Robyn Gdula Graduates with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry
- Community
- Aramco Brats
Author: Charlotte Gdula
Released 22 March 2007
On December 17, 2006, Robyn Gdula graduated with her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her dissertation, titled "Design and Synthesis of Highly-Active Group 6 Metal Catalysts for use in Triple-Bond Metathesis," broke down barriers commonly associated with catalytic metathesis reactions by developing a catalyst system that allowed the process to occur with atoms other than carbon. Her work, performed in conjunction with her advisor, Prof. Marc J. A. Johnson, has drawn great interest from the chemical community, most notably colleague and Nobel Laureate Prof. Richard Schrock.
While at Michigan, Robyn represented the Chemistry Department as a member of the 4-person team involved in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, a program by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, aimed at evaluating and improving Doctoral education throughout the US. She also was involved with the Graduate Student Council in Chemistry, the Preparing Future Faculty program, and was a GAANN program fellow.
Robyn’s family lives in Dhahran. She attended Mercersburg Academy before getting her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University. Recently, Robyn started her new job as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Los Alamos National Labs in New Mexico.
Robyn can be contacted at robyn@lanl.gov or robyngdula@gmail.com.