معرفی
Ruben D. Parra serves as Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Psychology at DePaul University's College of Science and Health. A full-time computational chemistry specialist, he teaches General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry while leading departmental operations since 2024.
His educational foundation includes:
- PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dr. Parra's research employs molecular orbital theory and density functional theory (DFT) to investigate noncovalent interactions, with emphasis on:
- Hydrogen/halogen bonding cooperativity
- Metal-ion binding by macromolecules
- Supramolecular host design using halogen networks
- Conformational analysis of peptide systems
Analysis of his 2022-2024 publications reveals a dominant focus on halogen-bonded networks for alkali metal recognition, particularly Li+ and Na+ binding. Key trends include cyclic cluster cooperativity studies, peptide nanotube formation mechanisms, and systematic exploration of cyano group effects on noncovalent interactions. His computational approach consistently bridges quantum chemistry with supramolecular design principles.
Dr. Parra has held significant administrative roles including Director of the University Office for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (2011-2018) and Interim Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion (2019-2020). His professional memberships span the American Chemical Society and International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
