Rick Marta

Rick Marta is an Associate Professor International - Teaching Stream and Materials and Nanosciences (MNS) Undergraduate Advisor for the Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy. He is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher who strives for his students’ success. He implements the use of technologies in his classes and provides extensive online support materials to his students. He travels yearly to Beijing, China, to teach students at the UW partner university, Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU).

Rick Marta's research experience has included:
* Investigating structures, energetics and reaction dynamics of gaseous ions
* High pressure mass spectrometry (HPMS)
* Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry
* Gas-phase infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy
* Electronic structure calculations
* Undergraduate laboratory design and implementation

• Materials and nanosciences
• Physical chemistry
• Gas-phase ion-molecule structures and energetics
• Mass spectrometry
• Electronic structure calculations
• Science education

• 2009, PhD, Physical Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Canada
• 2004, BSc, Honours Chemistry, Dean's Honour List, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2021, Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
• 2020, Distinguished Teacher Award, University of Waterloo
• 2018, Excellence in Science Teaching Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
• 2008-2009, Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
• 2008-2009, Bruker BioSpin Graduate Scholarship
• 2007-2008, Sandford Fleming Teaching Assistant Award
• 2006-2008, Ontario Graduate Scholarship
• 2006-2008, President's Graduate Scholarship
• 2006-2007, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship
• 2004-2005, Graduate Entrance Scholarship

• 2023-present, Committee Member, University of Waterloo, University Committee on Student Appeals
• 2023-present, Committee Member (Chair), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
• 2022-present, Committee Member, Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Awards Committee
• 2020-present, Committee Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Undergraduate Teaching Committee
• 2020-present, Committee Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Undergraduate Advisors Committee
• 2019-present, Committee Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Physics Curriculum Committee
• 2019-present, Coordinator, Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy, MNS 10 Seminar Series
• 2019-present, Committee Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sir Isaac Newton Exam Committee
• 2018-present, Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Materials and Nanosciences (MNS)
• 2018-present, Committee Member, Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy, MNS Program Steering Committee
• 2022-2023, Committee Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Undergraduate Laboratory Committee
• 2021-2023, Committee Member, Department of Chemistry, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
• 2019, Training, Mental Health First Aid, Student Success Office

• Continuing Lecturer, Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy (Joint Appointment)

• CHEM 123 - General Chemistry 2
  • Taught in 2023
• MNS 101 - Materials and Nanosciences in the Modern World
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• MNS 102 - Techniques for Materials and Nanosciences
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• MNS 211 - Chemistry and the Solid State
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• MNS 221 - Physics and the Solid State
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• The structure and properties of anionic tryptophan complexes. C. Ieritano; J. Featherstone; P.J.J. Carr; R.A. Marta; E. Loire; T.B. McMahon; and W.S. Hopkins. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 41, 26532 (2018).
• Infrared-Driven Charge Transfer in Transition Metal-Containing B12X122- (X=H,F) Clusters, I. J.S. De Vlugt; M.J. Lecours; P.J.J. Carr; A. Anwar; R.A. Marta; E. Fillion; V. Steinmetz; and W.S. Hopkins. J. Phys. Chem. A, 35, 7051 (2018).
• Mode-Selective Laser Control of Palladium Catalyst Decomposition, P.J.J. Carr; M.J. Lecours; M. Burt; R.A. Marta; V. Steinmetz; E. Fillion; and W.S. Hopkins, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 1, 157 (2018).
• Intramolecular cation-pi interactions in protonated phenylalanine derivatives. W.Q. Fu; P.J.J. Carr; M.J. Lecours; M. Burt; R.A. Marta; V. Steinmetz; E. Fillion; T.B. McMahon; and W.S. Hopkins, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 19, 729 (2017).
• Interaction of B12F122- with All-cis 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexafluorocyclohexane in the Gas Phase, W.M.J. Lecours; R.A. Marta; V. Steinmetz; N. Keddie; E. Fillion; D. O'Hagan; T.B. McMahon; and W.S. Hopkins, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 8, 109 (2017).