SAVITHA S. PANIKAR, Ph.D.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Analysis of differential spectra to study biochemical reactions, protein binding, pharmaceutical drugs; devised
optimum electroplating parameters to obtain desirable film properties. Candidate possesses strong instrumentation
skills, proven mentoring abilities and excels as a team player or in an independent setting
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
Postdoctoral Associate

starting February 2014

Advantest America Inc.

July 2013 - October 2013
Intern Research Scientist
Determination of coating thickness and content uniformity of pharmaceutical tablets and beads using
terahertz imaging and near infrared techniques
Bilayer tablet analysis, distribution of API and excipients, porosity and crystallinity investigations
Amino acid interactions and protein characterization using terahertz spectroscopy
University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), MO
May 2012 - June 2013
Postdoctoral Fellow
Binding interaction between pyruvate kinase (PK) and phosphoenolpyruvate using ATR difference spectra
Study structural changes in PK induced by allosteric effectors like alanine, FBP and thereby the process of
ATP release
EDUCATION
University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), MO
May 2012
Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry - Research advisor: James R. Durig
Dissertation: Conformational stability of some silanes and amines from temperature dependent infrared spectra
of rare gas solutions, r0 structural parameters, ab initio calculations, and vibrational assignments
University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
Master of Science - Physical Chemistry

May 2005

University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India

Bachelor of Science - Chemistry

May 2003

PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS:

19 peer reviewed journal publications (4 first author, 15 co-author)
Research presented at 10 national & international conferences
RESEARCH SKILLS
Characterization techniques: Terahertz (THz), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Near infrared (NIR),
Raman, Fourier transform microwave (FTMW), Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR), X-Ray Diffraction
(XRD), Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM),
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), optical microscopy, High performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), chemical imaging
Analysis softwares: Principle Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares (PLS), Unscrambler, BioRad Informatics KnowItall, LabView, SPFIT, AM (to determine r0 structures), Band Contour, ASTOR
(internal rotation barrier), ASROT (predicts microwave transitions), FCOSSIN (potential functions), Curve
fit and DELTA (enthalpy determinations), IR and Raman plot
General analytical techniques: pH meter, analytical balance, hardness testing, internal stress measurements,
volumetric analysis of metals
General softwares: Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, GIMP, ChemDraw, SciFinder, EndNote
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Savitha S. Panikar, Ph.D.

Utilization of the Gaussian software to run ab initio calculations like HF and MPn methods as well as DFT
calculations particularly B3LYP
Electrodeposition of metals, alloys, composites and electroforming experiments
INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE
National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, India
October 2005 - June 2006
Postgraduate Fellow
Analyzed the surface properties of electroplated films
Studied the effect of various bath compositions and dopants on the film density, luster, malleability, etc.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Missouri-Kansas City
August 2006 - June 2013
Course Instructor and Teaching Assistant
Taught freshman and nursing chemistry courses.
Conducted labs, set exams, graded lab reports, prepared reagents/chemicals for the General and Organic
Chemistry labs
RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Determined the conformational stability of ethylenediamine, which posed a challenge since the molecules
tend to dimerize. Utilized the special technique of temperature dependent infrared spectra in liquefied xenon
solution which gave relative enthalpy differences between the conformers not influenced by dimerization.
Determined the correct conformational stability of pyrrolidine, a molecule investigated previously by various
scientists. A combination of theoretical calculations and temperature dependent infrared spectra in liquefied
xenon solutions enabled us to obtain accurate enthalpy differences and the identity of the most stable form.
Determined the barrier to internal rotation of the silane moiety with the help of experimentally determined
torsional frequencies and also from ab initio calculations.
Complete vibrational and conformational study was carried out for ethylenediphosphine which had never
been done previously by scientists. This molecule was challenging since there are ten stable conformers with
the possibility of observing at least six forms.
Determined the structural parameters of substituted ethylphosphines, particularly those with five or more
conformers. Utilized a combination of microwave data and theoretical ab initio method by using least squares
technique to achieve this.
Performed electroplating techniques using various baths and specialized in the ones containing nickel.
Studied the effect of parameters like concentration, pH, temperature and current density.
Studied changes in mechanical properties as well as crystallographic structures after dopants were added to
electroplating baths.
AWARDS
Coblentz Student Award
2011
Mr. and Mrs. Fong Wu Cheng Graduate Scholarship, UMKC
2011-2012
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Superior Teaching Award, UMKC
2011-2012
Graduate Assistance Fund (GAF) fellowship, UMKC
2011, 2012
One of the eight candidates selected nationally for the Postgraduate Fellow award to work in a premier
scientific research lab, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), India
2005-2006
ORGANIZATIONS
Reviewer for Spectrochimica Acta
Member of American Chemical Society (ACS)
Member of the Coblentz Society
Member of Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS)
Treasurer for the Chemistry Graduate Students Association (CGSA), UMKC

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2010-present
2012-present
2011-present
2011-present
2009-2010

Savitha S. Panikar, Ph.D.

