraduates.
Sept. 94 -
Jan.96
Teaching Assistant,
Richard Stockton College (NJ), Genetics Laboratory
Prepared and assisted in the teaching of
genetics to undergraduates.
Jan. 96
- May 96 Teaching Assistant, Richard
Stockton College (NJ), Molecular Genetics
Laboratory
Prepared and assisted in the teaching of
molecular genetics to undergraduates.
Community Service
Mar. 2008
Judge, Northeast Arkansas
Regional Science Fair (NEARSF)
Apr. 1999
Judge, at the UMBC 2nd
Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in
the
Chemical
and Biological Sciences
Mar. 1998
Judge, at the South Jersey
Regional Science Fair
Aug. 1998
Volunteer, for the Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority Partnership in Mathematics and
Science
Career Conference, Atlantic City (NJ)
Allowed grade school students to
experiment and learn chemical principles
Jun.95 – Aug.
96 Richard Stockton College's Summer
Preparatory Program
Sought
to increase minority representation in the
sciences
Jun – Aug 95
Volunteer, UMDNJ Mentor
Scholars Program
Mentored high school honor student through
several undergraduate classes.
Honors and Awards
May 2006
American Institute of Chemist
Graduate Award
December
2004 Awarded 1st Prize at
the 9th RCMI International Symposium
on Health Disparities.
Baltimore,
Maryland
Jan. 03 –
Present RCMI Fellowship, Morgan
State University
Sept. 01 - Jan.
03 Title III Fellowship, Morgan
State University
Computer Skills
*
Microsoft Word *
Microsoft Excel
* Microsoft FrontPage *
Microsoft PowerPoint
* Microsoft Visual Studio * Microsoft Visual
Basic
* C++
* Microsoft J++
* Java
* Molecular Modeling
*Unix Based Silicon Graphics Systems
Laboratory Procedures
* RT/PCR
*Cloning
Technique
* Poly T mRNA isolation
*Fluorescence
*90 -300 Mhz NMR *
Blotting techniques
*Organic Synthesis
*DNA Sequencing
* Radio-Immuno
Assay *Gas
Chromatography
* X-Ray Crystallography *
UV-Vis Spectroscopy
* Structural Resolution (Unix Based Silicon
Graphics Systems)
Professional Organizations
2007 - Present Member, American
Society of Microbiology
2003- Present Member, American
Chemical Society
2003
-
2006 Student Member, American
Association for the Advancement of Science
1998 - 2003 Student Member,
American Chemical Society
1998
Participate in the
National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for
Minorities
in Engineering and Science (GEM Consortium)
Faculty Bridge Seminar
Grants
Faculty Research
Grant - Arkansas State University
"The Microwave
Synthesis and Testing of Novel Antimicrobial
Agents containing Cyclic Imidies"
$5,464.80.
Published Papers
Aaron M. Lineberry, Ellis T. Benjamin,
Raymond E. Davis, W. Scott Kassel, and Kraig A.
Wheeler. Structural Studies of Racemates and
Quasiracemates: Chloro, Bromo, and Methyl
Adducts of 2-Phenoxypropionic Acid. Crystal
Growth & Design. 2008, 8, 612–619.
Ellis Benjamin,
and Yousef Hijji. The Synthesis of
Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides Using Hydroxylamine
under Microwave Irradiation. Molecules. 2008,
13, 157-169.
Ellis
Benjamin,
Yousef M. Hijji.
A Novel Microwave Synthesis of Unsubstituted
Cyclic Imides.
Published in the proceedings of ECSOC-11, The
Eleventh International Electronic Conference on
Synthetic Organic Chemistry, November 1-30,
2007. Editor: Julio A. Seijas & M. Pilar
Vázquez Tato, ISBN 3-906980-19-7.
Earl
Benjamin III, John Cooper, Janet Jamison,
Wilbert Long, Ellis Benjamin.
"Computational and Experimental Probing of
Product Formation and Reaction Energies for the
Esterification of Maleic Anhydride Derived
Surfactants using Microwave Energy"
Published in the proceedings of ECSOC-11, The
Eleventh International Electronic Conference on
Synthetic Organic Chemistry, November 1-30,
2007.
