Rick Marta
Biography
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
Research Interests
Materials and nanosciences
Physical chemistry
Gas-phase ion-molecule structures and energetics
Mass spectrometry
Electronic structure calculations
Science education
Education
2009, PhD, Physical Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Canada
2004, BSc, Honours Chemistry, Dean's Honour List, University of Waterloo, Canada
Awards
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
Service
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
Affiliations and Volunteer Work
Continuing Lecturer, Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy (Joint Appointment)
Teaching*
- 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, 2025
- MNS 221 - Physics and the Solid State
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.
Selected/Recent Publications
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).