FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT

2009-2010 Academic Yearand

Summer of 2010

W

Department of Chemistry

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

On the back ofDr. ChemCow:

✦ retinal

✦ fructose

✦ caffeine

✦ cellulose

✦ lactic acid

✦ adrenaline

✦ methane

✦ glucosamine

✦ TATP

On the cover...Chemistry Club decorated a cow for

Homecoming Weekend. Dr. ChemCow

was purchased by the department and

now resides in Severance Hall. Proceeds

from the sale of the decorated cows

supported local charities.

In the

photo...

BACK ROW

:

Max Mulle

n,

Mary K

ate Lock

hart,

Rachel

Bennett

FRONT ROW

:

Elana Sten

nett, Jo

ng Seok

Oh (’10, A

rt), G

retch

en

Lockhart,

Blake Smith

WEB:

http://www.wooster.edu/Academics/Areas-of-Study/Chemistryhttp://www.wooster.edu/Academics/Areas-of-Study/Biochemistry-and-Molecular-Biology

Commencement photos by Matt Dilyard.

The College of Wooster, Department of Chemistry, 943 College Mall, Wooster, Ohio 44691Phone: 330-263-2418FAX: 330-263-2386

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Table of Contents..............................................................................Greetings from the Chairperson 4

...............................................................................................................FACULTY 6................................................................................ Research Leave Program 16

.......................................... American Chemical Society 2009 Periodic Report 16..................................................................................................... Publications 17

................................................................................................................. Gifts 17.................................................................. Invited Lectures & Papers/Posters 18

.......................................................................................... Grants and Awards 19

..............................................................................................................In the News 20...............................................................................................Curriculum Changes 21

...............................................Introducing Habiba Vaghoo and Robert Woodward 22........................................................................................................................Staff 23

........................................................................................................Emeriti Faculty 24..........................................................................................................Alumni News 25

................................................................................................................Seminars 26................................................................Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture 27

.................................Brad Palanski Receives Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship 28Recognition of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ........................................................-Year Students 29

.......................................................Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship in Chemistry 29Wooster Named One of Top 10 Colleges for Undergraduate

........................................................................................................... Teaching 29

.............................................................Whad’Ya Know? Airs from McGaw Chapel 30MEETINGS 30th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

............................................................................ North American Meeting 30 239th ........................................ American Chemical Society National Meeting 31 American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

......................................................................................... National Meeting 32

.......................................................................................................Chemistry Club 34CHEMISTRY MAJORS

................................................................................................... Class of 2010 35.................................................................................... Recognition of Seniors 37

....................................... Rachel Bennett Receives Earnest B. Yeager Award 38................................................................. Senior Independent Study Projects 39

.....................................................................What Exactly is Independent Study? 40BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY MAJORS

................................................................................................... Class of 2010 41.................................................................................... Recognition of Seniors 43

................................................................. Senior Independent Study Projects 44.................................. Brandon Michels granted early admission to Ohio State 45

.................................................................................Senior Research Symposium 46.................................................Department of Chemistry 2010 Summer Activities 47

...........................................................2010 Summer Activities at Other Locations 49...................................................................Department of Chemistry Top Ten List 50

Editor:Judith C. Amburgey-Peters

Producer:Diane M. Rossey

Contact InformationJudy Amburgey-PetersChairperson, Chemistry

Organic330-263-2014

jamburgey@wooster.edu

Paul BonvalletOrganic

pbonvallet@wooster.edu

Sibrina CollinsInorganic

scollins@wooster.edu

Paul EdmistonAnalytical

pedmiston@wooster.edu

Karl FeierabendPhysical

kfeierabend@wooster.edu

Sarah SchmidtkePhysical

sschmidtke@wooster.edu

Melissa SchultzAnalytical

mschultz@wooster.edu

Mark SniderChairperson, Biochemistry

& Molecular Biology330-263-2391Biochemistry

msnider@wooster.edu

James WestBiochemistry & Molecular

Biologyjwest@wooster.edu

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Greetings from the ChairpersonDear Chemistry Department Friends,

Welcome to the 48th Annual Report of the Department of Chemistry! This year’s report closely resembles previous years’, but we are being more intentional about highlighting the Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB). We considered creating a separate BCMB annual report, but decided for now that the BCMB program and Chemistry department are so integrated that it is impossible to delineate a separation.

Based on this report, Wooster students continue to excel and pursue lots of creative avenues. Our numbers of majors remains high with 17 chemistry and 14 BCMB seniors graduating in 2010, and we have increasing enrollments in the lower level courses and large classes of majors to come. The 2010 group of seniors were an amazingly collegial and talented crew making graduation day bittersweet…hmm, come to think of it, graduation is always bitter sweet… More than half graduated with departmental honors, they received numerous awards (2 Goldwater’s, our 10th Yeager), one was admitted early to OSU veterinary school, one deferred acceptance to graduate school for a year to explore organic farming, and 55% are continuing their education at various professional schools.

As always, the faculty are fully engaged as teachers, scholars, and mentors working with our growing numbers of majors and students in our introductory courses. Our newest faculty member, Karl Feierabend, took the lead in the Physical Chemistry curriculum as well as our newly revised Principles of Chemistry course in his first fall semester. We welcomed Paul Edmiston back from leave, during which he established his company (ABS Materials) and has been balancing his commitments to Wooster as well as pioneering his new technology. Numerous news reports are available reporting the successes of ABS and Paul’s accomplishments. Congratulations to Paul Edmiston, Mark Snider, and Melissa Schultz who each expanded their families by one new member. Mark, Chair of BCMB, is also pursuing several cutting-edge research projects stemming from his leave, one of which is in collaboration with Melissa studying the breakdown of antidepressants in wastewater. Congratulations to Paul Bonvallet who received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor and was granted a full year’s leave for 2010-2011. Melissa Schultz and Sarah Schmidtke were both on leave in the fall 2009, where they established strong collaborations, made progress with publications, and came back full force in the spring! Sibrina Collins has completed her second year at the College and is fully engaged as our inorganic chemist expanding and revising our inorganic chemistry curriculum and integrating her research. We all appreciate the opportunity to work with such great colleagues and love our Wooster students.

We continue to have valued interactions with our local emeriti faculty—Richard “Dick” Bromund, Paul Gaus, LeRoy “Roy” Haynes, Virginia Pett, Dave Powell—and love to hear updates about Bill Kieffer and Charles “Montie” Borders. We have included a few notes about their most recent activities. Throughout the year alumni visit and send

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communications. We are in the beginning stages of including information about interactions with alumni to help everyone stay a little better connected. As a result of donations from the Gaus Alumni Reunion, we now have several beautiful glass and oak cases in locations throughout Severance to promote communication and community. We’re hoping to institute a “Wall of Fame” in the near future.

We are fortunate to have the continued commitment of our staff who have over 100 years of collective service! Diane Rossey and Mary Cornelius keep the Chemistry office running like a well-oiled machine. In addition to her many academic year projects, Diane also helped out with the placement exams for the College’s first ever summer advising and registration (ARCH). Mary Kilpatrick continued as our introductory chemistry lab coordinator and adjunct faculty member and directed another successful year of B-WISER with administrative assistance from Mary C. Ron Tebbe and Lee Hothem provided critical instrument and equipment support ranging from machining to electronics to training and troubleshooting helping numerous seniors and other researchers. Jerry Patterson celebrated his 10th year as Wooster’s Stockroom manager, and underwent knee surgery with flying colors—good health and a positive attitude serve him well.

As is our tradition, we have a vibrant intellectual community with an active seminar program supported by alumni, the department, Chem Club, and the Helen M. Free Lecture Series. This year’s Free Lecturer was Harry Gray (many of you may remember using DeKock and Gray in Jr. IS.) We’re implementing a Chemical Inventory System, which will help us be safer and more efficient with resources, and we’re continually increasing safety training and awareness. We completed a successful 5-year review by the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training. After many years of curricular review (internal and external), discussion and feedback from alumni, in fall 2009 we implemented some curricular changes with a primary focus on the introductory courses and Introduction to Independent Study (Jr. IS). Departmentally we are more deliberately promoting teamwork skills to help our students develop as collaborative, independent, creative scientists and responsible citizens. In the near future, we will be soliciting feedback from alumni, which is critical to our continued growth and success.

