Professor Kingsbury was raised in rural upstate New York, where hours spent tinkering with his father, a mechanical engineer and woodworker, fostered an interest in science and a hands-on approach to problem solving.
Jason graduated from public high school as a scholar-athlete and then pursued a liberal arts degree at Hamilton College. After declaring Chemistry as a major, his fascination with marine natural products was strengthened through undergraduate studies with isolationist Robin B. Kinnel. He also engaged in biomedical research one summer as an REU fellow at the Whitney Laboratory for marine biology, conveniently located on the Florida coast south of St. Augustine.
In the summer of 1997, he moved east to Boston to begin doctoral work at Boston College – as eager as ever to pursue a career in teaching and academic research. Working in the labs of Amir Hoveyda as a National Science Foundation predoctoral fellow, Jason took part in the development of a recyclable Ru-based olefin metathesis catalyst that is gaining popularity among all practitioners of organic synthesis. His doctoral research included the design and synthesis of both chiral and solid-supported versions of this catalyst system, culminating in six publications, two patents, and one book chapter.
In early 2003, Jason moved to Harvard University to work with Nobel laureate E. J. Corey as a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow. There, he completed enantioselective total syntheses of the dolabellane diterpenoids isoedunol and β-araneosene after discovering an unusual synthesis of α-quaternary cyclobutyl ketones based on the Kulinkovich reaction.
Now happy to call Boston "home," he returned to B.C. in July of 2006 to begin an independent research program that applies the principles of catalysis to the asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized, strained small molecules. His research group is confident that advances in this area will allow for exciting new approaches to the asymmetric synthesis of stereochemically complex natural products.
Anyone who has had great teachers knows that simply being around them is inspiring. The excitement and passion they exude for their chosen subject is contagious. My high school physics teacher hooked me on problem solving, and I spent afternoons as a junior doing homework that was never even assigned. In college, I couldn’t wait for the next organic chemistry lecture, thanks to Robin Kinnel’s loud and colorful in-class demonstrations of reactivity. Admittedly, then, my career choice is tied to an eagerness to return to others what has so graciously been given to me, and my approach will be the same. To me, the greatest personal reward is only available to those educators who pass on to their students the same energy, enthusiasm, and academic rigor that they themselves bring to the classroom.
In thinking about my graduate experience, I must credit Amir Hovedya, and more recently E. J. Corey, for (respectively) instilling in me two very important notions. First, effective teaching at the forefront of modern science must take place in the laboratory as well as the classroom. Second, there is a near infinite potential for new discovery in organic chemistry. I look forward to a setting where I can work closely with both graduate and undergraduate students, conveying to them the principles and excitement of organic synthesis. One of the things I take pride in – in fact my greatest asset as a chemist – is my attention to detail. As an assistant professor, I plan on spending a wealth of time in the lab with my students, teaching them to approach every situation at the bench as I would, with the utmost of care, precision, and curiosity. In my experience, this painstaking and time-consuming training component is absolutely essential. The resulting practitioner, once he or she begins to work independently, is keenly receptive to serendipitous results and more confident when burdened with a difficult problem.
For most, if not all, junior faculty, the prospect of beginning work in a totally new arena can be disheartening. In developing a research plan, I have tried to address unsolved problems in contemporary synthesis by building on my strengths. The proposed studies flow logically from my prior experience, namely research on transition metal catalyst development and the asymmetric total synthesis of natural terpenoids from fairly elaborate, strained precursors. If one were to attach a centralizing theme to this program, it would be the development of new catalytic enantioselective methodology for the asymmetric synthesis of highly functional, strained organic small molecules. Advances in this area will have meaningful downstream effects on society, including cheaper medicines and materials as well as decreased pollution and resource expenditure. From an educational standpoint, these projects are an ideal means for connecting students to the importance of chemistry in the world around them, while simultaneously refining characteristics such as dedication, perseverance, and creativity.
I cannot express my excitement for what lies ahead. Completing post-doctoral research and starting a career in academia could be seen as both an ending and a beginning of sorts. In reality, it is only a continuation. You may call me a professor, but I will still be a student. Effective teaching is the best way to learn, and I know that my students, both undergraduate and graduate, have a lot to show me.
Jason S. Kingsbury
Teaching Statement
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY (Cumulative GPA: 4.0/4.0)
B.A. in Chemistry, May 1997 – Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Advisor: Robin B. Kinnel
Thesis Title: “Tannins of the Red Maple, Acer Rubrum”
The Whitney Laboratory for marine biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
National Science Foundation (NSF) Undergraduate Research Fellow 6/96-8/96
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow, 9/98-9/01
Ph.D. in Chemistry, January 2003
Thesis Advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda
Thesis Title: “Recyclable and Chiral Ru-Based Metathesis Catalysts for Organic
and Combinatorial Synthesis”
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellow, 3/03-6/06
Research Advisor: E. J. Corey
Project Focus: A New Approach to Medium Ring Dolabellane Diterpenes.
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Isoedunol and β-Araneosene.
AWARDS AND HONORS:
Chemical Rubber Company (CRC) Award in General Chemistry, 1994
D. S. Tarbell Award in Organic Chemistry, 1995
National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research Fellowship (REU), 1996
Phi Beta Kappa, 1996
Sigma Xi, 1996
Salutatorian of Class of 1997, Hamilton College, 1997
National Science Foundation (NSF) Predoctoral Fellowship, 1998
Boston College Outstanding Graduate Student Award, 2002
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2003
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