EDUCATION
University of Pennsylvania, Ph. D. in Physical Chemistry, May, 2000. Dissertation: "Structural Characterization of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer Films of a Synthetic Heme-Binding Protein Maquette by High-Resolution X-Ray Scattering." Advisor: J. Kent Blasie. Committee: Michael L. Klein, P. Leslie Dutton and David Christianson.
University of Pennsylvania, Masters in Physics, 1992-1993. Advanced coursework in electromagnetism, classical mechanics and quantum mechanics.
Technical University of Munich. 1991-1992. Enrolled as a visiting student on a fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Attended lectures in biophysics.
Princeton University, Class of 1991. B. S. E. in Electrical Engineering and Certificate in Engineering Physics. Concentration in electronic materials and devices.
RESEARCH
Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 1994-present. Determined the structures of single monolayers of proteins, Langmuir films at the water/vapor interface and Langmuir-Blodgett films at the solid/vapor interface, by means of high-resolution x-ray scattering employing rotating anode and synchrotron sources. Applied polarized optical spectroscopy and computer-based modeling toward structural characterization.
Reasearch Assistant, Biophysics Group E22, Physics Department, T. U. Munich, 1991-1992. Worked on a biosensor project involving various techniques, including Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, self-assembled monolayers, fluorescence microscopy and vacuum deposition.
Undergraduate Independent Project, Biophysics Group, Physics Department, Princeton University, 1990-1991. Conducted a literature search on dilatometry, synthesized findings into a design for a dilatometer suitable for studying liquid crystal samples, and then constructed, characterized and refined a prototype.
TEACHING AND EXPERIENCE
Marketing Associate, Center for Technology Transfer, University of Pennsylvania, 1997-1998. Part-time position assessing, describing and marketing new technologies developed by Penn researchers to potential corporate licensees.
Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, 1992-1994. Freshman- and sophomore-level physics labs.
Volunteer Tutor of English as a Second Language, I. H. M. Literacy Center, Philadelphia, PA, 1994-present. Three hours per week teaching adult immigrant learners.
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
Computers:
Data visualization, reduction and analysis on UNIX-based SGI workstations:
Fortran, C and Mathematica
Hardware automation and control
VMS-based DEC MicroVAX workstations with Fortran
LINUX-based PCs with C
Languages: fluent in German (passed PNdS), proficient in Polish.
HAZMAT: Certified for Hazardous Materials Emergency Response, Technician Level.
PUBLICATIONS
"X-Ray Scattering Studies of Maquette Peptide Monolayers I: Reflectivity
and GID at the Air/Water Interface," J. Strzalka, X. Chen, C. C. Moser,
P. L. Dutton, B. M. Ocko, J. K. Blasie, Langmuir, in
press, 2000.
"X-Ray Scattering Studies of Maquette Peptide Monolayers II: Interferometry at the Vapor/Water Interface," J. Strzalka, X. Chen, C. C. Moser, P. L. Dutton, J. C. Bean, J. K. Blasie, Langmuir, in press, 2000.
"Determination of the Porphyrin Orientation Distribution in Langmuir Monolayers by Polarized Epifluorescence," A. Tronin, J. Strzalka, X. Chen, P. L. Dutton and J. K. Blasie, Langmuir, in press, 2000.
"Orientational Distributions of the Di-alpha-Helical Synthetic Peptide ZnPPIX-BBC16 in Langmuir Monolayers by X-Ray Reflectivity and Polarized Epifluorescence," A. Tronin, J. Strzalka, X. Chen, P. L. Dutton and J. K. Blasie, Langmuir, submitted, 2000.
"Structural Studies of the HIV-1 Accessory Protein Vpu in Langmuir Monolayers: Synchrotron X-Ray Reflectivity," S. Zheng, J. Strzalka, C. Ma, S. J. Opella, B. M. Ocko, J. K. Blasie, Biophys. J., submitted, 2000.
"Structure of Discotic Liquid Crystalline Compounds at the Air-Water Interface," D. Gidalevitz, O. Y. Mindyuk, P. A. Heiney, B. M. Ocko, P. Henderson, H. Ringsdorf, N. Boden, R. J. Bushby, P. S. Martin, J. Strzalka, J. P. McCauley Jr; A. B. Smith III, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 101, #50, 10870-10875, 1997.
PRESENTATIONS
"Neutron Reflectivity Can Probe the Secondary
Structure of Selectively Deuterated Peptides in a Langmuir Monolayer,"
J. Strzalka, B. R. Gibney, X. Chen, C. C. Moser, P. L. Dutton,
S. K. Satija, B. M. Ocko, J. K. Blasie, Annual Meeting of the Biophysical
Society, New Orleans, LA, February 2000
(Biophysical Journal
78, No. 1, pt. 2, Abstract 1924).
"X-Ray Reflectivity Studies of Mixed Langmuir Monolayers of a Lipopeptide Maquette and a Phospholipid," J. Strzalka, X. Chen, B. R. Gibney, C. C. Moser, P. L. Dutton, B. M. Ocko, J. K. Blasie, Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore, MD, February 1999 (Biophysical Journal, 76, No. 1, pt. 2, A18, Su.-AM-I1).
"Structural Studies of Model Metalloprotein Maquettes Vectorially Oriented at a Soft Interface," J. Strzalka, X. Chen, C. C. Moser, P. L. Dutton, B. M. Ocko, J. K. Blasie, Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Kansas City, MO, February 1988 (Biophysical Journal, 74, No. 2, pt. 2, A236, W.-PM-D2).
"Unique Phasing of X-Ray Reflectivity Data from Organic
Overlayers on Solid
Substrates via Interferometry and Holography," J. Strzalka, J. K. Blasie, J.
C. Bean, Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society, Kansas City, MO,
March 1997.