In closing, I am so grateful to be part of the Wooster Chemistry family and welcome communications with you, however you may be connected with this marvelous group!

Best regards,

Judy (aka JCAP)

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Faculty

Back Row: James West (BCMB), Paul Bonvallet, Karl Feierabend, Paul Edmiston, Mark Snider

Front Row: Sibrina Collins, Melissa Schultz, Sarah Schmidtke, Judy Amburgey-Peters

TheBiochemistry&MolecularBiology (BCMB)program isadministeredby a group of faculty fromboththeBiology andChemistry Departments.This typeofhighlyinterdisciplinarymajorprovidesstudentswith@lexibleopportunities tobecomeeducatedinthebiochemicalsciences,focusingonchemistry,biology, or both. For more informationon themajor andtheBiology faculty who teach in the major go to http://www.wooster.edu/Academics/Areas‐of‐Study/Biochemistry‐and‐Molecular‐Biology.

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Department Responsibilities:ChairpersonAnnual Report EditorAssessment Coordinator (Fall)Building Monitor CoordinatorChemistry Club AdvisorClassroom StewardCurriculum CoordinatorDevelopment LiaisonFree Lecture (Fall)Safety Training Liaison Web Editor

On campus, Judy served on the Provost Search Committee as well as the HHMI Steering Committee. She welcomed prospective students into her classroom and corresponded with admitted students.

Professionally, Judy coordinated and attended meetings of the Wooster Local Section of the American Chemical Society and continued to serve as chair of the organization (2008-present). She reviewed proposals for the National Science Foundation RUI program.

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

First-Year Seminar

Organic Chemistry I

Organic Chemistry I Lab

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry

(team taught with James West)

Organic Chemistry II

Advanced Organic Chemistry

(team-taught with Paul Bonvallet)

Judith Amburgey-Peters continued the challenging task of being chairperson of the department. Chair duties included, but were not limited to, the implementation of curriculum revisions in the introductory courses (see page 21), four faculty reviews, leave replacement request and search, staff performance appraisals, coordinating the coverage of duties during Jerry Patterson’s medical leave, and preparing a faculty position request.

In the spring she had the opportunity to co-teach the advanced organic chemistry course with Paul Bonvallet as well as co-teach Principles of Chemistry with James West; a rejuvenating experience. In all of her classes, she continued to experiment with using a balance of approaches in order to best help students help themselves.

In collaboration with Matt Broda in Education, Judy co-advised Rebecca Hartsock on a creative, self-designed senior independent study project to evaluate the revised introductory chemistry curriculum.

Judy was granted a one-year research leave for the 2010-2011 academic year. She deferred for a year as Paul Bonvallet was also granted a leave during the same period. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Rebecca Hartsock

Chemistry MajorEducation Minor

Gretchen Lockhart

Chemistry Major

Amelyne Major

Chemistry MajorPsychology Minor

Amelyne, Judy, Gretchen, and Rebecca

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Department Responsibilities:Departmental Seminar CoordinatorSenior I.S. Coordinator

On campus, Paul was chair of the Pre-Health Advising Committee. He served on the Writing Advisory Board and was Secretary of the Wooster Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Paul was host to prospective students in his classes.

Professionally, Paul reviewed manuscripts for:

“Chemistry — A European Journal”“The Journal of Organic Chemistry”“Journal of Physical Chemistry”

He also reviewed proposals for Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation.

As chair of the Pre-Health Advising Committee, Paul Bonvallet oversaw the recruitment, preparation, advising, and enrichment of students interested in medical, dental, veterinary, and other health-related careers.

In all courses, Paul continued using POGIL (process oriented guided inquiry learning). In organic chemistry lab, pre-lab lectures were replaced with class presentations from teams of students. The class members worked individually in the lab, but used a team approach to aid in the preparation of each experiment and promote efficiency in the sharing of physical resources. In the spring, the students worked on research projects on molecular recognition and light-responsive materials. Student teams worked collaboratively, but also had individual roles and performed different parts of the work. Students had a great deal of input on the design and direction of their projects, augmented by regular conferences and class presentations on the status of the research.

During the summer of 2009, Paul, Amy Jo Stavnezer (Psychology and Neuroscience Program), and Mark Snider received support from Wooster’s HHMI Grant to develop a multi-disciplinary course in pharmacology. Conversations have continued and they are moving towards a course proposal.

Special congratulations to Paul who was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, effective August 2010.

Paul will be on research leave in 2010-11 (see page 16). ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Justin Keener

Chemistry MajorMathematics Minor

Environmental Studies Minor

Max Mullen

Chemistry Major

Amy Toolis

Chemistry Major

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Introductory Chemistry

Organic Chemistry I

Organic Chemistry I Lab

Spring Semester

Organic Chemistry II

Organic Chemistry II Lab

Advanced Organic Chemistry

(team-taught with

Judy Amburgey-Peters)

Amy and PaulPaul and JustinMax and Paul

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Department Responsibilities:Admissions LiaisonAwards CoordinatorCareer Liaison

On campus, Sibrina was a member of the Henry J. Copeland Independent Study Fund Committee and the Advisory Committee for the Center for Diversity and Global Engagement. She met with several prospective students during the academic year.

Professionally, Sibrina attended the Great Lakes Colleges Association Students of Color Leadership Conference at Oberlin College in November 2009. She served as a panelist for a session offering tools and tips to students interested in pursuing graduate studies in the sciences. She also attended the Regional Meeting for the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society at Xavier University in December 2009. She was the featured speaker for their annual meeting. In the summer of 2010 Sibrina participated in the Midwest Faculty Seminar in Chicago. Sibrina was a reviewer for two National Science Foundation programs:

Course, Curriculum and Laboratory ImprovementResearch in Undergraduate Institutions

Sibrina Collins incorporated more of the scientific literature in the inorganic chemistry curriculum. Students read brief peer-reviewed articles and worked in groups to solve problems based on the readings. Sibrina added a new lab experiment based on her research in crystal engineering to help engage the students. Fundamental laboratory techniques were emphasized and students prepared laboratory reports in the format of a peer-reviewed article. Introduction to Independent Study focused on searching the scientific literature, developing effective writing skills and preparing a proposal focused on a senior independent study project. The course was team-taught with Sarah Schmidtke.

As department admissions liaison, Sibrina worked with Diane Rossey to prepare admissions folders to distribute to prospective students when they visit the department. Included in the folder is information on career options, questions that should be asked about a college’s science programs, and our “Top Ten List” (see page 50). Sibrina plans to revisit Collinwood High School in Cleveland and talk with students about pursuing a career in science and applying to The College of Wooster.

Sibrina spent the summer of 2010 at the University of Cincinnati working with Bill Connick. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Bryan Albani

Chemistry Major

Blake Smith

Chemistry Major

Sara Wiswell

Chemistry Major

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Introductory Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry I Lab

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry

Organic Chemistry II Lab

Introduction to Independent Study

(team-taught with Sarah Schmidtke)

Sibrina, Jessica Pringle (’13), and

Caitlin Scott (‘13)

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Department Responsibilities:Instrument Maintenance CoordinatorJohnston Scholarship Coordinator

On campus, Paul met with prospective students, participated in recruitment weekends, and was a panelist for visit days. He also helped to facilitate the effort to develop an intellectual property policy at Wooster. He served on the Faculty Leaves Committee, Faculty Development Funds Committee, and was a member of the OICM Advisory Board.

Professionally, Paul attended the ACS National Meeting in the spring 2010 where he gave two oral presentations and one poster presentation. He served on the ACS Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Committee as co-chair. The committee reviewed 50 applications from graduate students for full year and summer graduate fellowships. Paul also reviewed 17 articles for various journals and two NSF proposals.

