DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY - The College of · 7 Activities of the Faculty Fall 2007 Organic Chemistry...

Department of Chemistry • 943 College Mall • Wooster, Ohio 44691

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Forty-Sixth Annual Report

2007-08 Academic Year and

Summer of 2008

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Table of Contents Greetings From the Chairperson…..……………………………………………… 5 Activities of the Faculty ……………..……………………………………………... 6 Career Choices of Chemistry Major Graduates ………………………………... 9 Research Leave Program …………..…………………………………………….. 13 Retirement of Paul L. Gaus ………………………………………………………. 14 Introducing Sibrina Collins …………….………………………………………….. 15 Activities of the Staff ………………..……………………………………………… 15 Publications …………………………………..……………………………………. 16

Invited Lectures and Papers/Posters Presented at Professional Meetings ………………..……………………………………. 17

Career Choices of Biochemistry and BCMB Major Graduates ……………….. 18 Discoveries by Paul Edmiston Could Have Major Global Implications ………. 19

235th American Chemical Society National Meeting …………………...………. 20 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference ……… 21 Grants, Awards, and Gifts for 2007-08 …………………………………………… 22 The College Receives $1M Grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute …. 23 Chemistry Club …………………………………………………………………….. 24 Departmental Seminars …………………………………………………………... 24 Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture ………………………………………… 25 Class of 1998 ………………………………………………………………………. 26

Department of Chemistry Summer 2008 Research Program …………………………………………………………. 28

Other Summer 2008 Research Activities ……………………………………….. 29 Herrick L. Scholarship …………………………………………………………….. 31

Recognition of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-Year Students in Chemistry During 2007-08 …………………………………………………………….. 31

What Can I do with a Chemistry Degree from Wooster? ……….…………….. 31 Class of 2008 ……………………………………………………………………….. 32

Recognition of Seniors in 2007-08 ……………………………………….. 34 Prizes, Awards, and Scholarships Awarded to Seniors ……………….. 34 Senior Independent Study Projects ………………………………………. 35 James T. McFarland Senior Independent Study

Poster Session ……………………………………………………… 36 Independent Study Exposition ……………………………………………. 37 Neuroscience Added as a Major ……..………………………………………….. 37

The photo on the cover was taken by Allyson Buytendyk ('09) featuring Nicholas Amato ('08). Allyson won First Place with this photo in the Chemistry Club Photo Contest during National Chemistry Week.

www.wooster.edu/chemistry

Editor: Mark J. Snider Producer: Diane M. Rossey

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Greetings from the Chairperson

W Dear Friends, The time has come for me to write my first Chair’s Greetings (especially since it has been over three months since Diane first asked me to do it). As you will see in this year’s report, the department continues to change and grow. For many of you, the only familiar faces in the faculty photo are Paul Gaus and Virginia Pett. As of May 13, 2008, Paul retired, and he called me within 30 minutes of graduation to confirm that his office was vacant, and I was “unofficially” Chair. Paul certainly left his mark on the culture of the department and on numerous students with his steadfast attention to what it truly means to be a Professor. Some of the “Gaus Alumni” are planning a reunion in March 2009 to visit with Paul and with each other. Following Paul’s retirement, Virginia is now the senior faculty member of the department, and she plans to retire May 2009. As part of her move towards retirement, Virginia creatively orchestrated an opportunity to bring in Hannah Tims as a teaching/research postdoctoral fellow. The two have had great fun working with each other and a group of talented students. Hannah brings an endearing Minnesotan sense of humor along with her commitment to student learning in the class and lab. Another of our three Pauls, Paul Edmiston, had his typical full agenda of lots of research with lots of students, with some exciting cutting edge advances that have opened some very interesting doors for Wooster. Paul also helped out with the logistics of Melissa Schultz’s maternity leave. Melissa is pioneering the dual role of Wooster Chemistry Faculty and Mother of an infant—Lila. Our third Paul, Paul Bonvallet, has been fully engaged with our never-ending quest for the ultimate organic chemistry program along with loads of other opportunities in research and service. Sarah Schmidtke took on the yeomen’s load in our departmental work of assessment in conjunction with our curricular discussions. All of us, especially Melissa, gave good attention to revising our introductory chemistry courses and labs. Our curricular revisions and changes in departmental pedagogy are in part responding to the feedback we received from the surveys of alumni as well as current juniors and seniors. Our self evaluation spans nearly 5 years, but we are working collaboratively with new pedagogical approaches and intend to “unveil” the new curriculum to the Educational Policy Committee in the fall 2008, with implementation to begin fall 2009. Stay tuned. Finishing out the faculty, Mark Snider was on research leave at Cornell 2007-2008 with his family, so we were fortunate to have Jeff Myers join us as our biochemist. In his brief time here, Jeff made a lasting impression with his contributions to discussions (something about a “Grecian palace”) and the creation of a departmental brochure illustrating what students can do with a chemistry degree. Page 2

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The department continues to be supported by a group of outstanding staff. Diane Rossey now holds status as the senior member of the department. Jerry Patterson works to balance demands of harried faculty and students with the ever-growing tennis competitions of his son Kyle. Mary Kilpatrick continues coordinating the introductory labs as we prepare for our upcoming curricular changes. Ron Tebbe and Lee Hothem both work creatively to figure out how to keep instruments and equipment in good working order despite the many novice users—faculty and students alike. Lat but not least, we share lots of news about our current students who have conducted research on and off campus, presented their work locally and nationally, and continue to work independently and interdependently. We have an active Chem Club group with students who are enthusiastic about outreach, hosting seminar speakers, and just having fun. As you can tell, the Chemistry family is as active as ever! It’s nice to share some of our excitement in words, but we look forward to a time when you all can visit. Keep in mind that Alumni weekend happens in early June every year, and we will do our best to warmly welcome you. The faculty faces may have changed, but we still share a passionate commitment to an environment where we can all learn and grow professionally and personally. I definitely see us as “Wooster Connected”, and I am known for saying, “If you’re not having fun, then there’s probably a better way to do it.” I hope you all can find ways to stay connected to this marvelous Family. Sincerely, Judith C. Amburgey-Peters Associate Professor of Chemistry Chair

Department of Chemistry • Wooster, Ohio 44691-2363 • 330/263-2418 • FAX 330/263-2386

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Department of Chemistry Faculty Spring 2008

Back Row: Paul Bonvallet, Hannah Tims Middle Row: Sarah Schmidtke, Paul Edmiston, Jeff Myers

Front Row: Virginia Pett, Paul Gaus, Judy Amburgey-Peters, Mary Kilpatrick

Not Pictured: Melissa Schultz (Maternity Leave) and Mark Snider (Research Leave)

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Activities of the Faculty

Judith C. Amburgey-Peters, in collaboration with Paul Bonvallet, made significant revisions to both semesters of the organic chemistry lab. The organic lab experiments in the fall were organized in multi-week units to better emulate the scientific process as practiced by an organic chemist. Special attention was given to the basic writing skills necessary for experimental plans/designs and notebook keeping. Group work for gathering and sharing information with regards to safety, lab techniques, experimental design and implementation was stressed. The outcome was very positive. The students had a better command of the fundamental techniques and improved their abilities to plan and design experiments. In the spring, organic "cookbook" experiments were replaced with research-based projects related to on-going projects in the Amburgey-Peters and Bonvallet research labs. The students' responses were very positive with intellectual engagement, creativity, and much enthusiasm. Support was received from HHMI Curriculum, Equipment, and Laboratory Development for these research-based projects.

In the fall, Judy also taught a section of First-Year Seminar. In the spring, she taught a lecture section of Introductory College Chemistry for the first time. During the academic year she advised three students in Independent Study: Nicholas Amato (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major), Benjamin Franks and Paul Hamilton (both Chemistry majors).

In January 2008, Judy attended the American Chemical Society Leadership Institute in Dallas, TX. She served as a reviewer for NSF CAREER Awards. On campus, Judy served on the Pre-Health Advising Committee and the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program Committee. As the Pre-Health Admissions Liaison, she had contact with prospective students who were interested in pre-health as well as chemistry and BCMB.

Judy served on two search committees. She was the Chair of the department's search committee for an inorganic chemist and she served as a member of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology committee that hired a biochemist. Judy sent much time during the fall reading applicant materials and interviewing candidates.

Departmental duties included NMR system co-administrator and department safety liaison. As in the past, Judy was active in the American Chemical Society Local Section serving during the 2007-08 academic year as Chair of the section and as a councilor.

The synthesis of biologically interesting molecules continues to be a research focus for Judy. She is also exploring areas involving molecules of metabolism and other areas related to food. ✦

Fall 2007 First-Year Seminar Organic Chemistry I (1 lecture; 1 lab) Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Introductory College Chemistry II (1 lecture) Organic Chemistry II (1 lecture; 1 lab) Independent Study Thesis

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Activities of the Faculty Fall 2007 Organic Chemistry I

(1 lecture; 2 labs) Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Organic Chemistry II (1 lecture; 2 labs) Advanced Organic Chemistry Independent Study Thesis

Paul A. Bonvallet was busy redesigning the Advanced Organic Chemistry course to incorporate topics in modern synthesis, polymer chemistry, and materials science. Most classes consisted of student teams presenting their findings from the primary literature. Paul also worked with Judy to shift the focus of the Organic Chemistry sequence away from the professor transmitting information and towards the acquisition of problem-solving skills. Three chemistry majors; Paul Evans, Erin Fortin and Joel Keelor; and one Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, Lauren Rackoff, worked with Paul on their Independent Study projects.

Paul accompanied three summer research students and four other Wooster undergraduates to the 235th Meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans in April 2008 where they presented research results and attended technical talks. He presented a poster, Synthesis and Supramolecular Activity of a Monomer Containing a Crown Ether Unit, at the meeting.

In his spare time, Paul reviewed manuscripts for the Journal of Organic Chemistry and Organic Letters. Proposals were also sent his way; one for Research Corporation and 14 for the National Science Foundation.

On campus, Paul was the Chair of the Pre-Health Advising Committee managing a series of internal and external speakers who presented workshops preparing students for careers in health care. He was also a member of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Curriculum Committee. He was active in Admissions-related activities: panels, breakfasts, and classroom visits by prospective students. Paul was the Secretary of the Wooster Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Chemistry Club faculty advisor, and active in the American Chemical Society local section. He participated in a three-day workshop, Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) Academic Leadership and Innovation Institute, in February 2008. Paul joined a team of high school and college chemistry teachers to grade 93,000 advance placement exams for The College Board. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY

The College of Wooster is nationally recognized for its program of Independent Study, and

for more than fifty years the College has required that every graduate complete a significant Independent Study project. The capacity for individual inquiry and expression marks the liberally educated person, and the Independent Study program at Wooster provides an opportunity through which this capacity may be nurtured. Describing the challenge of the program, President Lowry, out of whose vision the program was established, said, "…it invites all students to come to their best in term as of their own talents."

