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Julio de Paula came to Lewis & Clark College as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Chemistry in May 2005. In 2010 he became Associate Vice President and Director of Special Projects, and Professor of Chemistry. He is also a member of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program. In 2011 he began a term as Program Director in the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation.

Born in Brazil, de Paula came with his family to the United States in 1976 in what he describes as “the traditional immigrant story: we came in search of a better life.” He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and his doctorate in Chemistry from Yale University. He was awarded a National Institutes of Health Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral work at Michigan State University. Before joining Lewis & Clark, de Paula was a professor of chemistry at Haverford College.

Professor de Paula’s research in photosynthesis and nanotechnology has been supported by grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Science Foundation, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Research Corporation, the A.C.S. Petroleum Research Fund, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and W.M. Keck Foundation. He has taught courses in general, physical, and biological chemistry, as well as writing. His textbooks of physical chemistry, co-authored with Professor Peter Atkins of Oxford University, are adopted widely by universities around the world.

Professor de Paula is the recipient of a Christian and Mary Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. In 2005 he was the Knapp Visiting Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts at the University of San Diego. He is a Councilor in the Chemistry Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

Recent presentations

‘Reforming Pre-Med and Developing Innovative Undergraduate Science Curricula: Opportunities and Challenges.’ Willamette Valley Biological Education Network Workshop on ‘New Biology: From Courses to Competencies.’ Mount Hood Community College, Gresham, OR.

‘From Plant Biochemistry to Nanoscience: Molecular Photonics with Porphyrins.’ National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA.

‘Developing Innovative Undergraduate Science Curricula: Opportunities and Challenges.’ 2010 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

News

February 1, 2011 - I began a term as Program Director in the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation. Through this period I will continue to hold my appointments at Lewis & Clark College.

December 20, 2010 - The second edition of ‘Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences’, co-authored by Peter Atkins and me, is now in print.

October 26, 2010 - My collaborators and I just published a research article on the light-induced electronic conductivity of porphyrins, molecules similar to the chlorophylls that participate in photosynthesis.  This work is relevant to the development of a new generation of solar energy conversion technologies.

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Last update: April 2, 2011