Editor: Julio A. Seijas & M. Pilar Vázquez Tato,
ISBN 3-906980-19-7.
R.
J. Butcher, J. P. Jasinski, E. Benjamin,
Y. M. Hijji, E. Benjamin.
5-Hydroxy-4-methyl-4-azatricyclo[5.2.2.02,6]undec-8-en-3-one.
Acta Cryst. 2007, E63, o4565.
Earl
Benjamin III, Aron Reznik, Ellis Benjamin,
Arthur L. Williams. Mathematical Models of
Cobalt and Iron Ions Catalyzed Microwave
Bacterial Deactivation. Int. J. Environ. Res.
Public Health. 2007, 4(3),
203-210.
Earl Benjamin, Arron Reznik,
Ellis Benjamin, Arthur L.
Williams. Mathematical Model of Manganese Ion
Catalyzed Deactivation of Enterococcus
faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and
Escherichia coli. Cellular and Molecular
Biology. 2007, 53(3), 49-54.
Earl
Benjamin, Arron Reznik, Ellis Benjamin,
Arthur L. Williams. Mathematical Models for
Conventional and Microwave Thermal Deactivation
of Enterococcus faecalis,
Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia
coli. Cellular and Molecular Biology.
2007, 53(3), 42-48.
Ray J. Butcher, Yousef M.
Hijji and Ellis Benjamin.
1-Methoxy-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione Acta Cryst.
2007, E63, o1502-o1503.
Ray J. Butcher, Yousef M.
Hijji and Ellis Benjamin.
3-Aminocyclopent-2-en-1-one Acta Cryst.
2007, E63, o610–o612.
Yousef
M. Hijji and Ellis Benjamin.
Efficient Microwave Assisted Syntheses of
Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides. Heterocycles.
2006, 68(11), p2259-2267.
Raymond
J. Butcher, Yousef M. Hijji, and Ellis
Benjamin. cis-3-Azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2,4-dione.
Acta Cryst. 2006, E62,
o1266-o1268.
Yousef
Hijji, Ellis Benjamin, Melvin
Bolden. “Efficient Synthesis of Enaminones and
Cyclic Imides Using Ammonium Acetate under
Microwave Conditions” Published in the
proceedings of the 39th Annual
International Microwave Power Institute. 2005,
p125-128. Seattle, Washington. (July 2005)
Yousef
M. Hijji, Ellis Benjamin.
Microwave Assisted Efficient Conversion of
Anhydrides to Cyclic Imides and N-Methoxy
Imides. Paper Published in the Proceedings of
the 5th, 6th, 7th,
and 8th International Electronic
Conferences on Synthetic Organic Chemistry,
p1084-1091. Editor(s): Seijas, Julio A. (2004)
Presentations, Posters, and Published Abstracts
John Cooper**,
Ellis Benjamin, Janet Jamison,
Jessica Lack, and Earl Benjamin. The Synthesis
and Computationally Modeling of Glutamate
Receptors Antagonist as Novel Anticonvulsants.
New England Science Symposium - Biomedical
Science Careers Program (BSCP) Harvard
University School of Medicine. (April 2008)
Amanda
Harvey*,
Shengkuei Chui, Rian Snell, Mark Draganjac, and
Ellis Benjamin. Preliminary
Investigation of the Microwave Reaction of RuCl3
in DMSO. 28th Annual Undergraduate
Research Conference. Sponsored by the Department
of Chemistry at the University of Memphis.
(February 2008)
Ellis
Benjamin*,Yousef
M. Hijji. A Novel Microwave Synthesis of
Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides. 11th
International Electronic Conference On Synthetic
Organic Chemistry (November 2007)
Earl Benjamin
III*, John Cooper, Janet Jamison, Wilbert Long,
Ellis Benjamin. "Computational and
Experimental Probing of Product Formation and
Reaction Energies for the Esterification of
Maleic Anhydride Derived Surfactants using
Microwave Energy" 11th International
Electronic Conference On Synthetic Organic
Chemistry (November 2007)
Earl Benjamin
III*, Arthur L. Williams, and
Ellis Benjamin. “Effect of zinc ions
on the microwave disinfection of fecal coliforms"
Presented at the South Central Division of the
American Society of Microbiology Annual Meeting
(October 2007)
Ellis Benjamin*,
and Dr. Yousef Hijji. Eco-Friendly Synthesis Of
Cyclic Imides And Related Biologically Active
Molecules Using Microwave Technology. 13th
Annual Morgan State University Undergraduate /
Graduate Symposium.
