Mariusz Kozik

Professor Kozik teaches courses in General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Bioinorganic Chemistry, and Organometallic Chemistry. For teaching he uses the LEGIT method, which he developed based on POGIL teaching methodology. In LEGIT he uses Lectures which are followed with Guided Inquiry Teaching, where teams of students work on solving problems based on lecture materials. This methodology has been highly successful, especially in CHM 109 and CHM 110, the General Chemistry with Review courses.  Thanks to the slower pace in each course, each lecture can be followed by problem solving in teams.

Professor Kozik has an active research program studying the chemistry and applications of transition-metal substituted polyoxotungstates in non-polar solvents. Since 1990 he has supervised more than 30 undergraduate research students. His research group was the first to discover, in 1996, a possible application of this group of compounds as carbon dioxide reduction catalysts. Today several groups around the world have joined his efforts in that area. In his research he applies several modern spectroscopies, of which 2-Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)  is the most important technique. Recently, he demonstrated the application of 2-Dimensional Diffusion Oriented NMR as a direct proof that transition-metal substituted polyoxotungstates form oligomers in non-polar solvents. The results were in agreement with theoretical computations using Density Functional Theory.

Awards

• Kenneth L. Koessler Distinguished Faculty Award
• Peter Canisius Distinguished Professorship
• Oishei Professorship
• Science Teachers Association of New York State Section Service Award
• More than $ 0.5 million in research grants from National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Research Corporation, Oishei Foundation, and Honeywell Inc.

Publications

Canisius Undergraduates in Bold

“Dimerization of cobalt substituted Keggin phosphotungstate, PW₁₁O₃₉Co(X)]^5-, in nonpolar solvents” A. Dannenhoffer, J. Baker, N. Pantano, J. Stachowski, D. Zemla, W. Swanson, E. Zurek, S. Szczepankiewicz, and M. Kozik J. Coord. Chem. 2014, 67, 2830.

"Photochemical Reduction of Transition Metal Substituted Heteropoly Anions in Non-aqueous Solutions" M. T. Colvin, M. Kozik, and S. H. Szczepankiewicz J. Phys. Chem. 2006, 110, 10576.

"Transition Metal Substituted Heteropoly Anions in Nonpolar Solvents - Structures and Interaction with Carbon Dioxide" J. Paul, P. Page, P. Sauers, K. Ertel, C. Pasternak, W. Lin, and M. Kozik in “Polyoxometalate Chemistry for Nanocomposite Design”, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002, 205.

"Interaction of Carbon Dioxide with Heteropoly Anions in Nonpolar Solvents. Evidence for Complex Formation" S. Szczepankiewicz, C. Ippolito, B. Santora, G. Ippolito, T. Van de Ven, L. Fronckowiak, F. Wiatrowski, T. Power, and M. Kozik Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37, 4344.

"The "Golden Penny" Demonstration. An Explanation of the Old Experiment and the Rational Design of the New and Simpler Demonstration" S. Szczepankiewicz, J. F. Bieron, and M. Kozik, J. Chem. Ed. 1995, 72, 386.