Independent Study provides all students the opportunity to engage in an activity both

personally meaningful and appropriate to their individual fields and interests. It is not reserved for the few. Independent Study is the culmination of a Wooster education and provides the basis for a lifetime of independent learning. Students begin in their first year to develop their abilities in writing, reading, and critical thinking required for the project and explore various areas of intellectual interest. ideas for Independent Study are stimulated not only by course work in the major but also by courses in other areas, informal exchanges with faculty and students, visiting lectures and arts events, off-campus study, volunteer work, and internship experiences.

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Activities of the Faculty Fall 2007 First-Year Seminar Instrumental Analysis

(lecture and lab) Techniques in Biochemistry and

Molecular Biology* Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Chemistry and the World in Which We

Live: Forensic Science Analytical Chemistry

(1 lab) Independent Study Thesis * Team-taught with Dean Fraga

(Biology) and Jeff Myers Photo of the Week January 28, 2008 Paul Edmiston and Virginia Kincaid ('10) in the lab.

The 2007-08 academic year constituted a slate of courses that Paul L. Edmiston typically teaches. Instrumental Analysis included a new four-week problem-based learning section where students played various roles in mock industrial and medical situations where they developed strategies to solve chemical problems. Analytical Chemistry continued to feature a forensic science laboratory. This year the students solved a car bombing case. The title of Paul's First-Year Seminar section was The Edge of Knowledge.

In addition to his three Independent Study students — Kamesha Barton and Laura Underwood, chemistry majors; and Warren Swegal, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major — Paul employed eight underclass students on various research projects.

Paul attended the Pittsburgh Conference & Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy in New Orleans in February 2008. He gave an oral presentation, Red-Shirt Freshmen to Senior All-Americans: How Undergraduate Research is like Coaching. He also presented a poster, Selective Detection of Gas Phase TNT at the Parts-Per-Trillion Level Using Optical Waveguide Interferometry. In April 2008 he traveled to San Diego, CA where three of his students presented their research (see page 21).

Paul was active in the American Chemical Society. He served on the Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Committee and was Chair of the Pfizer Graduate Travel Awards in Analytical Chemistry. He also reviewed articles for eight journals and one NSF proposal. On campus, he served on the Educational Policy Committee, the Howard Hughes Grant Writing/Advisory Committee, the Azimuth Grant (Lilly Project) selections Committee, and the OICM Advisory Board. He continues as a core member of the BMB Curriculum Committee. Paul met informally with many visiting students, participated in Science and Math Day, and was a panelist for both a Fall and Spring Visit Day. He helped coaches recruit students interested in the physical science through phone calls and meetings. In the department he was responsible for instrument maintenance and the Johnston Scholarship.

In April 2008 students from Ashland High School visited the department. During the visit students had an opportunity to utilize all of our most advanced instrumentation to solve a chemical problem. The students were guided in the experiments by our chemistry students who along the way answered questions about succeeding in college.

For exciting news about Paul's research, see page 19, Discoveries by Paul Edmiston Could Have Major Global Implications.

Paul will be on Research Leave at Georgia Tech Research Institute during the 2008-09 academic year. He and his family headed south at the beginning of the summer. ✦

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Jeffrey Myers was the Jillian Wilson Thompson Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry during the 2007-08 academic year, teaching mainly biochemistry courses. During the spring semester, two sophomore researchers, Seth Maurer and David Flannely, and one first-year student, Tyler Croxall, worked with Jeff to complete a research project on peripheral neuropathy. One protein was chosen as the subject of a biophysical study to investigate the link between amino acid sequence changes and dysfunction.

Jeff served on the Building Stewards Committee and prepared a brochure for the Department of Chemistry describing the various career paths followed by our alumni. He joined Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors in an outreach program at Lincoln Way Elementary

School presenting The Edible Cell. Jeff has accepted a tenure-track position in the Chemistry Department at Davidson

College in North Carolina starting August 2008. We wish him well. ✦

Fall 2007 Introductory College Chemistry I

(1 lecture; 1 lab) Techniques in Biochemistry and

Molecular Biology* Biochemistry I Spring 2008 Chemistry and the World in Which

We Live: Ten Wonderful Things Biochemistry II Introduction to Independent Study

(BCMB)** * Team-taught with Dean Fraga

(Biology) and Paul Edmiston ** Team-taught with Bill Morgan

(Biology)

66 graduates (39%) attended

graduate schools. They entered:


professional schools. They entered:

50 graduates (30%) entered the workforce.

They are employed in chemistry related positions at:

What do Chemistry Majors do after Wooster?

Number of Graduates Year (Male/Female) 1998 19 (10/9) 1999 16 (8/8) 2000 17 (7/10) 2001 13 (5/8) 2002 17 (7/10) 2003 16 (11/5) 2004 11 (10/1) 2005 18 (9/9) 2006 13 (2/11) 2007 16 (6/10) 2008 12 (8/4) TOTALS 168 (83/85)

Boston University

Bowling Green State University Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western Reserve University Cornell University Duke University

Duquesne University Emory University

Florida State University Indiana University

Kent State University Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michigan State University Northwestern University

Ohio State University Ohio University

Pennsylvania State University Purdue University

Slippery Rock University State University of New York, Syracuse

University of Akron University of Arizona

University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego

University of Colorado University of Delaware

University of Illinois University of Kentucky University of Michigan

University of North Carolina University of Southern California

University of Tennessee, Memphis University of Toledo

University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University

Medical School

Medical College of Ohio at Toledo Northeast Ohio Universities College

of Medicine Ohio State University

Ohio University College of Medicine University of Connecticut

Dental School

The Ohio State University

Law School University of Toledo

M.D./Ph.D. Program

Northwestern University University of Cincinnati

Veterinary Medicine Ohio State University

Abbott Laboratories Ashland Chemical

Battelle Memorial Institute Bayer Corporation

Case Western Reserve University Chemical Abstracts Service

Cleveland Clinic Columbia University Medical Center

Flow Polymers Fluorolast

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

J. M. Smucker Co. Lucent Technologies

Luna Innovations, Inc. Martel Laboratories Merck & Co., Inc.

Metal Coatings International Nanofilm Ltd.

PPG Pharmacia Corp. Procter & Gamble

Promerus Electronic Materials Research Triangle

Ross Labs Sherwin Williams

Soprema Vanderbilt University WIL Research, Inc.

Several graduates are teaching

K-12.

Career Choices of Chemistry Major Graduates from the Past Eleven

Years

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Virginia B. Pett taught half time during the 2007-08 academic year. To replace the other half of her teaching load, Hannah Tims was hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Researcher.

Virginia's First-Year Seminar students investigated the harmful effects of global warming and researched options for the College to decrease its carbon footprint. They took field trips to OARDC and to the College power plant. Invited guests described the costs/benefits of solar panels and obtaining fuel from municipal waste. Virginia also taught Physical Chemistry I laboratory, and Topics in Physical Chemistry.

Elise Meyers, Christopher Nau, and Virginia Kincaid worked with Virginia funded by the Sophomore Research Program. Elise attempted to crystallize a large heat shock protein from maize (corn); Chris tested methods to purify small heat shock proteins (sHsps) from maize; Virginia Kincaid developed methods for using waste cooking oil from Lowry Center to produce biodiesel. Virginia had three Independent Study students: Tamu Chidawanyika (Chemistry), Sarah Haserodt and Julie Williamson (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). Small heat shock proteins assemble into larger particles, and Tamu measured the size of the assembly using native PAGE. Julie developed methods to measure the ability of these proteins to protect other cellular proteins from heat denaturation. Sarah studied the effect of glutamine on up regulation of a large heat shock protein. Chris, Tamu, and Sarah presented posters at national meetings describing the research carried out at Wooster.

Virginia and LeRoy Haynes (Professor Emeritus of Chemistry) continued their collaboration on a ring opening/ring closing reaction and published a paper. They also published a paper on the conformation and hydrogen bonding of a bicyclic compound as revealed by X-ray diffraction. Research efforts with Hannah Tims focused on cross-linking experiments with small heat shock proteins. Virginia analyzed the possible interactions depending upon distance in a crystal structure of a similar protein; Hannah performed laboratory experiments. Their work was reported at the 40th Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Columbus, OH in June 2008.

During the academic year, Virginia was chairperson on the Grievance Committee, served on the Upper-class Programs Committee, and was a representative for the Oak Ridge Science Semester. Departmental duties included organizing the Helen Murray Free Endowment Lectures and departmental awards. Virginia's admissions efforts involved meeting individually with prospective students throughout the year. ✦

Fall 2007 First-Year Seminar Physical Chemistry I

(1 lab) Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Topics in Physical Chemistry Introduction to Independent Study * Independent Study Thesis * Team-taught with Sarah Schmidtke

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Activities of the Faculty Fall 2007 Introductory College

Chemistry I (1 lecture)

Physical Chemistry I (1 lecture; 1 lab)

Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Physical Chemistry II

(1 lecture; 1 lab) Introduction to Independent

Study* Independent Study Thesis * Team-taught with Virginia Pett

Sarah J. Schmidtke taught a lecture section of Introductory College Chemistry I in the fall for the first time. In the spring, she also had a new experience of teaching Introduction to Independent Study with Virginia Pett. In addition, she taught the Physical Chemistry sequence and advised two students in Independent Study: Neal Kline and Marnie Novak. Time was also spent advising Elana Stennett, a Sophomore Research Assistant, in both the fall and spring semesters.

Sarah was able to attend three professional meetings: the Gordon Research Conference on Photochemistry, the Inter-American Photochemistry Society Winter Conference, and the 235th American Chemical Society National Meeting. She presented her research at all three meetings (see page 17). At the ACS meeting, two of her students presented posters of their projects.

Sarah continued to serve as the secretary of the Wooster Local Section of the American Chemical Society. She also reviewed articles for Analytical Chemistry, an American Chemical Society journal, and participated in the review of the ACS Physical Chemistry standardized exam.

On campus she served on the Copeland Funds Committee, Faculty Scholarships, Graduate Fellowship Committee (NSF Graduate Fellowship representative), and was an organizer for Science Round Table during Fall 2007. In the department she was our Admissions Liaison, Computer/IT liaison, and student seminar coordinator. As an assessment coordinator, Sarah participated in meetings with the Higher Learning Commission during their focus visit in October 2007. She was involved in curriculum development for the introductory chemistry and biophysical courses.

Throughout the year, Sarah served as the department's liaison with Admissions and coordinated the faculty's meetings with prospective students. At times the students were visitors to her class, at other times she had breakfast with them and their parents on visit days.

Sarah was a presenter for the Expanding Your Horizons workshop in April 2008 and was the faculty coordinator for the State Science Fair judging team in May 2008.

In the summer of 2008, Sarah continued her involvement in B-Wiser, the summer science camp for middle-school girls. She also attended a Council on Undergraduate Research grant writing workshop as part of a team from the College. She learned about grant writing and took advantage of this opportunity to polish a grant in progress. ✦

Dr. Schmidtke (center) teaching Chemistry 112, Spring 2007.

