Faculty Profile

Nerissa Lewis

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Email: lewisn2@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2712
Office: Eaton 308

First Generation student


Education: BS, University of the West Indies (2007); MS, University of Southern Mississippi (2011); MEd, Walla Walla University (2021); PhD, Louisiana State University (2017). At SPU since 2021.

Nerissa Lewis was born and raised on the beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago. She earned her BS in chemistry at the University of the West Indies and then moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies. After completing her PhD in chemistry at Louisiana State University, she spent four years as teaching at Walla Walla University before joining SPU.

At SPU, Dr. Lewis will teach upper-level classes in inorganic chemistry, as well as sections of the first year general chemistry sequence. Her research interest focuses on the synthesis and characterization of metal complexes with potential diagnostic and therapeutic activity for targeted delivery to tumor sites.

Dr. Lewis's hobbies include hiking, working out at the gym, and traveling.


Selected Publications

1. Lewis, N. A.; Pakhomova, S., Marzilli, P. A.; Marzilli, L. G., Synthesis and Characterization of Pt(II) Complexes with Pyridyl Ligands: Elongated Octahedral Ion Pairs and Other Factors Influencing 1H NMR Spectra; Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 9781-9793. 

2. Lewis, N. A.; Marzilli, P. A.; Fronczek, F. R.; Marzilli, L. G., Models for B12-Conjugated Radiopharmaceuticals. Cobaloxime Binding to New fac-[Re(CO)3(Me2bipyridine)(amidine)]BF4 Complexes Having an Exposed Pyridyl Nitrogen; Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 11096-11107. 

3. Lewis, N. A.; Liu, F.; Seymour, L.; Magnusen, A.; Erves, T. R.; Arca, J. F.; Beckford, F. A.; Venkatraman, R.; Gonzalez-Sarrias, A.; Fronczek, F. R.; Van, D. D. G.; Seeram, N. P.; Liu, A.; Jarrett, W. L.; Holder, A. A.; Synthesis, Characterization, and Preliminary In Vitro Studies of Vanadium(IV) Complexes with a Schiff Base and Thiosemicarbazones as Mixed Ligands; Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2012, 2012 (4), 664-677. 

4. Kumar, A.; Moody, L.; Olaivar, J. F.; Lewis, N. A.; Khade, R. L.; Holder, A. A.; Zhang, Y.; Rangachari, V.; Inhibition of Aβ42 Peptide Aggregation by a Binuclear Ruthenium(II)-Platinum(II) Complex: Potential for Multimetal Organometallics as Anti-Amyloid Agents; ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2010, 1 (10), 691-701.

Please view Dr. Lewis's CV (PDF) for more information

Why I Teach at SPU

Nerissa Lewis, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

“I teach at SPU because I have the opportunity to assist in the shaping of young minds to become critical thinkers, equipped with valuable skills that will make them marketable now, and in the future to come. At SPU, I get to work closely with wonderful students and great faculty and staff who are committed to student success and sharing the love of Jesus.”