Contact Information
University of Illinois
367D Noyes Lab
600 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Areas
Biography
Dr. Smitha Pillai holds a PhD in Chemistry from Arizona State University, where she conducted research on the design and synthesis of artificial photosynthesis molecules to mimic aspects of natural photosynthesis mechanisms. She has one year of postdoctoral experience at Arizona State University. Dr. Pillai has over ten years of professional experience teaching organic chemistry. She began her career as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Whitman College for one year before joining Arizona State University, where she served as a Lecturer for five years, a Senior Lecturer for three years, and an Associate Teaching Professor for two years. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys gardening and traveling.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Arizona State University, 2012
- Ph.D., Chemistry, Arizona State University, 2011
- M.Sc., Organic Chemistry, Pune University, 2002
- B.Sc., Chemistry, Pune University, 2000
Awards and Honors
- Distinction of Merit and Scholastic Occupation (DMSO) teaching award, on behalf of The Students Affiliates of American Chemical Society (SAACS), 2023
- Certificate in recognition for excellence as a Research Assistant, Arizona State University, 2010
- Certificate in recognition for excellence as a Teaching Assistant, Arizona State University, 2008
Courses Taught
General Organic Chemistry Lecture and Lab Courses
Highlighted Publications
Publications:
1. Ravensbergen Janneke, Pillai Smitha, Mendez-Hernandez Dalvin, Frese Raoul N, van Grondelle Rienk, Gust Devens, Moore Thomas A, Moore Ana L, Kennis John T. M. Dual Singlet Excited-state Quenching Mechanisms in an Arificial Caroteno-phathalocyanine Light harvesting Antenna. ACS Phys. Chem Au, 2022, 2, 59-67.
2. Austin, A. C.; Gould, D. L.; Pillai, S.; Zhu, M.; Gould, I. R. "Student Outcomes in an Concentrated Chemistry Laboratory Course for Online Students", NARST 2020.
3. Christain Kerpal, Sabine Richert, Jonathan G. Storey, Smitha Pillai, Paul A. Liddell, Devens Gust, Stuart R. Mackenzie, P. J. Hore & Christiane R. Timmel. Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception. Nature Communications. 2019, 10(1), 1-7.
4. Junming Ho, Elizabeth Kish, Dalvin D Méndez-Hernández , Katherine WongCarter , Smitha Pillai , Gerdenis Kodis , Jens Niklas , Oleg G Poluektov, Devens Gust , Thomas A Moore , Ana L Moore , Victor S. Batista, Bruno Robert. Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer in Artificial and Natural Photosynthetic Antennas. From Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2017, 114(28), E5513-E5521.
5. Smitha Pillai, Janneke Ravensbergen, Antaeres Antoniuk-Pablant, Benjamin D. Sherman, Rienk van Grondelle, Raul N. Frese, Thomas A. Moore, Devens Gust, Ana L. Moore, John T.M. Kennis. Carotenoids as electron or excited-state energy donors in artificial photosynthesis: an ultrafast investigation of a carotenoporphyrin and a carotenofullerene dyad. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2013, 15(13), 4775-4784.
6. Miroslav Kloz, Smitha Pillai, Gerdenis Kodis, Devens Gust, Thomas A. Moore, Ana L. Moore, Rienk van Grondelle, John T.M. Kennis. New light-harvesting roles of hot and forbidden carotenoid states in artificial photosynthetic constructs. Chemical Science 2012, 3(6), 2052-2061.
7. Liao, P.N., Smitha Pillai., Kloz, M., Gust, D., Moore, A. L., Moore, T. A., Kennis, J. T. M., van Grondelle, R., Walla, P. J. (2011) On the role of excitonic interactions in carotenoid–phthalocyanine dyads and implications for photosynthetic regulation. Photosynthesis Research 2012, 111(1-2), 237-243.
8. Pen-Nan Liao, Smitha Pillai, Devens Gust, Thomas A. Moore, Ana L. Moore, and Peter J. Walla. Two-Photon study on the electronic interactions between the first excited singlet states in carotenoid-tetrapyrrole dyads. J. Phys. Chem .A 2011, 115(16), 4082-4091.
9. Miroslav Kloz, Smitha Pillai, Gerdenis Kodis, Devens Gust, Thomas A. Moore, Ana L. Moore, Rienk van Grondelle, John T.M. Kennis. Carotenoid photoprotection in artificial photosynthetic antennas. J. Am. Chem. Soc 2011, 133(18), 7007-7015.
10. Benjamin D. Sherman, Smitha Pillai, Gerdenis Kodis, Jesse Bergkamp, Thomas E. Mallouk, Devens Gust, Thomas A. Moore, and Ana L. Moore. A Porphyrin Stabilized Iridium Oxide Water Oxidation Catalyst. Canadian Journal of Chemistry 2011, 89(2), 152-157.
11. Rudi Berera, Ivo H. M. van Stokkum, Gerdenis Kodis, Amy E. Keirstead, Smitha Pillai, Christian Herrero, Rodrigo E. Palacios, Mikas Vengris, Rienk van Grondelle, Devens Gust, Thomas A.Moore, Ana L. Moore, and John T. M. Kennis. Energy transfer, excited-state deactivation, and exciplex formation in artificial caroteno-phthalocyanine light-harvesting antennas. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111(24), 6868-6877.
Presentations:
1. Smitha Pillai, Ara Austin, Mary Zhu, Ian Gould. The Fully Online BS and BA Degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University. Duke University, March 28, 2023.
2. Smitha Pillai, Ara Austin, Mary Zhu, Ian Gould. The Fully Online BS and BA Degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University. Purdue University, 27th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, July 31-August 4, 2022.
3. Smitha Pillai, Ara Austin, Mary Zhu, Ian Gould. A Highly Compressed Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course for Online Degree Students. Purdue University, 27th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, July 31-August 4, 2022.
4. Smitha Pillai, Ara Austin, Marely Tejeda, Pichaya Trakanrungroj Ian R. Gould. Two Semesters of Organic Chemistry labs in One Week. University of Notre Dame, 25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, July 29-August 2, 2018.
5. Smitha Pillai, Ara Austin, Ian R. Gould. Podia as a Social Media Tool for Collaboration and Communication in General Organic Chemistry Classes. University of Notre Dame, 25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, July 29-August 2, 2018.
6. Smitha Pillai, Rudi Berera, Mirek Kloz, John T. M. Kennis, Rienk van Grondelle, Moore, T.A, Gust, D and Ana Moore. Synthesis of Simple Artificial Light-Harvesting Molecules. Abstracts of Papers, 238th ACS National Meeting, Washington, DC, United States, August 16-20, 2009.