Queensborough Home
Future Students Current Students Faculty & Staff
 
QCC Home :: Chemistry Home :: Faculty :: Dr. Bojin

Dr. Mihaela Diana Bojin


Education:

  • PhD, Chemistry, Cornell University, 2003
  • B.S., Chemistry, University of Bucharest, Romania, 1998

Experience:

  • Postdoctoral Associate, Chemistry, New York University, 2005 - 2007
  • Postdoctoral Associate, Chemistry, University of California, Davis, 2003 - 2005

Courses Taught:

  • CH-151: General Chemistry I, Lecture and Lab
  • CH-103: Chemistry and the Arts, Lecture and Lab

Teaching Philosophy:

I think teaching is one of the most rewarding activities, as I can share my knowledge with students, and it offers me the chance to draw from my scientific experience into the classroom. I plan to provide students with a frame of learning that will be useful beyond the classroom. I hope I can foster their interest in chemistry by explaining not only its fundamental principles, but also helping students develop problem solving skills, and a solid critical thinking. I view teaching as an interactive process, in which students’ participation is strongly encouraged. I believe that guiding and motivating them to discover connections between various notions and concepts has a tremendous role in their understanding of science, in general. I like to illustrate in my classes the profound relationship between chemistry and the real world, by frequently pointing the countless bridges between them. I am certain that beyond a deep understanding of the class materials, students’ involvement in research is the other essential component of their education that leads their paths to successful carriers.

Research Interests:

  • Quantum mechanical (QM) and quantum mechanical and molecular modeling (QM/MM) studies of intra- and intermolecular interactions of various conformations of threonine and serine. Project in collaboration with Dr. Jun Shin (QCC/CUNY) and Dr. Gopal Subramaniam (QC/CUNY).
  • Repair mechanism for nucleotidyl transfer in polymerases, particularly in DPO4, using quantum mechanical (QM) and quantum mechanical and molecular modeling (QM/MM) methods. Collaboration with Dr. Tamar Schlick (NYU).
  • Inorganic complexes, as precursors of solid state materials – reaction pathways towards aluminum nitride, AlN, from unusual aluminum hydrazine clusters, employing QM methods.
  • Protonation states of methotrexate (MTX), a reversible inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme that contributes to the metabolic pathway of the folate synthesis, by reducing the dihydrofolate to the active tetrahydrofolate. Project in collaboration with Dr. Ian Alberts (Schrödinger).

Publications:

  • A Quantum Mechanical Investigation of Possible Mechanisms for Nucleotidyl Transfer in the Repair of DNA Polymerase b, Mihaela D. Bojin and Tamar Schlick, J. Phys. Chem. B - accepted.

  • Supramolecular Stabilization of Nonclassical Cations. C-H•••N Interactions Relevant to Terpenoid Synthase Mechanisms. Mihaela D. Bojin and Dean J. Tantillo J. Phys. Chem. A 2006; 110(14), 4810 - 4816.

  • Solid State and Molecular Compounds: Geometrical Considerations, Electronic Properties, and Transformations, Mihaela D. Bojin, PhD dissertation, Cornell University, August 2003.

  • The RE M E Phases I. An Overview of their Structural Variety. Mihaela D. Bojin and Roald Hoffmann, Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2003, 86 (5), 1653-1682.

  • The RE M E Phases II. What’s Possible? Mihaela D. Bojin and Roald Hoffmann, Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2003, 86 (5), 1683-1708.

  • Functionalized derivatives of benzo-crown ethers. Part 4. Antifungal macrocyclic supramolecular complexes of transition metal ions acting as lanosterol-14-a-demethylase inhibitors. Barboiu, Mihai; Supuran, Claudiu T.; Scozzafava, Andrea; Guran, Cornelia; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad; Cot, Louis Met.-Based Drugs 1999, 6(2), 101-110.

  • Synthesis and antifungal activity of metal complexes containing dichloro-tetramorpholino-cyclophosphazatriene. Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Diaconescu, Paula; Iluc, Vlad; Bojin, Mihaela; Scozzafava, Andrea; Supuran, Claudiu T. Met.-Based Drugs 1998, 5(5), 287-294.

  • Complex compounds with phenothiazine derivatives as biologically active ligands. 4. Mono and polynuclear complex compounds of Fe(III). Guran, Cornelia; Bacu, Elena; Ciocoiu, Ioana; Carp, Nicoleta; Iluc, Vlad; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Nicolae, Simona Roum. Biotechnol. Lett. 1998, 3(2), 123-130.

  • Complex compounds of copper(II) with phenothiazine derivatives. Guran, Cornelia; Bicu, Elena; Jitaru, Ioana; Ciocoiu, Ioana; Meghea, Aurelia; Iluc, Vlad; Bojin, Mihaela; Diaconescu, Paula Rev. Roum. Chim. 1997, 42(9), 891-896.

  • Contribution to the cyclophosphazene chemistry. 3. Complex compounds of Cu(II) with substituted cyclophosphazatriene derivatives. Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Meghea, Aurelia; Jitaru, Ioana; Cimpoesu, Marilena; Berger, Daniela; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad; Bita, Ion Rev. Roum. Chim. 1997, 42(7), 609-614.

