From the UA News Center | The U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program offers nearly 470 teaching, research or combination teaching and research awards in more than 125 countries. Three members of The University of Alabama’s faculty will receive Fulbright Scholar Grants for the upcoming year, including Dr. Kevin Shaughnessy, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

With this fellowship supported by the Polish-US Fulbright Commission, Shaughnessy will perform a research and teaching project in the Center for Molecular and Macromolecular Studies at the Polish Academy of Science in Łódź. He will work with Dr. Piotr Kaszynski to study the mechanism of palladium-catalyzed functionalization of boron cluster compounds.

These compounds play roles in medicine and LCD display devices. He will use novel boron cluster materials prepared in Kaszynski’s lab to carry out a detailed study of mechanism of palladium-catalyzed modification of these compounds. Through this work, the researchers hope to develop a better understanding of how these reactions occur to improve the efficiency and scope of the synthesis of these compounds. He also will teach a course on mechanistic organometallic chemistry to graduate students at the academy and the University of Lodz.