Bio-Sketch

Curriculum Development

Prior to moving to Santa Barbara, I attended Washington State University in Pullman, WA where I earned my B.S. in Chemistry in 1993. While at WSU I worked in a variety of research labs. My undergraduate research projects included studies of inorganic transition metal complexes with Dr. Karen Brewer, intercalated crystals with Dr. David Cleary and synthesis of fluorescent probes for protein analysis with Dr. Christine Cremo. In the summer I spent time at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Hanford, Washington studying novel methods for tank waste destruction.

I entered the Department of Chemistry in 1994 as a graduate student and worked in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Ford studying mechanisms of reactions of nitric oxide (NO) with metalloporphyrins and heme proteins. During my studies as a graduate student I became involved in efforts to improve the undergraduate laboratory curriculum in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and instrumental analysis. Since earning my Ph.D. in 1999 I have been employed in the department as an instructor and continue to work on improving the undergraduate lab curriculum. Recently Dr. Geoff Strouse and myself were awarded funding from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation in order to improve our upper division chemistry laboratory curriculum. Ongoing efforts on curriculum development can be found here Course Development.

Publications

1. “Hydrocarbon Conversion Process Improvements” J.H. Sherman,  E.W. McFarland, M.J. Weiss, I.M. Lorkovic, L.E. Laverman, S. Sun, D.J. Schaefer, G.D. Stucky, P.C. Ford, P. Grosso, A.W. Breed, M.F. Doherty. US Patent Application, 2005

2. “Bromine Mediated Partial Oxidation of Ethane Over Nanostructured Zirconia Supported Metal-Oxide/Bromide” A. Yilmaz, X. Zhou, I.M. Lorkovic G.A. Yilmaz, L.E. Laverman, M. Weiss, S.Sun, D. Schaefer, J.H. Sherman, E.W. McFarland, P.C. Ford and G.D. Stucky Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 79,205-214, 2005

3. “Reaction Mechanisms Relevant to the Formation of Iron and Ruthenium Nitric Oxide Complexes.”P.C. Ford and L.E. Laverman,Coord. Chem. Rev.,249, 391-403, 2005

4. “Storage Tank Leak Detection System for Petroleum Products” M.L. Kram, L.E. Laverman, US Patent Application 20040144163, July 29, 2004

5. "A novel integrated process for the functionalization of methane and ethane: bromine as mediator"I. M. Lorkovic,A. Yilmaz, G. A. Yilmaz, X. Zhou, L. E. Laverman, S.Sun, Di.J. Schaefer, M. Weiss, M. L. Noy, C. I. Cutler, J. H. Sherman, E. W. McFarland, G. D. Stucky, and P. C. Ford. Catalysis Today, Volume 98, Issues 1-2 , 24 November,Pages 317-322 2004
   

6. “Method and Apparatus for Synthesizing Olefins, Alcohols, Ethers and Aldehydes” J.H. Sherman, E.W. McFarland, M.J. Weiss, I.M. Lorkovic, L.E. Laverman, S. Sun, D.J. Schaefer, G.D. Stucky, P.C. Ford,US Patent Application 20040006246, January 8, 2004

7. "A Novel Integrated Process for the Functionalization of Methane and Ethane: Bromine as Mediator" I.M. Lorkovic, A. Yilmaz, G.A. Yilmaz, X. Zhou, L.E. Laverman, S. Sun, D.J. Schaefer, M.Weiss, M.Noy, C. I. Cutler, J.H. Sherman, E.W. McFarland, G.D. Stucky,  P.C. Ford,Catalysis Today, 98, 317-322, 2004

8. "Complex NAPL Site Characterization Using Fluorescence, Part 1: Selection of Excitation Wavelength Based on NAPL Composition" M.L. Kram, A.A. Keller, S.M. Massick, and L.E. Laverman, Soil and Sediment Contamination: an International Journal, March/April, v.13, no.2.103-118, 2004

9. "An Integrated Process for Partial Oxidation of Alkanes" X. Zhou, A. Yilmaz, G.A. Yilmaz, I.M. Lorkovic, L.E. Laverman, M. Weiss, J.H. Sherman, E.W. McFarland, G.D. Stucky, P.C.Ford. Chem. Comm. 18, 2294-2295, 2003

10. "Reaction Mechanisms of Nitric Oxide with Biologically Relevant Metal Centers" P.C. Ford, L.E. Laverman, I.M. Lorkovic, Advances in Inorganic Chemistry,Vol. 54, ed. R.van Eldik, Academic Press 203-259 (ISBN 0-12-023654-0), 2003

11. "Photoreaction and photophysical mechanisms of transition metal complexes: Insights from high pressure studies." P. C. Ford & L.E. Laverman. Chpt. 7 in High Pressure Chemistry ed. R. van Eldik, John Wiley & Sons, (ISBN 3527304045) 2002

12. "Mechanistic studies of NO reactions with water soluble iron(II), cobalt (II) and iron(III) porphyrin complexes in aqueous solution: Implications for biological activity" L. E. Laverman and P.C. Ford. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 11614-11622, 2001

13. "The Synthesis of the ligand 1,5-bis[2-(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)ethyl]-amine-1,10-phenanthroline) and of its ruthenium(II) and rhenium(I) complexes. Binuclear species with Cu(I) and Cu(II) and some photophysical properties" M. Riklin, D. Tran, X. Bu, L.E. Laverman & P.C. Ford. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 12, 1813-1819, 2001

14. "Mechanistic studies on the reversible binding of nitric oxide to metmyoglobin" L.E. Laverman, A. Wanat, J. Oszajca, G. Stochel, P.C. Ford & R. van Eldik. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 285-293, 2001

15. "Investigations of bond making and bond breaking processes in metal nitrosyl and carbonyl porphyrins" Laverman, L.E.. Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 1999.

16. "Reactions of water soluble iron(II) and cobalt(II) porphyrins with nitric oxide. Implications for the reactivity of NO with biologically relevant metal centers" L.E. Laverman & P. C. Ford, Chem. Comm., 1843-1844.1999

17. "Nitric oxide complexes of metalloporphyrins. An overview of some mechanistic studies" M. Hoshino, L.E. Laverman & P.C. Ford, Coord. Chem. Rev., 87, 75-102, 1999

18. "Investigation of the nitric oxide reduction of the bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) complex of copper(II) and the structure of [Cu(dmp)₂(H₂O)](CF₃SO₃)₂" D. Tran, B.W. Skelton, A.H. White, L.E. Laverman & P.C. Ford, Inorg. Chem., 37, 2505-2511, 1998

19. "Photochemistry of metal nitrosyl complexes. Delivery of nitric oxide to biological targets." P. C. Ford, J. Bourassa, B. Lee, I. Lorkovic, K. Miranda, & L.E. Laverman, Coord. Chem. Rev., 171, 185-202, 1998

20. "A dissociative mechanism for reactions of nitric oxide with water soluble iron(III) porphyrins." L.E. Laverman, M. Hoshino, & P.C. Ford, J. Am. Chem. Soc 119, 12663-12664,1997

21. "Synthesis and spectral characterization of sulfhydryl-reactive fluorescent probes." D.J.Pouchnik, L.E. Laverman, F. Janiak-Spens, D.M. Jameson, G.D. Reinhart, & C.R. Cremo, Anal. Biochem., 235, 26-35, 1996

22. "Photochemical properties of mixed-metal supramolecular complexes." S.M. Molnar, G.E. Jensen, L.M. Volgler, S.W. Jones, L.E. Laverman, J.S. Bridgewater, M.M. Richter, & K.J. Brewer, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A-Chemistry 80, 315-322,1994