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Joseph Adebanjo, Ph.D., PMP, PMI-ACP
Summary
Ph.D. chemist specializing in advanced materials and surface characterization, paired with hands-on synthesis of luminescent and optoelectronic materials (OLED emitters, phosphors, black absorbers) across transition-metal and lanthanide systems. Expert across SEM/EDX, powder XRD, XPS, NMR, and steady-state and time-resolved photophysics, with DFT/TD-DFT modeling on HPC clusters, backed by seven peer-reviewed works. Certified project leader (PMP, PMI-ACP) who delivers R&D programs on time, in compliance, and audit-ready.
Experience
Graduate Research Scientist & Laboratory Safety Officer
Jan 2021 — Present- Ran end-to-end materials and surface characterization workflows (SEM/EDX, powder XRD, XPS, NMR, UV-Vis, solid-state diffuse-reflectance IR, HPLC), correlating composition, structure, and optical behavior.
- Measured and interpreted steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence (emission lifetimes, quantum yields) at room and cryogenic temperatures to establish the structure-property relationships that drive emitter performance.
- Designed and synthesized luminescent and optoelectronic transition-metal and lanthanide materials (Pt, Au, Ag, Cu, Zn, Ln) for display and photonic applications, including OLED-relevant emitters, lanthanide and Zn metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and an oxidative-addition gold-trimer black absorber, across four research programs.
- Performed DFT, TD-DFT, and NEB-TS modeling (Gaussian, ORCA, VASP) on Linux/UNIX HPC clusters; built Python/Bash pipelines that cut large-dataset analysis time by ~40%.
- Developed C–H amination and nitrene-transfer catalysis on trinuclear coinage-metal platforms; published in Organometallics and Dalton Transactions.
- Led a 6-member research team to milestones 15% ahead of schedule and mentored 8+ researchers; as Safety Officer, authored SOPs for SEM and XPS with a 100% external-audit pass rate and zero incidents.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Jan 2021 — Spring 2026- Led laboratory and recitation sections for General Chemistry I & II and Organic Chemistry I & II, coaching students in experimental technique, data analysis, and lab safety.
- Instructed the Advanced Inorganic Chemistry laboratory, teaching advanced synthetic methods and advanced materials characterization to inorganic and organic lab students.
- Mentored students hands-on in synthesis, spectroscopy, and characterization; developed and graded assessments.
Newsletter Director (Volunteer)
Jun 2025 — Present- Own chapter-wide newsletter strategy, editorial calendar, and end-to-end monthly production using Agile workflows in Jira.
- Coordinate with Chapter President, Board, and Portfolio Directors; analyze engagement metrics to grow reach.
Education
Ph.D. Inorganic & Materials Chemistry
May 2026- Dissertation: Synthesis, Supramolecular Assembly, and Photophysical Properties of Luminescent Transition Metal Coordination Compounds.
M.Sc. Organic Chemistry
Dec 2019B.Sc. Chemistry & Physics
Dec 2016Publications (7 Total: 5 Published, 1 in Review, 1 Submitted)
- Nitrene-Transfer Chemistry to C–H and C═C Bonds Mediated by Triangular Coinage Metal Platforms Supported by Triply Bridging Pnictogen Elements Sb(III) and Bi(III). Organometallics, 43(6), 634–652 (2024).
- C–H Amination Chemistry Mediated by Trinuclear Cu(I) Sites Supported by a Ligand Scaffold Featuring an Arene Platform and Tetramethylguanidinyl Residues. Dalton Transactions, 53(38), 15946–15958 (2024).
- Relativistic Modulation of Supramolecular Halogen/Copper Interactions and Phosphorescence in Cu(I) Pyrazolate Cyclotrimers. Dalton Transactions, 52(13), 3964–3970 (2023).
- Glyphosate-Based Herbicide: Impacts, Detection, and Removal Strategies in Environmental Samples. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 22, 100961 (2023).
- Luminescence Rigidochromism in a Novel Mixed-Metal Cyclic Trinuclear Complex. In review.
- Heterobimetallic Gold(I)/Silver(I) Cyclic Trinuclear Compounds: Synthesis, Solution Dynamics, Crystal Structure, and Luminescent Properties. Submitted.
- Ligand-to-Ligand Charge Transfer (LLCT) Transitions in Square-Planar Metal-Bipyridyl Complexes of Heteroatom-Substituted Maltol. Inorganic Chemistry.
Conference Presentations
- Structure-Property Correlations in Mixed-Metal Cyclic Trinuclear Complexes: Photophysical Activation via Au–Ag Interactions. ACS Spring 2026 National Meeting, Atlanta, GA (Oral).
- Computational Investigation of Cooperativity in Intermolecular Iodophilic Interactions of an Oxidative-Addition Gold Trimer Black Absorber. ACS Southwest Regional Meeting, 2023 (Poster).
- Computational Investigation of the Photophysical Properties of a fac-Rhenium Complex. 55th Annual ACS DFW Meeting in Miniature (Oral).
Certifications
- Project Management Professional (PMP)® — PMI
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® — PMI
- Generative AI for Project Managers — PMI
- Six Sigma Green Belt — Kennesaw State University
- FMEA Specialist Certification — AIGPE™
- Minitab Essential Training — LinkedIn Learning
Skills
Advanced Materials & Surface Characterization: SEM with EDX · Powder XRD (PXRD) · XPS · Solid-state diffuse-reflectance IR · NMR · HPLC · Structure-composition-property correlation
Spectroscopy & Photophysics: Steady-state & time-resolved fluorescence (lifetimes, quantum yields) at room & cryogenic temperatures · UV-Vis absorption
Luminescent & Optoelectronic Materials: OLED emitter chemistry · Phosphors & black absorbers · Transition-metal & lanthanide luminophores · Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)
Synthesis: Multi-step inorganic, coordination & organometallic synthesis · Transition-metal & lanthanide complexes · Lanthanide & Zn MOFs · Air-free Schlenk & glove-box technique · C–H functionalization & nitrene-transfer catalysis
Computational: DFT, TD-DFT, NEB-TS (Gaussian, ORCA, VASP) · Linux/UNIX HPC · Python, Bash, SQL · ChemDraw, ELN, LIMS, Origin, Minitab
Quality & Program Delivery: PMP, PMI-ACP · Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC) · FMEA, CAPA · GLP/GMP/GxP · Jira, Confluence, MS Project
Additional Experience
Operations Coordinator
2015 — 2020- Managed online classroom operations and set up remote learning platforms, then onboarded and coordinated teaching staff on the new tools.
- Coordinated logistics, finance, and day-to-day administration to keep the school running smoothly.
Affiliations
Project Management Institute (Newsletter Director, Dallas Chapter) · American Chemical Society · Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society · American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) · NOBCChE