National Chemistry Week STEM Fest

The local chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS) sponsored the 2021 STEM Fest at the Omega Event Center in Elkhart this Saturday. It was a massive collaboration of organizations and campuses. The ACS was joined by the E3 Robotics Center, American Electric Power, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary as well as students from the University of Notre Dame, Andrews University, and our own students from the Biology-Chemistry Club. This event was held at the end of National Chemistry Week on October 23 which is also known as "Mole Day" for the association of the date 10/23 with the power of Avogadro's number (6.022*10^23) of entities in one mole of a substance. The theme for this year was catalysis as seen in the logo at the below taken from the ACS website. Thanks to everyone for their hard work to instill an appreciation and curiosity for the science around us.

Students Present Their Summer Research

This past summer was abuzz with mentored student STEM research supported with SMART grants, LSAMP grants, external faculty grants, and work-study funds. Much, but not all, of the this research was presented through poster talks in Weikamp Hall on Friday, October 1. The students' mentors and research projects are listed below. Thanks to everyone who participated: students for their had work during the summer; faculty for serving as mentors; Dr. Grace Muna for managing the LSAMP program; and the university for funding the SMART and work-study program.

Department of Biological Sciences

Marcus Bailey with mentor Deborah Marr

Effects of the understory shrub Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) on maple and beech tree seeding abundance in an Old Growth Indiana Forest 
 

Rose Inchauregui with mentor Deborah Marr

Changes in Canopy and Understory Asimina triloba (Paw paw) Abundance in an Old Growth Indiana Forest

 

Hasan Al-Robaee with mentor Thomas Clark

Projecting changes in the societal burden of cancer with the obesity epidemic

Aurora Easton with mentor Thomas Clark

Projecting Changes in Societal Burden of Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Disease with Rising Obesity Rates

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

 
Melyse Ishimwe with mentor Shahir Rizk

Structure- Based Design of PhuZ Mutants for Polymerization Analysis
 

Myree Finley with mentor Kasey J. Clear

Stability and Luminescent Properties of Terbium Complexes with L-DOPA, Dopamine, and Catechol 
 

Sabrah Alajmi with mentor Kasey J. Clear

Phosphate Removal from Water using Cross-linked Polymer Networks 

Emily Saray Barrera with mentor Grace Muna
Electroanalytical Performance of Antimony Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode in Detecting Lead and Cadmium

Lucas Robinson with mentor Grace Muna
Investigating the Electroanalytical Performance of Bismuth-Antimony Film on Glassy Carbon Electrode in Detecting Lead and Cadmium

The Biology-Chemistry Club is Active Again

Social and academic events were minimal last year due to the pandemic, but things are getting back to normal this year.  Most of our classes are on campus as students are engaged in all the usual activities, although cautiously wearing facemasks indoors. The Biology-Chemistry Club held a welcome party with pizza and drinks on the second week of classes and last week they invited biochemistry alumna Maggie Fink to give a talk on graduate school. Fink is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Notre Dame supported by a prestigious NSF graduate research fellowship. While at IU South Bend, she worked in the lab of biochemist Shahir Rizk. If you haven't thought about graduate school and missed this talk, please visit any of your professors to hear what it is like. You may be surprised that the school pays you instead of the other way around - and that research, rather than classes, is the focus.

Staff Appreciation Day

Today our campus held a picnic at the Potawatomi Zoo for our staff and honored those with milestone years of service. Pictured on the left is Brenda Beatty in line to get her lunch; then in middle she is next to Chancellor Elrod to receive her award for 15 years of service at IU South Bend.  Beatty sets up and takes down equipment and solutions for our freshman chemistry and organic chemistry lab courses - and she also helps with chemical waste disposal from all of our classes. Pictured on the right is Jennie Downs who is secretary to both our department and the Department of Biological Sciences. For a short while she was also working with the Department of Computer Science and almost moved her office further upstairs in Northside Hall, but we are glad we once again must share her only with our biology buddies. Not pictured is Connie Fox who is our laboratory director with so many years of experience and good judgement that she is often the first person that past department chair Gretchen Anderson and current department chair Matt Marmorino seek for guidance. Thank you to all of our staff for their excellent work to keep our department running smoothly.