Baltimore,
Maryland. (April 2006)
Earl Benjamin III*,
Ellis Benjamin, Arthur Williams. A
Novel Method For The Deactivation Of
Enterococcus Faecalis, Staphylococcus Aureus,
And Escherichia Coli. 13th Annual
Morgan State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium.
Baltimore,
Maryland. (April 2006)
Earl
Benjamin III *, Ellis Benjamin,
and Arthur Williams , “A Novel Method For The
Deactivation of Enterococcus faecalis,
Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli”
Presented at the New England Science Symposium
at Harvard Medical School (March 2006)
Ellis
Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. A Novel One-Pot Synthesis of
Thalidomide and its Derivatives Under Microwave
Irradiation. Selected Poster Presented at the
230th ACS National Meeting.
Washington DC (Sci-Mix), (Aug-Sept 2005)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. A Novel One-Pot Synthesis of
Thalidomide and its Derivatives Under Microwave
Irradiation. Poster Presented at the 230th
ACS National Meeting. Washington DC (Medicinal
Chemistry), (Aug-Sept 2005)
Yousef
Hijji, Ellis Benjamin*,
Melvin Bolden. “Efficient Synthesis of
Enaminones and Cyclic Imides Using Ammonium
Acetate Under Microwave Conditions” Poster
Presented at the 39th Annual
International Microwave Power Institute
Microwave Symposium. Seattle, Washington. (July
2005)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. “The Microwave Synthesis of
Thalidomide and its Derivatives” Poster
Presented at the 12th Annual Morgan
State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2005)
Tarrah N. Ezell*, Ellis
Benjamin, Yousef Hijji, LaVentrice D.
Taylor. “Do Cells Treated with Thalidomide
Analog H1 and H2 Exhibit Decreased Cytotoxicity
as Compared to Cells Treated with Thalidomide?”
Poster Presented at the 12th Annual
Morgan State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium.
Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2005)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. “A One-Pot Microwave Synthesis of
Thalidomide and its Derivatives” Poster
Presented at the Annual RCMI Spring Symposium 20th
Anniversary Commemorative Symposium. Houston,
Texas. (April 2005)
Ellis
Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. “Improved Synthesis of Imide
Dervived Compounds by Microwave Irradiation”
Poster Presented at the 9th RCMI
International Symposium on Health Disparities.
Baltimore, Maryland. (December 2004)
Ruel
Michelin*, Lafayette Fredrick, Temilade Adelore,
Laura Uradu, Ellis Benjamin,
Fredrick Oladeinde. “Comparative Antimicrobial
Activity of Bacterial Derivied Extract and
Amphotericin B During Disk Diffusion and Agar
Dilution Assays.” Presented at the 9th
RCMI International Symposium on Health
Disparities. Baltimore, Maryland. (December
2004)
R. Michelin*, L. Fredrick, F.
Weichold, E. Benjamin, E. Batta,
W. W. Leitner, M. Jenkins, E. Bergmann-Leitner,
J. Howard, A. Williams. “In Vitro Cytotoxic and
Anti-Poliferative Activity of Microbial Derived
Extract on Human and Mouse Cancer Cell
Lines.”Poster Presented at the 9th
RCMI International Symposium on Health
Disparities. Baltimore, Maryland. (December
2004)
Tarrah
N. Ezell*, Ellis Benjamin, Gregory
Shield, Yousef Hijji, LaVentrice D. Taylor. “Do
Cells Treated with Thalidomide Analog H1 and H2
Exhibit Decreased Cytotoxicity as Compared to
Cells Treated with Thalidomide?” Speech at the 9th
RCMI International Symposium on Health
Disparities. Baltimore, Maryland. (December
2004)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. “A Novel Microwave Assisted
Synthesis of N-Hydroxy and N-Methoxy Imides as
Potential Anticancer and Antidepressant Agents.”
