John DiCesare

Dr. John DiCesare serves as Associate Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics at Georgia Southern University's College of Science and Mathematics, having joined the institution in 2009 after 14 years at The University of Tulsa.

His academic foundation includes:

• B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Central Florida (1987)
• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology (1992)
• Postdoctoral fellowship in Medicinal Chemistry at Research Triangle Institute (1993)

His research program integrates synthetic organic chemistry with materials science, focusing on combinatorial methods, asymmetric synthesis, and molecularly imprinted polymers. Current initiatives span anti-cancer compound synthesis, carbon nanotube functionalization for advanced composites, nerve agent detection systems, NASA-funded catalytic water purification, and mechanistic studies of reductive amination reactions.

Recent publications (2009-2010) demonstrate consistent expertise in combinatorial library synthesis for drug discovery and biochemical stability studies, with strong emphasis on imidazole-based scaffolds and hydrolysis mechanisms applicable to medicinal chemistry.

His research accolades include:

• Zelimir Schmidt Award for Research Excellence (2004)
• Residential School on Medicinal Chemistry Fellowship (1997)
• Monsanto / UCF Summer Research Fellowship (1987)

Externally funded projects reflect diverse sponsorship from NIH, NASA, U.S. Army, and terrorism prevention initiatives, with active collaborations at Iowa State University (polymer composites) and Oklahoma State University (catalyst development). He teaches across the chemistry curriculum from introductory courses to advanced organic synthesis while mentoring undergraduate researchers in laboratory projects.

His laboratory operations focus on developing synthetic methodologies for biomedical and environmental applications, particularly in sensor technology and nanomaterial-enhanced polymers.