Dr. Larry W. Beck has been awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chemistry. Dr. Beck received the doctoral degree from Texas A & M University under the supervision of Professor James F. Haw. Dr. Beck will continue research at the California Institute of Technology under the sponsorship of Professor Mark E. Davis. The postdoctoral research will focus on the synthesis and characterization of new catalytic/molecular-sieve materials. Work includes the design of an alkali-free synthesis for zeolite ZSM-18 using a novel triquaternary amine compound as the template, as well as the synthesis of a combinatorial array of metal oxide compositions followed by characterization of the acid/base properties. The work leads to new understanding of the materials chemistry underlying heterogeneous catalysis. 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.
