Chemistry Department News

Poster Awards Announced

Chemistry majors Brenna Gatewood and Lori O'Connor were among the recipients of awards at the Millikin Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium on April 22. Brenna won one of the six 1st Place Judith & G. Richard Locke Scholarship Awards for her poster, "The Secrets that Lie Inside: An Innovative Look at Gel Electrophoresis and DNA Amplification." Brenna did her research with Dr. Galewsky. Lori won one of the four 2nd Place Judith & G. Richard Locke Scholarship Awards for her poster, "The Synthesis of Pyridine-Containing Compounds." Lori did her research with Dr. Baumann.

GOLD Lecture on April 24

The third annual ACS Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD) Lecture was held at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009 in 001 LTSC. This year's speaker was Sara Ray ('03), who is nearing the completion of her doctoral studies at The Ohio State University in the research group of Dr. Anne McCoy. Sara's seminar was on, "Theoretical Studies of the Role of Vibrational Excitation on the Dynamics of the Hydrogen Transfer Reaction of F(^2^P) + HCl ---> FH + Cl(^2^P)." Sara (third from left) is pictured below with Danielle Daykin, Prof. George Bennett, Katie Bates, Chelsey Imel, and Jessica Lindemann.

Congratulations to the New Sigma Zeta Initiates

Chemistry majors Bobby Gregory, Caitlin Klimavicz, Roselyn Migliorini, Dian Romonosky, and Elise Wildman were among the 10 students initiated into the Pi chapter of Sigma Zeta, the National Science and Mathematics Honor Society on April 7, 2009. They join fellow chemistry majors Lauren Bringman, Carrie Bruno, Brandon Davis, Danielle Daykin, Brenna Gatewood, Chelsey Imel, Sarah Lantvit (chapter president), and Clay Parks.

Student Internships and Experiential Opportunities in the Summer of 2009

Brittany Hassee, sophomore chemistry major with secondary education emphasis, has been invited to work as a teaching assistant for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) program this summer. The CTY residential program consists of three-week classes designed for students in grades 2-12 and held at various sites around the country. All science classes are inquiry-based and include daily laboratory activities. Brittany will assist with a forensics course for 5th and 6th graders entitled, "Examining the Evidence," taught at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She assisted the same course at the same site in the summer of 2008.

Chemistry majors Dian Romonosky and Elise Wildman have been awarded Leighty summer undergraduate research fellowships to support their research in the department this summer.

Sigma Zeta National Convention

From March 26-28, Dr. Anne Rammelsberg and senior chemistry major Sarah Lantvit attended the National Convention of Sigma Zeta, the national science and mathematics honor society, hosted by Pikeville College in Pikeville, Kentucky. They were accompanied by biology majors Renee Seager and Mallory Lyon, math/computer science major Tom Heuer, and Dr. Harold Wilkinson. Sarah gave an oral presentation on her JMS research project, and Renee presented a poster of her research. Dr. Wilkinson was re-elected historian of Sigma Zeta, and Dr. Rammelsberg was elevated from president-elect to president of the society.

The upgraded NMR is here!

The upgrade of our FT-NMR system by Anasazi Instruments, Inc. was installed between semesters. The upgrade included a refurbishment of the magnet and probe as well as new components and software to make the system more automated. The department thanks Millikin University for funding this much-needed improvement.

Congratulations to the December 2008 Graduates

Five chemistry majors took part in the Winter Commencement ceremony on December 14, 2008. The first members of the class of 2009 include:

Heather Althouse, research emphasis

Katie Gifford, business emphasis (psychology double major), cum laude

Lenora Gore, business emphasis

Anthony O'Brien, business emphasis

Jennifer Peterson, pre-medicine (physics double major)

Alumnus in the News

Bryan Kickle (2006) was recently promoted to scientist II, Food Oil Development and Applications, Research at ADM. In his new role, he will be responsible for coordinating development activities and optimizing process conditions in the shortening and margarine pilot plant. Bryan was also mentioned in an article in the Summer/Fall 2008 issue of the ADM newsletter, "the Resource." The article described a strategic partnership between ADM and Sara Lee to develop trans-fat-free products.

Homecoming 2008

The 6th Annual ACS Alumni Lecture was held on Friday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m. in 001 LTSC. This year's speaker was Dr. Janet (Heinie) Clark, class of 1991, who currently teaches at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, IN. Professor Clark's seminar was entitled, "From the Big Blue to the Big Easy...Then Back Home Again in Indiana." Dr. Clark is pictured below with Dr. George Bennett, faculty advisor of the student ACS chapter, Katie Bates, president of the chapter, and Shane Kesler, secretary of the chapter.

Featured Limerick (in honor of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry):

There's no funeral when this molecule dyes

and no sin when green hits the scientist's eyes.

The fluorescent tag tells

of the workings of cells,

A protein light to show what in darkness lies.

Chemistry at Millikin is approved by the
Committee on Professional Training
of the American Chemical Society.