Jerry P. Jasinski is a Professor of Chemistry at Keene State College. His research activities span the fields of inorganic and physical chemistry. Included are structural and theoretical studies of laser dye complexes, and luminescence studies of lanthanide ion complexes of biologically interesting compounds. His primary teaching interests include General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, X-ray Crystallography and Biochemistry.
Professor Jasinski was born in Newport, New Hampshire, was an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire (B.A., 1964, following a year at Springfield College and a short stint in the U.S. Marine Corps) and did his graduate work at the University of New Hampshire (M.S.T., 1968) and Worcester Polytechnic Instutute (M.N.S., 1968) receiving the Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in 1974 under the direction of Professor Smith L. Holt. He completed a summer NATO research fellowship at the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark under the direction of Professor Carl Ballhausen in 1973. After a predoctoral year (Associated Western Universities Fellowship) at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, under the direction of Dr. Larned B. Asprey and John Wood, he completed a postdoctoral year at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia in the laboratory of Professor Paul N. Schatz. He spent nine years as a secondary school chemistry/physics teacher in the districts of Middleburgh, New York, Claremont, New Hampshire and Springfield, Vermont both before and after his graduate work. While at the University of Wyoming he was a teaching fellow under the direction of Professor Geoffrey Coates. He joined the faculty of Keene State College as an Assistant Professor in 1978 and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 1983 and to full Professor in 1989. He has received numerous grants to augment both his teaching and research activities while at Keene State College. In 1989 he established, within the Chemistry Department, the New England Molecular Structure Center upon receipt of a National Science Foundation Research In Undergraduate Institutions grant to fund a Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometer system. Since then he has entered into many collaborations with scientists through the United States, Europe and Asia performing single crystal structural analysis in conjunction with their research activities and thereby actively involving many undergraduates at Keene State College in a unique type of scholarly activity. He currently enjoys seventy-five publications in peer reviewed scientific journals, many involving undergraduates as co-authors. In 1999 Dr Jasinski became the first Chairman of the Chemistry Department at Keene State. He continues in that role today for the third consecutive year. In the spring of 2001 Dr. Jasinski was presented Keene State College's first Faculty Distinction in Scholarship and Research Award for his outstanding research and scholarship success and his dedication to the College in teaching, research and coaching. Robert Golden, Vice President of Academic Affairs, indicated that " Dr. Jasinski was chosen for a number of reasons. He has published an extensive list of papers in prestigious journals, he has created a valuable learning environment for students and he's committed to the school."
Dr. Jasinski's professional activities include the following: American Chemical Society (Inorganic & Computational Divisions; Northeast Section of ACS), American Crystallographic Society, Sigma Xi, American Institute of Chemists (NEIC-Treasurer 1988-present; Board of Directors 1999-2001), Council for Undergraduate Research, New England Association of Chemistry Teachers.
While in secondary school Dr. Jasinski was an avid sports enthusiast engaging in football, basketball and track & field culminating his experience as an all-state football player (N.H. Shrine Team, 1958), a state high jump record holder (N.H.- 10 years) and a premier decathlete (2nd, N.H., 1958). He continued those pursuits as an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire participating in both basketball and track & field. Upon graduation he entered the coaching ranks during his high school teaching experience becoming an assistant coach in basketball and football while assuming the head coach position of track & field teams at Stevens High School, Claremont, N.H. and Springfield High School, Springfield, VT. His track & field teams at Springfield were very competitive claiming three district and four conference championships within a five year period. In addition, he also entered the officiating ranks at that time and has continued to officiate high school football (35 years), basketball (35 years) and track & field (35 years). His ten year stint as an ECAC Collegiate basketball official was most noteworthy. In 1976 he established the Vermont State Decathlon (Boys) and Heptathlon (Girls) Championships and has continued to keep these events active for the past 29 years involving 75-95 decathletes and heptathletes annually.
Since arriving at Keene State College, Dr. Jasinski has found time to volunteer as an assistant Track & field coach. Now entering his eleventh year as an "official" assistant coach he has helped put the field in Keene State's track & field program. Playing a major role in the development of KSC athletes in the technique events, he as worked with many Owls who have gone on to qualify for regional and national competition. He has the distinction of helping produce KSC's first national champion, Paul Trocki, who captured the decathlon title in 1979. He has also helped with the team concept assisting the Men's Track & Field Team to Little East Conference Championship titles in recent Outdoor (1998, 1999, 2000) and Indoor (1999) seasons. The 1999-2000 Men's team finished 2nd in the prestigious ECAC Indoor Championships which included teams from New Jersey, New York and New England. In the winter and Spring 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 nearly four dozen Track & Field Athletes established and/or broke new KSC school records in the Men's 35 Lb Weight, Hammer, High Jump, High Hurdles and Women's Discus, Javelin, Shot-Put, 20 Lb. Weight, Hammer Throw, Long Jump, Triple Jump, and High Hurdles, respectively. The Men's Indoor Track & Field Team finished well in the LEC/Alliance Meet (2000, 2 nd ; 2001, 3 rd ; 2002 1 st , 2003, 2 nd and 2004, 3rd. The Women's Indoor Track & Field Team also showed great improvement during this time frame (2000, 3 rd , 2001, 3 rd , 2002, 2 nd , 2003, 2 nd and 2004, 2 nd) . The Indoor Men's Team boasted several individual LEC Champions, four All-Americans and one National Champion (1500 M) in 2000-2001 and several more individual LEC Champions and 1 All-American in 2001-2002 and several more individual LEC Champions and five All Americans and one National Champion (1500 M) in 2002-2003 and one All-American (1500 M) in the 2003-2004 season. The Indoor Women's team boasted one individual Little East Conference Champion and one All-American Performer (3K) in 2000-2001. In the 2001-2002 season there were several individual Little East Conference Champions for the first time, and five All-American performers (3K and DMR). In 2002-2003 there were several individual LEC champions and five All Americans (3K and DMR). In the 2003-2004 season there were seven Conference Champions and one All American (800 M). In the Outdoor Season, the Men's Team again finished well in the LEC/Alliance Championships as follows: 2000, 2 nd , 2001, 3 rd ; 2002, 3 rd , 2003, 5 th , and 2004, 5 th , with several athlete's becoming conference LEC/Alliance champions. For the women's team, again great improvement was observed as follows: 2000, 7 th ; 2001, 3 rd , 2002, 3 rd , 2003, 5 th , and 2004, 2 nd . Again numerous KSC athletes garnered all conference honors and championship performances. Over the past four years new school records have been established or broken in all 22 outdoor and all 22 indoor events contested by the KSC women. Seven of the KSC outdoor men's records and 13 of the indoor KSC men's records have been broken during the past four years. Mark Miller was a repeat two-time national champion the 1500 M (2001 & 2002) and an All American (5 th ) in the Steeplechase in 2003. Wilson Perez also garnered All American honors in the 10K (2 nd ) in 2003. Mary Proulx was a double national champion in the 1500M and 5K events in 2001 and a double national champion again in the 3K and 5K events in 2002 and a repeat National Champion in 2003 (10K). It has been an outstanding four-year stint for the men's and women's track and field team at Keene State. Mark Miller completed a great career at KSC with 4 individual national championships and 10 All American performances in Division III cross country and track & field. Mary Proulx finished her career with a fantastic run of 5 individual national championships and 15 All American performances in Division III cross country and track & field. The program currently boasts 43 men and 19 women All-Americans in its Track & Field annals.
Jerry P. Jasinski
Professor of Chemistry
Physical/Inorganic Chemistry
Chemistry Department of Chemistry
Keene State College
229 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435-2001
jasinski@keene.edu