About Us
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John Stedman Magyar is a Research Scientist in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech. With Prof. Woody Fischer, he is studying biological manganese oxidation.
Previously, Magyar was a faculty member in Chemistry at Barnard College, where he continues to advise undergraduate research students. Magyar and his group are exploring molecular mechanisms of cold adaptation, specifically in the hydrocarbonoclastic, psychrophilic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea. The group is also investigating the molecular details of trace metal uptake and homeostasis in environmentally important microorganisms, such as marine phytoplankton and methanogenic archaea. Current work in the Magyar group is primarily funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (CHE-1308170). Magyar was a postdoctoral scholar in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (with Harry B. Gray), where he studied electron transfer kinetics and protein dynamics. Magyar's doctoral research, at Northwestern University (with Hilary Arnold Godwin), provided important insights into the molecular mechanisms of lead(II) poisoning. |
Awards2013 Gladys Brooks Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
2012 Barnard Presidential Research Award From the Barnard website: Gladys Brooks Teaching Award According to Prof. Magyar’s colleagues, “John’s dedication to teaching and learning in chemistry, both in the classroom and the research laboratory, truly shines.” Celebrated for his versatility, he teaches the department’s gateway General Chemistry I course, a first-year seminar on energy and climate, and advanced-level courses for chemistry majors, just to name a few. In the energy and climate course, which he designed, Prof. Magyar made use of New York City’s unique resources, taking students sailing on a tall ship in the Hudson River and on field trips to the American Museum of Natural History. With “his enthusiasm for science and his lively teaching style,” Prof. Magyar is popular among students, who are quick to take advantage of his extra efforts to enhance their academic experience: While teaching general chemistry in the fall, weekly attendance at his non-required problem-solving sessions was around 75 students, and he also led a weekly journal club for his students in inorganic chemistry. |
FundingNational Science Foundation (CHE-1308170)
National Science Foundation (CHE-0959177 and CHE-0961709) Barnard College Presidential Research Award ACS Petroleum Research Fund Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Faculty Start-Up Award Barnard College Office of the Provost Barnard College Department of Chemistry Barnard College Faculty Minigrants Barnard College Hughes Science Pipeline Project (HHMI) Barnard College Mellon Environmental Science Grants Barnard College Merck Research Fellowships Barnard College/Con Edison Summer Student Fellowships Columbia University Center for Electron Transport in Molecular Nanostructures (NSF-NSEC) Caltech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program Ernest H. Swift SURF Endowment Barnard College/Columbia University Biological Sciences SURF Program Barnard College/Columbia University Amgen Scholars Program The Sally Chapman Fund M. Zhen and W. Chin Memorial Fund |