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UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES


The Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy operate on both the Oxford and Jackson campuses. The Schools of Dentistry, Health Related Professionals and Medicine, and the Health Sciences Graduate School, are based in Jackson only. (Additional healthcare programs are available through the School of Applied Sciences on the Oxford campus.) Other than these exceptions, the schools above are on the Oxford campus.

Faculty Profile

Ryan Clifton Fortenberry

Chemistry & Biochemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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322 Coulter Hall
University, MS 38677
(662) 915-5340
Joined UM: July 1, 2018

Areas of Expertise

  • ASTROCHEMISTRY
  • ASTROPHYSICS
  • CHEMISTRY
  • CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL
  • CHEMISTRY, SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN CHEMISTRY
  • CHEMISTRY, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
  • COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY
  • COMPUTERS IN CHEMISTRY
  • JOURNALISM
  • PLANETARY SCIENCE
  • PUBLIC RELATIONS
  • PUBLIC SPEAKING
  • QUANTUM CHEMISTRY
  • SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
  • WRITING

Brief Bio

Ryan C. Fortenbeery is Associate Professor of Chemistry and Graduate Program Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Fortenberry is a Clinton, Mississippi native and received a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics and a Master's of Science in Communication both from Mississippi College. He earned a Ph.D. in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry from Virginia Tech and was a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He was Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry at Georgia Southern University for five years and earned tenure there before joining the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2018. Fortenberry's computational astrochemistry research involves computing the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and microwave spectra of molecules for their detection in space as well as the possible reaction pathways for forming such molecules. This aids in the search for life in the cosmos as well as the early stages of planet formation and the late stages of carbon processing. His work also has application to solar energy harvesting, fundamental chemical physics, and space technology. Fortenberry has served as the Chair of the American Chemical Society's Astrochemistry subdivision, the University of Mississippi's campus coordinator for the Mississippi Space Grant Consortium, and Associate Editor for the journal Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science. He has over 150 publications, been PI on NSF and NASA grants, and authored the text Complete Science Communication published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Additionally, he enjoys climbing mountains, coaching his son's soccer team, and teaching yoga.

Degrees

PhD
Chemistry
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State (2012)