PFF Alumnus Promoted to Associate Professor
Former BU Chemistry Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow (2004-2007), John Miecznikowski, has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor at Fairfield University. Prof. Miecznikowski started his independent career at Fairfield University in September 2007 in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department. A dedicated and enthusiastic chemistry educator, he was selected as the Undergraduate Teacher of the Year at Fairfield University by Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society) in 2011.
Prof. Miecznikowski received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Yale University in 2004, where his research with Prof. Robert Crabtree focused on developing several new aspects of transition-metal N-heterocyclic carbene chemistry.
Following his Ph.D., he joined the BU Chemistry Department as a Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow (PFF).  The PFF Program provides a two-to-three-year, full time appointment in the Department of Chemistry for recent Ph.D. graduates who plan to pursue academic careers at 4-year liberal arts colleges as Prof. Miecznikowski did. It gives Fellows first-hand experience in teaching chemistry, while enabling them to conduct research. As a PFF, Prof. Miecznikowski was involved in team teaching General Chemistry I (CH101), and Inorganic Chemistry (CH232).  He did postdoctoral research under the direction of Prof. John Caradonna. His research focused on synthesizing and characterizing Fe(II) and Fe(III) model complexes for the 2-His 1-Carboxylate Motif of mononuclear nonheme iron oxygenases.
Prof. Miecznikowski joins the distinguished list of PFF alumni who have also achieved tenure: Amy Bradley, Associate Professor and Chair, Wilkes College;Â Robert Harris, MA College of Liberal Arts; Allison Moore, Belmont University; and Laurie Tyler, Union College.