Dr. Gonzalez-Pech joined the Hope faculty in 2019. Her teaching focus is analytical chemistry, and her research group designs nanomaterials for environmental applications.

Areas of Expertise

• Incidental Nanoparticles in occupational settings
• Nano-bio interactions
• Nanomaterials for water remediation
• Nanomaterials for solar cells

The GOCH (Gonzalez-Pech) group develops new nanomaterials for water remediation and energy-related applications in a sustainable manner. While solving environmental problems, students learn about environmental chemistry, material science and surface chemistry.

Education

• Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California San Diego
  Advisor: Professor Vicki H. Grassian
• Ph.D., chemistry, Rice University
  Thesis title: Development of iron oxide nanomaterials-based technology for arsenic remediation
  Advisor: Professor Vicki L. Colvin
• B.S. chemistry, Monterrey Tech (Monterrey, Mexico), Summa Cum Laude
  Thesis title: Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials for Excitonic Solar Cells 
  Advisor: Dr. Monica Lira

Honors, Grants and Awards

• Competitive Schaap funding, Department of Chemistry Schaap Endowment, Hope College, 2019–2020
• Launching Academics on the Tenure-Track: an Intentional Community in Engineering (LATTICE), joint effort between the University of Washington, North Carolina State University and California Polytechnic State University, 2019
• Future Faculty Workshop: Grooming Diverse Leaders for the Future, University of Delaware, 2018
• The Harry B. Weiser Award for Excellence in Chemistry Teaching, Rice University, 2012
• Faculty for the Future Fellowship, Schlumberger Foundation, 2011–2015
• International travel support from Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies, Rice University, summer 2011
• Welch Graduate Research Program, Rice University, 2010–2011
• J. Evans Atwell-Welch Graduate Fellowship, Rice University, 2010–2011
• Research and Innovation Modality Diploma, Monterrey Tech, 2010
• Excellence Scholarship, Monterrey Tech, 2005–2010
• Xorge A. Dominguez Bursary Scholarship, Chemistry Department, Monterrey Tech, 2005–2010
• CSIC JAE-Intro Scholarship, National Research Council (CSIC), 2008
• Snyder Summer Research Scholar Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007
• Summer Research Program, Mexican Academy of Sciences, 2006
• Silver Medal Award, X Iberoamerican Olympiad of Chemistry in Lima, Peru, 2005
• Bronze Medal Award, XXXVII International Olympiad of Chemistry in Taipei, Taiwan, 2005

Published Work

• “pH-dependent adsorption of α-amino acids, lysine, glutamic acid, serine and glycine on TiO2 nanoparticle surfaces,” with I.B. Ustunol and V.H. Grassian, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 554, 2019
• “Increasing the efficacy of stem cell therapy via triple-functional inorganic nanoparticles,” with F. Chen et al., ACS Nano, 13, 6, 2019
• “Copper sulfide nanodisks and nanoprisms for photoacoustic ovarian tumor imaging,” with J. Wang et al., Particle and Particle Systems Characterization, 1-7, 2019
• “Design and evaluation of a high-flowrate nanoparticle respiratory deposition (NRD) sampler,” with T.I. Szabo McCollom et al., Journal of Aerosol Science, 134, 2019
• “Size, composition, morphology and health implications of incidental metal-containing nanoparticles,” with L.V. Stebounova et al., Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 16, 6, 2019
• “Displacement reactions between relevant ligands on TiO2 nanoparticles: Insights into the aging of nanoparticles in the environment,” with H. Wu et al., Environmental Science: Nano, 6, 2019
• “Particle concentrations in occupational settings measured with a Nanoparticle Respiratory Deposition (NRD) sampler,” with L.V. Stebounova et al., Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 62, 6, 2018
• “Surface chemical functionalities of environmental nanoparticles,” with V.H. Grassian, Encyclopedia of Interfacial Chemistry: Surface Science and Electrochemistry, 2018
• “Physicochemical properties of air discharge-generated manganese oxide nanoparticles: comparison to welding fumes,” with L.V. Stebounova, T.M. Peters and V.H. Grassian, Environmental Science: Nano, 5, 2018
• “A Novel, Reactive Green Iron Sulfide (Sulfide Green Rust) Formed on Iron Oxide Nanocrystals,” with C.J. Jones et al., Chemistry of Materials, 25, 3, 2015
• “Arsenic removal by nanoscale magnetite enhanced sand columns in Guanajuato, Mexico,” with J. Farrell et al., Environmental Engineering Science, 31, 7, 2014
• “Nb-TiO2/Polymer hybrid solar cells with photovoltaic response under inert atmosphere conditions,” with M. Lira-Cantu et al., Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 94, 2010