Patents:Swellable Sol-Gels, Making and Using Thereof

TNT sensor containing molecularly imprinted sol gel-derived films

Returning from research leave, Paul Edmiston jumped into the newly revised versions of the introductory courses that incorporated a new textbook and active learning strategies. In Instrumental Analysis he continued to use and develop the six-week student self-designed projects that allow in-depth learning of various techniques.

During the academic year, Paul was able to employ three students with NSF funds: Melissa Morgan (’13), Matthew Varga (’12), and Steve Wanner (’13).

Paul was a member of the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Curriculum Committee.

Paul continues to take an active part in the operation of ABSMaterials (see page 20). He received released time during the 2010-2011 academic year to develop commercial application of swellable glass OsorbTM in conjunction with NSF and Department of Energy grants.

Paul’s teaching load was reduced as he received a paternity leave during spring 2010. Aaron James was welcomed by brothers Cameron and Neil on August 12, 2009. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Emily Barth

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology MajorPhilosophy Minor

Rachel Bennett

Chemistry Major

Kimberly Krall

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology MajorArt History Minor

Deanna Pickett

Chemistry Major

Laura West

Chemistry MajorEnglish Minor

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Introductory Chemistry

Instrumental Analysis

Instrumental Analysis Lab

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry

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Department Responsibilities:Library LiaisonInformation Technology Liaison (with Sarah Schmidtke)

On campus, Karl met with prospective students and welcomed them for class visits.

Professionally, Karl attended two college sponsored workshops for writing success grant proposals. In November he attended the Council for Undergraduate Research meeting on “Beginning a Research Program in the Natural Sciences at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution.” In the spring he participated in webinar “Open Notebook Science for Research and Teaching” sponsored by the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE). He also served as an Ad hoc referee for the journal “Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.”

Karl Feierabend joined the department in the fall of 2009 as a tenure-track assistant professor of physical chemistry. Karl received his B.S. in Chemistry from Furman University in 2001. He went on to the University of Colorado at Boulder and received a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 2006. From Colorado he went to the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences where he was a postdoctoral research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Department of Chemistry implemented a new introductory course curriculum in 2009-2010. Karl was the sole instructor for Principles of Chemistry in the fall. He implemented Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) Activities on a nearly weekly basis and developed new materials for the course. In the spring semester, Karl incorporated additional classroom demonstrations into the course.

While Sarah Schmidtke was on research leave fall semester, Karl advised Elana Stennett, her senior independent study student.

During the spring semester, Karl advised a Sophomore Research Assistant, Rebecca Craig. Rebecca continued working with Karl in the 2010 summer research program. Karl’s research involves the photochemistry and kinetics of atmospherically and environmentally relevant aqueous-phase organic compounds. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Alexander Anderson

Chemistry Major

Jared Steed

Double Major:Chemistry and MathematicsCo-Advisor: R. Drew Pasteur

Elana Stennett

Chemistry MajorReligious Studies Minor

Advisor: Fall Semester only(Primary Advisor: Sarah Schmidtke)

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Principles of Chemistry

Physical Chemistry I

Physical Chemistry I Lab

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry

Principles of Chemistry Lab

Analytical Chemistry Lab Jared, Karl,and Alex

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Department Responsibilities:Assessment Coordinator (Spring)Information Technology Liaison (with Karl Feierabend)

On campus, Sarah was a member of the Graduate Fellowship Committee, the Galpin Prize Committee, and Phi Beta Kappa. She coordinated and served as a faculty judge for College of Wooster scholarships to prospective students at State Science Day in May 2010.

Professionally, Sarah served a second year as secretary of the Wooster Local Section of the American Chemical Society. She attended two professional meetings:

Inter-American Photochemistry Society Winter Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, January 2010National American Chemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2010

Sarah reviewed four journal articles, one grant proposal, and chapters in two chemistry textbooks.

Sarah Schmidtke was on research leave during the fall 2009 (see page 16). Upon returning to campus, Sarah worked extensively with Mary Kilpatrick to revise and implement an updated computational chemistry lab into the introductory chemistry lab. Sarah Blosser and Paige Piper (Sophomore Research Assistants) and Zachery Matesich (’11) (Research Assistant) worked with Sarah on research projects during the spring semester.

Sarah was a presenter for the Expanding Your Horizons workshop held on campus in April 2010. The workshop encourages adolescent girls to pursue interests in the areas of science and math.

Sarah began work with a team of scientists in Akron’s Chemistry and Polymer (Material) Science Departments. During her leave, she initiated a collaboration with Professor Glen Loppnow at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. She has also made connections with a theoretical chemist at Goodyear who has an interest in performing fundamental studies of chemical systems related to rubber processing. He has an interest in co-advising students with interests in theoretical chemistry (and mathematics) at the College. Initial studies began through the AMRE program during the summer of 2010. (The AMRE (Applied Mathematical Research Experience) program was initiated by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and is designed to give students experience in the practical applications of mathematics and computer science that the classroom cannot provide.) ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENT

Elana Stennett

Chemistry Major(Karl Feierabend, Advisor Fall Semester)

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

RESEARCH LEAVE

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry Lab

Physical Chemistry II

Physical Chemistry II Lab

Introduction to Independent Study

(team-taught with Sibrina Collins) Sarah and Elana

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Department Responsibilities:Free Lecture (Spring)Poster Session Coordinator

On campus, Melissa met with prospective students and their parents. She was a member of the Environmental Studies Curriculum Committee.

Professionally, Melissa continued to serve as the Treasurer for the Wooster Local Section of the American Chemical Society. She was a participant on the U.S. Department of Agriculture CREES program grant panel. She was a referee for manuscripts to Environmental Science & Technology, Science of the Total Environment, Chemosphere. Melissa chaired a session, “Advances in Analytical Chemistry for Environmental Applications,” at the 238th ACS Fall National Meeting, Washington, DC in August 2009. She also attended the 30th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American Meeting, New Orleans, LA in November 2009 and the 239th ACS Spring National Meeting, San Francisco, CA in March 2010.

Melissa M. Schultz was on research leave during the fall 2009 (see page 16). She received Luce Funds for Distinguished Scholarship to enhance her leave.

In the spring, she team-taught, with Chuck Kammer, Environment Analysis and Action. The emphasis of the course was to teach environmental topics from an interdisciplinary approach. The underlying themes of the course were water and ethics. The course also included an experimental learning component, labs, and field trips.

Melissa also introduced two new labs to the Analytical Chemistry course: Determination of Mercury in Improperly Disposed Batteries and Using Stir Bar Extraction for the Identification of Drugs in Serum. The topic of the forensic case was chromium contamination in water.

Two Sophomore Research students worked with Melissa during spring semester — Madigan Murphy and Emily Linville.

Theodore William (Teddy) was welcomed on June 2, 2010. Sister Lila is very excited to have a baby brother. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

David Flannelly

Chemistry Major(Mark Snider, Advisor Fall Semester)

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

RESEARCH LEAVE

Spring Semester

Analytical Chemistry

Analytical Chemistry Lab

Environmental Analysis & Action

(team-taught with Charles Kammer,

Religious Studies)

Environmental Chemistry (Tutorial) David and Melissa

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Department Responsibilities:Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ChairpersonChemistry Placement Exam Coordinator

On campus, Mark participated in a working session on syllabus creation during New Faculty Orientation. He spoke to dozens of prospective students and families with interests in BCMB and chemistry throughout the year, as part of admissions and through coach recruiting of scholar athletes. He also attended two recruiting breakfasts with parents of prospective students. Mark served as a faculty judge for College of Wooster scholarships to prospective students at State Science Day in May 2010.

Professionally, Mark reviewed a grant proposal for the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. He was a Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program mentor for Nikki Seagraves at The Ohio State University.

