Professor of chemistry Dr. Nikolay Gerasimchuk recently returned from a semester-long sabbatical abroad in Spain. Gerasimchuk accomplished many things during his time in Valencia and Zaragoza:

• Participated in three international conferences, two of which he was an invited speaker
• Conducted high-precision measurements of thermomagnetic properties in a cyclic fashion for a portion of his research on compounds that he brought with him to Spain
• Wrote two research papers based on previously collected, systematized and analyzed data
• Conducted seminars about his research results, achievements and future plans at several European universities
• Established new contacts and collaborations with European scientists in his field of research interests
• Wrote and submitted a research proposal to solicit funding for interdisciplinary collaborative work with Oklahoma State University

“Both papers involve, as co-authors, my former graduate master’s students and undergraduates who worked in the group,” said Gerasimchuk. “One paper is the result of a collaborative effort between MSU and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, while the other paper is the result of collaborative work between MSU and crystallography unit at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Lisbon, Portugal.”

The approved research proposal for funding will be split between MSU and OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Teaching and travel

Gerasimchuk received an invitation while in Valencia to conduct a course on crystallography for students from the Middle East and Maghreb countries in northern Africa.

“Seven two-hour lectures plus practical exercises on crystal structure solutions and refinement were carried out,” said Gerasimchuk. “I then had a lecture about chemical applications of Raman spectroscopy, followed by two lectures about the use of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) in chemical research. We all lived together at the De Ribera Colegio affiliated with University of Valencia, Burjassot campus.”

Despite Gerasimchuk’s love of teaching others, his favorite part of the sabbatical was the opportunity to travel and recharge.

“My favorite event was travel, and more specifically, travel for international conferences. It is an exciting atmosphere — meeting new people, discussing and exchanging ideas,” said Gerasimchuk. “I also greatly enjoyed exploration of different cities, parks and riverbanks by bicycle. My second favorite activity was swimming at various public swimming pools in Spain.”

Gerasimchuk believes that sabbatical time is essential for faculty. It allows them to have a valuable creative break from routine and slow down to think more clearly about where to move next with respect to research, publications and presentations.