Wolcott, Abraham
Assistant Professor
Group Leader, Surface Science Center Laboratory
Surface Science Center Laboratory
Department of Chemistry
1 Washington Square
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA 95192
Education
BS Chemistry, UC Santa Cruz, 2003
Ph.D. Physical Chemistry, UC Santa Cruz, 2009 (Advisor: Prof. Jin Z. Zhang)
NSF Postdoctoral Scholar, UT Austin, 2009-2011 (Advisor: Prof. Zhao Yang Zhu)
Joint Postdoctoral Scientist, Columbia University and MIT, 2011-2014, (Advisors: Profs. Jonathan S. Owen and Dirk R. Englund)
Bio
Prof. Wolcott is a physical chemist with expertise in materials science, bionanotechnology and photoelectrochemistry. Prof. Wolcott has taught physical chemistry courses at SJSU including Chem 160, 162L and 161A. His educational research includes the development of virtual reality tools for physical chemistry, specifically for subject matter in thermodynamics. Approximately $40K in SJSU and CSU grants have been awarded to Prof. Wolcott to pursue the use of advanced technology in the classroom.
The Surface Science Center Laboratory at SJSU directed by Prof. Wolcott is interested in studying the surfaces of both bulk and nanoscale materials and their interactions with biological and biomimetic surfaces. To study these surfaces we use laboratory techniques such as DRIFTS, Raman spectroscopy and XPS. We also use synchrotron based techniques such as near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (x-ray absorption) and wavelength-dependent XPS. Researchers in the Wolcot lab perform their work at San Jose State University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The SSCL is supported by several federal grants which supports researcher stipends/tuition, travel and laboratory supplies. Prof. Wolcott has mentorred 40 researchers with 66% of those researchers being from under-represented groups in the sciences and engineering or economically disadvantaged background.