Christopher Fennell

Christopher Fennell is an Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair of Chemistry at Oklahoma State University. He directs the NSF-funded OAK region high-performance computing initiative and serves on the NSF ACCESS resource allocation committee. His research focuses on computational chemistry and molecular modeling of condensed phase systems.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry, University of Notre Dame
• BS in Chemistry, Drake University
• Postdoctoral training at University of California, San Francisco and Stony Brook University

Research in the Fennell lab spans molecular force field development, solvation and transfer free energy methods, biomolecular diffusion calculations, and quantum mechanical studies of molecular clusters. The lab's work is funded by NSF and NIH grants and addresses fundamental questions in molecular interactions and thermodynamics.

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on developing computational methods for protein dynamics, catalytic reaction mechanisms, and molecular simulation tools. His team maintains the OpenMD molecular dynamics engine used for complex system simulations.

Leadership & Outreach:

• Developed Molecular World Building program for STEM education
• Organizes interactive chemistry workshops for K-12 students
• Created 3D-printed molecular modeling kits for educational use