Mark Snider had somewhat of a busy year. This was Mark’s first year serving on the Teaching Staff and Tenure Committee for the College, teaching Chemistry 110 – the Department’s new introductory chemistry course – and teaching Organic Chemistry II Lab. During the summer, Mark mentored incoming students in research through the College’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Student Early Engagement in Research Program as well as an additional six students in collaborative ways with other faculty in interdisciplinary research projects also supported by HHMI.

In the new introductory chemistry course, Mark implemented new in-class demonstrations, continued to develop group-work problem sets utilizing POGIL techniques, and used the book Napoleon’s Buttons to inform students of the historical importance of chemistry and its connection with society.

In addition, Mark mentored a number of students in research this past year. Sophomore Research Assistants who worked with Mark during the academic year included Brad Palanski and Matthew Henke in the Fall and Andrew Young, William Andreski, and Matthew Bauerle in the Spring. Mark assisted Brad Palanski (’11) in a successful Goldwater Scholarship application (see page 28). Two of his research students, Virginia Kincaid (’10) and Brad Palanski won Honorable Mention Awards during the Undergraduate Poster Competition at the National American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Meeting in Anaheim, CA.

The College of Wooster Nursery School children were mesmerized by Mark’s chemical demonstrations, sparking an interest in science at a very early age.

On March 23, 2010, Ellie, Eric and Katie Snider welcomed the birth of their baby brother, David Joseph. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

David Flannelly

Chemistry MajorAdvisor: Fall Semester only

(Primary Advisor: Melissa Schultz)

Virginia Kincaid

Chemistry Major

Allyson Palmer

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology MajorCo-Advisor: Dean Fraga (Biology)

French Minor

Ryan Story

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Introductory Chemistry

Principles of Chemistry Lab

Principles of Biochemistry

Spring Semester

Organic Chemistry II Lab

(team-taught with Sibrina Collins)

Biochemistry of Metabolism

Introduction to Independent Study

(BCMB)

(team-taught with Dean Fraga, Biology)

Eric Painting, Mark, and

Samantha Martinez

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On campus, James was a member of the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Curriculum Committee where he served as library liaison and BCMB Club faculty advisor. He was a member of the Academic Standards Committee and the Pre-Health Advising Committee. James was also a Worthy Questions mentor for the Office of Interfaith Campus Ministries. He participated in admissions-related activities.

Professionally, James attended three meetings:

Midwest Stress Response & Chaperone Meeting, Evanston, IL, January 2010 — presented paperASBMB National Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 2010 (see page 32) — presented paper

James reviewed two manu-scripts submitted to “Chemical Research in Toxicology.”

James West completed his second year as an Assistant Professor of Biology and Chemistry, teaching courses in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology curriculum. Chemical Biology was taught for the first time in spring 2010. The course was developed around a series of three key content areas: proteomics, enzyme activity profiling, and biological engineering. James was awarded an HHMI Curriculum Development award. This award provided funding for laboratory supplies for the Techniques in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology class.

James continues developing several lines of research that explore how baker’s yeast and cultured human cells respond to reactive molecules. He spent time last summer setting up a cell culture laboratory in Mateer Hall, and has been making progress on projects in three general areas:

✴cell death responses induced by diethylmaleate and related molecules

✴direct regulation stress responsive transcription factors in yeast✴how different yeast stress responses might compensate for one

anotherThree Sophomore Research students worked with James during the academic year: Haley Brown, William Cary, and Chelsea Stamm.

James is working to develop a First-Year Seminar section for fall 2010 on “The Spice of life.” This seminar will be a survey of the history, the consumption, and the science of spices used to flavor foods in various cultures. He hopes to introduce incoming students to the College community and the town of Wooster, and increase their global awareness. ✦

INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS

Nathan Gemberling-Johnson

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major(Co-Advisor: Joseph Scheerens, OARDC)

Seth Maurer

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major(Co-Advisor: Brian McSpadden-

Gardener, OARDC)

Courses Taught

Fall Semester

Techniques in Biochemistry &

Molecular Biology

(team-taught with William Morgan and

Dean Fraga, Biology)

Principles of Biochemistry

Spring Semester

Principles of Chemistry

(team-taught with Judy Amburgey-Peters)

Chemical Biology

Gateway to Molecular & Cellular

Biology (BIOL 201)

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Sarah Schmidtke was on research leave fall 2009 at the University of Alberta. She worked with Professor Glen Loppnow who is interested in using high-resolution spectroscopy to explore structural interactions of the solvent and solute. Both research groups examine the photochemistry of UV-absorbers found in personal care products. A collaboration was initiated during the leave seeking to expand fundamental knowledge of how the solvent impacts the photochemistry of this class of molecules.

Time was also spent during the leave to prepare a manuscript for the Journal of Chemical Education describing an experiment designed and imple-mented in the Physical Chemistry curriculum. A second manuscript was prepared summarizing key results investigating the photophysical properties of a series of para-aminobenzoic acids in aqueous buffers. The work described in this manuscript was presented, as an invited talk at the end of her leave, at the annual meeting of the Inter-American Photochemical Society. ✦

Melissa Schultz was also on research leave fall 2009. She worked on two projects in Heiko Schoenfuss’ Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

• Determination of the behavioral and physiological effects of antidepressant pharmaceuticals on male fathead minnows.

• Determination of the behavioral and physicologcal effects of triclosan and triclocarbon on fathead minnows.

Melissa also used her research leave to write and publish two manuscripts and prepare a third. Results gathered from this leave have ignited further projects, including a project involving Liz Sakach (’11, BCMB) who is performing a mass balance of fluoxetine (ProzacTM) in bluegill sunfish. ✦

Paul Bonvallet’s year long research leave in 2010-11 at Case Western Reserve University will provide opportunities to expand his scientific knowledge and expertise. The research will be supported by a Research Opportunity Award (ROA) from the National Science Foundation. He will be designing a polycatenane (a polymer of interlocked molecular rings) that expands and contracts in response to light. This project is likely going to continue as part of Senior I.S. in 2011-12 and may involve Wooster students working at Case in the summer of 2011. ✦

The Research Leave Program

American Chemical Society 2009 Periodic ReportCommittee on Professional Training

The Committee on Professional Training reviewed the department’s 2009 periodic report (covering five academic years: 2003-04 through 2007-08) and described our chemistry program as “dynamic and vibrant.” We met all the requirements and continue to have an ACS approved program.

The committee praised our department’s strong commitment to research and acquisition of an impressive array of instrumentation to support our research activities. They commented on the outstanding quality of the student research reports that were submitted. The integrative nature of our curriculum and the thesis capstone experience were characterized as exemplary. We were complimented on our excellent plan for developing student skills throughout the chemistry program and the excellent assessment plan that we have implemented for evaluating the effectiveness of our department.

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17

Y. Sun, S. N. Collins, L. Joyce, C. Turro; Unusual Photophysical Properties of a Ru(II) Complex related to [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+. Inorganic Chemistry, 2010, 49, pp 4257-4262.

S. N. Collins; What’s in Your iPod? Journal of Chemical Education, 2010, 87, pp 1017-1018.

S. N. Collins; African Americans and Science. Chemical and Engineering News, 2009, 87(43), p. 3.

P. L. Edmiston, D. P. Campbell, D. S. Gottfried, J. Baughman*, M. M. Timmers*; Detection of Trinitrotoluene in the Parts-per-Trillion Range Using Waveguide Interferometry. Sensor & Actuators B, 2010, 143, 574-582.

K. J. Feierabend, J. E. Flad, S. S. Brown, J. B. Burkholder; HCO Quantum Yields in the Photolysis of HC(O)C(O)H (Glyoxal) between 290 and 420 nm. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2009, 113(27), pp 7784-7794.

Klein, Dustin R.*, Flannelly, David F.*, Schultz, Melissa M.; Quantitative determination of triclocarban in wastewater effluent by stir bar sorptive extraction and liquid desorption-liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 2010, 1217, 1742-1747.

