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Philippine Academic Association in NorthEast, Steering Committee member PAASE Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering, Membership Committee Chair and Research Expertise Cluster 5 (Chemistry and Biochemistry) Co-Chair Project Chemunity |
Elmer-Rico E. Mojica is a scholar/scientist with over two decades of experience teaching and conducting research in Chemistry. He is currently a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Pace University, where he leads an active research group composed of undergraduate students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, forensic science, and biology. His research group uses instrument-based methods (spectroscopy, chromatography, and electroanalytical) to analyze chemicals of interest in a variety of fields, including chemistry, food science, and environmental science. Some of his projects have involved the characterization of compounds in nutraceutical products such as bee propolis and tea. His students regularly present their findings at conferences and, in some cases, serve as co-authors on peer-reviewed publications.
He also served as adjunct faculty in various colleges around New York City. This led to collaborations with other faculty members in the city, including Prof. Ruel Z.B. Desamero of York College. From 2011 to 2012, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate under Prof. Desamero. Their research involved the spectroscopic characterization of synthesized peptides prepared by Prof. Adam Profit (York College). This entailed using a variety of spectroscopic instruments, such as Raman, IR, fluorescence, and UV-Vis spectrometers. This allowed him to gain access to these high-end instruments. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University at Buffalo (UB), State University of New York (SUNY) in 2010. His doctoral research focused on the development of sol-gel materials for the selective extraction of tetracyclines in the environment. He worked simultaneously under two advisors, Prof. Diana S. Aga (environmental chemistry) and Prof. Frank V. Bright (spectroscopy and material science). In addition to his experimental research, he also conducted computational chemistry research under Prof. Jochen Autschbach, where he gained knowledge on theoretical chemistry. Before going to the United States for his PhD study in 2005, he was a faculty member of the Institute of Chemistry (IC) at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) from 1999. He started as an Instructor teaching laboratory classes. He was then promoted to Assistant Professor in 2003 after finishing his MS degree in Agricultural Chemistry in UPLB in the same year. He worked under Prof. Florinia E. Merca for his MS doing studies on biochemistry (lectin) and continued the research initiative on electrochemistry started by Prof. Jose H. Santos. He has a network of research collaborators in the Philippines, sharing his knowledge and expertise serving as a mentor to junior scientists and as speaker in webinars being given in different universities and colleges. His personal advocacy Project Chemunity give webinars in different HEIs (higher educational institutions) sharing his experiences from teaching during pandemic and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the teaching and learning process. When it comes to teaching, he enthusiastically incorporates elements of pop culture into his courses, infusing a sense of excitement into what are conventionally considered mundane classes. He affectionately dubs this approach "Chemtertainment," which involves integrating scenes and ideas from popular movies, television series (such as Star Wars), and iconic songs (like those by the Beatles). By doing so, he introduces an additional layer of understanding to seemingly abstract concepts. Furthermore, he skillfully relates his lessons to everyday examples, facilitating a deeper comprehension for his students by establishing connections with familiar experiences and concepts. Apart from his teaching responsibilities, he also serves as the Director of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) at Pace University. This program is generously funded by the state of New York and is designed to provide support for STEM students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, he holds the position of Associate Director of the Forensic Science Program at Pace University. |