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Activities of the Faculty Fall 2007 Chemistry and the World in Which We

Live: Ten Wonderful Things Introductory College Chemistry I

(1 lecture; 1 lab) Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Analytical Chemistry

(1 lecture; 2 labs) Independent Study Thesis Reduced load Spring 2008 due to Maternity Leave.

Melissa M. Schultz taught the non-science majors course 10 Wonderful Things About Chemistry. The ten "wonderful" things included air/ozone, global warming, energy use, water, acid rain, smoke detectors, hybrid vehicles, Teflon®, birth control pill, and DNA. In Analytical Chemistry, Melissa introduced three new labs. She advised two chemistry majors in Independent Study: David Hopps (first semester only) and Andrew Storey. Two sophomore research students, Chantal Koechli and Dustin Klein, worked in Melissa's lab.

In August 2007 Melissa traveled to Portland, ME to attended the Northeast Science Forum, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products: State of the Science. She was also able to attend the 28th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American Meeting in November 2007 in Milwaukee, WI and the 55th American Society of Mass Spectrometry's Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN in June 2007. While at these meeting, she presented papers on her research. Melissa was a panelist on two forums on campus: the forum to discuss Riverkeepers and the forum to discuss the proposed Coca Cola Boycott. She found time to continue as the treasurer for the Wooster Local Section of the American Chemical Society and to review manuscripts for Environmental Science & Technology as well as attend a workshop in Colorado Springs, CO on chemistry and art in July 2007.

On campus, Melissa was a council member of the Center for Creativity and Innovation; a member of the College Scholar Committee, the Campus Council Committee, and the Environmental Task Force Recycling Committee. She was a member of the group that worked to develop the Environmental Studies minor. Department duties included coordinator of the Departmental Seminars, the Summer Research Program, the McFarland Senior I.S. Poster Session, and Building Monitors. She met with prospective students and their parents throughout the academic year and participated on the College Scholars Committee. Melissa was a presenter at Expand Your Horizons in April 2008, a workshop designed to excite 6th grade girls about science, and B-Wiser, the summer science camp for middle-school girls held at Wooster in June 2008.

On Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, Lila Rosemary was born. Melissa was on maternity leave from Spring Break through the summer.

Melissa and Lila both traveled to Sydney, Australia in August 2008 so that Melissa could present her research at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry World Congress. ✦

Lila Rosemary Wright

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Hannah S. Tims completed the first year of her two-year teaching/research postdoctoral position. She taught in the introductory sequence and was introduced to Independent Study by Virginia Pett and her two seniors. Hannah participated in the summer research program, advising Katherine Stencel ('11).

Hannah organized the students who participated in the inorganic faculty search conducted by the department. She attended Family Weekend events including the Summer Research Symposium. In the fall she guided a tour of Severance Hall during a campus visit weekend and throughout the academic year hosted class visits for prospective students. Hannah was the Library and Communication liaisons for the department.

Hannah is working to finish and submit two papers from her graduate research at Northwestern University on exchange of eukaryotic histones within nucleosomes and the rate of unwrapping nucleosomal DNA to reveal buried protein binding sites. ✦


(1 lecture) Spring 2008 Introductory College Chemistry I

(1 lecture; 2 labs)

Research Leave Program Mark Snider took a research leave during the 2007-2008 academic year

and moved his family to Ithaca, NY. He joined the laboratory of Professor Tadhg Begley in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Cornell University and developed three new projects.

One project involved stopped-flow kinetics to determine the kinetic mechanism and HPLC analyses to determine the potential physiological substrates of uncharacterized thiaminase I homologues. Thiaminase I is known to degrade thiamin (a B vitamin) but the observation that its gene is clustered with thiamin biosynthesis genes in the genomes of Clostridium and Burkholderia species suggested that it may be involved in a novel thiamin salvage pathway in those organisms.

A second project enabled Snider to learn some high-field NMR experiments in attempt to determine the chemical identity of ligands observed to be bound by proteins of unknown function. As structural genomics efforts become more successful, databases of structures of proteins of unknown function are becoming more significant; the goal of this project was to make better predictions of the

protein’s function by determining the identity of the small molecule it binds. Snider will advise a senior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) major in Independent Study this next year on this project.

Third, Snider learned modern bioinformatics techniques to predict the identity of genes involved in the catabolism of NAD (a B vitamin). He cloned one of the genes and intends to engage Wooster undergraduates in these investigations to identify the genes and probe the mechanisms of the resulting enzymes involved in this oxidative pathway.

Overall, Snider thoroughly enjoyed the ability to focus on chemical biology research during the year.

In addition to the exciting new research, the Sniders welcomed a new addition to their family in January, Katherine Grace – pictured with sister Ellie (Elizabeth) and brother Eric. The Snider family thoroughly enjoyed the Finger Lakes region of New York, with its many gorges, lakes, waterfalls and vineyards, but were happy to return to their home in Wooster this summer. ✦

The Sniders at Buttermilk Falls.

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(1 lecture) Inorganic Chemistry

(1 lecture; 2 labs) Independent Study Thesis Spring 2008 Introductory College Chemistry II

(1 lecture) Independent Study Thesis

Research Leave Program Paul L. Edmiston will be on leave during the 2008-09 academic year. He will be working at Georgia Tech Research

Institute in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory developing optical sensors for gas-phase explosives (i.e. bomb detectors). The approach combines waveguide interferometry with a sampling system based on acoustic agitation. He is also going to be working on developing applications for swellable organically modified silica that was discovered in 2004. This material absorbs organics from the air and water and appears to be an ideal material for remediation of water. ✦

Retirement of Paul L. Gaus

Paul L. Gaus retired at the end of the 2007-08 academic year after 31 years at Wooster. He began his career in the summer of 1977 by advising a student in summer research. He taught a wide array of courses: First-Year Seminar, the non-science majors course Chemistry and the World in Which We Live: Ten Wonderful Things, Introductory College Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (developed, first offered Spring 1991), Introduction to Independent Study, and lastly, Independent Study.

Paul introduced the department and independent study students to the use of Lockheed DIALOG system to search Chemical Abstracts in 1978. He later introduced the CAS ONLINE capabilities as a compliment to DIALOG. Because of his expertise in this area, he was a consultant to several area businesses.

Paul was the Chemistry Library supervisor/coordinator for many years and formulated a plan in 1979 to modernize the departmental library in conjunction with the creation of the W. F. Kieffer Room (honoring Dr. Kieffer after his retirement). He was Chairperson of the department during four academic years. He was Editor of eight Annual Reports. He served on many campus committees during his years at Wooster. Paul was instrumental in bringing to the department five nationally recognized scientists to speak in the Premier Lecture Series from 2002-05.

He was awarded a total of three Research Leaves at Texas A&M University in College Station, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and The Ohio State University. In addition, he received one Study Leave. Grant support for his research came from the National Science Foundation, DuPont Company, Research Corporation, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, and the Petroleum Research Fund. On campus he received Faculty Development Funds and William H. Wilson Funds. Paul worked with 91 senior Independent Study students.

Paul was active in the American Chemical Society. In 1978-79, he chaired a session of the Regional Meeting in Columbus, OH. He served on various committees at the national level. He helped to define the ACS-approved undergraduate inorganic curriculum. He

held offices in the Wooster Section. He attended national meetings and presented his research at many of these meetings.

Paul reviewed articles for publication in professional journals and reviewed proposals for the National Science Foundation, Research Corporation, Petroleum Research Fund, and various others. He reviewed a general chemistry text for John Wiley and Sons.

If you pick up a copy of the text Basic Inorganic Chemistry, Second Edition (1987) and Third Edition (1995), you will find P. L. Gaus as a co-author with F. A. Cotton and G. Wilkinson. Paul is the author of the solutions manual to accompany both editions the book. In 1997 the book was translated into its fifth language, Korean.

Paul has a special interest in the Amish. He first introduced the culture to his First-Year Seminar students in 1995. He is the proud author of An Ohio Amish Mystery series. To date, the series consists of six books: Blood of the Prodigal (1999), Broken English (2000), Clouds Without Rain (2001), Cast a Blue Shadow (2003), A Prayer for the Night (2006), and Separate from the World (2008).

We wish Paul the very best in his retirement. ✦

Sam Gerritz ('88) is coordinating an alumni organized event in the Spring of 2009 to celebrate Paul's 31 years at Wooster. For more information contact Sam at [email protected]. As plans are confirmed, information will be posted on the department's web site: www.wooster.edu/chemistry.

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Introducing Sibrina N. Collins Activities of the Staff

Sibrina N. Collins joins the department as a

tenure-track assistant professor of inorganic chemistry beginning in the fall of 2008. Sibrina received her B.A. in chemistry from Wayne State University in 1994. She went on to The Ohio State University and received a M.S. in 1996 and a Ph.D. in 2000, both in inorganic chemistry.

Her professional experiences include a postdoctoral

research position in the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University; editor of the Minority Scientists Network (MiSciNet), a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC; NSF ROA Fellow at Furman University; visiting researcher in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati; Assistant Professor at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC; visiting assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and most recently, Director of Graduate Diversity Recruiting (STEM) at the University of Washington in Seattle. In her free time, Sibrina enjoys watching Law and Order: SVU and cheering on the Detroit Pistons.

Sibrina's research interests include crystal

engineering of metal-organic frameworks, nanoporous materials; inorganic photochemistry; inorganic synthesis; and the history of chemical sciences. ✦

Rebecca Davis, part-time secretary in the department,

has been in the department for four years assisting faculty, students, and other staff as needed. She is responsible for processing student employee time cards and solving any problems students may encounter relating to their employment.

Rebecca processed the materials of the applicants for the inorganic chemist position putting to good use her organizational skills. She also participated in the interview process. ♦

Mary Kilpatrick completed her 16th year with the

chemistry department. As the General Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator, she prepared the equipment and reagents for the general chemistry laboratories, taught two sessions of lab and assisted in the rest of them, and also organized and supervised lab report grading.

In her spare time she volunteered over 100 hours with the Greater Wayne County Hospice and Palliative Care and delivered Meals on Wheels. She was project director of the B-Wiser camp, a summer science camp for middle-school girls sponsored by The College of Wooster. ♦

Gerald (Jerry) Patterson, has completed nine years

as the Chemistry Stockroom Manager. This year we reorganized the layout of the stockroom to provide a more efficient arrangement for the student workers. A complete updating of the chemical inventory system was also finished.

Jerry attended his fifth National Association of Scientific Material Mangers Conference. This year the conference was held in “hot” San Antonio, Texas. Jerry has completed his second year as chairman of the Membership Data Base and Dues Committee. The committee has grown to five members as additional responsibilities have been added, especially corporate members/vendors. Another summer activity was assisting with the summer research projects under the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) program.

Tennis still keeps the Pattersons fit and trim. Kyle has been playing in tennis tournaments for several years. He had a great tennis season as a high school freshman. Kyle almost made it to the State tournament. He also played in a tournament in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. The temperature was about 102-104°, but he didn’t seem to mind the heat.