Schultz, Melissa M., Furlong, Edward T., Kolpin, Dana W., Werner, Stephen L., Schoenfuss, Heiko L., Barber, Larry B., Blazer, Vicki, Norris, David O., Vajda, Alan M.; Antidepressants pharmaceuticals in two U.S. effluent-impacted streams: Occurrence and fate in water and sediment and selective uptake in fish neural tissue. Environmental Science and Technology, 2010, 44, 1918-1925.

Painter, Meghan M., Buerkley, Megan A., Julius, Matthew L., Vajda, Alan M., Norris, David O., Barber, Larry B., Furlong, Edward T., Schultz, Melissa M., Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Antidepressants at environmentally relevant concentrations affect predator avoidance behavior on larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry -Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment special issue, 2009, 28, 2677-2684.

Publications

Gifts The Wooster Chemistry Department is fortunate to have such universally supportive Alumni! Over the years, Alumni and their families have contributed to the Chemistry Department sometimes designating the funds to be used at the “discretion of the department”. When we learn of these contributions, we certainly share our appreciation with the individual and now we share with the broader community. If you have contributed and have not heard from the Department, please let us know so that we can follow up. Discretionary funds permit us to do things beyond the scope of the normal budget, which enhance the intellectual (and even social) community in the department. Thank you!

Gifts from AlumniRaymond Lord (‘60)

Thomas Dyke (‘66)

James Stevens (‘75)

Samuel Gerritz (‘88) andBristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Greg Dallinger (‘05)

John and Sally Linman, parents of Matthew Linman (’05)

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Paul Bonvallet✦ How to Think Like an Organic Chemist

College of Wooster Alumni gathering, Lakeside, OH, July 2009✦ To the Molecule and Beyond: Improving Materials with Supramolecular Chemistry

Otterbein College, Westerville, OH, November 2009

Sibrina Collins✦ African American Contributions to Science

Department of African Studies, The College of Wooster, September 2009✦ It’s All Chemistry: Alternative Energy, Gold Therapeutics, and Hip Hop

Faculty Research Luncheon Series, The College of Wooster, October 2009✦ Student Engagement and Teaching Strategies: Sometimes You Really Do Want to Hide Under Your Desk

Panelist, Inaugural Conference, The Center for Diversity and Global Engagement, The College of Wooster, March 2010✦ African American Women in Science

Feminist Methodologies Speaker Series, The College of Wooster, March 2010✦ 2-Phenyl-1,10-Phenanthroline: Reactivity with Gold(III) Salts

Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (CERMACS), Dayton, OH, June 2010

Paul Edmiston ✦ The Discovery and Commercial Development of Swellable Glass

Department of Chemistry, The College of Wooster, February 2010✦ Water Remediation using Organosilica-Based Materials and Nanoparticle Composites that Swell in the Presence of Organic

Contaminants239th American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2010

✦ Simplified Method to Extract Biofuels from Aqueous Mixtures Using Orgnophilic Silicas that Rapidly and Reversibly Swell239th American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2010

✦ Pilot Scale Testing of Swellable Organosilica-Nanoparticle Composite Materials for the In Situ and Ex Situ Remediation of Groundwater Contaminated with Chlorinated OrganicsFederal EPA Roundtable: Innovative Technology, May 2010

Sarah Schmidtke ✦ Solvent and Structural Effects on Charge Transfer in para-Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives

Gordon Research Conference on Photochemistry, poster presentation, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, July 2009✦ Environmental Impact on the Spectral Properties of para-Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives

Inter-American Photochemistry Society Winter Conference, St Petersburgy, FL, January 2010✦ Sweating the Small Things: UV-Absorber Photochemistry

Science Round Table, The College of Wooster, March 2010✦ pH- and Solvent Dependent Spectral Properties of para-Aminobenzoic Acids

National American Chemical Society Meeting, oral presentation, San Francisco, CA, March 2010✦ Environmental Impact on Charge Transfer in para-Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives

Wright State University, April 2010

Melissa Schultz✦ Sex, Drugs, and Happy Fish: Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment

Ashland University, June 2009.✦ Co-authors: Dustin R. Klein*, David F. Flannelly*

Use of stir bar sorptive extraction-liquid desorption for determination of triclocarban and other PPCPs in wastewater238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., August 2009

* Wooster undergraduate

Invited Lectures & Papers/Posters PresentedSee also student

presentations at

meeting, pages 31-33.

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New Grants and AwardsMRI-R2: Acquisition of an X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF) to Enhance Undergraduate Research at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI); National Science Foundation, M. A. Pollock (PI), S. Judge (co-PI), G. C. Wiles (co-PI), P. N. Kardulius (Senior Personnel), S. Y. Lehman (Senior Personnel), M. M. Schultz (Senior Personnel).Engineering Organosilica Materials that Rapidly and Reversible Swell for Water Remediation; National Science Foundation, Chemical and Biological Separations; $126,000; 2009-2011; Paul L. Edmiston.Produced Water Treatment Using Animated Organosilicas that Rapidly and Reversible Swell; National Science Foundation; $149,850; 2010-2011; Paul L. Edmiston.Frac Fluid and Flow Back Water Treatment Using Animated Organosilicas that Rapidly and Reversible Swell; Department of Energy, SBIR; $98,150; 2010-2011; Paul L. Edmiston.

Continuing Grants and AwardsMRI: Acquisition of an LC/MS/MS to Enhance Undergraduate Research and Teaching; National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation; $226,115; August 2008-July 2011; Melissa Schultz, PI; Paul Edmiston, Mark Snider, co-PIs; Paul Bonvallet and Catherine Fenster, Senior Personnel.A Comprehensive Assessment of the Potential for Endocrine Disruptors to Impact the Reproductive Potential of Fish Populations in the Chicago Area Waterways; Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; $328,504; February 2009-January 2012; Heiko Schoenfuss (St. Cloud State University, Dalma Martinovic (University of St. Thomas), and Melissa Schultz.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 Gottfried, Daniel Campbell, Jayme Caspall, and Paul Edmiston.

Grants & Awards

Melissa Schultz (cont.)✦ Co-authors: Edward T. Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Amanda Logue*, Meghan M. Painter, Heiko L. Schoenfuss

Accumulation of antidepressant pharmaceuticals in fish neural tissueProceedings of the 30th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November 2009

✦ From Walgreens® to Our Streams: Sex, Drugs, Soap, and Happy Fish in the EnvironmentMary Baldwin College, VA, November 2009

✦ Depression, Drugs, and Happy Fish: Occurrence, Fate, and Biological Consequences of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals Ohio Wesleyan University, January 2010 Minnesota Department of Health, January 2010

✦ Co-Authors: Edward T. Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Amanda Logue*, Meghan M. Painter, Heiko L. SchoenfussSelective Uptake of Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals in Fish Neural TissueAbstracts of Papers (poster), 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA, March 2010.

Melissa Schultz, Mark Snider, and Stephanie Strand (Biology)✦ Biological Degradation of Sertraline in the Enviornment

Science Round Table, The College of Wooster, April 2010

James West✦ Co-author: Hailey Brown*

Examining the influence of the Sulfur Assimilation Pathway on the Regulation of Yap1 Activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiaMidwest Stress Responsive and Chaperone Meeting, Evanston, IL, January 2010

✦ Co-author: Chelsea Stamm*Structure-Activity Comparison of the Cytotoxic Properties of Diethylmaleate and Chemical Analogs14th American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology National Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 2010

✦ Cellular Responses to Thiol-Reactive MoleculesUniversity of Michigan Life Sciences Institute, March 2010

* Wooster undergraduate

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Discovered accidentally by Paul Edmiston in 2004 and first witnessed by his former student Colleen Burkett ’06, OsorbTM is a silica-based glass that is capable of neutralizing the effects of toxic liquid spills, whether in bodies of water or on dry land. OsorbTM swells to more than eight times its size as it surrounds and “swallows up” various liquids such as gasoline and other solvents. What makes the substance especially attractive is its resistance to water. Because it will not dissolve or swell in water, the substance 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, OsorbTM can 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.

