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About Me

This is my 20th year as a faculty member at Ball State University. Originally from Minnesota, I arrived at BSU after completing my postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California-Berkeley. Our family was looking to return to the Midwest and Ball State was a perfect match.  My main research interest and teaching specialty are in areas involving organic and medicinal chemistry.

My College Experience

I did my undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College.  I was an ACS Chemistry major. I did biochemistry research during my last two undergraduate years.  During the summer prior to my senior year, I completed organic research at the University of Minnesota.  I went to graduate school at University of California-Davis to study organic chemistry and received my Ph.D. in 2001.

What I have Learned?

When I enter college I did not know what I wanted to do and my major was undeclared.  I really liked math and science so I took chemistry, biology and calculus.  During my first year I found my passion in general chemistry and continued with chemistry for a BA and Ph.D.  I would have went to additional office hours and talked with my professors more if I had to go back and change anything.

Degree History

Postgraduate Researcher University of California Berkley (2003)
University of California Davis Ph.D. (2001)
Gustavus Aldolphus College B.A. (1996)

Research Interests

The research interests of our group are in the areas of synthetic methodology and the synthesis of compounds with potential applications in medicinal or bioorganic chemistry (such as relevance to agrochemicals or pharmaceuticals). We are currently investigating new synthetic procedures and adopting these procedures to the synthesis of some novel organic compounds which possess nitrogen containing heterocycles. In addition, we are exploring the synthetic development of more efficient reactions for carbon-carbon bond formation and utilizing these products for further development. 

Selected Publications:

D. K. Miller, C. A. Bailey, R. E. Sammelson. Synthesis of Isoxazolines and Isoxazoles Inspired by Fipronil. Synthesis 2015, 47, 2791-2798. D. Cordero, C. R. Fullenkamp, R. R. Pelly, K. M. Reed, L. M. Caffo, A. N. Zahrt, M. Newman, S. Komanapalli, E. M. Niemeier, D. L. Bishop, H. A. Bruns, M. K. Haynes, L. A. Sklar, R. E. Sammelson and S. A. McDowell. Small Molecule Inhibitors Limit Endothelial Cell Invasion by Staphylococcus aureus. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 2014, 15, 727-737. S. F. Tayyari, B. Chahkandi, S. Mehrani, R. W. McClurg, C. A. Keyes and R. E. Sammelson. Conformational analysis, tautomerization, IR, Raman, and NMR studies of ethyl benzoylacetate. Journal of Molecular Structure 2012, 1015, 74-85.

S. F. Tayyari, F. Naghavi, S. Pojhan, R. W. McClurg and R. E. Sammelson. Conformational analysis, tautomerization, IR, Raman, and NMR studies of benzyl acetoacetate. Journal of Molecular Structure 2011, 987, 241-254.

S. F. Tayyari, R. E. Sammelson, F. Tayyari, R. Hedayat and M. Ebrahimi. Conformational analysis, tautomerization, IR, Raman, and NMR studies of 3-phenylazo-2,4-pentanedione. Journal of Molecular Structure 2009, 920, 301-309.

Fariba Tayyari, Dwight E. Wood, Phillip E. Fanwick, and Robert E. Sammelson. Monosubstituted Malononitriles: Efficient One-Pot Reductive Alkylations of Malononitrile with Aromatic Aldehydes. Synthesis 2008, 279-285.

Jason C. Dunham, Adam D. Richardson, and Robert E. Sammelson. Sodium Borohydride as the Only Reagent for the Efficient Reductive Alkylation of Malononitrile with Ketones and Aldehydes. Synthesis 2006, 680-686.

Robert E. Sammelson and Mark J. Allen. A Convenient and Selective One-Pot Method for the Synthesis of Monosubstituted Secondary Alkyl Malononitriles. Synthesis 2005, 543-546.

Robert E. Sammelson, Pierluigi Caboni, Kathleen A. Durkin, and John E. Casida. GABA Receptor Antagonists and Insecticides: Common Structural Features of 4-Alkyl-1-phenylpyrazoles and 4-Alkyl-1-phenyltrioxabicyclooctanes. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2004, 12, 3345-3355.

Robert E. Sammelson, T. Ma, Luis J. V. Galietta, A. S. Verkman, and Mark J. Kurth. 3-(2-Benzyloxyphenyl)isoxazoles and Isoxazolines: Synthesis and Evaluation as CFTR Activators. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2003, 13, 2509-2512.

Robert E. Sammelson, Chamindra D. Gurusinghe, Jeffery M. Kurth, Marilyn M. Olmstead, and Mark J. Kurth. Synthesis of Spiro-Fused (C5)-Isoxazolino-(C4)-pyrazolones (1-Oxa-2,7,8-triazaspiro[4,4]-2,8-dien-6-ones) via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition and Cycloelimination. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2002, 66, 876-882.

Robert E. Sammelson and Mark J. Kurth. Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Solid-Phase Reactions. Part II. Chemical Reviews 2001, 101, 137-202.

Robert E. Sammelson, R. Bryan Miller, and Mark J. Kurth. Linear Tetraheterocycles Composed of Both Diisoxazole and Bidentate Isoxazole-Furyl/Thienyl/Pyridyl Motifs. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2000, 65, 2225-2228.

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