Biosketch

Rebecca M. Broyer received a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 2000. She worked in the biotechnology industry for several years before moving to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2009. Her graduate work focused on using controlled polymerizations to make synthetic modifications to peptides, as well as fabrication of multicomponent protein nanoarrays. She was awarded an Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where she worked in the field of conservation science to develop polymeric materials for the preservation of modern works of art from 2009-2010. Professor Broyer was an organic chemistry instructor at Glendale Community College before joining the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Southern California in 2010. Within the Chemistry Department at USC, she has taught fourteen different courses. Her current work focuses on chemical education and curriculum development. She is particularly interested in developing and implementing strategies that will close achievement gaps in organic chemistry among under-represented minority, female, transfer, first generation and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

Selected Publications

1. Broyer, R. M.;  Miller, K.;  Ramachandran, S.;  Fu, S.;  Howell, K.; Cutchin, S., "Using Virtual Reality to Demonstrate Glove Hygiene in Introductory Chemistry Laboratories," J. Chem. Educ. 2020 Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00137

2. Assadieskandar, A , Rezende Miranda, R. and Broyer, R. M., “Visually Tracking of Acid-Base Extractions Using Colorful Compounds, ” J. Chem. Educ., 2020 97 (5), 1402-1405. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00196

3. Broyer, R. M. and Parr, J., “AcademiNext: Mentoring the Next Generation of Chemistry Faculty,” J. Chem Educ., 2019; 96(11), 2403-2409. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00160

4. Broyer, R. M.  “Use of Multi-Media Tools in the Chemistry Classroom to Foster Student Participation,” Videos in Chemistry Education: Applications of Interactive Tools, ACS Symposium series (1325), Edited by J. Parr, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2019, Chapter 5, 69-85.

5. Kolodziej, C. M.; Kim, S-H.; Broyer, R. M.; Saxer, S. S.; Decker, C. G; and Maynard, H. D. “Combination of Integrin-Binding Peptide and Growth Factor Promotes Cell Adhesion on Electron-Beam-Fabricated Patterns,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012; 134(1), 247-255. 

6. Broyer, R. M.; Grover, G. N.; and Maynard, H. D., “Emerging Synthetic Approaches for Protein-Polymer Conjugations,” Chem. Commun.;  2011; 47, 2212-2226. * Feature article

7. Broyer, R. M.; Schopf, E.; Kolodziej, C. M.; Chen, Y.; Maynard, H. D., “Dual Click reactions to micropattern proteins,” Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 9972-9977.

8. Christman, K. L.; Broyer, R. M.; Schopf, E., Kolodziej, C. M., Chen, Y. and; Maynard, H. D., “Protein Nanopatterns by Oxime Bond Formation,” Langmuir, 2011, 27(4), 1415-1418.

9. Schopf, E.; Broyer, R. M.; Tao, L. Maynard, H. D.; and Chen, Y., “Directed Carbon Nanotube Assembly Using a Pyrene Functionalized Polymer,” Chem Commun., 2009; 4818-4820.

10. Christman, K. L.; Schopf, E.; Broyer, R. M.; Li, R. C.; Chen, Y.; Maynard, H. D., “Nanoscale Assembly of Multilayer Multicomponent Protein Patterns by Electron Beam Lithography” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009; 131, 521-527.

11. Maynard, H. D.; Broyer, R. M.; and Kolodziej, C. M., "Protein and Peptide Conjugation to Polymers and Surfaces Using Oxime Chemistry," in Click Chemistry for Biotechnology and Materials Science, Edited by J. Lahann, Wiley Inc., West Sussex, UK, 2009, Chapter 4, 53-68.

12. Broyer, R. M.; Quaker, G. M.; Maynard, H. D., "Designed Amino Acid ATRP Initiators for the Synthesis of Biohybrid Materials," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 1041-1047.

13. Christman, K. L.; Vázquez-Dorbatt, V.;  Schopf,  E.; Kolodziej, C. M.; Li, R. C.; Broyer, R. M.; Chen, Y.; Maynard, H. D., “Site-Specific Protein Nanopatterns Using Electron Beam Lithography” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008; 130, 16585-16591

14. Christman, K. L.;* Broyer, R. M.;* Tolsytka, Z. P.; Maynard, H. D., “Site-specific Protein Immobilization through N-terminal Oxime Linkages,” J. Mater. Chem., 2007, 17, 2021-2027. *Shared first author.

15. Maynard, H. D.; Christman, K. L.; Broyer, R. M.; Tolstyka, Z. P.; Schopf, E., Chen, Y., “Protein Patterns at the Micro- and Nanoscale by Oxime Bond Formation. Trans. Soc. Biomats., 2007, 32, 278.

16. Li, R. C.; Broyer, R.M.; Maynard, H. D., “Well-Defined Polymers with Acetal Side Chains as Reactive Scaffolds Synthesized by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization,” J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem., 2006, 44, 5004-5013.