Stephen T. Deyrup

B.S. Stetson University, 2001, Chemistry/Biology/Biochemistry
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 2006, Chemistry
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cornell University/Boyce Thompson Institute, 2006-2009
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Heidelberg University (Tiffin, OH), 2009-2012
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Siena College, 2012-2017
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Siena College, 2018-2023
Fulbright US Scholar to Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, 2018-2019
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Siena College, 2023-present

My Siena Experience

My Teaching Philosophy

Much of the learning process is completely under the control of the student (e.g, reading, studying, practicing examples), however the professor can affect the learing process in three ways: 1) present the material as clearly and logically as possible, 2) provide resources and opportunities to learn outside the classroom, and 3) engage the students.  
  The first of these can be acheived by careful planning of lectures, handouts, assignments, and other resources.  Skills that build upon earlier skills must be emphasized to reinforce the connection and make the material seem more logical.  Second, there are always varying abilities among students in a classroom.  Therefore, it is important to provide opportunities for learning when not in class, for example, online problem sets that provide feedback, office hours, practice quizzes and exams.  Finally, and probably most importantly, student buy-in is essential.  I understand that not everyone (and dare I say it, most people) do not share my love for organic chemistry, but showing enthusiasm and using humor during lecture makes it less boring and more likely that someone will pay attention.  I have found that the number one way to encourage students to try their best is to show that you care about them and their learning.
  Therefore, I try to approach a class as if we are a team.  I am the coach.  I will instruct my students on the proper techniques to succeed.  I will ask students to practice.  I will provide additional opportunities for those who request it.  I will do the best I can to motivate the team to work hard. The performance of each member of the team will then reflect what she/he did in preparing for the grade.  With luck everyone will be proud of their effort and results.

What I Love About Siena

 I love teaching at Siena College because it is such a friendly and positive learning environment.  The students tend to have a good attitude, a bright sense of humor, and high degree of humility.  The faculty are extremely congenial, and the administration is supportive.

My Favorite Courses to Teach

 Organic Chemistry - I enjoy helping students overcome such a challenging subject.
 Chemical Ecology - I really get to know the students during the week-long trip to Florida.

My Professional Experience

Current Research

 I am primarily interested in discovering new bioactive chemicals from natural sources.  My research group currently has several projects:
1) Exploring Fungi for Antibacterial Compounds- We do this by growing mold in a specific growth media designed to induce production of antibiotics.  We then analyze the chemical extracts for composition and bioactivity.
2) Insect Chemical Ecology- We investigate the chemistry of insect chemical defenses.
3) Describing the Chemistry of Commercially Relevant Plants- Looking for new or known molecules of significance from plants that are used as ornamentals, foodstuffs, or flavorings.
4) Finding Uses for Natural Dyes- We are particularly interested in compounds that can be obtained from cheap plant or fungal sources and can be used as a lasing medium for a chemical dye laser.

Articles & Book Reviews

• Chemical Investigation of winter fireflies (Ellychnia corrusca) reveals lucibufagins
  56th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy
  2015
• Antipredator Activity and Endogenous Biosynthesis of Defensive Secretion in Larval and Pupal Delphastus catalinae (Horn)(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae)
  Chemoecology, vol. 24
  2014
• Chemical Investigation of the Medicinal and Ornamental Plant Angelonia angustifolia Benth. Reveals Therapeutic Quantities of Lupeol
  55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, vol. 80
  2014
• Chemical Investigation of the Medicinal and Ornamental Plant Angelonia angustifolia Benth. Reveals Therapeutic Quantities of Lupeol
  Fitoterapia, vol. 98
  2014
• 2D NMR-Spectroscopic Screening Reveals Polyketides in Ladybugs
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, vol. 108
  2011
• Hymenopsins A and B and a Macrophorin Analogue from a Fungicolous Hymenopsis sp.
  Journal of Natural Products, vol. 73
  2010
• Kolokosides A-D: Four Triterpenoid Glycosides from a Hawaiian Isolate of Xylaria sp.
  Journal of Natural Products, vol. 70
  2007
• Caryophyllene Sesquiterpenoids from a Fungicolous Isolate of Pestalotiopsis disseminata
  Journal of Natural Products, vol. 69
  2006
• New Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Phytoalexin with Prenylated Benzenoid and But-2-enolide Moieties
  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 54
  2006
• Production of Stilbenoids and Phenolic Acids by the Peanut Plant at Early Stages of Growth
  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 54
  2006
• A Good Endophyte of Maize: Acremonium zeae Antibiotics Inhibitory to Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticilliodes
  Mycological Research, vol. 109
  2005
• Notes on the Introduced Ant, Quadristruma emmae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Florida
  Entomological News, vol. 110
  1999

