Assistant Professor

BSc (UAlberta); PhD (UCalgary), Postdoc (UWindsor)

Marissa L. Clapson completed her BSc at the University of Alberta, participating in undergraduate summer and honors research with Dr. Dennis Hall (ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2016, 7, 12, 1097–1101) and later Dr. Eric Rivard. During her undergraduate career Marissa also completed a co-op internship with NOVA Chemicals resulting in a patent focused on filter-free Zielger-Natta ethylene polymerization catalysts. Similarly, Marissa participated as a visiting student in the Piers Group at the University of Calgary, working to develop Ni PCP carbene complexes featuring a benzothiophene ligand framework. Marissa continues on to complete her PhD with Dr. Warren Piers at the University of Calgary. Her thesis research "Organocobalt PCcarbeneP Complexes for Small Molecule Activation & SoTL Explorations in the Gamification of Learning in General, Organic, and Polymer Chemistry" resulted in her being awarded several awards including and NSERC CGS-D, the Alberta Graduates Excellence Scholarship, a NOVA Chemicals Graduate Scholarship, and a QEII Graduate Scholarship. Following a successful PhD, Marissa participated as a postdoctoral scholar with Dr. Marcus Drover at the University of Windsor. Her work focused on the implementation of mono and diphosphine ligand frameworks featuring boron in the secondary coordination sphere for the activation of small molecules at nickel. Marissa started as an assistant professor in December 2023. Her research group now focuses on the application of pincer ligand featuring Lewis acids in the secondary coordination sphere for the transformation of environmental pollutants to value-added materials. The Clapson group places a focus onto the sustainable development and application of first-row metal catalysts, working not only to create catalysts that incorporate green chemistry principles, but to improve catalyst recyclability and reuse. The Clapson group also works to develop gamified, inquiry-base learning techniques for applications in undergraduate chemistry classroom. Her company, ChemEscape, showcases some of this work in the development of mobile escape room-style puzzles for teaching general chemistry principles, polymer chemistry, redox and thermodynamics, as well as synthetic organic chemistry. Recent research has focused on the application of online escape-room tools in the classroom as well as the benefits surrounding student involvement in puzzle creation.