Mark P. Heitz

Mark P. Heitz serves as Professor and Chair of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at State University of New York College at Brockport. Holding a PhD from SUNY Buffalo under Frank V. Bright and postdoctoral training at Penn State with Mark Maroncelli, he teaches core courses including Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Computational Chemistry while leading departmental administration.

Education:

• PhD, SUNY Buffalo; Research Advisor: Frank V. Bright
• Postdoctoral Research, Penn State; Research Advisor: Mark Maroncelli

His research centers on sustainable solvent systems, with expertise in ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, and microheterogeneous media. He employs fluorescence spectroscopy and computational methods to investigate molecular solvation dynamics, biomolecule conformational changes, and supercritical fluid applications. Current projects examine xanthan gum polysaccharide behavior, DNA-ionic liquid interactions, and enzymatic responses in novel solvents, addressing fundamental questions about solute-solvent interactions in green chemistry.

Analysis of his 2018-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in polysaccharide solution physics and alternative solvent systems. Key trends include conformational dynamics of biopolymers in aqueous media, solvation behavior of chromophores in ionic liquids/DES, and biomolecular stability in engineered solvents. His work consistently integrates spectroscopic, computational, and rheological approaches to advance sustainable solvent design for industrial applications.

Professor Heitz advises graduate and undergraduate researchers in his laboratory, fostering expertise in physical chemistry techniques. His active service includes Secretary of the Northeast Region ACS (2023-present) and Treasurer of the Rochester ACS Local Section (2008-2016, 2018-present), alongside editorial roles for ChemEngineering and Molecules journals. Collaborative projects with colleagues like Prof. Josh Blose extend his work into DNA biophysics.

His research group utilizes advanced spectroscopic facilities to study solvation processes across multiple solvent systems. Current efforts focus on reverse micelle dynamics, protein conformational changes in ionic liquids, and supercritical fluid applications for green chemistry, with implications for biocatalysis, drug delivery, and sustainable materials synthesis.