About
Prof. Clemens Burda, a native of Germany, grew up in Weil am Rhein where he attended school throughout his formative years. After graduating from Kant Gymnasium Weil am Rhein in 1988, he attributes his passion for science to the exceptional educators who motivated him during his high school tenure. Alongside his academic pursuits, he cultivated interests in painting and photography, drawn particularly to the intricate interplay of pigments, dyes, and light in creating diverse hues. Following his mandatory military service from 1988 to 1989, he resolved to delve into the study of chemistry.
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He obtained his Chemistry degree at the University of Basel in Switzerland in the field of photochemistry and laser spectroscopy. His studies included work on ultrafast chemical reactivity and led to the spectroscopic identification of short-lived intermediates, including singlet- and triplet-state nitrenes. His growing interest in ultrafast spectroscopy led him to pursue postdoctoral studies in the field of femtosecond spectroscopy with Prof. El-Sayed at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
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Since 2001, Clemens Burda has been a professor at Case Western Reserve University, where he is the Chair of the Chemical Professorship and director of the Center for Chemical Dynamics and the Nanomaterials Research. His interests include femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy and time-resolved imaging of molecules, semiconductor and metallic nanomaterials, as well as renewable energy materials.
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Prof. Burda is an enthusiastic educator who graduated over 30 graduate students, many are now successful professors and professionals. He enjoys teaching materials chemistry and spectroscopy to students and professionals at all levels.
Post-doc
Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Nanoscience and Laser Spectroscopy
Supervisor: M. A. El-Sayed, PhD
Ph.D
University of Basel, Switzerland
Photochemistry and Laser Spectroscopy
Advisor: H. J. Wirz, PhD
Diploma
University of Basel, Switzerland
Chemistry
Advisor: F. Gerson, Phd
Education
Appointments
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2018 (Spring) : Visiting Professor, Department of Nanochemistry, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy
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2014 - present : Secondary Appointment, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2012 - present : Chemical Professor, College of Arts and Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2011 - present : Full Professor, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2010 (Spring) : Visiting Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2008 - present: Secondary Appointment, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2006-2011 : Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2001-2006 : Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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1998-2000 : Associate Director, Laser Dynamics Laboratory, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA