Philip DeShong
Contact Info
Office: CHM 4505
Phone: 301-405-1892
Philip DeShong
Professor Emeritus

Education

  • B.S. Chemistry with Honors and Special Honors in Chemistry
  • University of Texas at Austin, 1971. Sc. D. in Organic Chemistry (with Professor George H. Büchi)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1976. Postdoctoral: (a) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (with Professor Duilio Arigoni), 1976-1979. (b) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with Professor Christopher Walsh), 1979.

Professional Experience

  • Assistant Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, 1979-1986
  • Visiting Scientist, University of Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany, 1986
  • Associate Professor, The University of Maryland, 1986 -1990
  • Professor, The University of Maryland, 1990-2022
  • Emeritus Professor, The University of Maryalnd, 2022-
  • Academic Guest (Adjunct Appointment), Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland, 1990-1994
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 1994
  • Adjunct Professor, Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland, 1996. Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, 2000-2003
  • Member, Bioengineering Program, University of Maryland, 2005-present
  • Member, Center for Nanomedicine and Cellular Delivery, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland, 2005-present
  • Member, Maryland Nanocenter, University of Maryland, 2009-present

Research Interests

Synthesis of nanomaterials with novel optical properties; synthesis and characterizaton of functionalized nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery, diagnostics and vaccine development; total synthesis of heterocyclic natural products, development of methodology for organic synthesis, mechanistic organometallic chemistry, synthesis of complex oligosaccharides and glycoprotein derivatives, chemistry of hypervalent silicon derivatives.

Major Recognitions and Honors

  • NSF Undergraduate Research Fellow, 1969.
  • Robert A. Welch Outstanding Undergraduate, University of Texas at Austin, 1969, 1970, 1971.
  • Goodyear Graduate Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972.
  • Texaco Graduate Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973.
  • Givaudan Postdoctoral Fellow, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 1976-1978.
  • Phi Lambda Upsilon, Chemistry Honor Society.
  • Alpha Chi Sigma, Science Honor Society.
  • Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society.
  • Sigma Xi, National Science Honor Society.
  • American Cyanamid Science Faculty Award, 1986.
  • Swiss Chemical Society Lectureship, 1989.
  • University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, 1996.
  • Lilly-CTE Teaching Fellow, 1997-1998.
  • DuPont Faculty Award, 1999-2000.
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2001.
  • University of Maryland Regents’ Award for Public Service, 2007.
  • University of Maryland Undergraduate Mentor of the Year, 2008.
  • Outstanding Academic Advisor Award, Maryland Parents Association, 2009.

Significant Professional Service and Activities

In addition to his academic position, Dr. DeShong is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of SD Nanosciences, Inc. of Beltsville, MD. The focus of the company is to develop novel methods for the detection and treatment of pathogenic infections and cancer. Dr. DeShong has consulted for 15 companies on problems related to synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Students Mentored

Dr. DeShong has supervised the Ph.D. and Masters theses of50 graduate students. In addition, 10 postdoctorals and 50 undergraduates have performed research in his laboratory.