CURRICULUM VITAE
Michael Messina
Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar 2006-2011
Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Chemistry
April 1992: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Advisor: Professor Rob D. Coalson
Thesis Title: “Quantum Dynamics of Many-Body Systems”
B.S., Chemistry
May 1987: State University of New York at Stony Brook
A.S., Chemistry
May 1985: Nassau Community College, Nassau, N.Y.
ACADEMIC HONORS
May 1985
Graduate Summa Cum Laude
Nassau Community College
May 1987
Graduate Magna Cum Laude
SUNY at Stony Brook
September 1987
Mobay Fellow
University of Pittsburgh
January 1989
Mellon Fellow
University of Pittsburgh
January 1990
Mellon Fellow
University of Pittsburgh
August 2002
Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
August 2003
Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
October 2007-2011
Dreyfus Teacher – Scholar
January 2012
Board of Governors Award for Teaching Excellence
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Aug 2009 – Present
Aug 2001-2009
Aug 1996-2001
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Professor of Chemistry
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Associate Professor of Chemistry
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
June 1994-July 1996
Assistant Project Scientist II
Theoretical studies of the use of lasers in controlling
chemical reactions and dynamics.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California, San Diego
April 1992-May 1994
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Theoretical calculations of rate constants of chemical
reactions that occur in the gas, liquid, and solid phase.
Molecular Science Research Center,
Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland WA
Sept. 1987-March 1992
Research Assistant
Theoretical studies of quantum dynamics in the condensed phase.
Theoretical calculations of absorption, emission, and Raman spectra.
Department of Chemistry
University of Pittsburgh
PUBLICATION LIST
1.
“Time-dependent Hartree wavepacket dynamical techniques for computation of electronically excited optical
spectra of many-body quantum systems”. Michael Messina and Rob D. Coalson, Journal of Chemical Physics 90,
4015-4030 (1989).
2.
“Reduced partial cross sections for a molecule photodesorbed from a surface”. Michael Messina and Rob D.
Coalson, Journal of Chemical Physics 92, 5712-5721 (1990).
3.
“Time-of-flight spectra of a particle scattering from a collinear harmonic lattice at finite temperature”. Michael
Messina and Rob D. Coalson, J. Chem. Phys. 92, 5297-5306 (1990).
4.
“Computation of spectroscopic observables for condensed phase systems”. Michael Messina and Rob D. Coalson,
in Quantum Simulations of Condensed Matter Phenomena, World Scientific (1990), Eds. J. D. Doll and J. E.
Gubernatis.
5.
“Reduced partial cross sections for UV photodesorption of molecules from finite temperature surfaces”. Michael
Messina and Rob D. Coalson, Journal of Chemical Physics 95, 5364-5372 (1991).
6.
“Time-of-flight spectra and angular observables for UV photodesorption of molecule from surfaces”. Michael
Messina and Rob D. Coalson, Journal of Chemical Physics, 95, 8977-8990 (1991).
7.
“Approximate path integral methods for partition functions”, Michael Messina, Gregory K. Schenter, and Bruce
C. Garrett, Journal of Chemical Physics 98, 4120-4127 (1993).
8.
“Centroid density quantum rate theory: Variational optimization of the dividing surface”, Michael Messina,
Gregory K. Schenter, and Bruce C. Garrett, Journal of Chemical Physics 98, 8525-8536 (1993).
9.
“Centroid density quantum rate theory: Dynamical treatment of classical recrossing”, Gregory K. Schenter,
Michael Messina, and Bruce C. Garrett, Journal of Chemical Physics 99, 1674-1683(1993).
10.
“Quantum activated rate theory: Variational optimization of planar dividing surfaces”, Michael Messina, Gregory
K. Schenter, and Bruce C. Garrett, Journal of Chemical Physics 99, 8644-8653 (1993).
11.
“Variational solutions for the thermal and real time propagators using the McLachlan variational principle”,
Michael Messina, Bruce C. Garrett, and Gregory K. Schenter, Journal of Chemical Physics 100, 6570-6577
(1994).
