معرفی
Stephen Contakes, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Westmont. He specializes in inorganic biochemistry, focusing on transition metal chemistry, catalysis, and biophysical chemistry. His research involves synthesizing molecular assemblies and light-driven catalysts for water remediation. Contakes earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from Lehigh University. He completed postdoctoral research at Caltech before joining Westmont, where he teaches inorganic, analytical, physical chemistry, and a liberal arts course for nonmajors.
His research spans over a decade, with publications in fields like ethics of military science, quantum physics theology, and science-religion dialogue. He emphasizes interdisciplinary education and the integration of sciences with humanities. Office hours are held Monday-Friday with flexible availability outside posted times.
Key research themes include molecular design for environmental applications, enzyme inhibition studies, and structural analysis of organometallic complexes. His work bridges traditional chemistry disciplines with contemporary societal challenges through innovative synthesis techniques.