To produce OsorbTM, Edmiston founded a parent company in Wooster, ABSMaterials Inc. The College of Wooster holds the OsorbTM patent. In its first year of operation, the company received a $25,000 Clean Energy Prize from a competition sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy. Since then the company has received grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

In the NewsCollege of Wooster Technology Poised to Clean-Up

Gulf Waters and Contaminated Sites

College of Wooster Graduates Who Are

Employed at ABS Materials

✦ Laura Underwood (’08)✦ Justin (Jay) Keener (’10)✦ Deanna Pickett (’10)

Doug Martin, Jay Keener, Rob Dufala (ABS Intern

from the University of Dayton), Dr. Steve Jolly

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Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.

AlbertEinstein

Over a four-year period, we carried out an in-depth review of the “state of the department”. A visiting faculty member during this time expressed the legitimate concern that we were “building a Grecian palace on a plywood platform.” Our College-required 10-year curricular review officially began in 2005 in collaboration with the Educational Policy Committee (EPC). As part of the process, an external consultant (Professor Nancy Mills, Trinity University, San Antonio) facilitated a weekend workshop where the entire Chemistry curriculum was on the “table”. External reviewers (Professors Tim Elgren, Hamilton College and Jeanne Pemberton, University of Arizona) conducted a two-day comprehensive visit. We held focus groups with and gathered survey data from current students and alumni. We held HOURS of meetings and retreats to fully discuss where we were and where we wanted to be. With so many new faculty, we had a lot to learn from and about each other and benefited from the guidance of the senior faculty. We left no stone unturned. Bottomline, we had some phenomenal strengths, as well as some areas of weakness and serious concerns about sustainability. So, we set a course for change. Throughout our courses we are incrementally integrating more research along with more collaborative learning (POGIL in-class and more out-of-class group work). In fall 2009, we implemented our revised introductory chemistry courses and continued making changes in the Introduction to Independent Study (Jr. I.S.). We have improved our ongoing departmental assessment from the first year through Sr. I.S. to evaluate the process skills and content knowledge that our students are developing. We recognize that we have longstanding traditions of excellence in teaching, research, and comprehensive mentoring to uphold, and we accept this responsibility enthusiastically. As always, the students are at the heart of we do, and we want to be sure we are serving them well!

Chemistry for theScience Major

110. INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY Fundamental facts, concepts, and theories of chemistry and mathematical skills are emphasized. Topics include matter, measurements, calculations, elements, atomic theory, atomic mass, the mole, ionic and molecular compounds, types of bonding, mole calculations, types of reactions, limiting reagents, percent yield, solutions, gases, quantum mechanics, orbitals and electrons, electronic structure, atomic periodicity, and Lewis theory. Emphasis will be placed on problem-solving and the development of critical thinking skills. The course is intended for students with limited chemistry and math preparation in high school. Three class hours per week.

120. PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRYFundamental facts, concepts, and theories central to chemistry are examined. The topics include VSEPT, valence bond, and molecular orbital theories, intermolecular forces, solutions and colligative properties, chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms, equilibria (chemical, acid-base, aqueous, ionic), thermodynamics (enthalpy, entropy, free energy), and electrochemistry. The laboratory focuses on fundamental techniques, data manipulation, notebook and reporting skills. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

Curriculum Changes

The mediocre teacher tells.The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates.The great teacher inspires.

--William Arthur Ward

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Introducing ...Habiba Vaghoo joins the department in the fall of 2010 as a full-time visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Habiba grew up in a small town on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She received her B.A. in chemistry from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 2003. She went on to the University of Southern California, Los Angeles and received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2008. She stayed with her advisor, Professor G. K. Surya Prakash, as a postdoctoral research associate from January 2009 through July 2009. In August 2009, she returned to Concordia College as a Visiting Assistant Professor teaching organic chemistry.

Habiba’s research interests are organofluorine chemistry; design and synthesis of fluorinated antimalarial analogs based on existing drugs by strategically introducing fluorinated groups such as CF2H.

Robert Woodward also joins the department in the fall of 2010 as a full-time visiting Assistant Professor. Robert attended The Ohio State University receiving a B.A. in chemistry and B.S. in biology in 2006. He went on to receive a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry in 2010. Robert brings to Wooster a sound understanding of both disciplines — chemistry and biology.

Bob is interested in the design of carbohydrate-based inhibitors for emerging targets in bacterial defense mechanisms and mechanism-based studies of protein glycosylation systems.

Commencement 2010

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Ronald Tebbe has been with The College for six years as the Instrument Technic ian/Machin is t for the Science Departments. He repairs and maintains the instruments and equipment used in research and in the labs. He also prepares the reagents and supplies for the Organic Chemistry Lab sections. This past year, Ronald has rebuilt several of the Departments vacuum pumps.

Lee Hothem has been with the College for 37 years as Instrumentation Electronics Technician for the Department of Electronics Laboratory. He primarily repairs or modifies equipment for the science departments, but if time permits will take on other projects. He also does a lot of maintenance and preventat ive maintenance on such i tems as spectrophotometers, vacuum pumps, shop equipment, dollies, and carts. Recently, he repaired and modified all the older Fisher and Corning 4-inch hot plates by installing dual LED indicators to show when plugged into an AC outlet, and also momentary power surges to the heating element.

Mary Cornelius completed a full-year of service in the Department of Chemistry. Having completed a full academic calendar, Mary is beginning to feel more at home with the routines of the Department. Some of her duties this year included supporting Jerry Patterson in his role as Safety Director and Mary Kilpatrick in her role as Project Director for the B-WISER Science Camp. The majority of her time is spent supporting Diane Rossey. Some of Mary’s projects included providing support for the visiting professor search, editing the Department of Chemistry’s I.S. Poster Abstract Booklet, coordinating student employment, and writing the “Beyond the Bond” monthly student newsletter. We are very excited that we launched a paperless application for student employees.

Mary Kilpatrick completed her 18th year with the Department of Chemistry. 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.

She was Project Director of the B-WISER camp, a summer science camp for middle-school girls sponsored by the College of Wooster. For the second year in a row, she applied for and got a $10,000 grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for B-WISER programming. In addition she got grants from Wayne County Community Foundation for the B-WISER environmental science classes and the Noble Foundation for scholarships.

Jerry Patterson was recognized at the Service Recognition Awards Luncheon in May 2010 for ten years of service.

This was the eighth year that Jerry attended the annual conference of the National Association of Scientific Material Managers (NAOSMM). The 2010 conference was held in Norfolk, VA. It was a great place to have the conference even though it was hot and humid.

After many years of trying to obtain a comprehensive chemical inventory system, we have successfully purchased a web based system. We have capabilities for utilizing bar coding, scanning of the bar codes on containers and other assets, printing material safety data sheets from the system, and creating and printing detailed monthly reports.

For the second year in a row, the Chemistry Department employed a student from the WooCorp Program for the summer of 2010. This was the second year Amber Skaretka (’10) has helped us. Additionally, Amber shared her time between the Chemistry department and the Biology department. Amber was instrumental in starting the data entry process into the new chemical inventory system.

It wouldn’t be a complete report without mentioning that Jerry had a complete knee replacement during the spring. The department didn’t see Jerry for six weeks as he recovered from surgery. Now he is “flying” around the building as if he never had surgery.

Diane Rossey celebrated her 31st year with the department on September 1, 2009. Diane’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, maintaining the Chemistry and Pre-Health web sites, budget tracking, assisting Chemistry Club with announcements and posters, preparing this Annual Report, and arranging the many details associated with the annual Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture series.

Diane, along with seven other Wooster Administrative Coordinators, attended the Great Lakes Colleges Association 2nd Annual Academic Secretary Conference on October 23, 2009 at Oberlin College — “Healthy Individuals, Healthy Organizations.” Other attendees were from Denison, DePauw, Kenyon, Oberlin, and Wabash. Diane finds the monthly Wooster Academic Administrative Coordinators meetings very informative and helpful.

