BenU faculty since 2003
Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Courses Taught
Organic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry Laboratory Courses for Majors and Non-majors, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Organic Spectroscopy

Awards and Recognition:

• Benedictine University College of Science Dean’s Award for Service, 2013
• Recipient of the 2011 Young Alumnus Award, presented by the Bridgewater College Alumni Association.
• Benedictine University Annual Merit Award for Faculty in 2008-2009
• Co-recipient of the Benedictine University Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence, 2008
• Benedictine University College of Science Dean’s Award for Teaching, 2007
• Benedictine University Annual Merit Award for Faculty in 2005-2006

Research Area
Organic synthesis; asymmetric catalysis; chemical education

Current Research Projects:
Organic synthesis; organocatalytic conjugate additions and aldol reactions; asymmetric hydrogenations; chemical education research

Current Research Collaborator:

• Dr. Edward Ferroni, Benedictine University

Research Grants and Funding
Recipient of a Benedictine University Summer Faculty Fellowship, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Association, $10,000

Professional Activities:

• Member, American Chemical Society (National, Chicago chapter, organic chemistry and chemical education divisions)
• Member, Iota Sigma Pi, National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry
• Treasurer for the Aurum Iodide Chapter of Iota Sigma Pi, June 2008-2014
• Membership Affairs Coordinator for the Aurum Iodide Chapter of Iota Sigma Pi, September 2005-June 2008
• Chair of the Chemistry Division Associated Colleges of Chicago Area (ACCA) (May 2009-May 2010)
• Secretary of the Chemistry Division Associated Colleges of Chicago Area (ACCA) (May 2008-May 2009)
• Moderator of a Physical Sciences session at the 42nd ACCA Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL (April 4, 2009)
• Moderator of a Biology and Chemistry session at the 40th ACCA Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL (April 14, 2007)
• Session chair (Analytical, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, and Organometallic Chemistry) at the 18th Annual Argonne Symposium for Undergraduates in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Argonne National Laboratory, IL (November 2-3, 2007)
• Session chair (Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Spectroscopy) at the 17th Annual Argonne Symposium for Undergraduates in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Argonne National Laboratory, IL (November 3-4, 2006)
• Reviewer for the Journal of Chemical Education, 2008-present

Current and Former Research Students:

• Kiran Munir, 2014, BMB
• Julian Ochoa, 2014, Chemistry
• Zachary Oesterreicher, 2014, BMB
• Amanda Stachowicz, 2014, Chemistry
• Mirza Baig, 2012, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Hemal Bhavsar, 2012, Chemistry
• Danielle Howard, 2012, Chemistry
• Nabeelah Kauser, 2012, Chemistry
• Brittani Selander, 2012, Chemistry
• Jeremy Hess, 2011, Chemistry
• Ana Kiricova, 2011, Chemistry
• Dan Funari, 2010, Chemistry
• Jake Polaski, 2010, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Richard Grant, 2009, Chemistry
• Bhavna Patel, 2009, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Erick Pasciak, 2008, Chemistry
• Alan Rich, 2008, Health Science
• Sarah St. John, 2008, Chemistry
• Katie Bartgen, 2007, Chemistry
• Chris Check, 2007, Chemistry
• Kiel Lazarski, 2006, Biochemistry
• Afshan Mohsin, 2006, Health Science
• Nate Rebeck, 2006, Chemistry

Recent Publications:

• Mascarenhas, Cheryl M. “Review of Advances in Teaching Organic Chemistry”, J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91, 468-469.
• Mascarenhas, Cheryl M. “A Two-Step Synthesis of the Laundry Detergent Perfume Additive β-Citronellyl Tosylate”, J. Chem. Educ. 2013, 90, 1231-1234.
• Lazarski, K. E.; Rich, A. A.; Mascarenhas, C. M. “A One-Pot, Asymmetric Robinson Annulation in the Organic Chemistry Majors Laboratory.” J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 1531-1534.
• Mascarenhas, Cheryl M. “The Comparative Nucleophilicity of Naphthoxide Derivatives in Reactions with a Fast-Red Dye: A Discovery-Oriented Capstone Project for the Second-Year Organic Laboratory”. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 1271-1273.
• J-H Koh; C. M. Mascarenhas; M. R Gagné. “Pd(II)-Catalyzed cyclogeneration of carbocations: subsequent rearrangement and trapping under oxidative conditions” Tetrahedron. 2004, 60, 7405-7510.
• C. M. Mascarenhas, S. P. Miller, P. S. White, J. P. Morken. “First Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol-Tishchenko Reaction—Insight into the Catalyst Structure and Reaction Mechanism” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 601-603.
• C. M. Mascarenhas, M. O. Duffey, S-Y. Liu, J. P. Morken. “Simple Metal Alkoxides as Effective Catalysts for the Hetero-Aldol—Tishchenko Reaction.” Organic Lett. 1999, 1, 1427-1429.

