LSAMP scholars begin summer research

With spring classes over, it is time for summer research to begin. Among the many students engaged in research are the group of five LSAMP scholars pictured above with their research mentors: (left to right) Dr. Andy Schnabel, Dr. Shahir Rizk, Allyce Rogers, Ashley Rojas, Abigael Ngoumape, Dr. Yilei Qian, Dr. Grace Muna, Joel Rael, Nathanael Smith, Dr. Murli Nair, Dr. Kasey Clear. Some of the student-mentor pairing may seem awkward, but a lot of the research is interdisciplinary and the students have a wide range of interests. For example, biochemistry major Ngoumape will work with organic chemist Clear; biology major Smith will research with biochemist Rizk; and biochemistry-mathematics double major Rael will pair with biologist-informaticist Nair. Each student and their mentor will receive a stiped provided by the LSAMP grant ultimately from the National Science Foundation. Good luck to all on your summer research!

2023 Graduates and Awards

Congratulations to all of our graduates and award winners for 2023! The university celebrated on campus last week with graduation cookout and then this week we held commencement at the University of Notre Dame. What a joy it is that our graduating class and guests are too big of a crowd for our campus. A few of our department awards have been renamed, particularly the freshman achievement award that started as the CRC Press Chemistry Achievement Award because the Chemical Rubber Company (CRC) provided the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics as the gift. The freshman award is now a cash gift funded by the IU South Bend Chemistry Department Fund (as are several other awards*) in honor of retired laboratory director, Ms. Connie Fox, who has been instrumental in the freshman year of our chemistry program for decades.

Constance J. Fox Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award*
   Kristen Miller
   Mackenzie Reasor
Analytical Chemistry Achievement Award*
   Elizabeth Pask
Organic Chemistry Achievement Award*
   Hannah Gregor
Senior Excellence Award in Biochemistry*
   Rachel Hall
Senior Excellence Award in Chemistry*
   Elizabeth Pask
Joseph H. Ross Award for Outstanding Oral Presentations
   Shaun Calhoun
   Precious-Gold Akpadija
   Emily Barrera
Gretchen Anderson Pathways Scholarship
   Hannah Gregor
   Machenzie Reasor
   Nikki Sweet
Carolyn & Lawrence Garber Summer Research Scholarship
   Zahra Aljuboori
   Hannah Gregor

Grace Muna publishes her second article this year

 

Professor Grace Muna is on a roll this spring with the publication of another research article this year. This one is published in the Journal of Analytical Chemistry with student coauthor, Chris Mochel, who graduated with a B.S. Chemistry degree in 2020. Mochel now works locally as a scientist at Eurofins, a water testing company. Their research took many years to complete and describes a simple colorimetric method to detect aminothiols in water samples such as urine. The method relies on aminothiols reducing dissolved Fe[III] to Fe[II] which then complexes between the two nitrogen atoms of the three-ring molecule orthophenanthroline. The iron imparts color to the molecule which indirectly signals the presence of aminothiols: the stronger the color (from light yellow to dark orange) indicates a higher concentration of aminothiols in solution.

A Simple Colorimetric Method for the Detection of Total Aminothiols in Urine. Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 78, 43–48 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1134/S1061934823010082