Diane continues to compete in the Wayne County Fair. She received a Best of Show ribbon on an artistic floral arrangement entered September 2009.

Staff

Rossey, Cornelius, Kilpatrick, Patterson

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During the spring semester Roy Haynes audited World Music, offered for the first time.

Roy has been active in the lab. One research effort centered on trying to convince NBD chloride (4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole) to undergo a reverse electron-demand Diels Alder reaction using electron-rich alkenes; no success so far. He did discover that NBD-chloride reacts with dimethyl sulfoxide; have not yet characterized the products.

Roy worked with Melissa Schultz by synthesizing a known metabolite of bis-phenol A to use for LC and MS comparison to the suspected metabolite. Because the literature synthesis is low yield and tedious, he is trying to develop an alternative synthesis, which may have produced other possible metabolites. The isolation and characterization are in progress.

On the personal side Roy continues being active at First Presbyterian Church, Wooster primarily by singing in the choir. He volunteers weekly at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and monthly doing custodial work at the Viola Startzman Free Clinic. He participated in the Back-to-School Program and the Christmas Gift Program of People to People Ministries. For the former he guides young boys through clothing selection; for the latter he guided a parent, grandparent or guardian through the selection of appropriate gifts for a youngster.

He continues to enjoy sailboarding and sailing when the conditions are appropriate. In 2009 he was able to sailboard once in November wearing full wet suit gear. Biking various rails-to-trails with his wife and friends and biking on his own around Wayne Count provides both exercise and enjoyment. He put a little over 800 miles on his Trek 720 in 2009. Winter provided many opportunities for cross-country skiing.

Last summer Virginia Pett worked with Mark Snider to crystallize a protein, and they obtained promising results.  A collaborator at Colgate University optimized the crystallization, acquired diffraction data, and solved the structure.  Interestingly, although other proteins that catalyze similar reactions often have a Zn2+ ion in the active site, this one does not.  This October Virginia attended the Pittsburgh Diffraction Society meeting, gathering more ideas for protein crystallization.

Invited talk summer 2009:  Pett, Virginia B.  Teaching crystallography in physical chemistry.  238th ACS National Meeting, Washington, DC, (August 16-20, 2009) CINF 69.

Poster presented by Roger Klein at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting in Anaheim, CA, April 2010.  Virginia attended the meeting also, and heard the session on structural genomics.

Roger D. Klein, Virginia Pett, and Robert Bouchard.  Investigating the Chaperone Ability of

Two sHsp Isoforms Based on Protection of a Model Substrate. FASEB J. 24: 464.1

Journal article just appeared October, 2010:  Pett, Virginia B.  Teaching crystallography to undergraduate physical chemistry students.  J. Appl. Cryst. (2010). 43, 1139-1143.

Emeriti Faculty

William Kieffer 1940-1942 1946-1980

John Reinheimer 1948-1985 Deceased December 26, 2003

LeRoy Haynes 1961-1999

David Powell 1964-2001

Theodore Williams 1959-2001 Deceased November 11, 2005

Charles Borders 1968-2002

Richard Bromund 1967-2006

Paul Gaus 1977-2008

Virginia Pett 1981-2009

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Alumni NewsDecember 2009 — Erin Greiner (’06, Chemistry) is the co-author on a paper: Xiaofeng Gu, Erin R. Greiner (’06), Rakesh Mishra, Ravindra

Kodall, Alex Osmand, Steven Finkbeiner, Joan S. Steffan, Leslie Michels Thompson, Ronald Wetzel, and X. William Yang; Serines 13 and 16 Are Critical Determinants of Full-Length Human Mutant Huntingtin induced Disease Pathogenesis in HD Mice; Neuron 64, 828-840, December 24, 2009. Erin is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

January 2010 — Tamutenda Chidawanyika (’08, Chemistry) began work at Weill Cornell Medical College after graduating from Wooster. She is a co-author on a paper that was published in Nature (Vol 461, October 1, 2009). Inhibitors selective for mycobacterial versus human proteasomes. Tamu is in the process of applying for medical school.

February 2010 — After graduate school at Michigan State University, Anne Fischer (’01, Chemistry) completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the US Naval Research Laboratory, followed by a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation. She currently works as a Staff Scientist at Strategic Analysis, Inc., providing technical guidance and program oversight to various research programs at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the S&T funding arm of the Department of Defense. It's an amazing position — she’s at the forefront of cutting edge research in many different areas including chemistry, materials science, and mathematics. Every day is different, exciting, and challenging.

March 2010 — Matthew Linman (’05, Chemistry) received a prestigious American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Fellowship. Matt was selected nationally as one of the top three graduate students completing their doctorates in analytical chemistry in 2010. He is at the University of California at Riverside.

May 2010 — Chikio Chan (’04, BCMB) received her Ph.D. from Yale University in the Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics program. Her advisor was Thomas D. Pollard, M.D. Thesis title: Structural modulations of actin filaments by S. Pombe cofilin. Chikio is working in a biotech equity research division at an investment bank in San Francisco. She uses her scientific training to evaluate clinical pipelines of public companies to advise clients in the market potential of their drugs, and hence the value of their equity offerings.

June 2010 — Luke Stetzik (’09, BCMB) is a lab manager/research technician at the Neurobehavioral Lab at Akron University.

June 2010 — Jennifer Sorrells ('02, Chemistry) completed her Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Emory University, and completed a postdoc with Karen Wooley, starting at Washington University in St. Louis then moving with Professor Wooley to Texas A&M. In June 2010, Jen took a job with Kior, Inc. "a leading biofuels company located in Houston TX, commercializing revolutionary catalytic processes for converting biomass to high quality bio-crude (http://www.kior.com)."

July 2010 — Jennifer Penrod Comito (’00, Chemistry) was employed at the J. M. Smucker Co. as a food chemist in Quality Assurance and then Quality Control after graduating. She discovered that working in a plant was not for her. She began substitute teaching and thoroughly enjoyed it. She attended The University of Akron for a Master’s in Secondary Education with licensure in chemistry, physics, and physical science. After graduation she began teaching chemistry and AP chemistry at Canton McKinley High School. Jen’s husband of 10 years, Chris, enabled her to recently quit working and be at home with their two sons: Daniel (4) and Kenny (1). While at home, Jen started a network marketing business with Discovery Toys. She helps families and teachers find educational products to best meet the learning needs of the children in their lives. At the right is a photo of Jen, Daniel, and Kenny.

July 2010 — After graduating, Julie Zeller (’00, Chemistry) attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati. From there she entered residency in Emergency Medicine in 2004 as a member of the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center in Boston, MA. She completed residency in 2007 and took a position in Myrtle Beach, SC with her now husband Scott Goudie. Recently, June 2010, they moved back to the greater Boston area and are working for the Associated Physicians of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, MA. They are expecting their first child in October 2010. Alumni Weekend 2010

Distinguished Alumni Awardswere presented to

Jane Morley Kotchen (Chemistry, ’60)Dale Swift (Chemistry, ’80)

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The Department of Chemistry invited the following people to give Departmental Seminars:

Scott CummingsDepartment of Chemistry, Kenyon CollegeLuminescence from Platinum (II) Terpyridine Complexes

Paul EdmistonDepartment of Chemistry, The College of WoosterThe Discovery and Commercial Development of Swellable Glass

Jessica GilmanResearch Chemist, Earth System Research Laboratory, Chemical Sciences DivisionNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of CommerceVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Impacts on local air quality and regional transport

Chem

istry

SeminarsBiochemistry & M

olecular Biology

BCMB seminars were given by the following:

Mark Hanke (BCMB, ’04)Postdoctoral Fellow, Integrated Biomedical Graduate Program, The Ohio State UniversitySympathetic Nervous System Influence on the Neuroimmune Effects of Social Stress

Dehua PeiDepartment of Chemistry, The Ohio State UniversityCombinatorial Chemistry and Its Applications in Biomedical Research

Wade H. PowellBiology Department, Kenyon CollegeDioxin Insensitivity in Frogs: Structure and Function of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

Andrea RomaniDepartment of Physiology & Biophysics, Case Western Reserve UniversityMagnesium, the Overlooked Cation: Role in Liver Physiology and Pathology

Christopher TaylorPlant Pathology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OHAgrobacterium Applications to Genomics(Co-sponsored with the Biology Department)

Severance Hall

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✦ One of Dr. Gray’s textbooks is used in CHEM 401: Introduction to Independent Study. Chemistry Club sponsored a book signing with Dr. Gray to celebrate Earth Day.