PUBLICATIONS:
19. S. S. Panikar, D. K. Sawant, B. S. Deodhar, G. A. Guirgis, J. R. Durig, Structural Parameters,
Conformational Stability and Vibrational Assignment of Cyclopropylsilylcyanide, (Manuscript in
preparation)
18. S. S. Panikar, A. R. Conrad, M. J. Tubergen, G. A. Guirgis, M. T. Eddens, T. K. Gounev, J. R. Durig,
Microwave, infrared and Raman spectra, adjusted r0 structural parameters, conformational stability, and
vibrational assignment of cyclopropylfluorosilane, (Manuscript accepted in Chem. Phys.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemphys.2012.12.036)
17. J. J. Klaassen, S. S. Panikar, G. A. Guirgis, H. W. Dukes, J. K Wyatt, J. R. Durig, Conformational and
structural studies of silylcyclobutane from temperature dependent infrared spectra of xenon solutions and
ab initio calculations, (Manuscript accepted in J. Mol. Struct.)
16. G. A. Guirgis, J. J. Klaassen , B. S. Deodhar, D. K. Sawant, S. S. Panikar, H. W. Dukes, J. K Wyatt, J. R.
Durig, Structure and conformation studies from temperature dependent infrared spectra of xenon solutions
and ab initio calculations of cyclobutylgermane, Spectrochim. Acta, 99, 266 (2012)
15. S. S. Panikar, B. S. Deodhar, D. K. Sawant, J. J. Klaassen, J. R. Durig, Raman and Infrared Spectra, r0
Structural Parameters, and Vibrational Assignments of (CH3)2PX where X= H, Cl, and CN, Spectrochim.
Acta, 103, 205 (2013)
14. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, S. S. Purohit, T.-H. Pai, V. F. Kalasinsky, Conformational stabilities from
variable temperature Raman spectra, r0 structural parameters and vibrational assignments of 1,2diphosphinoethane, J. Mol. Struct., 1033, 19 (2013)
13. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, T.-H. Pai, C. X. Zhou, V. F. Kalasinsky, S. S. Purohit, Infrared and Raman
spectra, structural parameters, conformational stability, vibrational assignment and ab initio calculations
of 2-cyanoethylphosphine Chem. Phys., 405, 1 (2012)
12. S. S. Panikar, G. A. Guirgis, T. G. Sheehan, D. T. Durig, J. R. Durig, Infrared spectra, vibrational
assignment, and ab initio calculations for N-bromo-hexafluoro-2-propanimine, Spectrochim. Acta, 90, 118
(2012)
11. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, A. R. Conrad, M. J. Tubergen, P. Groner, G. A. Guirgis, M. D. Johnston,
Microwave spectra, r0 structural parameters, and conformational stability from xenon solutions of 1fluoro-1-silacyclopentane, J. Chem. Phys., 136, 044306 (2012)
10. J. R. Durig, A. M. El Defrawy, A. Ganguly, S. S. Panikar, Conformational stability from variable
temperature infrared spectra of xenon solutions, r0 structural parameters and vibrational assignment of
pyrrolidine, J. Phys. Chem. A, 115, 7473 (2011)
9. G. A. Guirgis, S. S. Panikar, J. J. Klaassen, S. S. Purohit, M. D. Johnston, J. R. Durig, Infrared and Raman
spectra, ab initio calculations, conformational stability and vibrational assignment of 1-bromo-1silacyclopentane, Spectrochim. Acta A, 79, 858 (2011)
8. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, K. A. Glenn, Y. Y. Zheng, G. A. Guirgis, Infrared and Raman spectra,
conformational stability and vibrational assignment of 1-chloro-1-silacyclopentane, Vib. Spectrosc., 55,
250 (2011)
7. J. R. Durig, J. J. Klaassen, S. S. Panikar, I. D. Darkhalil, A. Ganguly, G. A. Guirgis, Conformational and
structural studies of 2,2-difluoroethylamine from temperature dependent infrared spectra of xenon solution
and ab initio calculations, J. Mol. Struct., 993, 73 (2011)
6. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, T. Iwata, T. K. Gounev, Conformational stability of ethylenediamine from
temperature dependent infrared spectra of liquid xenon solutions, r0 structural parameters, ab initio
calculations, and vibrational assignments, J. Mol. Struct., 984, 58 (2010)
5. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, G. A. Guirgis, T. K. Gounev, P. Klboe, A. Horn, C. J. Nielsen, R. A. Peebles,
S. A. Peebles, R. J. Liberatore, Conformational stability, r0 structural parameters, barriers to internal
rotation, vibrational assignments and ab initio calculations of c-C3H5GeH2CH3, J. Mol. Struct., 969, 55
(2010)
4. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, P. Groner, H. Nanaie, H. Brger, P. Moritz, Microwave spectrum, r0 structure,
dipole moment, barrier to internal rotation, and ab initio calculations for fluoromethylsilane, CH2FSiH3, J.
Phys. Chem. A, 114, 4131 (2010)
3. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, G. A. Guirgis, T. K. Gounev, R. M. Ward, R. A. Peebles, S. A. Peebles, R. J.
Liberatore, S. Bell, C. J. Wurrey, Conformational stability, r0 structural parameters, barriers to internal
rotation, vibrational spectra and ab initio calculations of c-C3H5SiH2CH3, J. Mol. Struct., 923, 1 (2009)
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Savitha S. Panikar, Ph.D.

