Emeritus – Chemistry

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

St. Procopius College, 1967 B.S. Chemistry
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1967-1968 Chemistry
University of Arizona, 1971 PhD Chemistry (Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Chapter)

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

• Freeman Laboratories, Inc, 1971-1973 Environmental Consulting
• Chicago Scientific Inc., 1973-1975 Environmental Consulting
• Benedictine University
  • 1975- present Professor of Chemistry
  • Assistant Professor 1975
  • Associate Professor 1979 (Tenure 1982)
  • Professor 1984
  • Department Chairman 1982-1985
• University of Arizona-Tucson, Arizona (sabbatical)
  • Visiting Lecturer 1997

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
American Chemical Society (ACS) 1971- present

• ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
• ACS Division of Physical Chemistry
• Air, Water and Waste Management Association 1975- 1996
• Midwest Association of Chemistry Teachers in Liberal Arts Colleges
• Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area
  • Secretary Chemistry Division 1986
  • Chairman Chemistry Division 1987
• • Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA)

ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICES:

Alderman, City of Marengo, IL (three terms) 1976-1980

• Chair–Finance Committee ($1.3 million dollar budget)
• Chair–Sewer and Water Committee ($0.75 million dollar budget)
• Chair–Public Grounds Committee
• Chair–Salary Review Committee
• Chair–Legal Review Committee
• public member–Calvin Spencer Park Citizens’ Committee

PATENTS:
Co-inventor U.S. Patent #3434817 Strengthening Glass with Overglaze

EDUCATIONAL/RESEARCH GRANTS:

• • Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources–Hazardous Materials Research and Information Center (Workshops on hazardous materials management for high schools and colleges) HWRIC 89-058 $72,000.00Mardel Laboratories, Inc, (Development of materials, pet-related products) $25,000.00
  • National Science Foundation (Industrial Chemistry videotapes and presentations) NSF 79-00776 $28,000.00
  • Safety-Kleen Corp Hazardous Materials Education Grant 1990 $5,000.00
  • Excellence in Multicultural Diversity & Race Relations IBC 1996 Minority scientists information collection $1280.00
  • Robert R. McCormick (Chicago Tribune) Foundation, Union Pacific Foundation, James Copley Foundation, Lincoln National Corporation, Santa Fe Southern Foundation, and several others 1994-98 Benedictine University Lincoln Train Project $95,000.00
  • Benedictine Howard Hughes Medical Foundation Faculty Research Grant-Minority students’ laboratory experiments development; Small and Microscale Laboratory Conversions with Critical Thinking –summer 1996 $13,000.
  • Benedictine Howard Hughes Medical Foundation Faculty Research Grant -developing water chemistry module for integrated natural science laboratory –summer 1998 $3500.00.EXPERT WITNESS:
    Douglas Trent & Associates, laboratory accident, 1985
    Pollock, Meyers & Eicksteadt, Ltd, toxicological effects of burning asphalt

CONSULTANCIES/REVIEWER:

• • • J. Morris Environmental Engineers, a review of the city of Chicago environmental quality control laboratory, 1975
    • Mittlehauser Corporation, Initial development and operating costs of supplementary control systems 1979
    • Technical Education Consultant:
      • AMOCO Research Center, Naperville, IL 1982-present
      • Barbri, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, publication editor
      • Center for Professional Development, Sommerville, NJ
      • Chemical Waste Management, Inc
    • Text Reviewer: Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity 3rd edition Kotz Saunders College Publishing 1996
    • Web Site Reviewer: www.ChemPlace.com ; Peregrine Publishers, 1998
    • Howard Hughes Medical Foundation IBC Hughes Minority Scholars Program. Summer Program 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998. General Chemistry I for minority students-1994, 1995 & 1997.
    • Faculty instructor; Natural Science Laboratory ( experimental integrated lab experience) Fall 1999, Spring 2000
    • Director of Senior Independent Research Projects: 1975-present, see attached list:

PUBLICATIONS:

• A Microscale Continuous Hot Solvent Extractor, J. Chem. Ed. (August 1999)
• The Final Journey, American History Magazine, July/August 1995
• Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Train, Model Railroader Magazine February 1995
• President Lincoln’s Private Car, Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, March/Apr 1994
• Publication Editor, Inorganic Chemistry, MCAT Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989
• Illustrations Editor: Organic Chemistry MCAT Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989
• Publications Editor, Water Quality Guide, Fresh Water, Mardel laboratories 1989
• Publications Editor, Water Quality Guide, Salt Water, Mardel laboratories 1989
• “Pocket Calculator Programs for Traverse Point Location,” Pollution engineering, April 1980
• “Are You a Victim of Chemophobia?” IBC Magazine June 1982
• Magnetic Properties and Mossbauer Spectra of Transition Metal Complexes, PhD Dissertation University of Arizona 1971

