Erin T. Pelkey

 
 

    Erin Pelkey was born and raised in Washington state. In 1994, he obtained his B.A. in Chemistry at Carleton College located in Northfield, MN.  At Carleton, he was mentored by Professor Charles “Chuck" Carlin and worked on the synthesis of pyrrole heterocycles; he considers his time at Carleton to be instrumental in cultivating an interest in becoming a teacher-scholar.  In 1998, he obtained his Ph.D. under the guidance of Professor Gordon Gribble at Dartmouth College. His doctoral work included the investigation of syntheses and reactions of nitroindoles and pyrroloindole ring systems.  Pelkey was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in the laboratory of Professor Paul Wender.  As part of Wender research group, he helped discover novel molecular transporters that demonstrated excellent cellular uptake.  


       In 2001, Pelkey joined the chemistry department at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Over the course of his career, he has taught organic chemistry, introductory chemistry, and the First Year Seminar "Miracle Drugs." He has mentored over forty research students during the summers and school year. In 2007, he became an associate professor and in 2013, he was promoted to full professor. He has also served as Chemistry department chair from 2010-2013.


    Pelkey has served as the faculty-athletic fellow for the Hobart soccer since 2010.  From 2014 to 2016, Pelkey served as the Mentor for POSSE 2 Los Angeles (http://www.possefoundation.org/).  

 

Biography

Dr. Erin T. Pelkey

Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry Department

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Office:

109 Rosenberg Science Building

  1. (315)781-3708 (phone)

  2. (315)781-3860 (fax)

pelkey@hws.edu

Mailing Address:

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Department of Chemistry

300 Pulteney St.

Geneva, NY 14456

Awards

  1. • Hobart and William Smith Colleges Faculty Scholarship Prize                                                    2019

  2. • Hobart and William Smith Colleges Faculty Teaching Prize                                                        2007

  3. • Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Awardee                                                                 2003-2005

  4. • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Start-Up Awardee                                                                    2001-2006

  5. • NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship                                                                                               1999-2001

  6. • American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry Graduate Fellowship             1997-1998

  7. • Honorable Mention, NSF Predoctoral Fellowship                                                                         1994

  8. • Richard W. Ramette Teaching Award, Carleton College                                                     1993-1994

Courses Taught

• Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 240)

  1. • Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 241)

  2. • Introduction to General Chemistry (CHEM 110)

  3. • Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM 447)

  4. • Miracle Drugs (FSEM 166)

External Research Grants

  1. •NSF-RUI #1362183                                                                                    $210,000          2014-2017

   “RUI:  Developing Convergent Syntheses of Nitrogen Heterocycles”

  1. • NIH-R15, GM086819-01                                                                            $197,648           2009-2013

    “New Methodology for the Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Nitrogen Heterocycles”

  1. • NSF-TUES #1044396 (with Professors Miller, Mowery, and Carle)           $180,000          2011-2014

    “TUES:  Transforming Cell Biology and Organic Chemistry through Incorporation of the HDACi

    Cancer Therapeutic Lab Project”

  1. • NSF-MRI #0722178 (with Professors Miller and de Denus)                       $342,000          2007-2010

    “MRI:  Acquisition of an NMR Spectrometer to Maintain Active Undergraduate Education and

    Research Programs”

  1. • ACS-Petroleum Research Fund, Type G                                                    $35,000            2004-2007

   “Development of Tandem Metal Mediated Cyclization Reactions for the Total Synthesis of Alkaloid

    Natural Products”

  1. • Research Corporation, Cottrell Scholars Award                                        $46,018            2003-2005

   “Regiocontrolled Synthesis of Complex Pyrrole Heterocycles”

  1. • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Start-Up Grant                                               $20,000            2001-2006

   “New Synthetic Approach to Staurosporine Derivatives, Potent Inhibitors of Protein Kinase C”

Selected Community Service

  1. • Posse 2 Mentor                                                                                                                   2014-2016

  2. • Faculty Athletic Fellow, Hobart Soccer                                                                          2010-present

  3. • Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC)                                                                2002-2014

  4. • Committee on Tenure and Promotion (COTAP), *chair                                   2009-2012, 2016-2018*

  5. • Committee on the Faculty (COFAC)                                                                                    2006-2007

  6. • Committee on Standards (COS)                                                                                          2005-2006

  7. • COAA Sub-Committee:  Committee on Athletics (COA)                                                     2011-2012