Dr. Alex Cusumano Joins the University of Chicago Chemistry Department Faculty
The University of Chicago Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alex Cusumano to its faculty. Dr. Cusumano's research expertise spans the areas of synthetic organic, organometallic, and computational chemistry, promising to enhance the department's existing strengths in these disciplines.
Dr. Cusumano's foundational training in chemistry began with a high school internship under the supervision of Prof. Markus Etzkorn at UNC Charlotte. He subsequently earned his B.S. in Chemistry from North Carolina State University, where he conducted research in synthetic organic chemistry with Prof. Joshua Pierce. His graduate studies at Caltech, under the guidance of Profs. Brian Stoltz and William Goddard III, focused on employing hybrid computational-experimental approaches to develop novel catalytic asymmetric transformations from fleeting chiral Pd enolates. This work was recognized with the 2024 Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Achievements in Graduate Research. Upon completion of his graduate studies, Alex continued his research as a Ruth L. Kirschstein NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Abigail Doyle at the University of California Los Angeles, where his research investigated organometallic photochemistry within the context of base metal catalysis.
Regarding his appointment, Dr. Cusumano shared, “I am honored to be joining the Department of Chemistry at the University of Chicago. The department offers an exciting intellectual environment and has an impressive history of carrying out world-class research across the chemical sciences. I can’t wait to become a part of this vibrant community and contribute to the amazing science taking place here every day.”
The Cusumano Group's research will integrate the fields of organometallic, computational, physical organic, and synthetic organic chemistry, offering a unique ‘physics-based approach’ to address pressing challenges in synthetic chemistry. Their investigations will explore novel electronic structure–reactivity paradigms, develop chemical intuition from quantum mechanical calculations, pursue strategies to control the dynamical behavior of fleeting reaction intermediates, and employ gathered insights to develop synthetic methods for the construction of challenging bonds. Dr. Cusumano anticipates that the interdisciplinary nature of this research will foster collaborations within the department's diverse expertise.
A central objective of Dr. Cusumano's program at the University of Chicago includes the development of future scientists through a rigorous research environment. His aim is to establish a unique research environment that provides a rigorous scientific training, , opportunities for professional and personal development, and the freedom to explore creative and innovative solutions to modern scientific challenges.
The University of Chicago Chemistry Department welcomes Dr. Alex Cusumano to its faculty and anticipates his contributions to the department's research and educational activities.