Shuming Chen

Shuming Chen is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Oberlin College, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She holds a BA from Grinnell College (2011) and a PhD from Yale University (2016). Her research focuses on computational-experimental synergies to elucidate chemical selectivity in organic synthesis, emphasizing transition metal catalysis, reaction mechanisms, and environmentally benign processes.

Research Highlights:

• Develops methods to control chemical selectivity via transition state analysis and computational modeling
• Specializes in ruthenium/iron catalysis, photoredox reactions, and difluorocyclopropane chemistry
• Explores applications in drug discovery, sustainable synthesis, and mechanistic insights

Recent Grants & Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award ($550,000)
• ACS Petroleum Research Fund Grant ($55,000)
• XSEDE computational resource allocation

Lab Techniques:

• Experimental: Air-free synthesis, NMR spectroscopy, LCMS/GCMS
• Computational: DFT calculations, molecular dynamics, Python scripting

Collaborations: Active partnerships with institutions like University of Marburg, Yale University, and Scripps Research.