The group is comprised of scientists from several different countries and U.S. States. As of January, 2009, we count students/postdocs from the states of California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas, and the nations of Germany and Sri Lanka. Prof. Zwier hails originally from Michigan, but now considers himself a full-fledged Boilermaker.

We apply laser spectroscopy to various systems and molecules in order to gain insight into conformational preferences, dynamics, and photochemical reactions. We study systems that have biological relevance, molecules present in combustion reactions, as well as molecules that are present in Titan's atmosphere.

We use high-powered, pulsed, tunable UV and IR lasers, vacuum chambers, supersonic expansions, and fast electronics, all under computer control, ultimately detecting either the photons our molecules emit or the ions produced from two photon ionization or photo-induced fragmentation. Our analysis requires extensive use of computational chemistry. More detail on our methods can be found in the Research section of our website.

We are currently funded by the National Science Foundation Experimental Physical Chemistry program, the Department of Energy Office of Sciences, and NASA Planetary Atmospheres program.

Most students take 5 years to graduate with a Ph.D. The current record is 4.0 years, held jointly by Ralph Bandy and Brian Dian.

As of January 2010, 23 students have graduated from the group, 22 with a Ph.D. A list of alumni can be found here.

Students from the group have taken up positions around the world in industry, national laboratories, and academia, both at research institutions and predominantly undergraduate schools.

Please feel free to contact any member of the lab for more information. Contact information can be found on the Group Page.