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Home > Academics > Academic Programs > Chemistry Home > Faculty/Staff > Kevin Shea
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Smith College
Office: Ford Hall 312
Phone: (413)-585-4687
Fax: (413)-585-3786
Email: kshea(at)science.smith.edu
Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Organic Chemistry, 2000
Thesis: Studies on Polycyclic Unsaturated Compounds: 1. Synthesis and Properties of Cyclopenta[a]phenalenes 2. Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes.
Advisor: Rick L. Danheiser
B.S. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Chemistry, 1995
Smith College, 2000-2007, Assistant Professor
Smith College, 2007-present, Associate Professor
Smith College Sherrerd Center for Teaching and Learning, 2010-present, Director
CHM 108: Environmental Chemistry
CHM 111: Chemistry I: General Chemistry
CHM 222: Chemistry II: Organic Chemistry I
CHM 223: Chemistry III: Organic Chemistry II
CHM 226: Synthesis and Structural Analysis
CHM 321: Organic Synthesis
CHM 326: Synthesis and Structural Analysis
Organic Chemistry - I use organic synthesis to investigate new methods for carbon-carbon bond formation and to develop syntheses of biologically active molecules. Completed research focused on the application of tandem Nicholas and Pauson-Khand reactions for the synthesis of tricyclic heterocycles. Ongoing research involves expanding the use of cobalt-alkyne complexes in organic synthesis. One project is focused on production of dienes containing cobalt-alkyne complexes and evaluation of these materials in Diels-Alder reactions. Our ultimate goal is to develop a tandem Diels-Alder/Pauson-Khand protocol for the production of tetracyclic compounds. Another project aims to develop novel cationic Diels-Alder dienophiles stabilized by cobalt-alkyne complexes. A third project involves production of cyclic alkynes for use in click chemistry applications.
Honors Students
Josie Nakhla '03, organic chemistry PhD Michigan (Currently in marketing at Rexnord)
Christina (Longo) Rodrigo '04, organic chemistry PhD Yale (Currently a postdoc at Boston University with John Porco)
Miriam Quintal '04, organic chemistry Masters Harvard (Currently an educational lobbyist in Washington DC)
Kristi Closser '07 (Currently at UC Berkeley with Martin Head-Gordon)
Kathryn Robinson '07 (Currently studying to become a nurse practitioner)
Florina Voica '07 (Currently at Scripps with Phil Baran)
Seiko Fujii '08 (Currently U. of Illinois with Marty Burke)
Maureen Reilly '08 (Currently at UC Irvine with Scott Rychnovsky)
Stephanie Aldrin '10 (Currently in the Reproductive Endocrinology Lab at Mass General Hospital)
Rachel Dorset '10 (Currently a research chemist a Forma Therapeutics)
Julie Olson '10 (Currently a Fulbright Fellow in Malaysia)
Sarah Perlmutter '11 (Currently in research at Cabot Corporation)
Summer Students
Jen Breidenich '05 (Currently in material science graduate school at Georgia Tech)
An Tran '05 Medical College of Wisconsin MD (Currently in residency in California)
Elizabeth Crawford '06 (Currently a researcher at IonSense)
Amanda Freeman '06J (Currently teaching high school chemistry)
Mary Banks '07 (Currently in medical school)
Erin Davis '07 (Currently at U. of Illinois with Marty Burke)
Lisa Rosenberg '07 (Currently in law school)
Vida Chen '08 (Currently in medical school at the University of Maryland)
Kate Whitesell '08
Hannah Buettner '09 (Currently a medical researcher in Boston)
Melissa Torres AC '11J (Currently a research associate in molecular biology at Smith)
Keturah Edwards '11 (Currently a nursing student at Boston College)
Karolina Kosakowska '11 (Currently in research at Eutropics Pharmaceuticals)
Farah Ousman '11 (Currently in research at DuPont)
Mera Hoddinott '12
Sarah Rothstein '12
Catie Blunt '12
Szilvia B.Kiss '13
Tessa Clark '13
Elsa Hinds '13
STRIDE/AEMES/Special Studies Students
Karin Lemkau '04 (Wesleyan University) (Currently a graduate student at Woods Hole)
Liz Bosak '04 (Hampshire College)
Nicole Rosendale '05 (Currently in medical school)
Christina Lioce '08 (Currently in veterinary school)
Julia Wu '08
Amanda Lee '09
Alex Page '12
Katy Broadwater '13
Kristen Park '13
Olivia Cappello '14
Hana Cha '14
Kimberly Kupinski '15
Zulema Peralta '15
Olson, J. A.; Shea, K. M. "Critical Perspective: Named Reactions Discovered and Developed by Women," Acc. Chem. Res., 2011, 44, 311-321.
Shea, K. M. "The Diels-Alder Reaction," In Name Reactions for Carbocyclic Ring Formations; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2010; 275-308.
Closser, K. D.; Quintal, M. M.; Shea, K. M. “The Scope and Limitations of Intramolecular Nicholas and Pauson-Khand Reactions for the Synthesis of Tricyclic Oxygen- and Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles,“ J. Org. Chem., 2009, 74, 3680-3688.
Shea, K. M. “The Nicholas Reaction,“ In Name Reactions for Homologations-1; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2009; 284-298.
Shea, K. M. “The Grob Fragmentation,“ In Name Reactions for Homologations-2; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2009; 452-463.
Shea, K. M. "Martin's Sulfurane Dehydrating Reagent," In Name Reactions for Functional Group Transformations; Li, J. J., Corey, E. J., Eds.; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2007; 248-264.
Shea, K. M. “Furans and benzo[b]furans,” In Palladium in Heterocyclic Chemistry: A Guide for the Synthetic Chemist; 2nd Ed., Li, J. J., Gribble, G. W., Eds.; Elsevier: Boston, MA, 2007; 303-344.
Shea, K. M.; Closser, K. D.; Quintal, M. M. “Nicholas Reactions with Carboxylic Acids for the Synthesis of Macrocyclic Diolides” J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 9088-9091.
Quintal, M. M.; Closser, K. D.; Shea, K. M. “Tandem Intramolecular Nicholas and Pauson-Khand Reactions for the Synthesis of Tricyclic Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles,” Org. Lett. 2004, 6, 4949-4952.
Crombie, A. L.; Kane, J. L., Jr.; Shea, K. M.; Danheiser, R. L. “Ring Expansion-Annulation Strategy for the Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes and Oligoazulenes. 2. Synthesis of Azulenyl Halides, Sulfonates, and Azulenylmetal Compounds and Their Application in Transition-Metal-Mediated Coupling Reactions,” J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69, 8652-8667.
Shea, K. M. “Feist-Bénary furan synthesis,” In Name Reactions in
Heterocyclic Chemistry; Li, J. J., Ed.; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ,
2004; 160-167.
Shea, K. M. “Paal-Knorr furan synthesis,” In Name Reactions in
Heterocyclic Chemistry; Li, J. J., Ed.; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ,
2004; 168-182.
Kane, J. L., Jr.; Shea, K. M.; Crombie, A., L.; Danheiser, R. L. "A Ring Expansion-Annulation Strategy for the Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes. Preparation and Suzuki Coupling Reactions of 1-Azulenyl Triflates," Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 1081-1084.
Shea, K. M.; Lee, K., L.; Danheiser, R. L. "Synthesis and Properties of 9-Alkyl- and 9-Arylcyclopenta[a]phenalenes," Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 2353-2356.
American Chemical Society - organic division member
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