2. G. A. Guirgis, S. S. Panikar, A. M. El Defrawy, V. F. Kalasinsky, J. R. Durig, Vibrational spectra, r0
structural parameters, barriers to internal rotation, and ab initio calculations of ClCH2SiH3, Cl2CHSiH3,
ClCH2SiF3 and Cl2CHSiF3, J. Mol. Struct., 922, 93 (2009)
1. J. R. Durig, S. S. Panikar, X. Zhou, A. M. El Defrawy, Vibrational spectrum, conformational stability,
structural parameters and ab initio calculations of dimethylaminodifluorophosphine, Spectrochim. Acta A,
69, 715 (2008)
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
S. S. Panikar, J. R. Durig, V. F. Kalasinsky Variable temperature Raman spectra, structural parameters
and vibrational assignments of ethylenediphosphine 39th Federation of Analytical Chemistry and
Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS)/SCIX, 2012, Kansas City, MO (Oral and Poster)
S. S. Panikar, J. R. Durig "Conformational stability from variable temperature infrared spectra of xenon
solutions, r0 structural parameters and vibrational assignment of pyrrolidine" 38th Federation of Analytical
Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS), 2011, Reno, NV (Poster)
X. Zhou*, S. S. Panikar, T.-H. Pai, S. S. Purohit, V. F. Kalasinsky, J. R. Durig Infrared and Raman
spectra, structural parameters, conformational stability, vibrational assignment and ab initio calculations of
2-cyanoethylphosphine 242nd ACS National Meeting, 2011, Denver, CO.
I. Kincaid*, S. S. Panikar, B. S. Deodhar, J. R. Durig Infrared and Raman spectra, vibrational assignment
and ab initio calculations of dimethylchlorophosphine 242nd ACS National Meeting, 2011, Denver, CO.
S. S. Panikar, V. F. Kalasinsky, T. -H. Pai, J. R. Durig Conformational stabilities from variable
temperature Raman spectra, r0 structural parameters, and assignments of 1,2-diphosphinoethane XXII
International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy (ICORS), 2010, Boston, MA (Poster)
J. R. Durig*, S. S. Panikar, J. J. Klaassen The utilization of rare gas solution for making vibrational
assignments and conformation stability determinations International Conference on Recent Frontiers in
Applied Spectroscopy (ICORFAS), 2010, Annamalai Nagar, India.
J. R. Durig*, S. S. Panikar, J. J. Klaassen, I. D. Darkhalil, T. Iwata Conformational stability of some
organoamines by utilizing variable temperature infrared spectra of rare gas solutions European Congress
of Molecular Spectroscopy (EUCMOS), 2010, Florence, Italy.
J. R. Durig*, S. S. Panikar, J. J. Klaassen The utilization of rare gas solution for making vibrational
assignments and conformation stability determinations Department of Chemistry in University of
Memphis, 2010, Memphis, TN.
S. S. Panikar, G. A. Guirgis, Y. E. Nashed, J. R. Durig Conformational analysis of ClCH2CH2SiH2CH3
determined from Raman spectra and supported by ab initio calculations XXI International Conference on
Raman Spectroscopy (ICORS), 2008, Uxbridge, UK (Poster)
S. S. Panikar, A. M. El Defrawy, G. A. Guirgis, J. R. Durig Vibrational assignments, structural
parameters, barriers to internal rotation for ClCH2SiH3, Cl2CHSiH3 and ClCH2SiF3 42nd Midwest Regional
Meeting ACS, 2007, Kansas City, MO (Poster)
*indicates presenter

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