David Heroux Chemistry Department Chair, Professor of Chemistry
Bio
Ph.D. Inorganic Chemistry, Kansas State University
B.A. Chemistry, Manhattanville College
Areas of Expertise:
Nanotechnology, inorganic and environmental chemistry, chemical magic
Courses I Teach:
General Chemistry I
General Chemistry II
General Chemistry Laboratory
Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
Senior Seminar
First Year Seminar: Science That Changed History
Introduction to Environmental Science
Research
Recent Publications
A. F. Bedilo, E. I. Shuvarakova, A. M. Volodin, E. V. Ilyina, I. V. Mishakov, A. A. Vedyagin, V. V. Chesnokov, D. S. Heroux, and K. J. Klabunde. “Effect of Modification with Vanadium or Carbon on Destructive Sorption of Halocarbons over Nanocrystalline MgO: The Role of Active Sites in Initiation of the Solid-State Reaction.” Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2014, 118, 13715−13725
Mukarakate, X. Zhang, A. R. Stanton, D. J. Robichaud, P. N. Ciesielski, K. Malhotra, B. S. Donohoe, E. Gjersing, R. J. Evans, D. S. Heroux, R. Richards, K. Iisa and M. R. Nimlos. “Real-time monitoring of the deactivation of HZSM-5 during upgrading of pine pyrolysis vapors.” Green Chemistry, 2014, 16, 1444–1461.
D.S. Heroux, G. Eason; “Working Towards Sustainability One Room at a Time.” Journal of Sustainability Education, 3, 2012.
Schmidt, K.J. Klabunde, A. Ponce, A. Smetana, D. Heroux, Metal Vapor Synthesis of Transition Metal Compounds in Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry and Bioinorganic Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York, 2011.
Student Mentored Research
I have had many research students join my group since I have arrived at St. Mike’s. Summer students have been supported by the Trustee and Alumni Research Program, The Gianni Fund for Chemistry, and the NASA/Vermont EPSCoR Space Grant. Academic year research has been supported by NASA or students have received credit or volunteered their time. All my students present their research at either local or national sympium
Recent Independent Research Studies
Advanced Synthesis. Spring 17, Jordan Roach.
Water Remediation. Fall 16, Caroline Staples.
Phospholipid Reactions. Fall 15, Katharine Tooke.
Presentations/Posters of original work By Mentored students
Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Zirconia. Jordan Roach and David S. Heroux. ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2017. (also presented at Vermont Sigma Xi meeting 2017)
Total Conversion of Mixed Algae Lipids over Heterogeneous Catalysts. Emma Timmel and David S. Heroux. ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2017. (also presented at Vermont Sigma Xi meeting 2017)
Investigation of Ultrahigh Surface Area & Highly Graphitic Carbon for the Removal of Gasoline Based Pollutants from Ground Water, Caroline Staples, SMC Symposium 2017.
An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment to Investigate Surface Areas of Nanoscale Materials.
Jillian Denhardt and David S. Heroux, ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA. 2016.
Recyclability and Stability of High Surface Area CaO for Converting Algae Polar Lipids to Biodiesel. Amanda Trainor, David S. Heroux, ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2016. (also presented at the Vermont Space Grant Consortium annual meeting and awards ceremony. University of Vermont, 2015.)
Silica templated zirconia catalysts for condensation reactions, Zachary Minior and David S. Heroux, ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA. 2016.
Cobalt Loaded Mesoporous Materials for Oxidation Catalysis. Ellen Murchie, David S. Heroux, ACS National Meeting, Denver, CO, 2015. (also presented at SMC Symposium 2015)
Synthesis of High Surface Area CaO and SrO and Their Use in the Conversion of Algae Polar Lipids to Biodiesel. Katharine Tooke, David S. Heroux, ACS National Meeting, Denver, CO, 2015. (also presented at SMC Symposium 2015 and the Vermont Space Grant Consortium annual meeting 2014)
Carbon coated nanoscale metal oxide for the production of biofuels from biomass, Robert Tracy, David S. Heroux. ACS National Meeting, Dallas, TX, 2014.
Awards & Recognition
Memberships
American Chemical Society
Phi Lambda Upsilon (Chemical Honor Society)
Alpha Chi Sigma Council on Undergraduate Research
Awards
Leadership Development Award
Younger Chemist Committee, ACS
2004 Phi Lambda Upsilon Graduate Research Award, Kansas State University
2004 Graduate Research Award, Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University
2003 Wyvern Pin (blue), Alpha Chi Sigma
2002 Highest recognition for outreach activities
1990 CRC Chemistry Award, Manhattanville College
Recent News
David Heroux of the chemistry faculty authored a published article in a recent edition of a magazine about chemistry for young people, in anticipation of National Chemistry week in October. The magazine is Celebrating Chemistry a publication of the American Chemical Society. The theme of this special issue is “Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fabrics.” David’s contribution is on the topic of “Dyeing to Color Fabric.” David explains step-by-step procedures for dying fibers using Kool-Aid mix and other household items.
