The role of a science professor: Linking the microscopic world and seemingly abstract theories with the macroscopic world, understanding how scientific knowledge is obtained, and establishing the historical and social context of the natural sciences.
An internationally known chemist, CSU Los Angeles Professor Matthias Selke is recognized for interdisciplinary research on the interaction of light and oxygen with organic molecules. Selke and his co-workers studied this process for antioxidants such as trans-resveratrol, which is found in wine grapes.
Many of the students he mentored—including undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows—participated in training programs for disadvantaged students, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health or National Science Foundation.
He has also explored new metal-based molecules that make singlet oxygen—a high-energy form of oxygen used in photodynamic cancer therapy. In addition to teaching chemistry classes, he developed a new undergraduate thesis class sequence in the Honors College at CSULA.
Selke’s commitment to providing students opportunities for hands-on research experience has garnered him this year’s CSULA Outstanding Professor Award.