• Analyzing the effects of hexane vapor on the surface tension and structure of water films at different temperatures and partial pressures.
• Studying the loading of n-nonane, ethyl butyrate, and 1-hexanol into oligoether surfactant bilayers.
• Elucidating fluid phase equilibria and structure of pentadecanoic acid Langmuir monolayers.

Posters

• “Vapor-Liquid and Liquid-Liquid Equilibria for a Langmuir Monolayer of Pentadecanoic Acid: A Monte Carlo Study.” Minkara, M. S. 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. April 5, 2017.
• “Monte Carlo Studies of Vapor-Liquid Equilibria for a Langmuir Monolayer of Pentadecanoic Acid.” Minkara, M. S.; Lindsey, R. K.; Siepmann, J. I. Presented at the 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA. March, 2016.
• “Probing Electrostatic Interactions between Amino Acids and Urea using ab initio Calculations.” Minkara, M. S.; Urul, D. A.; Weaver, M. N.; Merz, K. M. Jr. Presented at the 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA. March, 2016.
• “Interaction of Aqueous Ammonium Chloride with Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S.; Weaver, M. N.; Merz, K. M. Jr. Presented at the 249th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. March, 2015.
• “Effect of 10.5 M Aqueous Urea on Helicobacter pylori Urease: A Molecular Dynamics Study.” Minkara, M. S.; Weaver, M. N.; Merz, K. M. Jr. Presented at the 248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. August, 2014.
• “Molecular Dynamics Study of Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S.; Ucisik, M. N.; Weaver, M. N.; Merz, K. M. Jr. Presented at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX. March, 2014.
• “A Computational Analysis of Molecular Recognition in the Trypsin/Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor (BPTI) System Using Multiple Electrostatic Models.” Minkara, M. S.; Bardham, J.; Radhakrishnan, M. Presented at The Protein Society 24th Annual Symposium, San Diego, CA. August, 2010.
• “Analyzing the Binding of Nevirapine and Rilpivirine to HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase through Computationally Derived Charge Optimization.” Minkara, M. S. & Radhakrishnan, M. Senior research thesis, Department of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. April, 2009.
• “Analyzing Electrostatic Determinants of Affinity and Promiscuity in the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase.” Minkara, M. S. & Radhakrishnan, M. Presented at the 53rd Annual meeting of the Biophysical Society, Boston, MA. March, 2009.
• “Analyzing the Binding of Nevirapine and Rilpivirine to HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase through Computationally Derived Charge Optimization.” Minkara, M. S. & Radhakrishnan, M. Presented at the 237th National meeting of the American Chemical Society, Salt Lake City, UT. March, 2009.

Oral Presentations

• “Tools of a Blind Chemist.” Minkara, M. S. 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. April 5, 2017.
• “Monte Carlo Simulations Probing the Liquid/V apor Interface of Water/Hexane Mixtures.” Minkara, M. S. 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. April 3, 2017.
• “Chemistry Through Blind Eyes.” Minkara, M. S. Keynote lecture presented at the 4th Forum on the Teaching of Science to Visually Impaired Students, at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, Mexico. October 3, 2016.
• “Chemistry Through Blind Eyes.” Minkara, M. S. Plenary lecture at the International Symposium on the Teaching of Sciences to Visually Impaired People, at the Normal School for Teachers: Moises Saenz, Monterrey, Mexico. September 29, 2016.
• “Probing Vapor-liquid Equilibria of Pentadecanoic Acid Langmuir Monolayers.” Minkara, M. S. Annual IPRIME meeting at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. June 2, 2016.
• “Probing Vapor-liquid Equilibria of Pentadecanoic Acid Langmuir Monolayers.” Minkara, M. S. Midwest Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Conference at Miami University, Oxford, OH. May 26, 2016.
• “Molecular Dynamics Study of Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S. Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. February 23, 2015.
• “Molecular Dynamics Simulations Investigating Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. January 30, 2015.
• “Using Access Technologies in the Chemistry and Science Laboratory Classrooms for Multi-Sensory Data Acquisition.” Minkara, M. S. 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX. March 17, 2014.
• “Molecular Dynamics Simulations Investigating Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. January 21, 2014.
• “Design of Novel Inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori Urease.” Minkara, M. S. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. March 19, 2013.
• “Ligand Docking to Klebsiella aerogenes Urease.” Minkara, M. S. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. February 14, 2012.
• Undergraduate Defense: “Analyzing Electrostatic Determinants of Affinity and Promiscuity in the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase System Using Charge Optimization.” Minkara, M. S. Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. May 18, 2009.

Awards and Honors

• Penn Conference in Theoretical Chemistry (PCTC) Postdoctoral Fellow Awards (2017)
• National Academy of Sciences Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016)
• National Federation of the Blind Scholarship (2013)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
  (2012 – 2015)
• University of Florida Grinter Award (2010 – 2012)
• University of Florida Alumni Fellowship (2010 – 2012)
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute research grant (2009 – 2010)
• Recipient of National Scholastic Achievement Award from the
  Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic organization, now known as
  Learning Ally (2009)
• Student commencement speaker of Wellesley College (June
  2009)
• Recipient of National Science Foundation Summer Research
  Experience for Undergraduates award (2006 – 2009)

Teaching Experience

• Mentored a high school student in research project, University of Minnesota. Summer 2016
• General Chemistry TA (CHM2045), Gainesville, FL. Summer 2014
• Pforzheimer Learning & Teaching Center, Wellesley, MA. Sept 2008 – Sept 2009

Kenneth M. Merz Jr.
Graduate Academic Advisor
Phone: (517) 355 9715
Email: kmerz1@gmail.com

Erik Deumens
Co-Committee Chair
Phone: (352) 392-6980
Email: deumens@qtp.ufl.edu

Ben Smith
Member of Doctoral Committee
Phone: (352) 392-0256
Email: bwsmith@chem.ufl.edu

John R. Sabin
Committee Member
Phone: (352) 392-1597
Email: sabin@qtp.ufl.edu

Mala Radhakrishnan
Undergraduate Research Advisor
Phone: (781) 283-2981
Email: mradhakr@wellesley.edu