  • Complex compounds with phenothiazine derivatives as biological active ligands III. Guran, Cornelia; Bicu, Elena; Ciocoiu, Ioana; Bojin, Mihaela; Diaconescu, Paula; Iluc, Vlad; Jinga, Oana Roum. Biotechnol. Lett. 1997, 2(3), 243-252.

Presentaions:

  • Strength vs. strain: An exploration of chameleonic hydrogen bonds of serine and threonine in different pHs, Mihaela D. Bojin, New YorkThe 236thNational Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Philadelphia, PA, August 17-21, 2008. 

  • A Computational Study of Changing Intramolecular Interactions in Serine and Threonine, at Different pHs, Mihaela D. Bojin, the 40th American Chemical Society Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM), QCC, NY, May 17-21, 2008.

  • A Quantum Mechanical Investigation of Possible Mechanisms for Nucleotidyl Transfer in the Repair of DNA Polymerase , Mihaela D. Bojin and Tamar Schlick, New York University School of Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Structural Biology Program, July 17, 2007.

  • Noncovalent complexes of nonclassical carbocations. Bojin, Mihaela Diana; Tantillo, Dean.  Abstracts of Papers, 229th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, United States, March 13-17, 2005, ORG-895.

  • Understanding the REME phases derived from coloring CeCu2. Bojin, Mihaela Diana; Hoffmann, Roald.  Abstracts of Papers, 224th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, United States, August 18-22, 2002, INOR-434.

  • Theoretical studies on rearrangements of Al-N clusters. Bojin, Mihaela Diana; Tantillo, Dean J.; Hoffmann, Roald. Abstracts of Papers, 223rd ACS National Meeting, Orlando, FL, United States, April 7-11, 2002, INOR-305.

  • Heteropolynuclear complexes – precursors used in mixed oxide synthesis, Guran, Cornelia; Diaconescu, Paula; Barboiu, Mihai; Iluc, Vlad, Bojin, Mihaela, Ecer Conference and Exhibition of the European Ceramic Society, Brighton Conference Center, UK, June 21-25, 1999.

  • Template syntheses of a macrocyclic ligand, Stanescu, Mihaela; Guran, Cornelia; Jitaru, Ioana; Bojin, Mihaela; Diaconescu, Paula; Iluc, Vlad, XXXIII International Conference on Coordination Chemistry, Firenze, Italy, August 30 – September 4, 1998.

  • Characterization of precursors of MIIISr2Cu3O7- superconducting mixed oxides (M = Y, La, Ce, Nd, Eu, Gd), Guran, Cornelia; Diaconescu, Paula; Stan, Claudiu; Bojin, Mihaela, XXIV European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy, Prague, Czech Rep, August 23-28, 1998.

  • Polymers of some substituted hexachlorocyclophosphazatrienes, Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Iluc, Vlad; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela, XXIV European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy, Prague, Czech Rep, August 23-28, 1998.

  • Complex compounds of phenothiazine derivatives as biologically active ligands, Guran, Cornelia; Bacu, Elena; Ciocoiu, Ioana; Iluc, Vlad; Bojin, Mihaela; Diaconescu, Paula, 1st International Conference of the Chemical Societies of the South-East European Countries, Chemical Sciences and Industry, Halkidi, Greece, June 1-4, 1998.

  • Heteropolynuclear compounds of some 4f metals with a cyclophosphazatriene derivative as a polydentate ligand, Guran, Cornelia; Simonov, Yurii; Bouros, Paulina; Diaconescu, Paula; Barboiu, Mihai; Stan, Claudiu; Iluc, Vlad; Bojin, Mihaela, 1st International Conference of the Chemical Societies of the South-East European Countries, Chemical Sciences and Industry, Halkidi, Greece, June 1-4, 1998.

  • Studies of supramolecular ternary systems formed through interaction: crown-ether – L-hystidine – metal, Barboiu, Mihai; Guran, Cornelia; Luca, Constantin; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad; Diaconescu, Paula, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Conference, Bucharest, Romania, October 16-18, 1997.

  • Complex compounds of metals with phenotiazinic derivatives, as biologically active ligands, Guran, Cornelia; Bacu, Elena; Carp, Nicoleta; Iluc, Vlad; Diaconescu; Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Nicolae, Simona, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Conference, Bucharest, Romania, October 16-18, 1997.

  • Heteronuclear compounds with substituted cyclophosphazene derivatives, as a polydentate ligand, Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Carp, Nicoleta; Diaconescu; Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Conference, Bucharest, Romania, October 16-18, 1997.

  • Complex compounds of 3d metals with macrocyclic ligands of crown ether type, Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad; Diaconescu, Paula, Timisoara Academy Days, Timisoara, Romania, May 22-24, 1997.

  • Complex compounds Cr(III) with substituted cyclophosphazene derivatives, Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad, Timisoara Academy Days, Timisoara, Romania, May 22-24, 1997.

  • Complex compounds Cu(II) with substituted cyclophosphazene derivatives, Guran, Cornelia; Barboiu, Mihai; Jitaru, Ioana; Cimpoesu, Marilena; Diaconescu, Paula; Bojin, Mihaela; Iluc, Vlad; Bita, Ion, The XIIth Conference on Physical Methods in Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry, Kishinev, Moldova, September 17-19, 1996.
  Alumni