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Curriculum Vitae

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 and Conferences

 

2008                           Attendee of the Rising Above The Gathering Storm Two Years Later: Accelerating Progress

                                    Towards A Brighter Future Conference. Washington,  DC.

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

1. 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.

2. Ellis Benjamin and Yousef Hijji. The Synthesis of Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides Using Hydroxylamine under Microwave Irradiation. Molecules. 2008, 13, 157-169.

3. Ellis Benjamin and 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Ray J. Butcher, Yousef M. Hijji and Ellis Benjamin. 1-Methoxy-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione Acta Cryst. 2007, E63, o1502-o1503.

10. Ray J. Butcher, Yousef M. Hijji and Ellis Benjamin. 3-Aminocyclopent-2-en-1-one Acta Cryst. 2007, E63, o610–o612.

11. Yousef M. Hijji and Ellis Benjamin. Efficient Microwave Assisted Syntheses of Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides. Heterocycles. 2006, 68(11), p2259-2267.

12. 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.

13. 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)

14. 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. 2004, p1084-1091. Editor(s): Seijas, Julio A.

 Presentations, Posters, and Published Abstracts               

1. Ellis Benjamin, Jessica Lack*, Janet Jamison*, John Cooper*, Yousef Hijji, Benjamin Rougeau, Louise Sowers, Earl Benjamin*. Computational Modeling of Thalidomide and it Derivatives to Multiple Protein Targets. Pharmforum 2008, Little Rock, Ar. (May 18-20, 2008)

2. Earl Benjamin*, Jessica Lack*, Janet Jamison*, John Cooper*, Brittany Bailey, Arthur L. Williams, Louise Sowers, Benjamin Rougeau, and Ellis Benjamin. Theoretical binding efficiency of triclosan derivatives to E. Coli. enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase enzyme. Pharmforum 2008, Little Rock, Ar. (May 18-20, 2008)

3. 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. Boston, Mass (April 2008)

4. Yousef Hijji and Ellis Benjamin. Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Thalidomide and Analogues. 1st International Conference on Drug Design and Discovery (ICDDD), Dubai, UAE. (February 4 ­ 7, 2008)

5. 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)

6. Ellis Benjamin and Yousef M. Hijji. A Novel Microwave Synthesis of Unsubstituted Cyclic Imides. 11th International Electronic Conference On Synthetic Organic Chemistry (November 2007)

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" 11th International Electronic Conference On Synthetic Organic Chemistry (November 2007)

8. 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)

9. 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)

10. 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)

11. 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)

12. Ellis Benjamin and 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)

13. Ellis Benjamin and 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)

14. 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)

15. Ellis Benjamin and 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)

16. 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)

17. Ellis Benjamin and 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)

18. Ellis Benjamin and 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)

19. 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)

20. 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)

21. 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)

22. 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)

23. 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)

24. 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)

25. 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)

26. 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)

27. 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)

28. 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)

29. Ellis Benjamin, Yousef Hijji “Novel Pathways to Thalidomide Synthesis” Poster presentation at the Morgan State University Undergraduate / Graduate Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2003)

30. 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)

31. 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)

32. 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)

33. Ellis Benjamin, Yousef Hijji. “Microwave Assisted Cyclic Imide Synthesis” Poster presentation at the Morgan State University Undergraduate / Graduate Symposium. Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2002)

34. 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)

35. 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)

36. 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)

37. 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)

38. 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)

39. 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.” Abstract Published: American Journal of the Botany (1995)

*   Denotes researchers from the lab.