12.
“A variational centroid density procedure for the calculation of transmission coefficients for asymmetric barriers
at low temperature”, Michael Messina, Gregory K. Schenter, and Bruce C. Garrett, Journal of Chemical Physics
103, 3430-3435 (1995).
13.
“A semi-classical implementation of quantum control using Gaussian wave packet dynamics”, Michael Messina
and Kent R. Wilson, Chemical Physics Letters 241, 502-510 (1995).
14.
“Quantum control of molecular dynamics: The strong response regime”, Jeffrey L. Krause, Michael Messina,
Kent R. Wilson, and Y. J. Yan, Journal of Physical Chemistry 99, 13736-13747 (1995).
15.
“Quantum control of wave packet evolution with tailored femtosecond pulses”, B. Kohler, V. V. Yakovlev, J.
Che, J. L. Krause, M. Messina, K. R. Wilson, N. Schwenter, R. M. Whitnell, Y. J. Yan, Physical Review Letters
74, 3360-3365 (1995).
16.
“Detection and control of molecular quantum mechanics”, Jian-wei Che, Jeffrey L. Krause, Michael Messina,
Kent R. Wilson, and Yijing Yan, J. Phys. Chem. 99, 14949-14958 (1995).
17.
“Quantum control of multi-dimensional systems: Implementation within the time-dependent Hartree
approximation”, Michael Messina, Kent R. Wilson, and Jeffrey L. Krause, Journal of Chemical Physics 104, 173
(1995).
18. “Quantum control in condensed phases: Application to molecular Iodine in a cold Argon matrix”, Jian-wei Che,
Michael Messina, Kent R. Wilson, Craig C. Martens, and Yijing Yan, Journal of Physical Chemistry 100, 7873 (1996).
19.
“Seeing into matter with X-rays and controlling its evolution with light”, C. P. J. Barty, J. Che, T. Guo, B. Kohler,
C. LeBlanc, M. Messina, F. Raksi, C. Rose-Petruck, J. A. Squier, K. R. Wilson, V. V. Yakovlev, K. Yamakawa,
Z. Jiang, A. Ikhlef, C. Y. Cote, and J. C. Keiffer, Proceedings of Femtochemistry: The Lausanne Conference
(World Scientific, 1995).
20.
“Controlling quantum dynamics in condensed phases: Application to molecular Iodine in a cold Argon matrix”,
Jian-wei Che, Michael Messina, Kent R. Wilson, and Yijing Yan, Proceedings of Femtochemistry: The Lausanne
Conference (World Scientific, 1995).
21.
“Condensed phase quantum control", V. A. Apkarian, C. J. Bardeen, J. Che, B. Kohler, C. C. Martens, M.
Messina, K. R. Wilson, V. V. Yakovlev, and R. Zadoyan, Ultrafast 96 (accepted).
22.
“Quantum control of NaI photodissociation reaction product states via ultrafast tailored light pulses", C. J.
Bardeen, P. Cong, B. Kohler, J. L. Krause, M. Messina, K. R. Wilson, and V. V. Yakovlev, J. Phys. Chem. A.
101, 3815 (1997).
23. “Quantum control of I2 in the gas phase and in condensed phase solid Kr matrix:, C. J. Bardeen, J. Che, K. R.
Wilson, V. A. Apkarian, C. C. Martens, R. Zadoyan, B. Kohler, and M. Messina, J. Chem. Phys. 106, 8486
(1997).
24. “Quantum control of dissipative systems: Exact Solutions”, J. Cao, M. Messina, and K. R. Wilson, J. Chem. Phys.
106, 5239 (1997).
25. “Physical Chemistry Visualized”, CDROM for Physical Chemistry Instruction, E. Fernandes, S. Almassizadeh, R.
Whitnell, K. R. Wilson, J. Krause, M. Messina, D. Olshove, B. B. Stark, T. Nichols, and J. Luk, Version 2.0 UC
Regents (1998).
*26. “ Using limited concentration data to iteratively determine rate constants for chemical reactions”, K. J. Von Arx, J.
