Molecular Recognition in Biological Systems and Bioinformatics

Large area (4200 μm x 4200 μm²) with color composite of pseudo-color intensity scales for flourocarbons (red), sodium from sodium chloride (yellow/green) and a sum of ions related to siloxane functionality (blue).

Scale reduced to 196 μm x 196 μm² region closeup.

Mass spectrometry, electron spectrometry, vibrational spectrometry of surfaces and biomaterials; surface and thin film analysis of compound semiconductors as spintronic materials, quantum wells and quantum dots; drug delivery and release; tissue engineering; quantitative surface analysis; geospatial and multivariate statistics of surface and environmental data; environmental public policy and analytical chemistry; public service learning.

Research
Analytical Spectroscopy of Surface Molecular Structure; Development of Molecular Approaches to Surface Analysis: X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA), Static Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (ISS), Fourier Transform IR with Reflectance and Photoacoustic Sampling, High Resolution Electron Energy Loss (HREELS).

Structure and Bonding in organic thin films and monomolecular layers (Langmuir/Blodgett techniques), highly crystalline homo and co polymers, biocompatible polymer materials and polymer composites and solutions.

Development of new materials with surface modifications via plasma and chemical techniques.

Chemometrics in signal processing. Curve Resolution, deconvolution and smoothing with Fourier Transform methods.

Interfacial Environmental Chemistry: Models of complex equilibria in natural and pollutant systems, baseline data assessment.

Geographic information analysis and spatial statistical analysis of environmental data; soil and air pollution.

Teaching
Curriculum Development in General Introductory Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Science for Non-Majors and Analytical Chemistry. Specific Analytical Chemistry courses developed: Instrumental Analysis, Surface Spectroscopy and Mathematical techniques for statistical analysis and experimental design.

Science Education using interdisciplinary research based approaches

Program development in undergraduate research, interdisciplinary graduate education and public service learning linked with research.

Public Service

Informal science education, environmental education, public service learning, community based research.

Honors
NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentorship (2005); Three SUNY Chancellor's Medals for Excellence in: Teaching (1996), Faculty Professional Service (2004) and Scholarly and Creative Activity (2005); Fellow of the American Vacuum Society (2004); Inventor of the Year, 2004, Niagara Frontier Technical Societies Council; 2003 Ernest A. Lynton Award for Faculty Professional Service & Academic Outreach, New England Resource Center for Higher Education, UMass; 72nd Jacob Schoellkopf Medal of the American Chemical Society, Western New York Section, 2002; Oakland University Distinguished Chemistry Alumni Award, 1998; NSF Award for Special Creativity, 1991-93; Exxon Educational Foundation Fellow 1989-91; Gelb Foundation Fellow, 1986 89.

Synergistic Activities
Organizer, coAuthor, Presidential Awardees in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) White Paper "Mentoring for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Workforce Development and Lifelong Productivity: Success across the K through Grey Continuum.", Sept. 2006. Organizer, UB Gender Week Symposium, "Advancing Women in the Sciences and Engineering at UB: Promotion, Tenure and Beyond", September 17, 2004. Facilitator Lessons from Existing PSM Programs, Conference on Minority Engagement in Professional Science Master's Programs, UTEP, El Paso, TX, January 9-10, 2004, Organizer, Invited Symposium on Symposium on Advances in Pedagogy and Content for Teaching Chemical Analysis", PITTCON 2004, Chicago, IL, March 7-10, 2004 PI on the following outreach and curriculum development programs: Community Linked Interdisciplinary Research (http://www.clir.buffalo.edu), public service undergraduate research; Professional Science Masters (http://www.professionalmasters.cas.buffalo.edu/), interdisciplinary masters degrees; NIH Undergraduate Summer Research Institute in tissue engineering (http://www.ribse.buffalo.edu/); extensive program in public service/learning and outreach in environmental chemical analysis in WNY, direct preK-16 science/engineering outreach program in Buffalo Public Schools.

XPS (PHI 5100), ToFSIMS (PHI 7200 and ION TOF TOFSIMS 5-100), LK Technologies HREELS, all with temperature controlled sample handling, FTIR with ATR, RA and Diffuse Reflection for surface analysis.

Geospatial statistics and multivariate statistics.

R. L. Goacher, H. Luo and J. A. Gardella, Jr., Formation of High Mass Cluster Ions from Compound Semiconductors Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry with Cluster Primary Ions, Analytical Chemistry, submitted, December, 2007.

M. H. Na, H. C. Chang, J. Zhao, J. Haetty, J. A. Gardella, Jr., H. Luo and A. Petrou "Optical and Structural Studies of the Effect of Spacers in Modulation Doped ZnSe/Zn1 xCdxSe Quantum Wells," Journal of Applied Physics, 86(2), 891 895, 1999

J. Zhao, M. H. Na, P. J. McKeown, H. Chang, E. Lee, H. Luo, J.-X. Chen, T. D. Wood and J. A. Gardella, Jr., "ToF SIMS Depth Profiling of Multiple Quantum Well II VI Semiconductors Using Negative Cluster Ions," Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology Part B, B 17(1), 224 9, 1998.

Joseph A. Gardella Jr., Heather M. Maciejewski and Mara B. Huber, "Service Learning in urban, high needs schools: Building from science education to the University at Buffalo/Buffalo Public Schools Partnership", Chapter in Service Learning with Government Partners, David Redlawsk and Thomas Rice, Editors, Jossey Bass, in press, 2008.

Joseph A. Gardella Jr., Tammy M. Milillo, Gaurav Sinha, Gunwha Oh, David C. Manns, and Eleanor Coffey, "Linking advanced public service learning and community participation with environmental analytical chemistry: lessons from case studies in Western New York", Chapter in Service Learning with Government Partners, David Redlawsk and Thomas Rice, Editors, Jossey Bass, in press, 2008.

Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., Tammy M. Milillo, Gaurav Sinha, Gunwha Oh, David C. Manns and Eleanor Coffey, "Linking Community Service-Learning, and Environmental Analytical Chemistry", Analytical Chemistry, Feature Education Article, 2007, 79 (3), 811-18.

Alan M. Piwowar and Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., "Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Polymer Tertiary Structure in Langmuir Monolayer Films of Poly (dimethyl siloxane)", Analytical Chemistry, 2007, 79, 4126-4134.

Joseph A. Gardella, Jr. Sheryl Tucker, Cheryl Schrader, Ashok Puri, Tanya Furman and David Pagni, "Mentoring for Science, Engineering and Mathematics Workforce Development and Lifelong Productivity: The K-Grey Continuum" September, 2006 National Science Foundation White Paper.

Tammy M. Milillo and Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., "Spatial Statistics and Interpolation Methods for TOF SIMS Imaging", Applied Surface Science, 2006, 252, 6883-90.

Changsik Ha and Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., "The Surface Chemistry of Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery Systems", Chemical Reviews, 2005, 105, 4205-4232.

Christine M. Mahoney, Jinxiang Yu and Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., "Depth Profiling of Poly(L-lactic acid)/Triblock Copolymer Blends with Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry", Analytical Chemistry, 2005, 77, 3570-3578

J. W. Lee and J. A. Gardella, Jr., "Simultaneous Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion MS Quantitative Analysis of Drug Surface Concentration and Polymer Degradation Kinetics in Biodegradable Poly(L-lactic acid) Blends", Accl Article, Analytical Chem, 2003, 75, 2950-2958.