Indira K.C. Silwal Tel.

: (207) 581-1242
Department of Chemistry Tel.: (207) 581-1194
Room # 256 Aubert Hall E-mail:indira.silwal@umit.maine.edu
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469

U.S. Permanent Resident

Objective:
A position as an Analytical Chemist/Physical Chemist, that offers the opportunity to
apply my experience and skills in learning and teaching environment. I want to explore
related but new areas of work.
Education:
Ph.D., Chemistry, Thesis “Characterization of Unknown Chemicals Using Gas
Chromatography /Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry and
Ab-initio Calculations”, August, University of Maine, ME, 2008.
M. Phil., Physical Chemistry, Thesis “Density functional study of potential energy
surface of [CH2N] system”, Kathmandu University, Nepal, 1998-2000.
M. Sc., Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 1995-1997.
B. Sc., Chemistry and Biology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 1992-1994.

Academic/Professional Appointments:
Adjunct Faculty, Teaching General Chemistry Course (lecture and lab) to Eastern Maine
Community College Students, Fall 2009.
Adjunct Faculty, Teaching General Chemistry lab to Husson University Students, Fall
2009.
University of Maine
Adjunct Faculty, General Chemistry Course to 145 Students, 2008-2009.
Research Associate: Under Professor Jayendran Rasaiah, 2008-2009.
Graduate Student (Ph.D. program in chemistry), 2003-2008.
Teaching Assistant: General and Analytical Chemistry, 2003-2005.
Research Assistant: Under Professor Touradj Solouki, 2006-2007.
Teaching Assistant: Computer Simulation CHY 573, Under Professor Jayendran Rasaiah,
2007.
Part Time Faculty, Physical Chemistry Course to 90 Students, Central Department of
Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 2001-2003.
Visiting Scientist, Under Prof. Jan M. L. Martin, Weizmann Institute of Science,
Rehovot, Israel, 2000-2001.
Teaching Assistant: General Chemistry, Kathmandu University, Nepal, 1998-1999.
Chemistry High School Teacher, Kathmandu Nepal, 1996-1998.

Research Interest:
My research interests include experimental and theoretical studies of different molecules
of environmental and biological concern at molecular level. I am interested to explore my
research on experimental identification and detection of trace level of chemical/biological
agents in air, water, and food.
Experimental Research Interest:
My research interests include unknown identification, characterization of complex
mixture in real world sample and detection of trace level of chemical/biological agents in
both air, water and food. My current research projects focus on:
1. Identification of potential disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water at a high
level of confidence by using: Gas Chromatography Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron
Resonance Mass Spectrometry (GC/FT-ICR MS) technique.
2. Characterizing gasoline samples: Multidimensional gas chromatography /Fourier-
transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analyses.
Theoretical and computational Interest:
My research interests include molecular modeling of different molecules of
environmental and biological concern for computational study. My current research
projects focus on
1. Determination of proton affinity of halogenated compounds by using high-accuracy
computational thermochemistry.
2. Study of proton transfer reaction of halogenated compounds by using ab initio and
density functional theory.
3. Study of potential energy surface of different system by using ab initio and density
functional theory.
4. Study of various systems by using computer simulation.
5. Determination of the binding site of peptide and protein to different ligands.
6. Study of biological system by using Quantum mechanics/Molecular mechanics
(QM/MM) calculation.

Conferences:
Solouki, T.; Rasaiah, J. C, ; Szulejko, J.E.; Silwal I., “Characterization of Petroleum
Samples by GC/FT-ICR MS” Proceedings of the 237 th American Chemical Society
(ACS) National Meeting, Division of Petroleum Chemistry, August 16-20, 2009,
Washington, DC.
Silwal I.; Luo Z.; Rasaiah J. C.; Solouki T., “Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform
Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry and Ab-Initio Proton Affinity Calculations
of Hydrocarbon Isomers in Petroleum” Proceedings of the 236 th American Chemical
Society (ACS) National Meeting, Division of Petroleum Chemistry, August 17-21, 2008,
Philadelphia, PA.
Silwal I.; Rasaiah J. C.; Solouki T., “Multidimensional Analysis of Environmental
Samples: Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass
Spectrometry and Ab-Initio Calculations” Proceedings of the 56th ASMS Conference on
Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, 2008, Denver, Colorado.
Solouki, T.; Szulejko, J. E.; Silwal, I.; Heffner, C., “Experimental and Theoretical
Approaches: Identification of Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water with
Multidimensional GC/FT-ICR MS”, Proceedings of the 54 th ASMS Conference on Mass
Spectrometry and Allied Topics, 2006, Seattle, WA.
Solouki, T.; Silwal, I.; Heffner, C.; Peckenham, J., “Emerging Technologies for Sample-
printing and Identification of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water:
Multidimensional GC/FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry”, Gordon Conference, August, 2006,
South Hadley, MA.
Publications:
Article in press:

1. I. K. C. Silwal, Rasaiah J. C.*, Szulejko, J. E, Solouki T*: “Proton Transfer

Reactions of Halogenated Compounds: Using Gas Chromatography/Fourier
Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (GC/FT-ICR MS) and
ab-initio Calculations”, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. (2010),
doi:10.1016/j.ijms.2010.03.003.
2. C. Heffner, I. Silwal, J. M. Peckenham and T. Solouki, “Emerging Technologies
for Identification of Disinfection By-Products: GC/FT-ICR MS Characterization
of Solvent Artifacts”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2007, 41, 5419 -5425.
3. G. de Oliveira, J. M. L. Martin, I. K. C. Silwal, Joel F. Liebman: “Definitive heat
of formation of methylenimine, CH2NH, and of methylenimmonium ion,
CH2NH2+, by means of W2 theory, J. Comput. Chem., 2001, 22 (13), 1297-1305.

Manuscript Under Preparation:

I. K. C. Silwal, Solouki T*, Rasaiah J. C.*: Ab-initio Proton Affinity Calculations of

C7H8 Hydrocarbon Isomers.

Professional Membership:
Member, American Chemical Society.
Member, American Society for Mass Spectrometry.
Member, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

Computer Technical Skills:

System: UNIX, Linux, Windows
Computer language: FORTRAN, C++
Computing software: Amber, Gaussian, PC-model, Spartan
Graphic software: Gnuplot, Gauss View, VMD, NAMD
Other software: Endnote

Graduate Advisor(s):
Prof. Touradj Solouki, University of Maine, Orono, ME
Prof. Jayendran Rasaiah, University of Maine, Orono, ME

Referees:
1. TOURADJ SOLOUKI
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Work Address: University Of Maine
Voice: (207) 581-1172,
E-mail solouki@maine.edu
2. JAYENDRAN C. RASAIAH
Professor of Chemistry
Work Address: University Of Maine
Voice: (207) 581-1179,
E-mail: rasaiah@maine.edu

3. HOWARD H. PATTERSON
Professor of Chemistry
Work Address: University Of Maine
Voice: (207) 581-1178, E-mail:howardp@maine.edu

4. Dr. ALICE BRUCE

Associate Professor, Interim Chair
Work Address: Department of Chemistry
University of Maine
Voice: (207)-581-1182, E-mail: abruce@maine.edu

5. Dr. SCOTT COLLINS

Professor; Cooperating Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Cooperating Professor of
Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology
Work Address: University of Maine
Voice: (207)-581-2269, E-mail: scott.collins@maine.edu