Tag Archives: people

Pasi interviewed for the news about the Post Docs in Companies (PoDoCo) program

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PoDoCo is a matchmaking program supporting long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of companies and employment of young doctors in the private sector. IMC’s PhD Pasi Salonen was interviewed for the news about the program:

“In his own PoDoCo project, the recent PhD Pasi Salonen from the University of Turku is developing a method for the treatment and recovery of rare-earth elements (REEs), especially from electronic scrap and industrial by-products. Demand for REEs have increased because they are being used in many new solutions to combat climate change, such as wind farms and electric cars.

In his project promoting the circular economy, Salonen is developing 4D-printed filters for metal capture together with Weeefiner Oy in Jyväskylä. They are 3D-printed filters that are chemically functionalized.

In addition to the academic research world, I have always been interested in the industry, and PoDoCo combines both. The PoDoCo project with 4D REE catchers in cooperation with Weeefiner Oy is interesting and important to me, it enables the utilization of the knowledge and skills obtained in my dissertation in the face of a practical challenge. Through the PoDoCo program, the door is open to both the academy and industry, Pasi Salonen says.”

The news (in Finnish):

https://intranet.utu.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset/Sivut/vaitoskirjantekijoita-ja-yrityksia-yhdistavan-PoDoCo-ohjelman.aspx

Open vacancy: Postdoctoral Researcher

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Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Material Chemistry
The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university which offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point to national and international research and education.

Postdoctoral Researcher Position
The doctoral candidate or postdoctoral researcher will be working at the Deparment of Chemistry in a research project funded by Business Finland :”NIR-Sieve”. The fixed term position starts at the earliest on 1st of February 2022 and lasts until the end of June 2023.

Expectations for the candidates
– must hold a doctoral degree in materials chemistry or related fields
– should have a proven experience in the field of solid state chemistry, especially in luminescent materials and inorganic photochromism
– need to have the ability to conduct independent scientific work and to report own research results with good spoken and written English

Willingness to take part in a company that is possibly established after the project is considered as an advantage for the applicant.
The qualification requirements of the position are written in the University of Turku rules of procedure.The job comprises carrying out and supervising materials research and participation to commercialization research in the project as well as the supervision of undergraduates’ lab work.

The University is committed to promoting non-discrimination, equality and diversity in our community. All interested applicants, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply.

Salary

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a postdoctoral researcher, the salary is at levels 4-6 on the job demands chart, where the task specific salary component is 2591,28 – 3498,98 €/month. The component based on personal performance adds 6–50 % to this salary.

There is a trial period of six months.

Working in Finland
Please learn more about the culture and people in Finland:
Career in Southwestern Finland (with information on Turku)
Working culture
This is Finland
University of Turku

Applications & additional information

The application should include
– letter of motivation
– CV
– a list of publications
– a copy of diploma of the doctoral degree
– addresses of 2-3 potential academic referees and
– other documents that may affect to the selection.

Applications must be submitted by 26 January 2022 using the electronic application form of the University of Turku on the following address: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us/open-vacancies

Additional information is given by University Lecturer Mika Lastusaari, mika.lastusaari@utu.fi, +358 50 328 6237.
For questions related to the application process, contact HR specialist Susanna Virtanen (susanna.virtanen@utu.fi)

Akseli Mansikkamäki from Oulu visits IMC

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From left to right: Anssi Peuronen, Akseli Mansikkamäki and Ari Lehtonen.

Today we had the honor of hosting a visit of Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellow Akseli Mansikkamäki, who works in the NMR Research Unit of the University of Oulu, giving a talk about “Recent Advances in Organometallic Lanthanide Single-Molecule Magnets“. Akseli’s publishing activities are of a very high quality, and in 2018 he was an author in an article in the Science journal “Magnetic hysteresis up to 80 kelvin in a dysprosium metallocene single-molecule magnet“. Thanks for visiting and see you again, Akseli!

