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Jessica Epstein, Ph.D.

Chair & Professor of Chemistry

Headshot of Jessica Epstein

Contact Info

About Dr. Epstein

I received my B.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. I then completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at University of Maryland where I studied the mechanism of action for an experimental cancer drug. After graduate school, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, where I studied the interplay of DNA replication and the cell cycle. Before coming to Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s University, I worked on DNA replication in bacteria at Merck Research Labs in Rahway, New Jersey.

“I absolutely love working at Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s University. I think the students are great, and they are a pleasure to work with and teach. My approach to teaching is multifaceted, but at its core, I believe learning happens on an active level. I always encourage my students to do rather than simply receive information. Chemistry is a complex, abstract subject. A deeper level of understanding comes when students actively and in some cases collaboratively solve problems.”

Research Interests

I am currently working on several research projects with undergraduates. Recycling and Biodegradable Polymers: Polymers impact our lives and society in numerous ways: clothing, food packaging, automobiles, medical devices, research and toys. I am currently studying several areas including recycling and biodegradable polymers from renewable feedstock.

Enzyme Kinetics: The enzyme lactase hydrolyzes lactose to glucose and galactose. The enzyme is a major component of products such as Lactaid for people who are lactose intolerant. The enzyme itself is very durable which makes it a great enzyme to study classic enzyme kinetics in the undergraduate biochemistry course. My goal for this project is to identify both a competitive and non-competitive inhibitor of the enzyme to demonstrate Michaelis-Menton kinetics.

Chemistry in History: I am also interested in chemical molecules that have shaped history and public policy. My latest article is about tetraethyl lead, an organometallic compound added to automobile fuel to prevent common engine knocking. It is a remarkable story how it was developed, later found to be poisoning the earth’s biosphere and the subsequent battle between scientific data and industry.

COURSES TAUGHT

Career & Accomplishments

Degrees

  • •Harvard University, Postdoctoral Fellowship

  • •University of Maryland, Ph.D. Biochemistry

  • •Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S. Chemistry

Accomplishments

  • •Reviewer for Journal of Chemical Education.

  • •Reviewer for Advances in Nutrition and Food Science

  • •Kenny Fellowship and Faculty Research Associate Award

Awards

  • •Teaching Fellowship (Harvard University)

  • •NRSA Fellowship

  • •Alpha Chi Sigma

  • •Gamma Sigma Epsilon

Publications

Freeing the Mole from the Kilogram: How the Redefinition of the Kilogram Shaped Our Definition of the Avogadro Number
Jessica Epstein, Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, 47 (2), pp 231-238, 2022


Jessica Epstein, Zanib Mian, Stephanie Rosales – Journal of Laboratory Chemical Education, 8 (1), pp 6-10, 2020


A Ambi, N Parikh, C Vera, K Burns, N Montano, L Sciorra, J Epstein, D Zeng, C Traba – Biofouling, 2018

Drugs that Shaped the FDA: From Elixir Sulfanilamide to Thalidomide
J Epstein – Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, 2018

The Legacy of Tetraethyl Lead
J Epstein – Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, 2016

The Role of Chemistry in Global Security.
J Epstein – ACS Program in a Box (Webinar), 2016


J Epstein, M Castaldi, G Pate, P Telidecki , k Karakkatt- Journal of Chemical Education, 2014


J Epstein – Journal of College Science Teaching, 2012


J Epstein, M Vieira, B Aryal, N Vera, – Journal of chemical Education, 2010


J Epstein – Journal of chemical education, 2009