Chemistry Newsletter 2010-2011

Chemistry Newsletter 2010-2011

For the 2010-11 academic year, Dr. Lisa Zuraw returns from leave to resume department head duties. Dr. Randy Blanton returns to the faculty after serving the past two years as department head. In total Dr. Blanton has led the department for sixteen of the past 18 years. He is looking forward to spending his “free” time in the research lab. Dr. Paul Simone resigned to assume a position at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. The department will be conducting a faculty search for his replacement this academic year. Mr. Jim Wilkerson has joined the department as the laboratory coordinator.

The Chemistry Department continues to emphasize undergraduateresearch. The faculty are involved in initiatives to improve student learning and experience the excitement (and sometimes frustration) of research. All chemistry major students complete a senior research project. The faculty are trying to have students exposed to research as early as possible.

• Joseph Collins (Chemistry ’10) worked with Dr. Mike Dorko on hydrogen fuel cells for his senior research project. Their work was presented at the April Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. The presentation was titled” Theoretical Investigation of BeS and MGS as alternative hydrogen storage materials”.

• This past summer two students conducted research with Dr. Holly Bevsek at The Citadel. John W. Jordan (Chemistry ’12) investigated the reaction of NO with gamma-Fe2O3 and L. Ashley Washington (Chemistry ’11) started her senior research project on the “effect of the purity of carbon nanotubes on its reaction with NOx compounds”. Cadet Washington will continue this project during the academic year. Cadet Jordan received partial funding for his summer research from the Star of the West Foundation.

• Dr. Ron Hemingway is developing a unique method for constructing ultramicro ion selective electrodes that will aid in investigating the eflux and influx of ions thru cell walls.The sensing area for these electrodes is as small as ~3 square micrometers, about the size of medium sized bacteria.

• Dr. Randy Blanton’s research focuses on designing chiral reagents and catalyststo effect asymmetric syntheses commonly found in the preparation of pharmaceutical products.Strategies include using microenvironmental effects of crosslinked polymers synergistically with chiral reagents and developing chiral crown ethers for use as phase transfer catalysts.

• Dr. Lisa Zuraw’s research interest is in investigating protein-nucleic acid interactions. She has recently had a paper accepted to the Journal of Biological Chemistry on the interactions between nucleolin, AUF1 and bcl-2 m-RNA.

Dr. Bevsek and L. Ashley Washington are doing research on the reaction of NO with single, double and multiwall carbon nanotubes.

In the academic laboratory, small equipment is being updated. An upgrade of pH meters and spectrometers in the first year laboratory was accomplished during the past year. Dr. Smokey McAfee is working on updating the General Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum. In the academic classroom, many faculty are incorporating POGIL (Process Orientated Guided Inquiry Learning) into their classes and laboratories. In Quantitative Analysis, Dr. Hemingway has the junior students exploring several different ways to measure the volume of titrant delivered and thendesigning and constructing their own method that can interface with a computer for evaluation asan auto titrator. They will learn many of the components of automation, data acquisition, and chemometrics.

The curriculum for the B.A. Chemistry major with Teaching Specialization in Chemistry and Comprehensive Broad Field Science has been added. It was recently approved by the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education (CHE). This program allows our students to graduate with certification to teach chemistry. Chemistry is a critical need area for teachers in South Carolina.

The student affiliate of the American Chemical Society continues to be active. Theofficers for 2009-2010 were Joseph Collins - President, L. Ashley Washington - Vice President, Anna Fuzy - Treasurer, and John Jordan - Secretary. Dr. Dorko is the faculty advisor. The group met throughout the semester investigating different aspects of chemistry, including food chemistry. They prepared fudge candy.It was sold on Corps Day to raise funds. This year they are planning on using these funds to take a tour of chemical industry workplace(s).

Students received awards and fellowships. Joseph Collins (Chemistry ‘10) received the Outstanding Senior Award from the American Chemical Society at their April meeting. Additionally, Mr. Collins received the first place award for his research presentation with Dr. Dorko at the Citadel Undergraduate Research Conference in March. John Jordan (Chemistry ’12) has the Wideman Scholarship. Thomas Canipe (Chemistry ’13) was awarded a Star of the West International Summer Scholarship to study in England this past summer.

Award Recipients for Chemistry Majors at the School of Science and Math Recognition Ceremony

Dr. Blanton, Joshua Edwards -Sophomore Award, John Jordan - Wideman Scholar, John Roberts - Freshman Award, Joseph Collins - Senior Award. (not pictured Ashley Washington - Junior Award)

Faculty are also involved in projects in the educational community.

• Dr. Bevsek is the external evaluator on the NSF-funded project “Building Bridges: Integrating Math, Science, and Engineering Education on the South Plains” at Texas Tech University.This STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) grant is to improve the abilities of graduate students to communicate their research to the public.

• Dr. Zuraw is a faculty consultant for the Advanced Placement Chemistry Examination. She is involved in item writing and scoring of the Examination.

• For Corps Day, the 14th issue of The Gold Star Journal was published. Dr. Suzanne T. Mabrouk continues to serve as the faculty advisor. The editors were Cadets Charles (Trey) J. Williams III (2010 Biology Major), Thomas J. Sullivan III (2010 Biology Major), Taylor D. Gilliam (2011 Business Administration Major), and Mark G. Shaw (2012 Civil and Environmental Engineering Major). The journal featured papers written by Brice L. Mann (2010 History Major), Abraham J. Raymond (2011 Political Science Major), Joseph A. Trippi (2011 History Major), Noah J. Koubenec (2011 Double Major in Political Science and Spanish), George H. Martin III (2011 History Major), and Marttin E. Periola (2011 English Major). Congratulations authors and editors on a job well done!