16

Activities of the Staff

The family trip in the summer of 2008 was the third of a series with Jerry’s family and his sister and brother-in-law. They visited colonial Virginia (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown). Then they toured Jefferson’s Monticello (Charlottesville) and finally they had a four-day visit to Washington, D.C. ♦

Diane Rossey had an uneventful year. With the

retirement of Dr. Gaus, Diane moves to the position of most senior member in the Department.

Diane assisted Chemistry Club in their celebration of National Chemistry Week with the suggestion of a photo contest. The theme, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the program, was The Many Faces of Chemistry.

Diane spent a great amount of time in the spring working on the Helen Murray Free Lecture series and the McFarland Poster Session, both held during the same week in April.

For the third time, Diane presented a holiday workshop for the Student Affairs Staff. She informed them that this was the last workshop she would present.

Diane entered two items in the Wayne County Fair in September 2007. She received a First Place on a counted cross-stitch picture and a Second Place on a counted cross-stitch Christmas stocking she made for one of her grandchildren. For the first time, Diane entered two floral arrangements in the 18th Annual Wayne County Home and Garden Show Flower Arranging Competition in April 2008. She placed second with both of them. ✦

Publications Bonvallet, P. A.; Breitkreuz, C. J.; Kim, Y. S.; Todd, E. M.; Traynor, K.; Fry, C. G.; Ediger, M. D.; McMahon, R. J. Organic Glass-Forming Materials: 1,3,5-Tris(naphthyl)benzene Deriva-tives. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 10051-10075. Colleen M. Burkett*, Laura A. Underwood*, Rebecca S. Volzer*, Jessi A. Baughman*, Paul L. Edmiston. Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials that Rapidly Swell in Non-Polar Liquids: Nanoscale Morphology and Swelling Mechanism. Chemistry of Materials 2008, 20, 1312-1321. Natalie R. Walker*, Matthew J. Linman*, Margaret M. Timmers*, Stacey L. Dean*, Colleen M. Burkett*, Julie A. Lloyd*, Joel D. Keelor*, Brandi M. Baughman*, Paul L. Edmiston. Selective Detection of Gas-Phase TNT by Integrated Optical Waveguide Spectrometry Using Molecularly Imprinted Sol-Gel Sensing Films. Analytica Chimica. Acta 2007, 593, 82-91. Charles K. Mobley, Jeffrey K. Myers, Arina Hadziselimovic, Charles D. Ellis, and Charles R. Saunders; Purification and Initiation of Structural characterization of Human Peripheral Myelin Protein 22, an Integral Membrane Protein Linked to Peripheral Neuropathies; Biochemistry 2007, 46, 11185. Zeller, Matthias; Pett, Virginia B.; Haynes, LeRoy W.** Ring Opening of Pyridines: The Pseudo-cis and Pseudo-trans isomers of tetra-n-butylammonium 4-nitor-5-oxo-2-pentenenitrilate. Acta Crystallographica 2007, C63, 0343-0346.

Pett, Virginia B. and Haynes, LeRoy W.** Conformation and Hydrogen Bonding for the Bicyclic Compound 3-Thiabicyclo-[3.2.0]heptane-6,7-dicarboxylic Acid, 3,3-Dioxide. Acta Cryst. 2008, C64, o485-o488. Schultz, Melissa M. and Furlong, Edward T. Trace Analysis of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals and Their Select Degradates in Environmental Aquatic Matrices by LC/ESI/MS/MS; Analytical Chemistry 2008, 80, 1756-1762. L. D. Andrews*, J. Graham*, M. J. Snider, D. Fraga. Characteri-zation of a novel bacterial arginine kinase from Desulfotelea psychrophilia – Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry; Part B: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 150 2008: 312-319. Michael J. Jourden*, Callisia N. Clarke*, Allyson K. Palmer*, Emily J. Barth*, Rebecca C. Prada*, Robyn N. Hale*, Dean Fraga, Mark J. Snider, Paul L. Edmiston. Changing the Substrate Specificity of Creatine Kinase from Creatine to Glycocyamine: Evidence for a Highly Evolved Active Site. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2007, 1774, 1519-1527. * Wooster undergraduate. ** Professor of Chemistry Emeritus.

17

Invited Lectures and Papers/Posters Presented at Professional Meetings

P. A. Bonvallet; A Bit of "Light" Entertainment: Design and Applications of Luminescent Polymers; Alumni Weekend, The College of Wooster, June 2007. P. A. Bonvallet; How Many Chemists Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb? Design and Applications of Organic Light Emitting Diodes; Family Weekend, The College of Wooster, October 2007. P. A. Bonvallet; A Supramolecular Approach to Light-Emitting Polymers; Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN, October 2007. P. A. Bonvallet; A "Light" Lunch: Design and Applications of Luminescent Polymers; Faculty Research Luncheon, The College of Wooster, April 2008. P. A. Bonvallet, E. Fortin*, and R. Giles*; Synthesis and Supramolecular Activity of a Monomer Containing a Crown Ether Unit; 235th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA, April 2008. P. L. Edmiston; Red-Shirt Freshmen to Senior All-Americans: How Undergraduate Research is Like Coaching; Pittsburgh Conference & Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, New Orleans, LA, February 2008. P. L. Edmiston; Selective Detection of Gas Phase TNT at the Parts-Per-Trillion Level Using Optical Waveguide Interferometry; poster presentation, Pittsburgh Conference & Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, New Orleans, LA, February 2008. S. K. Haserodt*, V. B. Pett, N. E. Zachara; Dynamic Intracellular Glycosylation: O-GlcNAc is a Key Modulator of Glutamine-Mediated Cellular Protection and Heat Shock Protein 72 Induction, FASEBJ. 2008, 22, 648.3. H. S. Tims, V. B. Pett, T. C. Chidawanyika*, R. A. Bouchard; Behavior of a Class II Small Heat Shock Oligomeric Complex from Maize, 40th Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, OH, June 2008.

S. J. Schmidtke; Spectral and Structural Properties of a Class of UV-Absorbers; Gordon Research Conference on Photochemistry, Smithfield, RI, July 2007. S. J. Schmidtke; Solvent Impact on the Photophysical Properties of Benzophenone Derivatives; Kimberly Clark Corporation, Neenah, WI, August 2007. S. J. Schmidtke; Sunscreen: It's All About Chemistry; Science Round Table, The College of Wooster, September 2007. S. J. Schmidtke; Solvent Impact on the Photophysical Properties of Benzophenone Derivatives; Inter-American Photochemistry Society Winter Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, January 2008. S. J. Schmidtke; Solvent Impact on the Photophysical Properties of Benzophenone Derivatives; Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, February 2008. S. J. Schmidtke; Solvent Impact on the Photophysical Properties of Benzophenone Derivatives; Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Akron, OH, February 2008. S. J. Schmidtke; Experimental and Theoretical Evaluation of the Photophysical Properties of Benzophenone Derivatives; 235th American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2008. S. J. Schmidtke; Impact of Solvent-Solute Interactions upon the Photophysical Properties of Sunscreen Active Ingredients; 40th Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Columbus, OH, June 2008. M. M. Schultz; Trace Analysis of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals and Selected Degradates in Environmental Matrices by LC/ESI/MS/MS; 55th American Society of Mass Spectrometry Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, June 2007. * Wooster undergraduate.

Hannah S. Tims and Jeffrey K. Myers also gave Departmental Seminars (see page 24).

18

Invited Lectures and Papers/Posters Presented at Professional Meetings M. M. Schultz; Transport and Fate of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals in Municipal Wastewater and Receiving Waters including the Northeastern United States; Northeast Science forum, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products: State of the Science, Portland, ME, August 2007. M. M. Schultz, S. E. Schostarez*, S. P. Gollwitzer*, D. R. Klein*, C. N. Koechli*, K. L. Long*; Plant Uptake of Antimicrobials Triclosan and Triclocarban by Food Crops; 28th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American Meeting, Milwaukkee, WI, November 2007. M. M. Schultz, E. T. Furlong, D. W. Kolpin, H. L. Schoenfuss, L. B. Barber; Occurrence of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals in Two U.S. Streams and in Fish Brain Tissue Exposed to Wastewater Effluent; 28th Society of

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American Meeting, Milwaukkee, WI, November 2007. M. J. Snider; Thermodynamics of enzyme action; Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Wells College, Aurora, NY; February 2008. M. J. Snider; Thermodynamics and cooperativity of transition state binding by creatine kinase; Department of Chemistry; Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY; March 2008. M. J. Snider, Negative cooperativity in transition state binding enhances rate of product release in phosphagen kinases; 40th Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society – Symposium in Honor of Professor Ming-Daw Tsai; Columbus, OH; June 2008.


graduate schools. They entered:


professional schools. They entered:

35 graduates (25%) entered the workforce in positions related

to their major. They are employed at:

What do Biochemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB) Majors

do after Wooster?

Biochemistry BCMB Year Majors Majors 1997 8 1998 12 1999 8 2000 9 2001 12 2002 10 2003 10 2004 2 16 2005 12 2006 15 2007 15 2008 11 TOTALS 71 69

Brandeis University

Case Western Reserve University George Washington University Johns Hopkins School of Public

Health Northwestern University

Stanford University Texas A&M University

The Ohio State University University of Akron

University of Arizona University of Cincinnati

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

University of Minnesota University of North Carolina-Chapel

Hill University of Pittsburgh

University of Toledo University of Wisconsin-Madison

Vanderbilt University Yale University

Medical School

Case Western Reserve University Medical College of Ohio at Toledo

Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine

Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Pennsylvania State University Rush Medical College

The Ohio State University University of Cincinnati

University of Iowa University of Toledo

Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dental School

The Ohio State University University of Iowa

Veterinary Medicine

The Ohio State University

M.D./Ph.D. Program University of Pittsburgh

Nursing

University of Cincinnati Case Western Reserve University

ArQuel, Inc.

Astra Pharmaceuticals Bath and Body Works

Case Western Reserve University Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

Chiron, Inc. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Kimball Genetics Merck & Co., Inc.

Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Cleveland, OH

Myogen Inc. National Institutes of Health

The Ohio State University, OARDC Promerus

Roche Pharmaceuticals Smuckers

University of Chicago University of Maryland University of Rochester Wake Forest University Weill Medical College WIL Research, Inc.

In the spring of 1994 a formal Biochemistry major was approved. The Class of 1997 was the first class to graduate with this major. The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) major was introduced in 2001-02 when members of the Chemistry Department, in collaboration with members of the Biology Department, revised what was formally known as the Biochemistry major. The first class of 16 BCMB majors graduated in 2004.

