Students honored for 4th-Year Virtual Seminar Series talks
Eight graduate students—Yukun Cheng, Ethan Gormong, Katherine Jones, Nathan Love, Bach Nguyen, Claire Seitzinger, Christopher Warkentin, and Huda Zahid—were selected as winners of the 4th-Year Virtual Seminar Series that replaced the annual 3rd-year Graduate Student Research Symposium, which was canceled in Spring 2020 due to Covid-19.
Yukun Cheng
Adviser: Professor Ian Tonks
Synthesis of Pentasubstituted 2-Aryl Pyrroles from Boryl and Stannyl Alkynes via One-Pot Sequential Ti-Catalyzed [2+2+1] Pyrrole Synthesis/Cross Coupling Reaction
Ethan Gormong
Advisers: Professors Theresa Reineke & Thomas Hoye
Adapting the Glaser-Hay Coupling toward Sugar-derived Poly(propargyl ether diynes)
Katherine Jones
Adviser: Professor Daniel Harki
Discovery of APOBEC3 Ligands by High-Throughput Screening
Nathan Love
Adviser: Professor Kenneth Leopold
A Microwave Study of a Superacid Ion Pair and Applications of an Intelligent Fitting Algorithm
Bach Nguyen
Adviser: Professor Jiali Gao
In silico investigation of solution phase decarboxylation mechanism for 5-carboxyluracil
Claire Seitzinger
Adviser: Professor Timothy Lodge
Phase transitions of stimuli-responsive block copolymers in ionic liquids
Christopher Warkentin
Adviser: Professor Renee Frontiera
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Characterization of Plasmon-Mediated Reactions
Huda Zahid
Adviser: Professor William Pomerantz
Development of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Bromodomain of Epigenetic Protein BPTFn
Students presented their research via Zoom from late September to early December. Judges were professors Edgar Arriaga, Philippe Buhlmann, Mark Distefano, Laura Gagliardi, Wayne Gladfelter, Timothy Lodge, Ian Tonks, and Joseph Topczewski. Judges considered if the student effectively communicated their research; displayed strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills; highlight the contribution of others if working on a team program; and highlighted important safety aspects of their work.
Support for the travel awards given to the award-winning presenters was provided by the Chemistry Student Travel Fund, established in 2007 by Alumna Karen Schult, Ph.D., who was advised by Professor Marc Hillmyer, and the Paul G. and Gerda Ann Gassman Chemistry Graduate Student Fund, established in 2011 by Gerda Gassman.
This virtual seminar series was organized by Professor Nicholas Race, chair, and Eileen Harvala, with support from Mollie Dunlap and Eric Schulz.