IMC represents at Optics & Photonics Days 2021

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IMC’s PhD students Sobia Rashid, Hannah Byron, Cecilia Agamah, and Sami Vuori went to the Optics & Photonics Days 2021 conference held on 1.–3.12. in Logomo, Turku. It was amazing to meet other photonics enthusiasts, listen to interesting presentations and tell other participants about our research. Next year OPD will be held in Tampere so see you there!

We presented our posters made by Mika Lastusaari, Sobia Rashid, Cecilia Agamah, Sami Vuori, and Hannah Byron.
The conference had interesting speakers from many different optics & photonics fields. Here University of Eastern Finland’s professor Tanja Tarvainen gives her plenary talk about optical tomography.

Pauline Colinet from Lyon visits IMC

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We had the pleasure of having PhD student Pauline Colinet from the University of Lyon in France visit us for a couple of days. Pauline will be having her dissertation defense about computational chemistry early next year and wanted to come here to learn how we make hackmanite and do its measurements. For her part, Pauline showed what the sophisticated batch files of computational chemistry look like and how she commands the massive calculation clusters. We have collaborated a lot with her, and hopefully the collaboration will continue in the future! Splendid couple of day with her!

Pasi’s dissertation defense tomorrow

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Pasi Salonen will have his doctoral dissertation defense tomorrow 5.11.2021 from 12:00 in lecture hall XXII in Agora. The title of his thesis is “Aminophenolato Complexes of Mo, W and V In Catalytic Alkene Epoxidation and Cathecol Oxidation“. The event can be followed on Zoom. More information here:

https://www.utu.fi/en/news/events/dissertation-defense-chemistry-msc-pasi-salonen

Meet Teemu Taam, our newest member

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Meet our newest member, MSc student Teemu Taam from Oulu. We interviewed him with three questions.

1. Why did you choose intelligent materials chemistry?
The world is constantly changing and the circular economy emphasizes low waste. For me, making the most of any potential side streams is extremely important. The chemistry of intelligent materials could be just that. Thus, I am challenging myself by becoming familiar with intelligent materials from a circular economy perspective and meeting the demands of modern society. That’s why I set out to head to the line of organometallic materials, get answers, and maybe bring something new.

2. What interests you particularly in chemistry?
– I am a friend of classical chemistry. Traditional analytical methods of inorganic and organic chemistry as well as demanding syntheses keep the motivation high. Versatile analytical techniques are also inspiring, as the analysis of each synthesis product is like the final culmination of a suspenseful story, which either brings great satisfation or complete disappointment.

3. What do you do in your free time?
– Literature is very important to me. Relaxing reading as well as producing written outputs help maintain a diverse vocabulary. Outdoor activities and nature are my second place to relax. In nature, hiking and berry picking during late summer and fall keeps the mind fresh.

Welcome to the group, Teemu!

Zamaneh’s last day, Sami sees his teacher after 14 years

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Every year we have one or two interns from Turku Vocational Institute (Turun ammatti-instituutti). Teacher Jouni Jantunen and doctoral candidates Sami and Hannah held a skills demonstration review for our intern Zamaneh Baradari who spent her last day here at IMC. The joy of reunion was immense because Jouni was Sami’s physical chemistry and chemistry calculations teacher in the vocational institute in 2004–2007, and they hadn’t seen each other after 2007 before this day.

Jouni (left) and Sami.

Let’s meet next year again, Jouni!

Roosa wins best poster prize!

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Roosa Vastamäki with her poster.

The Chemist Club of Turku awards annually the prize for the best poster in connection with the Kemian kevät (Spring of chemistry) event of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Turku. The categories of this Antti Vesala prize are

  1. The board of the Chemist Club’s selection for the winner.
  2. The public vote, which is open to all members of the Chemist Club of Turku and the students and staff of the Department of Chemistry.

This year, Roosa Vastamäki, our group’s MSc student with a poster titled “A zeolite-free microwave synthesis of hackmanites“, was chosen as the winner of the first category. Congratulations, Roosa, well done!