Biographical Profile
Interest Background
Professional Preparation
Positions & Appointments
Recognition Awards, Honors, & Fellowships
Websites
Williams, Christopher T
Professor
We currently have research interests covering a wide range of important catalytic reactions. These include enantioselective hydrogenation of alpha-ketoesters and alkenoic acids, hydrodesulfurization of refractory sulfur-containing aromatics, selective hydrogenation of functionalized olefins (e.g., butadiene epoxide), and selective oxidation of alcohols, including especially glycerol, which is the major byproduct in biodiesel production.
Biographical Profile
- College
- College of Engineering & Comp.
- Department
- Chemical Engineering
- Tenure Status
- Tenured
Interest Background
- Do you include students in your research?
- Undergraduates and Graduates
- Interest Keywords
- We are pursuing two main research thrusts: 1) development and application of spectroscopic methods to probe the molecular structure of heterogeneous catalytic interfaces in-situ under reaction conditions and 2) development of new synthetic methods for preparation of bimetallic supported catalysts to control the nature of catalytically active sites. Through these two thrusts, we are researching several different metal-catalyzed reactions relevant to the fine chemicals and energy sectors.
- Institutional Focus Areas
- Nanotechnology, Future Fuels, Materials Research, Science and Engineering (Other)
- Personal Focus Areas
- Catalysis, Surfaces, Spectroscopy, Nanomaterials, Adsorption
Professional Preparation(Education & Training)
| Dates | Institution | Location | Degree | Field of Study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Purdue University | West Lafayette, Indiana | PhD | Chemical Engineering |
| 1993 | University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | B.ChE | Chemical Engineering |
Positions & Appointments
| Dates | Description | Institution/Entity |
|---|---|---|
| 12/1997 - 07/1999 | NSF-NATO Post-Doctoral Fellow, Physical Chemistry, University of Oxford, U.K. | |
| 08/1999 - 07/2005 | Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina | |
| 08/2005 | Associate Professor, Tenured, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina | |
| 11/2005 | Thrust Leader, Nanocatalysis, NanoCenter, University of South Carolina | |
| 08/2006 - 12/2006 | Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Osaka, Japan | |
| 04/2007 - 06/2007 | Visiting Professor, Department of Chemistry and CNRS, University of Poitiers, France | |
| 01/2009 - 12/2011 | "SeaSky" Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China |
Recognition Awards, Honors, & Fellowships
| Dates | Type | Description | Foundation/Entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Award for Excellence in Teaching, Mortar Board | USC- Teaching | |
| Award | Samuel Litman Distinguished Professor Award, College of Engineering and Computing, USC | ||
| Award | Award for Creative Integration of Research and Undergraduate Teaching, Golden Key Honor Society | USC | |
| Award | Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching, Purdue University |
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