Career Choices of Biochemistry and BCMB Major Graduates from the Past Twelve Years

19

Discoveries by Paul Edmiston Could Have Major Global Implications

Explosive Sensor Could Have Major Impact on America's War on Terror September 25, 2007 WOOSTER, Ohio — A new explosive sensor could have a major impact on America's War on Terror. Paul Edmiston, associate professor of chemistry at The College of Wooster, has developed a sensor that can detect miniscule traces of TNT and other explo-sives. The significance of the sensor is that it can identify these explosive materials with perfect selectivity, meaning that its reli-ability is virtually flawless, even in environments where other chemi-cals are present.

Edmiston, who has been working on the project for almost four years, is now collaborating with several chemists and one engineer at Georgia Tech to harness the technology and develop a unit that could be used in airports, subways, sports arenas, convention centers, and other public venues. An $800,000 grant from the National Science Foun-dation made the collaboration possible and enabled Edmiston to expand the project.

"The group from Georgia Tech had a similar approach to

measuring non-explosive materi-als," says Edmiston. "When we combined our sensor with their device, our results were 100 times better, so we decided to form a partnership."

The objective is to redesign the sensor platform so that it can be used to detect other substances, such as liquid-based explosives. The engineer in the group special-izes in acoustics, and his role has been to agitate the molecules in, for example, a suspicious back-pack so that the substances can be identified without being detonated.

The appeal of Edmiston's sensor is its reliability as well as its sensitivity. Current screening devices in airports, for instance, are not nearly as precise as the unit Edmiston has developed. "We have a very sensitive platform that uses a light source to produce wave guides," he says. "It is sophisticated but surprisingly inexpensive to construct."

Now that the technology is in place, Edmiston envisions future applications, including the precarious detection of landmines. "We are building 'noses' for other types of ex-plosives," he says.

When complete, the sensor will likely resemble a house-hold smoke detector with an even greater potential to save thousands upon thousands of lives.

Edmiston Develops Substance to Clean Up Toxic Liquid Spills December 14, 2007 WOOSTER, Ohio — A collision between a supertanker and a barge off the coast of South Korea sent 65,000 barrels of thick, pungent crude oil gushing into the ocean last week in that country's largest-ever environmental calamity. Nearly 2,200 troops, police, and volunteers converged on the area to assist with the clean-up, which is expected to cost millions, but one day soon such disasters could be much easier to control and clean up, thanks to a discovery by Paul Edmiston, associate professor of chemistry at The College of Wooster.

Edmiston, who is also in the process of refining an explosive sensor he created that will aid in the war on terror, is currently testing a new substance that could restore the environment after cata-strophic spills like the one in South Korea.

The substance, an absorbent material that is capable of neutral-izing the effects of toxic liquid spills, whether in bodies of water or on dry land, resembles shavings of ground glass that swells to more than five times its size as it sur-rounds and "swallows up" various liquids. What makes the substance especially attractive is its resis-tance to water. Because it will not dissolve or swell in water, the sub-stance is able to immobilize the

contaminant and separate it from the water, which makes for easy extraction of what becomes a semi-solid material. Once the material is removed, the water left behind is fresh and clean. And if that's not enough, the substance can even release the eradicated liquid and return to its original form so that it can be used again for another clean-up effort — a feature that further benefits the environment.

The applications for Edmis-ton's swellable glass are numerous. Not only will it work against the type of spill in South Korea, but it will also work on dry land when, for example, a tanker breaks apart and floods a railway or roadway with toxic liquid. Once again, the substance can be used to prevent it from dispersing any further and then remove it so that it does not seep into the earth's surface. The material is so absorbent it can even be used to remove noxious vapors from the air.

Edmiston's substance is so remarkable, in fact, it is almost too good to be true, but the ultimate irony is that it was discovered quite by accident. One of Edmis-ton's former students, Colleen Burkett, was experimenting with different materials to absorb TNT while working with his explosive sensor when she discovered the absorption properties of the new substance.

Like all good scientists, Edmiston said, "What if we try this?" The answer may be one of the most significant environmental remediation technologies to date.

Paul Edmiston's sensor device can detect trace amounts of TNT.

In January 2008 Paul was invited to Washington, DC to meet with the Deputy Head of the Department of

Homeland Security and members of the Armed Forces.

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235th American Chemical Society National Meeting New Orleans, LA April 6-10, 2008

The 235th American Chemical Society National Meeting and

Exposition was one of the year’s largest and most important scientific events — the annual spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). With more than 160,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.

The meeting was held in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial

Convention Center. More than 12,000 scientists attended, presenting more than 9,000 reports on new discoveries in chemistry. Those reports

span science’s horizons from astronomy to zoology and include special focus on health, energy, food, and alternative fuels. For the first time, the meeting included sessions cosponsored with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Bruce Bursten, Ph.D., the 2008 ACS President, selected “Energy and the Environment” as his theme and hosted a keynote symposium, featuring a panel of top scientists in this area. ✦

Posters Presented by Students

Tamu Chidawanyika ('08), Virginia Pett, and Hannah Tims Investigation of the biologically active forms of ZmHsp17.0-CII Christopher Nau ('09), Virginia Pett, and Hannah Tims Expression and purification of class two small heat shock proteins from

maize Erin Fortin ('08) and Paul Bonvallet Synthesis and functionalization of a dibenzo-30-crown-10 derivative for

incorporation into a light-emitting polymer Joel Keelor ('08) and Paul Bonvallet Progress in the fabrication of stable and efficient polymer light-emitting

diodes Andrew Marley ('10) and Paul Bonvallet Spectroscopic characterization of light-emitting organic polymers Rachel Lipner ('09) and Sarah Schmidtke Investigations of the photophysical properties of sunscreen active

ingredients Andrew Rudawsky ('09) and Sarah Schmidtke Investigating the photophysical properties of sunscreen active

ingredients

Posters Presented by Faculty Paul A. Bonvallet Synthesis and supramolecular activity of a monomer containing a crown ether unit Sarah Schmidtke gave a talk titled Experimental and theoretical evaluation of the photophysical properties of benzophenone derivatives.

21

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference San Diego, CA April 5-10, 2008

Dean Fraga, associate professor of biology, and Paul Edmiston, associate professor of chemistry, joined nine science majors from The College of Wooster in sharing their research with thousands of fellow faculty members and students from across the country when they travel to San Diego for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Conference in April 2008.

Presenting at a national conference such as ASBMB not only gives the students a chance to practice their skills at

communicating their scientific findings, but it also gives them the opportunity to see the broader world of biochemistry/molecular biology by attending talks given by some of the thousands of other scientists attending the conference, who, like them, are on the forefront of their disciplines.

Nicholas Amato, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Norwalk, OH, discussed his work on the synthesis and purification methods used in obtaining a 94% pure proposed analog of phosphatidylserine, which is known to participate in the mechanism leading to unwanted cell death. His research will allow for further experiments to be pursued, potentially opening new doors in understanding and preventing unwanted cell death, as seen in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease.

Valerie Andrus, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Richmond Heights, OH, shared her work in localizing one isoform of the C. elegans' arginine kinase. This is the first study to specifically examine the tissue distribution of this family in an invertebrate, and her results suggest the tissue specialization evolved early in this family of proteins.

Jocelyn Barker, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology, and mathematics double major from San Jose, CA, talked about methods she has developed for examining the details of evolution between closely related organisms using data from sequencing the organisms' genomes.

Emily Barth, a sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major from Houston, TX, shared her efforts to change the substrate specificity of an enzyme important in energy homeostasis.

Ray Gaines, a senior self-designed neuroscience major from Burghill, OH, presented his study of the function of the Calcineurin family of proteins in the single-celled organism Paramecium tetraurelia.

Jim Graham, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Olmsted Township, OH, explained his investigation of an uncharacterized domain of a structurally unique protein tyrosine kinase found in bacteria in order to determine its possible role in the function of the protein. His results indicate that the domain is essential for activity.

Marissa McGinley, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Maumee, OH, discussed her study of a group of proteins that are needed for organisms to store and release energy. Specifically, she looked at the evolution of their structure.

Allyson Palmer, a sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major from Burghill, OH, related her experience in conducting structure/function studies of an enzyme involved in regulation of energy levels in the body, and exploring a newly discovered way in which it is regulated.

Warren Swegal, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Sewickley, PA, described a new method to do directed molecular evolution. Specifically, he has developed a means to use selective pressure in a bacterial host system to "evolve" a protein into performing new functions. His project has implications for protein engineering.

22

Chemistry is Fun featuring Mary Kate Lockhart. Photo by Laszlo Marcze ('11)

Grants, Awards, and Gifts for 2007-08

New Grants, Awards, and Gifts Paul Bonvallet and Judy Amburgey-Peters received $4,300 from HHMI Curriculum, Equipment, and Laboratory Development to support course-embedded research in organic chemistry; 2007-08. Virginia Pett wrote a letter of support for Gregory M. Ferrence (Illinois State University) for his proposed NSF Discovery Corps Fellowship project, Cambridge Structural Database Access to Enhance PUI Chemistry Programs. This proposal was funded. As part of this grant, the College receives a two-year site license for the Cambridge Structural Database and a faculty-training workshop.

MRI: Acquisition of an LC/MS/MS to Enhance Undergraduate Research and Teaching; National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation; $226,115; Melissa Schultz, PI; Paul Edmiston, Mark Snider, co-PIs; Paul Bonvallet and Catherine Fenster, Senior Personnel.

❧

During the 2007-08 academic year, The College of Wooster William H. Wilson Fund supported the research efforts of Paul Bonvallet, Virginia Pett, Sarah Schmidtke, and Melissa Schultz.

Continuing Grants, Awards, and Gifts ✴ The Synthesis, Characterization, and

Supramolecular Properties of a Light-Emitting Polymer; Research Corporation, Cottrell College Science Award; $36,232; May 2006 - April 2008; Paul A. Bonvallet.

✴ Acquisition of an Isothermal Titration

Calorimeter; National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation; $91,090; August 2006 - July 2009; Paul A. Bonvallet, PI; Mark Snider and Donald Jacobs, co-PIs.

✴ Optical Sensors for the Detection of Vapor

Phase Explosives Using Molecularly Imprinted Sol-Gel Materials: Integration of Research and Learning Using Forensic Science; National Science Foundation CAREER Award; $400,000; 2003-2008; Paul Edmiston.

✴ Active Sampling and Reactive Chemistry for

Enhanced Detection of Explosives; National Science Foundation; awarded to Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation; $800,000; November 2007 - October 2010; David S. Gottfried, Daniel P. Campbell, Jayme Caspall, and Paul L. Edmiston.

23

The College Receives $1M Grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute

April 22, 2008

The College of Wooster has received a $1 million, four-year grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to

support undergraduate science education. The grant will fund initiatives in four main areas: interdisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduate students, faculty and curriculum development, and pre-college outreach. The Wooster grant was one of 48, totaling $60 million, announced today by HHMI, and the only one awarded to an Ohio school.

The grant will build on the success of the college’s HHMI Summer Scholars program, which, over the past three

summers, has allowed more than 60 Wooster students to work on research projects with faculty members from the college as well as from the Cleveland Clinic and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. The new grant will support 15 more students each summer. They will work in teams of two or more faculty and one to four students to explore a research problem, with priority given to “high risk/high reward” interdisciplinary projects.