Poster presentation at the 228th ACS
National Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(August 2004)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji “A Novel Microwave Synthesis of
Unsubstituted, Hydroxy, and Methoxy Imides
towards the Creation of Antidepressant
Functionalities” Poster presentation at the
Morgan State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2004)
Yousef
Hijji*, Ellis Benjamin. “Microwave
Assisted Synthesis Of Cyclic Imides, N-
Methoxyimides and Thalidomide Analogues” 2nd
International Microwaves in Chemistry
Conference. Orlando, Florida (March 4-7, 2003)
22. Ruel Michelin*,
Ellis Benjamin “Partial
Characterization of an Antifungal Metabolite
from an Unidentified Bacillus Species” Poster
Presented at International Conference on
Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, Georgia
(March 2004)
Ruel
Michelin*, Ellis Benjamin
“Isolation and Partial Characterization of an
Antifungal Metabolite from an Unidentified
Bacillus Species” Poster Presented at 52nd
Annual Meeting of the American Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania (December 2003)
Ellis
Benjamin *, Yousef Hijji. “A Microwave Assisted Efficient Conversion of Anhydrides
to Cyclic Imides and N- Methoxy Imides” The
Seventh International Electronic Conference on
Synthetic Organic Chemistry (ECSOC-7)
(November 1-30, 2003)
Ellis Benjamin *, Yousef Hijji. “A Simple One-Pot Synthesis of Thalidomide.” Poster
presented at Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM)
–American Chemical Society. Princeton, New
Jersey (June 2003)
Ellis Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji “Novel Pathways to Thalidomide
Synthesis” Poster presentation at the Morgan
State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2003)
Yousef Hijji*, Ellis
Benjamin, Joseph Wanene, Soe Mon.
“Microwave Assisted Diels-Alder Reactions and
the Synthesis of Cyclic Imides. Poster presented
at the Advanced Library Design and Organic
Synthesis. La Jolla, California (April 2003)
Yousef
Hijji*, Ellis Benjamin, Joseph
Wanene, Soe Mon. “Microwave Assisted Diels-Alder
Reactions and the Synthesis of Cyclic Imides.
Poster presented at the Microwave-Assisted
Organic Synthesis. La Jolla, California (April
2003)
Yousef
Hijji*, Ellis Benjamin. “Microwave
Assisted-Synthesis of Cyclic Imides and
Thalidomide Analogues”” Poster presentation at
RCMI International Symposium on Health
Disparities 2002. Hawaii. (December 2002)
Ellis
Benjamin*,
Yousef Hijji. “Microwave Assisted Cyclic Imide
Synthesis” Poster presentation at the Morgan
State University Undergraduate / Graduate
Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2002)
Yousef Hijji*, Ellis
Menjamin (Misspelled). Synthesis of
Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides Assisted by
Microwave Heating. Abstracts of Papers, 223rd
ACS National Meeting, Orlando, FL, (April 2002)
32. Ellis Benjamin*,
Kraig Wheeler. “The Creation of Novel Non-linear
Optical Materials.” Oral presentation at The
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Pomona,
New Jersey (April 1999)
Ellis Benjamin*, Mukta Hendi, Kraig Wheeler. “Crystal Engineering: An Approximate
Centrosymmetric Approach.” Oral Presentation at
Midwest Solid State Chemistry Symposium X.”
Indianapolis, Indiana (July 1999)
Mukta
Hendi*, Shella Fomulu, Ellis Benjamin,
Kraig Wheeler, Raymond E. Davis. “Approximate
Centrosymmetry as a Tool for Crystal
Engineering.” Poster Presented at the Northeast
Solid State Symposium. Buffalo, New York (August
1998)
Peter Straub*, Ellis
Benjamin, Paul Kaplan, Georgia Shearer
and Daniel Kohl. “Isolation of a
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PDH) gene
probe from Soybean (Glycine max) by a Reverse
Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction.” Poster
Presented at the 47th Annual Meeting
of the American Institute of Biological
Sciences.
Seattle, Washington. (July 1995)
Peter Straub*, Ellis
Benjamin, Paul Kaplan, Georgia Shearer
and Daniel Kohl. “Isolation of a
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PDH) gene
probe from Soybean (Glycine max) by a Reverse
Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction.”
Presented Published Abstract: American Journal
of the Botany (1995) |
