Welcome to my www page!  My name is Patricia Ann (PAM) Mabrouk (photograph at left).   I am a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University (NU) and have been at NU for sixteen years - since Fall 1990.   Outside of the office I share my life with one spoiled sealpoint siamese male cat named Nie Hao Mao Mao (his name means:  Hello Kitty) shown at right.  My better half, Nikki (his nickname), is a regular commuter on the commuter rail and a frequent visitor to my office in Hurtig Hall.

Educational Background:

Teaching   I am passionate about education and my role as an educator;  I take my work in this area very seriously - my motto (taken from my alma mater) is Non Ministrare sed Ministrare.  At the undergraduate level over the past ten years, I have taught Quantitative Analysis to more than 450 undergraduates and General Chemistry to more than 400 freshmen.  At the graduate level I teach Electroanalytical Chemistry, Optical Methods of Analysis, and Research Skills & Ethics, a course I specifically designed to orient entering graduate students. 

Chemical Research   Efforts in my research group focus on two areas:  molecular biophysical studies of heme proteins and the development of "Green" methods of synthesis for conducting polymers.  The former emphasizes the use of a wide range of spectroscopic and electrochemical methods to the characterization of heme proteins and enzymes in nonaqueous media (organic solvents and supercritical fluids).  We use this unconventional approach in order to gently perturb the structure and function of a select set of heme proteins and enzymes and gain insight into the relationship between structure and function (i.e., biomolecular recognition) in heme systems.   In the latter area, we are developing a series of new environmentally benign methods to synthesize conducting polymers with characteristics superior to those of conventional methods.  Areas of expertise include:   chemistry of heme proteins and enzymes, conducting polymers, supercritical fluids, UV-vis, CD, RR, NMR, CV, CA/CC.

Chemical Education   I am actively involved in ongoing efforts to redesign the undergraduate analytical chemistry curriculum, to improve the quality of graduate education, and to better understand and define undergraduate research experiences.  I have a strong ongoing commitment to the full participation of younger students - both at the high school and undergraduate level - in meaningful research experiences and I have opened my own lab to 40 undergraduates and 20 minority high school students to date.   Areas of expertise include:  problem-based learning, analytical chemical education, and development of pedagogical strategies for undergraduate research.