The grant will also allow the college to offer two-year appointments to four recent Ph.D.s who are considering

careers at undergraduate institutions. The individuals in these post-doctoral positions will teach one course per semester, conduct research, and learn to mentor students in their own research endeavors. The experience they gain will enrich their teaching and advising of undergraduate science students whether they remain at Wooster or move on to tenure-track positions at other colleges.

Because the complex nature of many biomedical research problems requires investigators in a variety of scientific

disciplines to work together, and because they must share a common understanding of one another’s disciplines to do so effectively, the grant also will support the development of interdisciplinary courses and course modules that will infuse biology courses with physical science and quantitative methods, and physical science courses with biological concepts.

The fourth grant-supported initiative will leverage Wooster’s strength in undergraduate research to help attract

and retain underrepresented students who have expressed an interest in the sciences. The college will provide 10 Summer Early Engaged Research (SEER) fellowships to graduating high school seniors who have been accepted at Wooster and have expressed interest in a scientific field. Each SEER fellow will spend four weeks on campus working with a faculty-student research team in biology, chemistry, physics, geology, psychology, or mathematics and computer science. Each fellow will be matched with an upper-class student mentor who will assist in integrating the new student into the team.

“We are thrilled to be one of the 48 colleges and universities chosen by the Institute to receive this generous

support,” said Grant H. Cornwell, Wooster’s president. “For 60 years, undergraduate research has been the centerpiece of the Wooster curriculum, and we have developed an extensive infrastructure of coursework, faculty expertise, financial support and institutional culture to nurture it. The Institute’s support allows us to utilize that infrastructure to build bridges between scientific disciplines and further enhance undergraduate science education.”

HHMI is the nation’s largest private supporter of science education. It has invested more than $1.2 billion in

grants to reinvigorate life science education at both research universities and liberal arts colleges and to engage the nation’s leading scientists in teaching.

Founded in 1953 by Howard R. Hughes, the aviator and industralist, HHMI is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

24

Who Doesn't Like Dry Ice? featuring Charles Ebner.

Photo by Karin Johnson ('08)

Chemistry Club

The officers for Chemistry Club were: Erin Fortin ('08), President; Allyson Buytendyk ('09), Vice President; Roland Falcon ('09), Secretary; Kristen Stoltz ('09), Treasurer; Paul Bonvallet, Faculty Advisor.

Gretchen Lockhart ('10) oversaw the outreach portion of the Club. Members went to Melrose Elementary School where they make liquid nitrogen ice cream for two 6th grade classes.

The American Chemical Society celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the National Chemistry Week program during the week of October 21, 2007. The theme was The Many Faces of Chemistry. To celebrate, Chemistry Club held a Photo Contest to show the many faces in Chemistry at The College of Wooster. First Place went to Allyson Buytendyk (on front cover), Second Place went to Karin Johnson (at right), while Third Place went to Laszlo Marcze (on page 22).

Chemistry Club took a field trip to Cleveland to the Fabulous Food Show to see a popular TV chef, Alton Brown. Mr. Brown is known for incorporating the chemistry behind what he is cooking. In his presentation on making taffy, he talked about sucrose and compared in structurally to other types of sweeteners.

Howard Senkfor ('85) gave a Chemistry Club Seminar in November. Howard is working at PPG Industries. He discussed career options after college with a B.A. in Chemistry as well as research and job opportunities at PPG.

Dr. Jovica Badjic from the Department of Chemistry at The Ohio State University also visited the department in November to talk with students about graduate school. ✦

Department Seminars The Department of Chemistry invited the following people to give Departmental Seminars: Bruce Armitage Associate Professor of Chemistry Carnegie Mellon University DNA Nanotechnology: Beyond the Genetic Material Susan Glassmeyer U.S. EPA Cincinnati, Ohio Emerging Contaminants in the Drinking Water Cycle Theodore Goodson Professor of Chemistry University of Michigan Scalable Enhanced Nonlinear Optical and Emission Properties in Organic and Metal Assemblies Anna Gudmundsdottier Associate Professor of Chemistry University of Cincinnati Photochemistry of Azides Mass Spectrometry for Protein:RNA Complexes

Jeffrey Myers Julianna Wilson Thompson Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry The College of Wooster Membrane Protein Misfolding and Human Disease: Adventures in Hydrophobic Muckraking Hannah Tims Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Postdoctoral Researcher The College of Wooster Spontaneous and Catalyzed Nucleosome Assessibility Chrys Wesdemiotis Professor of Chemistry University of Akron Mass Spectrometry Methods for the Characterization of New Synthetic Polymers and Materials David Williams Harry G. Day Chair and Professor of Chemistry Indiana University The Design and Synthesis of Marine Antitumor Natural Products

25

Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture Richard N. Zare Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science Department of Chemistry Stanford University TECHNICAL LECTURE Strategies for Problem Solving PUBLIC LECTURE Cars: Chemistry in Motion

Dr. Richard N. Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science at Stanford University, presented the second annual Helen Murray Free Lectures at The College of Wooster on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

Dr. Zare, who also has an appointment in Stanford’s Department of Chemistry and a courtesy appointment in the Department of Physics, is renowned in the area of lasers applied to chemical reactions and to chemical analysis. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in chemistry and physics, and a Ph.D. in chemical physics. He became an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he spent one year before moving on to the University of Colorado at Boulder. Three years later, he was appointed full professor in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University. In 1977 he moved to Stanford University, where he is presently Chair of the Chemistry Department. Dr. Zare is the recipient of many awards, including the National Medal of Science (1983), the Welch Award in Chemistry (1999), and the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2005). ✦

The Helen Murray Free Endowment was established by the children of Helen Murray Free ('45) through

the Al and Helen Free Foundation. Income from the Fund brings to the campus each year a renowned woman or man, who is a practitioner in the chemical sciences (materials science, nanotechnology, and molecular biology). This scientist interacts with chemistry students at a technical level and present an all-college lecture on the contributions of science to the quality of life. ✦

Chemistry Club Photo Contest Entry: Roland Falcon in the lab. Photo taken by Joel Keelor ('08)

26

Class of 1998 We have received letters from the following members of the Class of 1998.

In the summer following graduation, David Barnett (Chemistry) and Anna (Class of 1998, English) married. They moved

to Chapel Hill, NC where David began graduate school at the University of North Carolina in physical chemistry. His research involved using femtosecond lasers to study electronic dynamics of a variety of molecular systems and composite materials. Anna utilized her degree in English with a number of pursuits, including attending the Denver Publishing Institute,

working for the North Carolina branch of Oxford University Press, and acting as the assistant to an artist and children's book author. Early March 2005, David completed his Ph.D. on the transient absorption spectroscopy of polymeric films imbedded with carbon nanotubes. During that same month, Gillian was born (March 27, 2005).

The next stop on David's career path was a post-doctoral research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. While he worked at the national lab, he came to realize that what he really wanted to do was to return to academia in a small college setting. He was

offered a tenure-track professor position in the Chemistry Department at the University of Indianapolis, which he began this fall (2008). The department is small (five faculty) and is strictly undergraduate. David is teaching general and physical chemistry and is enjoying the chance to get out of the lab and back into the classroom. Anna, Gillian and David are settling into their new home on the south side of Indianapolis and are looking forward to February, when their second child is due. (Photos: David, second from left, receiving his Ph.D.; David and Gillian at the grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.)

Benjamin Bayer (Chemistry) is currently employed at Qimonda Ag, in Richmond, VA. He is a process engineer in CMP (chemical mechanical planarization), a process used in their 110-80nm technology DRAM. Qimonda chips are in PCs, MP3 players, graphics cards, and TV sets, among other things. Ben occasionally puts his chemistry training to use when he is investigating new materials for the processes he owns.

Ben married Ellen Weston (Class of 1993). They live in the Church Hill part of Richmond, a colorful, historically-rich area near downtown.

After graduating from Wooster, Julie Morrison (Chemistry) moved to Syracuse, NY, to attend the State University of

New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to obtain a graduate degree in Biochemistry/Environmental Chemistry. After one successful semester of taking classes and doing research on Brown Tide, she realized that she really didn’t like doing research science. Julie moved back home to Grand Rapids, MI, where she worked as a Circulation Assistant in a local public library.

In June 2000, she married Dave Walkenhorst (Class of 1999, Physics) and moved to Alexandria, VA, where he had been living and working at the US Patent & Trademark Office. Julie continued to work as a Circulation Assistant in a local public library while attending George Mason University’s Graduate School of Education in order to obtain a teaching license. She began teaching high school chemistry in the fall of 2002 at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County, VA.

In 2005 Dave made a career change to become a cargo pilot for AirNet (based in Columbus, OH) and Julie left her teaching position so that we could move to Grove City, OH. On March 21, 2006, they became proud parents of a son, John (Jack) Walter. Julie has since been keeping busy as a stay-at-home mom. Dave is now a charter pilot flying Learjets for JetRide. The Walkenhorsts plan to move back to western Michigan to be near Julie's parents.

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Class of 1998

From the Thirty-Sixth Annual Report Top Row: Michael Rohan, Allyson Kozak, Douglass Sillars, Stacy Kincaid, Tasneem Islam Second Row: Meghan Flaherty, Jamie DiFabrizio, Rachel Silvestri, Terah Robbin, Jennifer Liebfried, David Barnett, Heather McConeghy Third Row: Nichole Moore, Elizabeth Kersteen, Julie Morrison, Heather Rowell, Jamie Collins, Matthew Clapham, Colleen Ryan, Michael Dean, Bryan Roland Bottom Row: Welsey Forbes, Benjamin Bayer, Wendy Vaerewyck, Bial Zuberi, Sharon Austin, Susan Norfolk, Melissa Cerny, Valerie Taylor Not Pictured: Shannon Baker, Sarah George, Booker Lucas

Class of 1998 Susan Norfolk (Biochemistry) moved to North Carolina in the fall of 1998 to pursue her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry at

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under the direction of Dr. Susan Lord, Susan researched protein interactions involved in blood coagulation. After receiving her degree five years later, Susan realized that bench work was not in her future. Instead, Susan turned to writing and joined the staff of Clinical Tools, a small research firm in Chapel Hill- as a Research Scientist. In the past five years, Susan has written numerous NIH small business grants, served on NIH scientific review panels, and led research projects developing on-line educational opportunities for physicians and medical students on topics related to substance abuse.

While at UNC, Susan met Gary Wilhelm, a Web-developer employed at UNC. Susan and Gary were married on May 4, 2002 in North Carolina. Her family has since grown with the additions of Natalie (born December 5, 2004) and Daniel (born October 16, 2007). The Wilhelms now reside in Morrisville, North Carolina.

