Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Noureen Siraj has earned the rank of assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry. Her unique accomplishments and ability to drive her students forward in their own research interests distinguishes her as a deserving recipient of this award.
In the past six years, Dr. Siraj has published 34 research articles and delivered several conference presentations. Her most recent presentation at the 2021 Southeast Regional IDeA Conference was titled “Carrier Free Chemo-PTT Ionic Nanomaterials for Combination Cancer Therapy.” Among her many honors, awards, and recognitions, she has been recognized by THV11 as an Arkansan of the Day and received the ATLE Professional Development Certificate Award in 2021. She is a member of the American Chemical Society, Electrochemical Society, and ACS-Central Arkansas. Dr. Siraj currently has six active grants, one of which is a grant of more than $180,000 from the National Science Foundation to study the “Synthesis, Characterization and Application of FRET-based Ionic Materials.” Along with two others, she obtained a U.S. patent in 2018 for Carbazole-based gumbos for highly efficient blue OLEDs. In total, she has been awarded more than $550,000 from different extramural agencies as a principal investigator.
In addition to her impressive research and funding credentials, Dr. Siraj also mentors a diverse group of six doctoral students, some of whom have been co-authors on her recent research projects. Over the summer months, she and a graduate student worked with Professor Mostafa El Sayed, a National Medal of Science recipient. As an educator, Dr. Siraj mentored a high school student who won $50,000 at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The high school student became the first student in the history of Arkansas to attain this level of distinction.
Dr. Siraj earned a Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Austria and a M.S. and B.S. from the University of Karachi in Sindh, Pakistan.