Meghan Cahill receives ACS Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry

Meghan Cahill, a junior chemistry major working with Professor Christy Haynes, received the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry.

She was honored for excelling in the area of analytical chemistry and shows great potential as a future analytical chemist. Meghan will receive a subscription to the Journal of Analytical Chemistry and will be awarded a certificate of recognition signed by the chairman of the Division and editor of Analytical Chemistry.

Meghan has been working with Professor Haynes and the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology for more than two years. She studies the environmental impacts of nanomaterials. Her current project is to examine the toxic effects of nanoparticles used in agricultural applications on bacteria in the environment, while attempting to increase the complexity of the lab conditions to more accurately reflect real environmental conditions. Prior to this project, Meghan was investigating the interactions between the bacterial cell surface and nanomaterials in lithium-ion batteries.

Her first research paper, on which she was the second author, was published in June in the Journal of Chemical Education. Her second research paper was published in Chemical Science. 

After earning her bachelor's degree, Meghan plans on pursuing a doctorate in chemistry with the goal of becoming a chemistry professor at a research-intensive institution. She would like to have a research program at the interface of chemistry and biology/ecology. One goal of her program will be to research the molecular underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease to help develop treatments and eventually find a cure. Another goal will be to use chemistry to promote sustainability and eco-friendly technology in agriculture.