Dina C. Merrer
Department
Chemistry
Office
Office Hours Spring 2026:
M, 3:00-4:00pm, 403 BAR
T, 1:00-2:00pm, 405 BAR
W, 4:00-5:00pm, 277 LeFrak
R, 9:00-10:00am, 277 LeFrak
Contact
CV
Dina C. Merrer joined the Barnard College Chemistry Department in 2001. A physical organic chemist, Merrer studies the mechanisms of intermolecular carbene additions to strained cyclic compounds and the impact of reaction dynamics on these mechanisms. Merrer and her students use experimental and computational techniques to elucidate reaction pathways that exhibit non-traditional behavior. Since starting at Barnard, Merrer’s research has been funded with >$1.5M via grants as PI or co-PI from the National Science Foundation, the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, and Research Corporation. Merrer has mentored 48 Barnard research students, with over two-thirds continuing to Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., and M.D. programs in the chemical and biological sciences or onto careers in the chemical sciences. Her work has yielded 14 publications in peer-reviewed journals and three book chapters, with 25 undergraduate co-authors. Merrer has given dozens of invited talks on her research in the U.S. and abroad. Merrer has held several leadership positions within the mechanistic organic chemistry community. She co-chaired the 2016 Reaction Mechanisms Conference (RMC) and has served on the RMC Governing Board, and edited a special issue on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules in the Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry. She has held positions of Visiting Research Scholar and Affiliate at UCLA and Smith College, respectively. Merrer regularly reviews proposals for the NSF and is on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry. At Barnard, Merrer teaches courses in organic chemistry, including Organic Chemistry I and II, and Advanced Organic Chemistry.
Merrer has held several leadership positions within higher education that demonstrate her ability to lead varied constituencies on a breadth of projects successfully. Since 2023, she has served as Barnard’s inaugural Dean of Science. To-date, this role has chiefly involved leading Barnard’s academic management of the design, construction, and operations-planning of the new Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center (RDSC). These responsibilities have included: advocating for the science departments with the Barnard Office of Finance and Capital Projects; negotiation of temporary research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, and offices for and relocation of the Barnard sciences at Columbia University during the RDSC construction; facilitation of communication between Barnard science faculty and staff with architects, engineers, and project managers; planning the move into the completed RDSC; creation and negotiation of the RDSC annual operations budget with the Barnard Provost and Finance; and negotiation of contracts for the operation of the RDSC animal facility and other specialty spaces.
Merrer’s other academic leadership roles have included serving as co-chair of Barnard's Self-Study for reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; chair of the Chemistry Department; chair of department chairs; elected membership on Barnard's Committee on Appointments, Tenure, and Promotion; Faculty Governance and Procedures Committee (chair); Faculty Finance and Resources Committee; and Committee on Instruction. The breadth and depth of Merrer’s experience has effectively brought together faculty and administrative colleagues, students, and external constituencies to achieve institutional goals.
- B.A., chemistry (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Smith College, 1994.
- Ph.D., organic chemistry, Rutgers University, 1999. Advisor: Robert A. Moss
- Postdoctoral, organic chemistry, Ohio State University, 1999-2001. Advisor: Matthew S. Platz
- Organic reaction mechanisms
- Carbenes
- Reaction dynamics
-
CHEM BC 3230y Organic Chemistry I
-
CHEM BC 3231x Organic Chemistry II
-
CHEM BC 3280y Advanced Organic Chemistry
- Ann Whitney Olin Professorship, 2020-22
- Tow Professorship, 2014-16
- Gladys Brooks Teaching Award, 2006
- American Chemical Society
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Sigma Xi
Undergraduate co-authors are emboldened:
(forthcoming invited talk) Good Behavior is Overrated: Carbene Additions to Strained Bonds, International Symposium on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules, Sorrento, Italy, June 2017.
(forthcoming invited talk) Merrer, D. C. The Valley of Fear(lessness): Carbene Mysteries, James Flack Norris Award Symposium, 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry, San Francisco, CA, April 2017.