After graduation, Wendy Vaerewyck (Biochemistry) worked at the College for two years preparing to go to graduate school. She entered a Physician Assistant (PA) program at Philadelphia University in July 2000 and graduated in August 2002 with a Master's of Physician Assistant Studies. She took off for Europe in September 2002, to travel with an old pen pal/friend, Peter, from Germany. They ended up getting married in May 2005.

Peter and Wendy lived around the Milwaukee area from 2003 until July 2007 when they moved to Solingen, Germany, Peter's hometown. Wendy left an excellent PA position at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedtert Hospital treating patients with gastrointestinal disorders. She worked with two internationally recognized physicians and had the opportunity to learn about really interesting, although devastating, diseases like ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Scleroderma, achalasia, and systemic lupus.

Germany does not recognize the Physician Assistant designation so Wendy teaches English to adults. She teaches only corporate classes and works for a company that is privately owned by a British man who also runs a translation service. Peter and Wendy have a 6 month old black Labrador named Lexi, and spend a lot of time entertaining visitors, mostly from the US.

Following graduation, Bilal Zuberi (Chemistry) joined the Chemistry Department at MIT as a graduate student. In 2003

he completed his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, working under Professor Mario J. Molina (Nobel Laureate, 1995). Bilal's research focused on phase transitions and formation of atmospheric nanoparticles. After his Ph.D. he joined strategy management consulting at The Boston Consulting Group, but left soon after to start a materials science venture-backed technology startup in the cleantech space as a co-founder. They raised $23 million, hired 25 Ph.D. scientists and engineers, and are getting ready to be acquired by a large chemicals/materials firm. Aside from that, Bilal has been active in the investment space, advising early stage cleantech companies and venture capitalists. He got married to another MIT alum, Lama Rimawi, in 2006 and they are expecting their first child later this year (2008). They live in Boston.

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Department of Chemistry Summer 2008 Research Program

Roger Klein ('11) Advisor: Virginia B. Pett Funded by HHMI Project: Chaperone Activity of Class II Small Heat Shock Proteins I feel as though the summer research program has enabled me to get a better grasp on the reality and nature of a full-time research position. By promoting independent thinking and problem solving, the HHMI mentor-mentee relationship provided a low-pressure environment in which I could both produce significant results learn important techniques that will almost certainly help my class work in the future. Between the practical lab skills I acquired, the sense of community between myself and my fellow researchers, and the additional information with which I can plan my future, I've very happy to be taking part in summer research. ✦

Christopher Nau ('09) Advisor: Virginia B. Pett Funded by HHMI Project: Purification Strategies and Chemical Cross-Linking of Three Small Heat Shock Portien Isoforms This summer's research had different challenges than previous' summer's work. Working as a research mentor provided the unique experience of not only being in charge of myself but planning for and working with Roger on experimental techniques, lab confidence and background information. Coupled with the higher expectations of being a second year researcher, this summer's research pushed me to make personal judgment calls regarding how to approach obstacles that arose. This forced me to fully understand our experimental procedures and techniques, which was crucial for making these decisions. Ultimately, this summer has helped build my confidence in my own judgment and independence which I think will serve me well for I.S. ✦

Andrew Rudawsky ('09) Advisor: Paul A. Bonvallet Funded by HHMI Project: The Synthesis of a Crown Ether-Substituted Polymer for Use in OLED Displays Summer research gave me an opportunity to intently focus on an area of research that I find very interesting. The time available to me over the summer allowed me to accomplish a lot, and gave me a chance to get to know the faculty and other students better than I would during the school year. ✦

Five Students were in Severance Hall During the

Summer of 2008

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Department of Chemistry Summer 2008 Research Program

Katherine Stencel ('11) Advisor: Hannah S. Tims

Funded by HHMI Project: Expression and Purification of Archrea Histones

My experience with the HHMI program has significantly increased my lab confidence and skills. Working with a professor in the lab has given me an irreplaceable experience as I begin to explore possible career paths. ✦

Nordia Thompson ('11) Advisor: Paul L. Bonvallet Funded by HHMI Project: The Synthesis of a Dimethyl Sustituted Crown Ether During my summer research experience, I have learned a great number of laboratory techniques which will be extremely useful in the future. This experience has also given me the opportunity to improve my presentation skills and it has also helped me to build my confidence. ✦

Other Summer 2008 Research Activities

Elise Myers ('09) was chosen by the Office of International Activities at the American Chemical Society to be an ACS-RISE scholar. This honor (only 15 students from 300 applicants were selected) has enabled Elise to engage in clinical immunology research in the group of Prof. Brigitte Muller-Hilke at Forschungsförderung der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Rostock. This research opportunity in Germany will certainly enhance Elise’s global perspective of science and medicine, enable her to experience research at a premiere institute as well as experience and learn to work in a new culture. This experience ends with her presenting the results of her work at the National American Chemical Society Meeting, held in Philadelphia this August. In the photo at the left, Elise is in Denmark near Aarhus, the second largest Viking burial site. ✦

During the summer of 2008, Elana Stennett ('10) was an ACS/RISE scholar through the

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). She lived and worked with a Ph.D. student in Chemnitz, Germany. Elana picked the project she wanted to work with and then went to where the project was offered. Elana's Ph.D. student was an electrochemist who was just starting her degree. Elana assisted with a project to discover some fundamental properties of seven nitrogen containing ligands that are commonly used in complex molecules. At the right is a photo of Elana in Dresden, a city near where she was living. ✦

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Other Summer 2008 Research Activities Valerie Andrus ('09) Endocrinology Department Cleveland Clinic Wooster Advisor: David Shewmon, M.D. Funded by HHMI Project: An Investigation Into the Use of Oral Creatine Supplementation as a Means of Treatment for the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome Jessi Baughman ('09) Georgia Tech Research Institute Advisor: Paul L. Edmiston * Project: Detection of Gas Phase Explosives Using Waveguide Interferometry Marc Christian ('10) Department of Biology The College of Wooster Funded by HHMI Advisor: William Morgan Project: Investigating Toxicity of RXLR Proteins in Yeast Lorna Johnston ('09) Department of Entomology OARDC Advisor: Xiaodong Bia Project: Improving the Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabtitis Bacteriophora as a Biopesticide Using 2D-Gel Analysis, RNA Interference, and mRNA Tag Sequencing Virginia Kincaid ('10) Department of Chemistry University of Utah Advisor: Janis Louie Project: Reactivity of the CO2 Moiety in Imidazolium Carboxylate Complexes Benjamin Leiden ('10) Department of Health Sciences and Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Advisor: Elazer Edelman Project: Cross Talk Between Vascular Endothelial Cells and Cancer Cells * On Research Leave from The College of Wooster

Marcus Liotta ('09) Ingredient Innovations International, Wooster, OH Advisor: Scott Peters Project: Quantifying Individual Phospholipids From a Soy Bean Source by the Use of 31-P NMR Seth Maurer ('10) Department of Plant Pathology OARDC Advisor: Brian McSpadden Project: Investigations of Bacterial Volatiles and Their Effects on Pathogens and Plants Theodore Moore ('09) Department of Bacteriology University of Wisconsin - Madison NSF-REU Program Advisor: Diana Downs Project: Structure-Function Analysis of YjgF in Salmonela enterica Allyson Palmer ('10) The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center, Bar Harbor, ME Advisor: Kenneth Paigen Project: Genetic Control of Recombination Hotspot Activity Ryan Story ('10) Molecular Virology and Microbiology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Advisor: Joseph Glorioso Project: Engineering HSV-Based Vectors to Express the Cardiac Marker Transcription Factors NKX2-5 and GATA4

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Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship

The Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship honors the memory of Herrick L. Johnston, Class of 1922, Sc.D. 1943, and was established by Margaret Vanderbilt Johnston Dittmers in 1982. The scholarship is awarded to an incoming First-Year student on the basis of merit and a strong interest in chemistry. A major in chemistry should be the perceived goal of the recipient. The 2008-09 Johnston Scholarship recipients are Katelyn Brenner from Park City, UT and Kelsie Herring from Farmington, PA. ✦

Recognition of 1st, 2nd and 3rd-Year Students in Chemistry During 2007-08

Bryan Albani ('10) Lewis LaShell Memorial Scholarship Ryan Burzese ('11) Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society First-Year Chemistry Award Shannon Conley ('10) Lewis LaShell Memorial Scholarship Joseph Jensen ('11) Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship Lorna Johnston ('09) Robert E. Wilson Award Virginia Kincaid ('10) American Chemical Society Polymer Education Committee Award Zachery Matesich ('11) Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship Elise Meyers ('09) Cary R. Wagner Prize in Chemistry Christopher Nau ('09) American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry Brad Palanski ('11) Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society First-Year Chemistry Award Elana Stennett ('10) John W. Chittum Scholarship Ryan Story ('10) John W. Chittum Prize in Chemistry Nordia Thomson ('11) CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award Ingrid Thvedr ('11) CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award

What can I do with a Chemistry Degree from Wooster?

CHEMISTRY CAREER RESOURCES

Wooster career website http://www.wooster.edu/career/

Some Wooster chemistry alumni http://academics.wooster.edu/programs/chemistry/alumni.php

American Chemical Society Careers Webpage

http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/careers/index.htm

What do chemists do? http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/careers/

whatchemistsdo/index.htm

What are some careers in chemistry? http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blcareers.htm

Chemistry career advice

http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/careers/ advice/index.htm

ACS career blog http://acscareers.wordpress.com/

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I’m interested in medical school, so my major needs to be “bio-something”, right? In years past, almost all premeds majored in chemistry. Today, more flexibility exists but the advantages of a chemistry degree remain—a quantitative, rigorous view of the world through the understating of the behavior of atoms and molecules. A chemistry degree is the perfect setup to shine in medical school and beyond, and particularly valuable if interested in clinical research. I’m going to graduate school to do environmental research. Would I be well served majoring in chemistry? Wooster is planning to implement an environmental science minor. Chemistry is the perfect major to complement your interest, because qualitative and quantitative analysis of molecules is at the heart of much of environmental research. I’m interested in using computers in some area of science. Is chemistry for me? While not one of the more visible areas of chemistry, computational chemists are in huge demand by a wide variety of academic and industrial organizations. See http://www.ccl. net/chemistry/announcements/jobs/index.shtm.