Peer-Reviewed and Invited Presentations:

• Mascarenhas CM, Kiricova A, Grant, R, Kauser N, Stachowicz AR. “The Development and Implementation of Second-Year Organic Chemistry Lab Experiments that Embrace Green Chemistry Principles.”The 23rd IUPAC International Conference on Chemical Education, Toronto, Canada, July 14, 2014.
• Amanda Stachowicz, Cheryl Mascarenhas. Optimization of an Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of N-Methylindole to trans Crotonaldehyde” April 12, 2014, Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, IL.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Richard Grant, Erick Pasciak. “Sustainability at the undergraduate level: Integrating green chemistry techniques and asymmetric catalysis intot he sophomore organic chemistry curriculum.” 239th ACS Spring National Meeting, Division of Chemical Education, San Francisco, CA, March 21, 2010, Poster ID: 123.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Jake Polaski, Richard Grant, Erick Pasciak. “Asymmetric Organocatalysis of Robinson Annulations and Conjugate Addition of Indoles to Unsaturated Aldehydes.” Science and Sociability seminar, Benedictine University, April 23, 2010.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Jake Polaski, Sarah St. John, Alan Rich, Kiel Lazarski, Richard Grant. “Asymmetric Organocatalysis: Conjugate Addition Reactions & Robinson Annulations.” Science and Sociability seminar, Benedictine University, October 17, 2008.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Sarah E. St. John, Kiel E. Lazarski, Alan A. Rich and Erick Pasciak. “Teaching stereoselective carbonyl chemistry to a majors/honors section sophomore organic laboratory.” 235th ACS Spring National Meeting, Division of Chemical Education, New Orleans, LA, April 9, 2008.
• Sarah St. John, Kiel E. Lazarski, Alan A. Rich and Cheryl M. Mascarenhas. “Synthesis of organocatalysts for asymmetric Robinson annulations.” 235th ACS Spring National Meeting, Division of Chemical Education, New Orleans, LA, April 7, 2008, Poster ID: 1163539.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Kiel E. Lazarski, Alan A. Rich, Nathaniel T. Rebeck, Christopher T. Check and Katherine K. Bartgen. “Asymmetric catalysis in the undergraduate research and teaching curriculum.” 233rd ACS Spring National Meeting, Division of Chemical Education, Chicago, IL, March 29, 2007.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, Kiel E. Lazarski, Alan A. Rich. “Reactivity and enantioselectivity of chiral imidazolidinone organocatalysts in asymmetric Robinson annulations.” 233rd ACS Spring National Meeting, Division of Chemical Education, Chicago, IL, March 26, 2007, Poster ID: 659.
• Cheryl Mascarenhas, Kiel Lazarski, Nathaniel Rebeck. “Asymmetric Organocatalysis.” Invited Speaker, Iota Sigma Pi – Aurum Iodide meeting, April 2006.
• Cheryl Mascarenhas, Kiel Lazarski, Nathaniel Rebeck. “Asymmetric Organocatalytic Reactions.” Science and Sociability seminar, Benedictine University, December 2005.
• C. M. Mascarenhas, S. P. Miller, J. P. Morken. “Development of catalysts for the asymmetric aldol-Tischenko Reaction.” 220th Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry, Washington, DC, August 24th, 2000.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, James P. Morken. “The Development of Catalysts for the Asymmetric Aldol-Tischenko Reaction.” 114th NC-ACS Sectional Conference. April 1, 2000.
• Cheryl M. Mascarenhas, James P. Morken. “The Design and Development of Catalysts for the Asymmetric Aldol-Tischenko Reaction.” Invited speaker, Bridgewater College, April 2000.