(forthcoming invited talk) Merrer, D. C. Good Behavior is Overrated: Carbene Additions to Strained Bonds, Swarthmore College, February 2017.
Estes, V.; Scorese, A.; Nadeem, A.; Urquilla, A.; Dalchand, E.; Tsuno, S.; Merrer, D. C. Mechanism of Chlorocarbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Division of Chemical Education, San Diego, CA, March 2016.
(invited talk) Merrer, D. C. Mechanisms of carbene additions to strained C-C π bonds, Symposium on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules, International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), Honolulu, HI, December 2015.
Tsuno, S.; Yang, Z.; Dalchand, E.; Estes, V.; Nadeem, A.; Urquilla, A.; Houk, K. N.; Merrer, D. C. Mechanisms and Dynamics of Chlorocarbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, Plymouth, NH, June 2015.
Undergraduate co-authors are emboldened:
Hare, S.; Orman, M.; Dewan, F.; Dalchand, E.; Buzard, C.; Ahmed, S.; Tolentino, J. C.; Sethi, U.; Terlizzi, K.; Houferak, C.; Stein, A. M.; Stedronsky, A.; Thamattoor, D. M.; Tantillo, D. J.; Merrer, D. C. Experimental and Computational Mechanistic Investigation of Chlorocarbene Additions to Bridgehead Carbene-anti-Bredt Systems: Noradamantylcarbene-Adamantene and Adamantylcarbene-Homoadamantene, J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 5049-5065. link
D’Angelo, H.; McGuire, K. L.; Gillikin, C. M.; Merrer, D. C. Evaluating the Impact of Oil Palm Agriculture and Logging on Soil Microbial Communities, in Land-use Change Impacts on Soil Processes; Brearley, F. Q.; Thomas, A. D., Eds.; CABI: U.K., 2015, in press.
Merrer, D. C.; Doubleday, C. Dynamic Control of Dichlorocarbene Addition to Cyclopropene, J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2011, 24, 947-951. link
Mo, X. Y.; Bernard, S. E.; Khrapunovich, M.; Merrer, D. C. A Computational Study of Chlorocarbene Additions to Cyclooctyne, J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 8537-8544. link
Khrapunovich, M.; Zelenova, E.; Seu, L.; Sabo, A. N.; Flaherty A.; Merrer, D. C. Regioselectivity and Mechanism of Dihalocarbene Addition to Benzocyclopropene, J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 7574-7580. link
Merrer, D. C.; Rablen, P. R. Dichlorocarbene Addition to Cyclopropenes: A Computational Study, J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 1630-1635. link
Current:
PI, Mechanisms, Kinetics, and Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, National Science Foundation, CHE-1566361, 2016-2019, $310,000. link
PI, Collaborations in Experimental and Computational Chemical Detective Work: Determining Rogue Organic Reactions, Barnard College Presidential Research Award, 2016-2018, $50,000.
Previous:
PI, Mechanisms and Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Anti-Bredt Olefins, Petroleum Research Fund, American Chemical Society, 52099-UR4, 2012-2016, $65,000.
PI, Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Aryl Cyclooctynes, Barnard College Minigrant, 2015, $8,000.
PI, Dynamic Control of Electrophilic Carbene Additions to Strained Cyclic C-C Bonds, National Science Foundation, CHE-0844034, 2009-2014, $283,626. link
PI, Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Benzocyclopropene, National Center for Supercomputing Applications,TG CHE-110091, 2011-2013. 1.1M SU
Co-PI, MRI-R2: Acquisition of UV-Vis-NIR, FT-IR, and Fluorescence Spectrometric Instrumentation, National Science Foundation, CHE-0959177, 2009-2012, $166,668. link
PI, Reaction Dynamics of Dichlorocarbene Additions to Cyclopropenes, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, TG CHE-100133, 2011-2012, 50,000 SU.
PI, Mechanisms of Electrophilic Carbene Additions to Strained Cyclic C-C Bonds, National Science Foundation, CHE-0517876, 2005-2009, $201,000. link