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Chemistry has interested me since my first day of high school chemistry when Mr. Luthy ignited a large jug of methanol vapor that singed the ceiling tile leaving a discolored ring. I took an "advanced" chemistry course the subsequent year and have been immersed in the discipline ever since.

I attended Freed-Hardeman University (FHU) after high school and graduated with a degree in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. My intention was to continue into pharmaceutical research, but I always had this nagging interest in physics and, at the last moment, decided to go on to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical physics.

I attended the University of Nevada, Reno, (UNR) after graduating from FHU and had the opportunity to take part in several different research projects as well as work with the Department of Energy at Sandia National Laboratory in their Combustion Research Facility. I worked with Dr. Cline at UNR and was fortunate to have great success in our projects involved in chemical dynamics and molecular control. In 2005, after graduation, I decided to return to FHU.

I was greatly blessed while a student at FHU. The faculty were considerate and encouraging, and the Christian atmosphere was nurturing such that I can truly say that I would not be the person I am today without FHU. My desire is to continue to help provide a place of learning that will foster academic excellence as well as spiritual growth and maturity. I met my wife (Regina) at FHU, and hope to coax our daughter (Amelia) and son (Ryder) to follow in our footsteps as a student of FHU.

Curriculum Vita

Education

Teaching Experience

Other Experience

Research

Current

Cross-disciplinary research focused on molecular dynamics due to photochromic processes. Student research is currently investigating isomerizaion of 5-coordinate phosphorus compounds at a theoretical level and looking for trends when compared to published experimental data.

Future work to include chemical dynamics and photochemical kinetics.

Past

Chemical Dynamics:

Previous projects have included crossed-beam scattering of Ar, Ne, and N₂) with NO to investigate the chemical dynamics of the scattering systems. Results show it is possible to generate molecules with a specific sense of rotation, a view toward molecular control.

Molecular Motor:

The goal was to produce a molecular motor that could be absorbed to a surface an driven by light absorption which would induce isomerization with directionally geared rotation. Functional groups were varied and spectral absorption variations were measured as well as the quantum yields for the (E)- and (Z)- isomers.

Publications

Journals

"Synthesis, structures, and photoisomerization of (E)- and (Z)-2-tert-butyl-9-(2,2,2-triphenylethylidene)fluorene", J.W. Barr, T.W. Bell, V.J. Catalano, J.I. Cline, D.J. Phillips, and R. Procupez, J. Phys. Chem. A. 109, 11650-11654 (2005).

"Ion imaging studies of product rotational alignment in collisions of NO (X²&Pi_1/2, j=0.5) with Ar", E.A. Wade, K.T. Lorenz, D.W. Chandler, J.W. Barr, G.L. Barnes, and J.I. Cline,Chem. Phys. 301, 261-272 (2004).

"Ion imaging measurement of collision-induced rotational alignment in Ar-NO scattering", J.I. Cline, K.T. Lorenz, E.A. Wade, J.W. Barr, and D.W. Chandler, J. Chem. Phys. 115, 6277-6280 (2001).

"Direct measurement of the preferred sense of NO rotation after collision with argon", K.T. Lorenz, D.W. Chandler, J.W. Barr, W. Chen, G.L. Barnes, and J.I. Cline, Science 293, 2063-2066 (2001).

For commentary on this work, also see:
"Close encounters", F.F. Crim, Science 293, 2014-2015 (2001).
"News of the Week: Which way do they spin?", E. Wilson, Chemical and Engineering News 79(38), 9 (17 Sep 2001). 
"Search and Discovery: Experiment and Theory Combine to Probe the Quantum Chemistry of Molecular Beams", C. Day, Physics Today 55(1), 13-15 (Jan 2002).

Conferences

"Photoisomerization Kinetics of a Prototype Light-Driven Molecular Motor", J.W. Barr, J.H. Mantha, R. Procupez, N. Hext, T.W. Bell, J.I. Cline, Western Spectroscopy Association, University of Nevada, Reno, 2004, Pacific Grove, CA.

"Collision Induced Product Rotational Orientation in Inelastic Bi-molecular Cross Beam Scattering of NO With N₂", J.W. Barr, J.I. Cline, M.S. Elioff, D.W. Chandler, Western Spectroscopy Association, University of Nevada, Reno and Sandia National Laboratories/CA, 2003, Pacific Grove, CA.

"Collision Induced Product Rotational Orientation in Inelastic Bi-molecular Cross Beam Scattering of NO With Ar, Ne, and N₂", J.W. Barr, W. Chen, G.L. Barnes, J.I. Cline, K.T. Lorenz, M.S. Elioff, D.W. Chandler, Atomic and Molecular Interaction Gordon Research Conference, University of Nevada, Reno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and Sandia National Laboratories/CA, 2002, Bristol, RI.* 
* Award Winner: Best Experimental Poster Presentation

"Analysis of No-Ar Bi-molecular Cross Beam Scattering", J.W. Barr, W. Chen, J.I. Cline, K.T. Lorenz, D.W. Chandler, Western Spectroscopy Association, University of Nevada, Reno and Sandia National Laboratories/CA, 2002, Pacific Grove, CA.

Presentations

"Crossed Molecular Beam Scattering Sutdies of the Rotational Alignment and Orientation of Nitric Oxide in Inelastic Collisions with Argon Atoms", J.W. Barr, University of Nevada, Reno - Seminar, University of Nevada, Reno, 2002, Reno, NV.

"Structure and Electronic Properties of Carbon Nanotubes", J.W. Barr, University of Nevada, Reno - Seminar, University of Nevada, Reno, 2000, Reno, NV.

Resources

Links