Joseph M. Tanski

Joseph M. Tanski is a Professor of Chemistry at Vassar College, holding the Matthew Vassar, Jr. Chair. He has been affiliated with Vassar since 2003, serving as Chair of the Chemistry Department during 2011–2014 and 2018–2020. He earned his A.B. in Chemistry from Vassar College (1995) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell University (2000). His research focuses on asymmetric catalysis, extended structure coordination chemistry, and X-ray crystallography, supported by National Science Foundation grants (NSF-MRI 0521237, NSF-RUI 0911324, NSF-MRI 1526982). His laboratory in the Bridge for Laboratory Sciences houses advanced equipment for synthesizing air/water-sensitive compounds and features a single-crystal X-ray diffraction facility and a 400 MHz NMR spectrometer.

Dr. Tanski teaches General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry. He leads the Asprey CCAS program and serves on the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee. He has held roles in professional organizations, including membership in the US National Committee for Crystallography (2017–2021) and currently coordinates the Mid-Hudson Section of the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Olympiad. His research collaborations include work with Gerard Parkin (Columbia University) and Peter T. Wolczanski (Cornell University).

Notable contributions include integrating X-ray technology in undergraduate education and interdisciplinary projects, such as using X-ray crystallography to analyze Renaissance art. His lab supports student research in catalysis, coordination chemistry, and structural analysis.