(posted February 2023)
David Heroux of the Saint Michael’s chemistry faculty was recently appointed to the executive committee of the American Chemical Society’s Committee for Community Activities. A member of the committee for three years he will now serve as the National Chemistry Week Chair of the Program Development and Promotion Subcommittee. The PDP Subcommittee is responsible for all new and developing programs of CCA. They provide guidance with respect to the development of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) and National Chemistry Week (NCW). He also continues to write articles and create activities for ACS’s ‘Celebrating Chemistry’ publication. The purpose of the Committee on Community Activities is to improve the public perception of chemistry by providing programs to connect chemists with their communities. CCA’s vision is promoting understanding and appreciation of chemistry, and CCA’s mission is supporting the global chemistry community through engaging outreach, resources, training, and recognition. CCA works as an advisory group to the American Chemical Society’s Office of Science Outreach.
(posted July 2022)
David S. Heroux of the Saint Michael’s College chemistry faculty recently was published in Celebrating Chemistry, a publication of the American Chemical Society’s Office of Science Outreach in conjunction with the Committee on Community Activities (CCA). He wrote the introductory article for the publication’s theme “Sticking with Chemistry.” David also developed and co-authored an activity designed for children to test tape stickiness. The National Chemistry Week (NCW) edition of Celebrating Chemistry is published annually and is available free of charge online or in print through the ACS.
(posted February 2021)
David Heroux of the chemistry faculty presented a program October 26 and 27 for children at the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, a premiere nature and science museum on the Burlington waterfront; the program featured a variety of fun experiments led by Saint Michael’s College volunteers. David, the Green Mountain area coordinator for the American Chemical Society, led the event in honor of National Chemistry Week. This year’s theme was Marvelous Metals. “National Chemistry Week is designed to highlight the importance of chemistry in people’s lives. One of David’s many goals for the weekend was to bring awareness to science and its active role in our lives, and he achieved this by collaborating with student volunteers from the College’s Chemistry Club to create safe and enjoyable chemical experiments to engage young learners about science.
(posted February 2020)
David Heroux, associate professor of chemistry, again this spring semester helped his students produce a Chemistry Magic Show in the McCarthy Arts Center Recital Hall — always is a crowd-pleaser, Tricks include a student producing a dramatic flaming effect in her palm without causing any burns at all (called “The Flaming Hand” and involving a mixture of soap and natural gas, David explains. David and chemistry colleague Shane Lamos of the chemistry faculty also attended the American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans on March 17 with several students who presented posters and talks on their summer research. David attended meetings for a national committee he serves on, along with doing an outreach event called “Kids Zone,” which is “A Free Hands-On Science Event” for families in tandem with the New Orleans Recreation Department that helps attendees “learn about the wonders of chemistry with hands-on activities, community partners, giveaways, issues of the ACS kid’s publication, and more.”
(posted June 2018)
David Heroux, associate professor of chemistry, in January 2017 was re-elected as Chair of the Green Mountain Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
He also was selected as Chair of a new committee of the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education’s Examination Institute. The committee is responsible for producing the 2019 Full Year General Chemistry Exam. This appointment is a significant recognition of stature in the chemistry education community and the ACS exams play an important role in the education of future chemists. The appointment marks my fourth selection to an ACS exam writing committee.
In April, David presented a poster entitled “An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment to Investigate Surface Areas of Nanoscale Materials” at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco.
In December, he was appointed to The ACS Committee on Community Activities (CCA). The CCA delivers high-quality community-based outreach programs, products, and services and provides opportunities to connect chemists with their local communities in an effort to improve the public’s perception of chemistry. The Committee on Community Activities (CCA) organizes a number of successful nation-wide community outreach programs, such as National Chemistry Week (NCW) and Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED).
Two of David’s research students presented at a national conference, and he was co-author on both posters – two of his mentored students present at the ACS National Meeting in San Francisco: Emma Timmel ’19, chemistry and environmental science major, presented “Total Conversion of Mixed Algae Lipids over Heterogeneous Catalysts” and Jordan Roach ’18, chemistry major, presented “Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Zirconia.”
(posted June 2017)