Chemistry and Biochemistry
Faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who have been featured in our Faculty Scholarship Showcase.
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Thomas Arruda, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, McAuley Scholar | Chemistry
Dr. Arruda has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northeastern University, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. He joined the faculty at Salve Regina University in 2013 where he teaches a host of chemistry and core curriculum courses.
Dr. Arruda’s interest in alternative energy began as an undergraduate researcher when he worked on electrochemical energy for propulsion systems as the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. Following his work at NUWC, Dr. Arruda’s interest in energy evolved into more Earth-friendly renewable energy systems to mitigate the effects of climate change. He has worked extensively on understanding the role of catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, and more recently, has become interested in large scale energy storage systems for harnessing energy from intermittent sources such as wind and solar and currently conducts research on all vanadium redox flow batteries with Salve Regina University students. As a member of the Mercy Interdisciplinary Faculty Collaborative, a portion of Dr. Arruda’s research is supported by the McAuley Institute for Mercy Education: Critical Concern of Earth at Salve Regina University.
Susan Meschwitz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Department Chair | Chemistry
Dr. Susan Meschwitz received her B.S. in chemistry from Stonehill College in 1983, and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Brown University in 1989. Her primary research interest lies at the interface of organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Her ultimate goals are to use chemical tools to solve problems of importance in biology and medicine and to discover molecules capable of inhibiting quorum sensing. She is currently exploring two areas for the discovery of these compounds: design and synthesis in her laboratory and isolation from natural products. These molecules are anticipated to serve as valuable tools in the study of quorum sensing and to provide potential new leads in the development of anti-infective agents.