ACA SIG Officer Candidate 2021: Alexander Erickson

Hello! My name is Alexander Erickson and I recently started in my position as the crystallographer at the University of Memphis. The chemistry department here received a grant for a new single crystal X-ray diffractometer, and I am working to establish the facility that has been started here. I manage the operation of the instrument, train new users, and I collect data and solve structures for service samples submitted by untrained and external researchers.

Before starting in my current role, I was an inorganic chemistry graduate student at the University of Notre Dame. During my time there I was lucky enough to work with Dr. Allen Oliver and learn the fundamentals of X-ray crystallography as well as how to solve and refine structures. In my role as a teaching assistant, I was able to teach a unit on X-ray crystallography. I assisted students with crystallization techniques and then further assisted the students with data collection and the subsequent solving and refining of their structures. For my efforts I was awarded two teaching awards during my graduate career. I am dedicated to teaching the next generation of students about crystallography and will work to emphasize the education and networking of young scientists and crystallographers alike. Thank you for your time and I look forward to connecting with you soon.