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Class of 2008

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Majors

Standing: Warren Swegal, James Graham, Jocelyn Barker, Nicholas Amato, Sarah Haserodt, Julie Williamson Sitting: Marisa McGinley, Kelly Knapp, Lauren Rackoff, Danyelle Dawes Not Pictured: Jason Bowie

Chemistry Majors

Standing: Joel Keelor, Jonathan Butensky-Bartlett, Benjamin Franks, Andrew Storey, Charles Ebner, Paul Hamilton, David Hoops, Paul Evans, Neal Kline

Sitting: Laura Underwood, Marnie Novak, Tamutenda Chidawanyika, Erin Fortin, Kamesha Barton

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Class of 2008

In the Spring of 2008, 12 seniors graduated with a major in Chemistry, and 11 seniors graduated with a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (*). Entering graduate school (in chemistry unless noted otherwise): Nicholas Amato* University of Toledo (biochemistry) Jocelyn Barker* Stanford University (biochemistry) Jonathan Butensky-Bartlett Indiana University Erin Fortin University of Colorado at Boulder Neal Kline The Ohio State University Entering health professional school: Jason Bowie* University of Toledo College of Medicine Danyelle Dawes* Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Kelly Knapp* The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Marisa McGinley* Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Marnie Novak Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine Warren Swegal* Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University Employed: Tamutenda Chidawanyika Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY Charles Ebner Analytical and Quality Control Lab at Promerus Electronic Materials Paul Hamilton PPG Joel Keelor Georgia Institute of Technology Sarah Haserodt* Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (medical research) and University Hospitals (nursing assistant) Paul Evans and Laura Underwood are looking for jobs in industry. At some point, Paul would like to go to graduate school to pursue a career in research. Benjamin Franks is looking for a position with a pharmaceutical company. James Graham* would like to attend medical school. Lauren Rackoff* traveled abroad during the summer following graduation to do humanitarian work. She then started a year of research at the National Institutes of Health and will apply to medical school. Andrew Storey will either attend dental school or seek employment in chemical industry. Julie Williamson* is looking for a lab position.

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Class of 2008

Recognition of Seniors in 2007-08

Honors were awarded for Independent Study to:

Jocelyn Barker* Paul Evans Erin Fortin

James Graham* Sarah Haserodt*

Neal Kline Kelly Knapp*

Marisa McGinley* Warren Swegal*

Departmental Honors were awarded to:

Jocelyn Barker* Sarah Haserodt*

Neal Kline Kelly Knapp*

Warren Swegal*

Majors elected to Phi Beta Kappa: Jocelyn Barker* Sarah Haserodt*

Joel Keelor Warren Swegal*

Majors elected to Beta Beta Beta (Biology)

Lauren Rackoff*

Majors elected to Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy) Marisa McGinley*

Majors who received ACS Certification:

Jonathan Butensky-Bartlett Erin Fortin Joel Keelor Neal Kline

Marnie Knovak

* Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major

Prizes, Awards, and Scholarships Awarded to Seniors

Jocelyn Barker* Sisodia-Williams Prize in Biochemistry Vivian Chan Prize in Interdisciplinary

Sciences Tamutenda Chidawanyika Karen Diane Cross Memorial Award Lewis L. LaShell Memorial Scholarship Women's Advisory Board Scholarship Danyelle Dawes* John M. Robinson, M.D. Scholarship Dr. John Gardner Weeks Scholarship Fund Theodore Williams Scholarship Paul Evans William Byron Ross Memorial Prize in

Chemistry Paul Hamilton Josh Farthing Endowed Prize Marisa McGinley* James Kendall Cunningham Memorial

Prize James Graham* Merck Index Award Sarah Haserodt* Joseph E. Weber Premedical Award G. Julian Lathrop Memorial Award Francis and Elizabeth Twinem Scholarhsip Robert E. Wilson Award Joel Keelor William Z. Bennett Prize in Chemistry Cary R. Wagner Prize in Chemistry Neal Kline Wooster Section of the American Chemical

Society Senior Award Marnie Novak Wooster Section of the American Chemical

Society Senior Award Lauren Rackoff* Dr. John Gardner Weeks Scholarship Fund Warren Swegal* Dr. John Gardner Weeks Scholarship Fund Julie Williamson* American Institute of Chemists Award

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Jason Bowie, Danyelle Dawes, James Graham, Neal Kline, Marisa McGinley, Lauren Rackoff, and Julie Williamson received Copeland Funds to help support their Senior Independent Study projects

Class of 2008

Senior Independent Study Projects

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Majors Nicholas Amato J. C. Amburgey-Peters The Purification of Protected Cyclohexyl Phospho Carbobenzyloxy-L-Serine Benzyl Ester and The Synthesis and Purification of Deprotected Cyclohexyl Phospho-L-Serine Which is a Potential Analog of Phosphatidylserine Jocelyn Barker W. R. Morgan (Biology) Determining Gene Copy Number from Genomic Sequence Data Jason Bowie David Shewmon, M.D., The Cleveland Clinic Wooster and W. R. Morgan (Biology) An Investigation into the Role of Creatine in Muscle Toxicity Associated with Stain-Use Danyelle Dawes C. P. Fenster (Biology) Characterizing the Role of the Inositol 1,4,5 Trisphosphate Pathway in Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Induced Apoptosis of Retinal Ganglion Cells James Graham D. Fraga (Biology) Investigating the role of the C-terminal domain in McsB, a structurally unique tyrosine kinase found in Bacillus subtilis Sarah Haserodt V. B. Pett Regulation of the Activation of Heat Shock Factor 1: One Mechanism of Glutamine-Mediated Protection During Cellular Stress

Kelly Knapp S. B. Killian, TREK Diagnostic Systems, Cleveland, OH and C. Garzon (Biology) The Antimicrobial Effects of the Organosulfur Compounds Diallyl Monosulphide, Diallyl Disulphide, and Diallyl Trisulphide Found in Allium Sativum Against Planktonic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and MRSA Biofilms Marisa McGinley D. Fraga (Biology) Evolution of Cooperativity in the Phosphagen Kinase Family Lauren Rackoff P. A. Bonvallet Synthesis of a β-Cyclodextrin-Benzylpenicillin Complex that is Mono-Substituted with Clavulanic Acid for Use as an Antibiotic that is Protected from Inactivation by β-Lactamase Enzymes Warren Swegal P. L. Edmiston Converting a Monomeric Arginine Kinase to a Dimer through Directed Evolution Julie Williamson V. B. Pett The Role of Class II Small Heat Shock Proteins in the Prevention of Heat-Induced Aggregation of Citrate Synthase

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Class of 2008

Chemistry Majors Jonathan Butensky-Bartlett P. L. Gaus The Synthesis and Characterization of 4-Nitrobenzylidene Derivatives Tamutenda Chidawanyika V. B. Pett The Investigation of the Biologically Active Form of ZmHsp17.0C-II Using Native PAGE and Blue Native PAGE Charles Ebner P. L. Gaus Ammonia Borane as a Selective Reducing Agent Paul Evans P. A. Bonvallet Synthesis of a Putative Calix[4]arene Molecular Container with an Azobenzene Tether Erin Fortin P. A. Bonvallet Light at the End of the Tunnel: Synthesis of a Crown Ether-Substituted Polymer for use in an Organic Light Emitting Diode Benjamin Franks J. C. Amburgey-Peters The Synthesis and Purification of Siloxymethyl Glucuronide: Progress Towards the Synthesis of C-linked Retinoyl-β-Glucuronide

Paul Hamilton J. C. Amburgey-Peters The Progression of the Synthesis of 1,3-trans-cyclohexylphospho-L-serine as a Phospholipid Analog for Phosphatidylserine Joel Keelor P. A. Bonvallet Synthesis of an Electrophosphorescent Fluorene Copolymer with Diphenylquinoline-Coordinated Iridium Neal Kline S. J. Schmidtke A Photophysical and Photodegradation Study of Sunscreen Active Ingredients: A Combined Computational and Spectroscopic Study Marnie Novak S. J. Schmidtke The Photophysical Properties of PABA Derivatives: A Spectroscopic and Computational Analysis Andrew Storey M. M. Schultz Plant Accumulation of Atrazine and Its Major Metabolites in Food Crops Laura Underwood P. L. Edmiston Evaluating Swellable Organically Modified Silica for Environmental Remediation Applications

James T. McFarland Senior Independent Study Poster Session

The James T. McFarland Senior Independent Study Poster Session honors the late James. T. McFarland, a 1964

Wooster honors graduate in chemistry who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1970 to 1990 before succumbing to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease.

All Chemistry and BCMB (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) senior majors presented posters that described their research projects on Friday, April 25, 2008. Parents and family members, as well as the campus community, attended.

The abstract booklet from the Poster Session can be found on the department's web site. ✦

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The Moveable Feast in Severance Hall.

Class of 2008

Independent Study Exposition A Moveable Feast of Undergraduate Research

The inaugural weekend of Wooster's 11th president, Grant H. Cornwell, took place April 25-27, 2008. It began Friday morning with A Moveable Feast of Undergraduate Research, a celebration of Wooster's commitment to undergraduate research. Seniors in six locations across campus proudly displayed their Independent Study projects and discussed their results in what may have been Wooster's most successful effort yet to showcase its nationally acclaimed I.S. program. From posters in Kauke, Severance, Scovel, Taylor, and Morgan Halls to displays in Freedlander Theatre and exhibitions in Ebert Art Center, more than 100 seniors participated in the three-hour event that featured food from local eateries at each of the locations. The campus seemed to come alive as scholars of all ages streamed in and out of the six buildings hoping to learn more about a vast array of projects while grabbing a bite to eat along the way. ✦

Neuroscience Added as a Major Rapidly growing field to become an official area of study in the Fall of 2008 April 30, 2008

The College of Wooster will add neuroscience as a major area of study in response to a growing interest among students in

this increasingly popular field. The new program, which brings the number of majors at Wooster to 43, will begin with the Fall 2008 semester.

"Neuroscience encompasses a variety of disciplines, including biology, psychology, chemistry, philosophy, and computer science," said Amy Jo Stavnezer, associate professor of psychology and a chief advocate of the new major. "An increasing number of our students have gravitated toward neuroscience as a self-designed major in recent years, so it made sense for us to officially add it."

One of the more appealing aspects of the new major from Wooster's perspective is its interdisciplinary nature, which includes courses in the humanities and social sciences. Neuroscience also meshes with the College's commitment to developing educated students who can provide effective leadership in an increasingly complex society. The roots of this relatively new discipline can be traced back to 1969, when the Society for Neuroscience was established. Since that time, the organization has grown from 500 members to 39,000.

In proposing the addition of neuroscience as a major field of study, proponents cited the rapid expansion of biomedical neuroscience research and the neuroscience community as well as the substantial federal and private funding as rationale for giving students a chance to begin their training at the undergraduate level. According to the proposal, the new major "will provide opportunities for students to study a burgeoning scientific field in which groundbreaking discoveries are occurring at an ever increasing rate." Not only will students have an opportunity to apply techniques and theoretical perspectives from a range of disciplines to the study of the nervous system, but they will also have a chance to address real-world challenges, including Alzheimer's disease, drug abuse and spinal-cord injuries.

The core curriculum will have a uniform set of requirements, but there will also be room for flexibility in upper-level courses to accommodate students interested in molecular and cellular neuroscience as well as those interested in the behavioral and cognitive aspects of neuroscience.

Wooster joins an expanding list of schools in the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the Ohio Five that have added neuroscience as a major field of study in recent years, including Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin, and Ohio Wesleyan.

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Chemistry Club Photo Contest Entry: Birefringence resulting from anisotropic molecular ordering in a hybrid organic-inorganic material as observed by polarized light microscopy. Photo by Rebecca Volzer ('10) and Paul Edmiston

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