Jeremy received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1996. He then undertook postdoctoral work at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the University of Rochester in New York before accepting his current position in the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU in 2003. Originally from South Africa, Jeremy is married to Donghui Zhang who is a professor at Louisiana State University.

Over the years, Jeremy has worked with a group of synthetic inorganic chemists who make molecules and characterize their physical properties, electronic structure and reaction mechanisms. Some of the research the team does is relevant to the formation of ammonia.

The production of ammonia, common in fertilizers, is energy intensive and very important. In fact, it is estimated that 40 percent of the world’s population owes its existence to ammonia – if there was not enough ammonia there would not be enough food. Jeremy and his colleagues look at the complex system of ammonia production and research more energy efficient processes for making ammonia.

“There is just not enough ammonia made by nature,” Jeremy says. “Half the ammonia in the world is made by humans. One percent of the entire earth’s energy is used for making ammonia.”

Jeremy admits it will take a lot more time and changes to the industrial process to see a difference in the energy efficiency, but in the meantime he directs the hands-on research to help his students.

“It’s one thing to draw a molecule on paper but it’s another thing to create it in the lab,” says Jeremy who currently has three graduate students and one undergraduate working with him on the research, supported by a grant he received from the Department of Energy. By presenting scientific thoughts in papers and conferences, Jeremy teaches his students scientific thinking. “This is a chance to train students to develop a way of thinking. They may not end up a scientist but they do develop a way of thinking.”

Jeremy has written over 11 scientific publications while at NMSU, with his undergraduates helping as key researchers and co-authors on many of them. The experience they gain while working in the lab is unmatched by studying in the classroom.

Jeremy was recently selected as a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar for early-career chemists in the United States – an award that is distinctive and never before received by anyone at NMSU. As one of 14 award recipients nationwide from schools such as Caltech, Berkeley and Harvard, Jeremy received “The most prestigious national award for scholarly research ever conferred on a member of this department in the entire existence of NMSU,” says Glenn Kuehn, department head for chemistry and biochemistry.

To Jeremy, research was the right choice for his career.

“I knew I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to do the same thing every day,” he says, appreciating the challenge along with the outcome. “With research, persistence is very important. Eighty percent of what you try doesn’t work, but when you get that something that does, it motivates you to keep going.”

In July, Jeremy started on a one-year sabbatical which will allow him to work on pure research at a lab of another professor at Berkley. When he returns, his experience and thoughts will undoubtedly motivate both undergraduate and graduate students at NMSU.