J. Manock, Scott W. Huffman, and M. Messina, Environmental Science and Technology, Env. Sci. & Tech. 32,
3207 (1998).
*27. “A theoretical study of intra-molecular vibrational effects on fractionation factors in molecules containing intramolecular low-barrier hydrogen bonds”, T. S. Humble, C. J. Halkides, J. D. Keltner, and M. Messina, Chem.
Phys. Lett 289, 90 (1998).
*28. “Heuristic Search Algorithms for the Determination of Rate Constants and Reaction Mechanisms From Limited
Concentration Data”, D. Terry and M. Messina, J. Chem. Inf. and Comp. Sci. 38, 1232 (1998).
29. “The Hartree-Fock Self-Consistent Method : An allegorical connection using two coupled harmonic oscillators”,
Michael Messina, J. Chem. Ed. 76, 1439 (1999).
*30. “A Gaussian wavepacket approach for including correlation in the time-dependent Hartree wavefunction for short
times”,
J. W. Adams, R. A. Poovey, and M. Messina, Chem. Phys. Lett. 315, 266 (1999).
*31. “Simulated annealing search algorithm for the determination of activation energies from limited experimental
kinetic data”, D. B. Terry, J. L. Bader, and M. Messina, J. Chem. Inf. and Comp. Sci. 39, 1204 (1999).
32. “A heuristic derivation of the linear harmonic oscillator energy levels”, M. Messina, J. Chem. Ed. 77, 492 (2000)
*33 “Computational Studies of Solvent Effects on Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds”, K. M. Ventura, S. N. Greene, C. J.
Halkides, and M. Messina, Structrual Chemistry 12, 23 (2000).
*34 “A critical comparison of approximation methods and models for equilibrium properties of low-barrier hydrogen
bonds”,
D. A. MacDonald, G. E Eppard, C. J. Halkides, and M. Messina, J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 42, 1390 (2002).
*35 “On the possibility of detecting low-barrier hydrogen bonds with kinetic measurements”, N. E. Dean, J. E. Miller,
C. J.
Halkides, and M. Messina, J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 43, 554 (2003).
*35 “On the Possibility of Using UV Spectroscopy as a Measure of the Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bond”, L. A. Butler, J.
E. Miller, C. J. Halkides, and M. Messina, Structrual Chemistry 14, 605 (2003).
*36 “The binary temperature-composition phase diagram”, P. Sanders, J. H. Reeves, and M. Messina, J. Chem. Ed., in
press (2005).
*37 “A variational solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation by a restricted superposition of frozen
Gaussian wavepackets”, J. O. Zoppe, M. L. Parkinson, and M. Messina, Chem. Phys. Lett. 407, 407 (2005).
*38 “A Gaussian wavepacket approach for curve-crossing dynamics”, Chris A. Tate and Michael Messina, Journal of
Theoretical and Computational Chemistry 5, 207 (2006).
*39 "Vibrational enhancement of proton transfer: An inverse quantum control study”, Adam R. Pflaumer, Emmanuel
A. Bryant, and Michael Messina, Chemical Physics, 353 119 – 131 (2008).
*40 “Tunneling Dynamics in a Double – Well Model of an H Transfer Reaction”, Ashley E. Meyers, Matthew R.
Teague, and Michael Messina, J. Chm. Theory and Comp. 5, 468 – 481 (2009)
*41 “An approach towards simple quantum Langevin equation”, Joshua M. Jackson, Pietrina L. Brucia and Michael
Messina, Chem. Phys. Lett. 518, 471 – 481 (2011)
*42 “A three – state model of an H transfer reaction, Sterling A. Wheaten, Jonathon Walters, Galen C. Littmann, and
Michael Messina, to be submitted to Biophysical Chemistry, (2014).
*43 “A quantum mechanical Generalized Langevin equation”, Paul A. Brown, Jennifer H. Kim, and Michael Messina,
manuscript in preparation (2014).
* Publications with UNCW undergraduate researchers. The undergraduate researchers names are
underlined.