Dr. Andrei Tokmakoff has been awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chemistry. Dr. Tokmakoff received his doctoral degree from Stanford University under the supervision of Professor Michael Fayer. Dr. Tokmakoff will continue research at the University of Chicago under the sponsorship of Professor Graham Fleming. His postdoctoral research will target the study of solvent modes in water, aqueous solutions, and other complex liquids. Femtosecond visible pulses will be used to understand low frequency modes and structural evolution of liquids with 5th and 7th order nonlinear Raman spectroscopy and linear Raman-induced Kerr effect experiments. Theoretical advances will be made in the description of high-order nonlinear experiments, particularly in the description of the influence of orientational motion on coherence experiments. The research will contribute to our understanding of the concepts and techniques of ultrafast spectroscopy of condensed phase chemical systems. The Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Chemistry Program is viewed as an important infrastructural program designed to broaden the knowledge and experience of new Ph. D.s and attract them into meaningful careers in contemporary chemical research and teaching.
