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Bela Torok

Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston

 

B.S., Chemistry, University of Szeged, Hungary

M.S., Organic Chemistry, University of Szeged, Hungary

Ph.D., Organic Chemistry/Catalysis, University of Szeged, Hungary

Bela Torok is a PhD chemist, and an ACS member since 1996. By training, he is an organic chemist, working in a broad area of catalysis, green chemistry and medicinal chemistry. He has extensive publication and editorial experience (nearly 200 papers and six books, over 7,000 citations). As a college professor he has decades of experience in mentoring, advising, and personnel decisions. He has been Graduate Program Director, Chair of the College Personnel Committee, and also a long-term member of his Department’s executive committee. His career counselling was mainly focused on undergraduate and MS researchers to find a fitting graduate school or industrial job, and PhD graduates to find either a postdoctoral position or industrial employment. As of personal aspects, he has worked at six Universities/Research Institutes in the US and Europe. Geographically, his life experience include growing up in Hungary, and working and living on the West Coast, Midwest, and the East Coast, each for several years. His strength is in the academic career advising, however, also familiar with the industrial setting. He is a good listener and quite attentive to the needs of his mentees. He is experienced in web-based communication technologies and remote lecturing/meetings (zoom, skype etc.) gained over four semesters of online teaching/lecturing during the pandemic. With his spouse, a PhD biochemist, he first-hand experienced the struggles of dual-career couples. Through his own, and his colleagues’ experiences, he gained useful understanding of this issue and potential ways to overcome it.

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