Presentations

• A Solvatochromic Method to Determine the Ground and Excited State Dipole Moments of Hydrogen-Bonding Dye
  2015
  7th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium of the Eastern New York Chapter of the American Chemical Society, Loudonville, New York
• Activating Silent Fungal Gene Clusters via Biorational Culturing
  2015
  Siena College Academic Celebration, Loudonville, New York
• Chemical Investigation of Impatiens hawkeri, a Plant with Uterotonic Activity
  2015
  Siena College Academic Celebration, Loudonville, New York
• Chemical Investigation of Winter Fireflies (Ellychnia corrusca) Reveals Lucibufagins
  2015
  Siena College Academic Celebration, Loudonville, New York
• Isolation of Fluorophores from Natural Sources for Laser Dye Development
  2015
  Siena College Academic Celebration, Loudonville, New York
• Chemical Investigation of the Medicinal and Ornamental Plant Angelonia angustifolia Benth. Reveals Therapeutic Quantities of Lupeol
  2014
  55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Oxford, Mississippi
• Determination of the Excited State Dipole Moment of Chaetochromin B
  2014
  Academic Celebration Siena College, Loudonville, New York
• Isolation and Fluorescence Characterization of Chalcones from Glycyrrhiza glabra
  2014
  Academic Celebration Siena College, Loudonville, New York
• Therapeutic Quantities of Lupeol from Angelonia angustifolia
  2014
  6th Annual Eastern New York American Chemical Society Undergraduate Research Symposium, Loudonville, New York
• Activating Silent Fungal Gene Clusters via Biorational Culturing
  2013
  54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, St. Louis, Missouri
• Activating Silent Fungal Gene Clusters via Biorational Culturing
  2013
  5th Annual Eastern New York American Chemical Society Undergraduate Research Symposium, Loudonville, New York
• Activating Silent Fungal Gene Clusters via Biorational Culturing
  2013
  Academic Celebration Siena College, Loudonville, New York
• Activating Silent Fungal Gene Clusters via Biorational Culturing
  2013
  Siena College Summer Research Symposium, Loudonville, New York
• Delphastus catalinae: Tiny Beetles Big Chemistry
  2009
  50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Kolokosides A-D: Four Triterpenoid Glycosides from a Hawaiian Wood-Decay Fungus
  2006
  47th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Washington, District of Columbia
• A New Peanut Phytoalexin with Stilbene and Tetronic Acid Moieties
  2005
  18th Annual Aflatoxin Elimination Workshop, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Three New Caryophyllene Sesquiterpenoids from a Fungicolous Isolate of Pestalotiopsis disseminata
  2005
  46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Corvallis, Oregon
• Production of Pyrrocidines by the Maize Endophyte Acremonium zeae and their Occurrence in Infected Kernels
  2004
  45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Phoenix, Arizona
• Venom Ontogeny in Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri)
  2000
  64th Annual Meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences, Melbourne, Florida
• Identification of Membrane-Disruptive Activities in Snake Venom using a Liposome-Based Fluorescence Dequenching Assay
  1999
  217th ACS National Meeting, Anaheim, California