OTHER SERVICES TO THE COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY:

• • • Senior (Longest Term) Advisor in the Freshman Advising Program
    • Johnson Wax Corp., Wingspread Mentor 1992
    • Founding member Science Division Safety Committee (1977-present)
      • developed college-wide OSHA Plan
      • represented college at OSHA hearing
    • Centennial Committee, Department Historian
    • Coordinated donation of equipment and materials
    • Chemical magic show
    • Member: Jurica Museum Committee and 25th Anniversary committee
    • Advisor Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society 1998-present
    • presented numerous talks to local groups on chemical-related topics

HOBBIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES:

• Co-author four books, 140 articles, 2 videotapes on model building
• speaker at over 100 clinics on model making

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS SUPERVISION:

• Interferences in the Barium Perchlorate IPA Thorin Microtitration for Sulfates I – Sue McDemott
• The Initiation of a Solar Distillation Project At IBC by the Development of a Solar Still for Year Round Service in the Northern United States – Dennis E. Bozych 1980
• Interferences in the Barium Perchlorate IPA Thorin Microtitration for Sulfates II – Keith Simeon Kostecka 1982
• The Efficiency Determination of a Simple, Portable Hood system for the Reduction of Airborne Hydrocarbons. – Joann C. Reier 1983
• Quantitative Analysis of Mercury in a Chemical Laboratory – Diane S. Quattlander 1983
• Evaluation of Analytical Methods for the Determination of Trace Levels of Formaldehyde – Mary Wong 1985
• Isolation of Metabolites of Tilorone Hydrochloride Produced In Vitro Using Reversed-Phased High-Resolution Liquid Chromatography – Jeffrey Brambora 1985
• Biodegradation of Organic Sludges by Anaerobic Bacteria – Candace Rose 1985
• Viariability of Salt Deposition on Surrogate Samplers – Laura Mraz 1986
• The Application of Commerical Test Strips to Closed Water Systems – David Slinkman 1987
• Evaluation of Agents for the Removal of Ammonia, Chlorine and Chloramines for Home Aquaria – Anita Peters 1988
• The Removal of Toxic Agents from Home Aquaria (Chlorine, Chloramines, Nitrites, pH) – Jeanine Kies 1989
• Increased Fine Circuit Coal Production by Enhancing Clean Coal Disc Filter Performance – Merle Branning 1989
• Zinc Recycling from Plating Bath Rinse Water – Philip Minarik 1990
• Design of a Microscale Soxhlet Extractor – Thomas Mulcahy 1990
• Coordination Chemistry of Copper(II) in a Small-Scale Experiment – Anna Consiglio 1991
• The Synthesis of Nasicon (Sodium Super Ionic Conductor) via Metal Alkoxides – Mark Skowron 1991
• The Efficiency of a Microscale Continuous Hot Solvent Extractor – Tina Catuara 1992
• The Adsorption Characteristics of High Surface Area Actived Charcoals – Joseph Brunzelle 1993
• Electrochemical Sensors for Detection of Nitrogen-containing Exergonic Compounds – Tim Marin 1995
• A Theoretical Re-investigation of Aluminium Monocarbonyls. – Steve Wesolowski 1996
• A Study of Two Methods for Cleaning Antique Phonograph Records – Mike Brooks 1996
• A Micro-scale Specific Heat Capacity Apparatus and Experiment – Robert J. Otis 1998
• Measuring Glass Surface Griffith Flaws – Mike Shapre 1999

Revised 9/99

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“Wesolowski, a chemist and model train maker, was director of the Lincoln Train Project at Benedictine University near Chicago for 10 years. In 1995, he completed a years-long project of building a scale model of Lincoln’s car, the locomotive and hearse and horses, all together measuring nearly 15 feet in length.

After 30 years as a chemistry professor at Benedictine, Wesolowski retired to Tucson, and continues to teach as a chemistry lecturer at the UA.”

Read more at: Researchers Solve the Mystery of the Lincoln’s Funeral Train