Education

            Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2005

            Advisor:  Professor B. E. Bursten

 

B.A. with Honors in Chemistry and Basis Studies, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, 2000

            Advisor:  Professor M. C. Milletti

 

Experience

            2005-Present  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

                                Advisor:  Professor H. B. Schlegel

 

            2000-2005    Graduate Teaching & Research Assistant, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

 

            1999-2000    Robotics System Programmer, Pharmaceutical Delivery Systems Discovery Lead

Optimization, Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, Ann Arbor, MI

 

            1997-1998    Analytical Laboratory Technician, Pharmaceutical Delivery Systems Discovery Lead

Optimization, Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, Ann Arbor, MI

 

1995-1999    Student Technical Supervisor, Learning Technologies Student Computer Labs, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI

 

Research

            Doctoral Research: Structure and Reactivity Studies of Environmentally Relevant Actinide-containing Species using Relativistic Density Functional Theory, with Professor B. E. Bursten

 

Undergraduate Research:  Ab initio Treatment of the Synthesis of (3-(2,3,4,5-Tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)propoxy)titanium Dichloride, with Professor M. C. Milletti

 

            Undergraduate Research:  Iron Carbonyl Cluster Complexes Synthesis and Characterization, with Professor J. C. Vites

 

Honors

• Glenn T. Seaborg Institute Summer Research Fellow (Los Alamos) 2002, 2003, 2004
• Hypercube Scholar 2000
• Wiley Inorganic Chemistry Award 2000
• Eagle Scout 1993

 

Affiliations

• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Physical Society
• Boy Scouts of America

 

Publications

• Bursten, B. E.; Palmer, E. J.; Sonnenberg, J. L. "On the role of f-orbitals in the bonding in f-element complexes:  The FEUDAL model as applied to organoactinide and actinide aquo complexes," Royal Society of Chemistry Proceedings, 2005, .

 

• Hratchian, H. P.; Sonnenberg, J. L.; Hay, P. J.; Martin, R. L.; Bursten, B. E.; Schlegel, H. B. "Theoretical investigation of uranyl dihydroxide: Oxo ligand exchange, water catalysis, and vibrational spectra," J. Phys. Chem. A., 2005, 109, 8579-8586 .

 

• Sonnenberg, J. L.; Hay, P. J.; Martin, R. L.; Bursten, B. E. Theoretical investigations of uranyl-ligand bonding: Four- and Five-coordinate uranyl cyanide, isocyanide, carbonyl, and hydroxide complexes, Inorg. Chem., 2005, 44, 2255-2262.

 

• Clark, A. E.; Sonnenberg, J. L.; Hay, P. J.; Martin, R. L. Density and wave function analysis of actinide complexes: What can fuzzy atom, atoms-in-molecules, Mulliken, Lˆwdin, and natural population analysis tell us? J. Chem. Phys., 2004, 121, 2563-2570.

 

• Neu, M. P.; Sonnenberg, J. L.; Bursten, B. E.; Classic high-symmetry species that advance our understanding of f-element structure, bonding, and dynamics Actinide Res. Quart., 2004, 1, 7-10.

 

• Sonnenberg, J. L.; Milletti M. C. Ab initio investigation of the synthesis of (3-(2,3,4,5-

tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)propoxy)titanium dichloride, Polyhedron, 2002, 21, 2699-2704.

 

Presentations

• Adventures in Actinide chemistry: An electronic-structure approach

Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan 11/2004

 

• Structure and bonding of uranyl hydroxide and cyanide complexes in solution invited

227^th ACS National Meeting Anaheim, California 3/2004

 

• Beowulf takes CHM 999 invited

Ohio Supercomputer Center Cluster Focus Group Meeting Columbus, Ohio 4/2003

 

• Theoretical studies of bonding in Uranyl complexes

225^th ACS National Meeting New Orleans, Louisiana 3/2003

 

• Theoretical studies of bonding in Uranyl complexes

Student Symposium II Los Alamos National Laboratory 7/2002

 

• Ab initio treatment of the synthesis of a Cyclopentdienyl-alkoxide Titanium complex

Undergraduate Student Symposium XX Eastern Michigan University 3/2000

 

• Ab initio investigation of the synthesis of (3-(2,3,4,5-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)propoxy)titanium Dichloride

Undergraduate Student Symposium XIX Eastern Michigan University 3/1999

 

• Synthesis and catalytic studies of Fe₃(CO)₉(m³-COC(O)C₆H₅)₂

Undergraduate Student Symposium XVIII Eastern Michigan University 3/1998

 

Posters

• Homoleptic nine-coordinate An(III) and Ln(III) complexes: Unraveling f-element bonding

227^th ACS National Meeting Anaheim, California 3/2004

 

• Uranyl dihydroxides: A bent Uranyl model

227^th ACS National Meeting Anaheim, California 3/2004

 

• Molecular O₄: An ab initio investigation

32^nd ACS Central Regional Meeting Convington, Kentucky 5/2000

 

• Ab initio treatment of the synthesis of a Cyclopentdienyl-alkoxide Titanium complex

219^th ACS National Meeting San Francisco, California 3/2000

 

• The nature of the transistion structure for the the synthesis of (3-(2,3,4,5-

tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)propoxy)titanium Dichloride: An Ab initio study

55^th ACS Midland Section Fall Scientific Meeting Midland, Michigan 10/1999

 

• Ab initio investigation of the synthesis of (3-(2,3,4,5-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)propoxy)titanium Dichloride

31^st ACS Central Regional Meeting Columbus, Ohio 6/1999

 

• Ab initio investigation of the synthesis of a titanium ylid complex

Great Lakes College Chemistry Conference Michigan State University 4/1999

 

• Synthesis and catalytic studies of Fe₃(CO)₉(m³-COC(O)C₆H₅)₂

30^th ACS Central Regional Meeting Cleveland, Ohio 6/1998