Photochemistry of Nanomaterials

Matthew A. Tarr is Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Eurofins Professor of Analytical Chemistry, and a Faculty Fellow in the Advanced Materials Research Institute at the University of New Orleans (UNO). He served as Chair of the UNO Department of Chemistry from 2009 to 2015. He started at UNO in 1995 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Environmental Protection Agency in Athens, GA. He received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Georgia Tech in 1992, an M.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Chemistry (summa cum laude) from Emory University both in 1988. Professor Tarr conducts research in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, free radical oxidation of biomolecules, and synthesis and application of nanomaterials for biomarker detection and photocatalysis. He also coordinates outreach programs that provide research experiences for undergraduates, visiting international students, high school students, and high school teachers.

Phoebe Zito is a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine Early Career Gulf Research Fellow, University of Louisiana System Foundation & Michael and Judith Russell Professor in Environmental Chemistry, and affiliate in the Advanced Materials Research Institute at the University of New Orleans (UNO). She started at UNO in 2017 as a Research Professor after completing a postdoctoral position at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory from 2015 to 2017. She started as a tenure track assistant professor at UNO in 2019. She received her Ph.D. and M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from UNO in 2014 and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of South Florida in 2007. Professor Zito also spent time in the pharmaceutical industry sector from 2007 to 2011 as an Associate Chemist for a pharmaceutical company. Her research focuses on the photodissolution of organic pollutants in aquatic systems. This includes measuring rates, mechanisms and molecular-level transformations associated with photochemical processes governing dissolution and subsequent degradation of organic pollutants in aquatic environments. A major part of this research has been dedicated to applying unique analytical tools to understand and deconvolute complex environmental systems in the presence of pollutants, one of which included harnessing the power of metal photocatalysts as a remediation tool to break down organic pollutants using sunlight.