✦ Dr. Gray participated in the Senior Research Symposium by sharing his thoughts in an informal conversation to cap off the session on environmental science.

✦ The 2011 Free Lecture will be given by Dr. Sara Risch, principle in the consulting firm of Science By Design. She is also active in the Agriculture and Food Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society.

Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture presented

by Harry B. Gray

Harry B. Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and the Founding Director of the Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology. After graduate work at Northwestern University and postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen, he joined the chemistry faculty at Columbia University, where in the early 1960s he developed ligand field theory to interpret the electronic structures of metal complexes. After moving to Caltech in 1966, he and coworkers developed experimental methods that have shed light on the factors that control electron flow through proteins.

Gray has received the National Medal of Science from President Ronald Reagan (1986); the ACS Priestley Medal (1991); the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences (2003); the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2004); the Welch Award in Chemistry (2009); and 16 honorary doctorates. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences; the American Philosophical Society; the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters; the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; the Royal Society of Great Britain; and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.

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TECHNICAL LECTUREElectron Flow through Proteins

Electron transfers in photosynthesis and respiration commonly occur between metal-containing cofactors that are separated by large molecular distances. Understanding the underlying physics and chemistry of these biological electron transfer processes is the goal of much of the work in my laboratory. Employing laser flash-quench triggering methods, we have shown that 20-angstrom, coupling limited Fe(II) to Ru(III) and Cu(I) to Ru(III) electron tunneling in Rumodified cytochromes and blue copper proteins can occur on the microsecond time-scale both in solutions and crystals. Redox equivalents can be transferred even longer distances by multistep tunneling, often called hopping, through intervening amino acid side chains. The lessons we have learned about the control of electron tunneling and hopping through biological molecules are now guiding the design and construction of sensitizer-modified proteins and other molecular machines for the production of fuels from sunlight and water.

PUBLIC LECTUREPowering the Planet with Solar Fuel

The sun is a boundless source of clean energy, but it goes down every night. We and many others are trying to design solar-driven molecular machines that could be used on a global scale to store solar energy in chemical bonds by splitting water into its elemental components, hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that could be used directly or combined with carbon dioxide to produce methanol, a liquid fuel. We are working on rugged light absorbers and catalysts made from Earth abundant materials that have the potential to split water as efficiently as natural photosynthesis.

The Helen Murray Free Endowed Lecture Series

was established by Helen's children and endowed

through the Al and Helen Free Foundation. Each year,

this endowed fund will bring to campus a renowned

chemical scientist, who will interact with chemistry

students at a technical level and present an all-college

convocation on the contributions of science to the

quality of life.

2007 Mary Lowe Good

University of Arkansas

2008 Richard N. Zare

Stanford University

2009 Jacqueline K. Barton

California Institute of Technology

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Brad Palanski Receives Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

The College of Wooster News Release — May 3, 2010

Brad Palanski, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major, was chosen to receive a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for his outstanding achievements in coursework and research experiences. The prestigious national award is presented annually to sophomores and juniors in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering. The scholarship, which can be applied to tuition, books, and room and board, is highly competitive with fewer than 30 percent of the more than 1,000 applicants selected each year.

"Brad is a truly exceptional student and very deserving of this recognition," said Mark Snider, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry & molecular biology as well as advisor to Palanski. "He is one of the most dedicated students I have observed. He is intellectually curious, identifies a manageable set of project goals, demonstrates effective time management in completing tasks, asks probing questions, and is articulate in both oral and written communication. He is one of those rare students who shows the ability for creative, independent, and original thought. He is, in many ways, already functioning as a graduate student."

One of the primary considerations in the selection process is the development of a research proposal, and Palanski chose to describe his Independent Study project (Wooster's nationally acclaimed undergraduate research experience), which examined the impact of discarded anti-depressants on the environment.

"Brad's research proposal was very well developed and clearly articulated," said Snider. "His work in the lab is highly independent. He carefully studies the literature to figure out a concept or learn a theory behind a technique before asking questions; he is invigorated to find workable solutions to experiments that present difficulties; and his work is done extremely carefully and thoughtfully. He is fully cognizant that getting the science right is more important than appearing right, and he readily uses feedback to assess his performance. These attributes clearly demonstrate to me that Brad has the personal characteristics, self-motivation, and potential to become an exceptionally successful scientist."

Palanski, who has participated in Wooster's Sophomore Research experience and its Howard Hughes Medical Institute program, said he is honored to receive the award, and hopes it will serve as a steppingstone for graduate school, where he plans to pursue a Ph.D. and teach at the college level after graduating from Wooster.

As for his experience at Wooster, he is grateful for the opportunities he has received. "Wooster has given me a chance to do research and think critically," said Palanski, who serves as a tutor for organic and general chemistry and the writing center, and is a member of the Chemistry Club and the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club as well as the varsity tennis team. "It is unusual to be able to work independently on research with guidance from faculty members the way you can at Wooster."

Goldwater Scholars are nominated by faculty members at colleges and universities nationwide. Those selected receive up to $7,500. Award winners have impressive academic qualifications, and most go on to obtain a Ph.D. in their chosen field of study. The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986. The scholarship program, which honors the late Senator Barry M. Goldwater, has awarded more than 6,000 scholarships worth approximately $58 million.

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Sarah Blosser (’13, Chemistry) Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship in Chemistry Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society First-Year Chemistry Award

Thomas Bohl (’12, BCMB) John W. Chittum Prize in Chemistry

Rebecca Craig (’13) CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award

Allison Curtze (’12, Chemistry) American Chemical Society Polymer Education Committee Award

Matthew Henke (’11, BCMB) Lewis LaShell Memorial Scholarship

Roger Klein (’11, BCMB and Physics) Theron L. Peterson and Dorothy R. Peterson Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement Cary R. Wagner Prize in Chemistry

Melissa Morgan (’13, Chemistry) CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award

Brad Palanski (’11, BCMB) American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry Robert E. Wilson Award

Paige Piper (’13, BCMB) CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award

Kaitlynn Wilson (’12, Chemistry) John W. Chittum Scholarship

Matthew Worth (’13) Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society First-Year Chemistry Award

The Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship in Chemistry 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 2010-11 Johnston Scholarship recipient is Christine Kasprisin of Lino Lakes, MN. Christine attended White Bear Lake Area High School South Campus where she took advanced biology as well as accelerated chemistry and biochemistry courses.

Recognition of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-Year Students

Herrick L. Johnston Scholarship in Chemistry

wooster named one of top 10 colleges for undergraduate teachingThe College of Wooster News Release — August 25, 2009

U.S. News & World Report has singled out The College of Wooster as one of the top 10 colleges in America that “do the best job of teaching undergraduates,” according to a survey of college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans. The new ranking was released as part of the 2010 edition of America’s Best Colleges.

Wooster was also recognized, for the eighth consecutive year, for having “outstanding” under-graduate research opportunities and a “stellar” senior capstone experience: Independent Study.

“Excellence in teaching and mentoring students, culminating in the one-on-one research experience of Independent Study, is at the absolute heart of what we do at Wooster,” said President Grant H. Cornwell. “So it’s particularly gratifying to have that commitment recognized by our peers.”  

The other liberal arts colleges that ranked in the top ten for their commitment to teaching were Pomona, Swarthmore, Davidson, Oberlin, Earlham, Carleton, Haverford, Williams, and Reed.  

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes mentored, independent research. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project, written work, performance, or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.

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30th Society of EnvironmentalToxicology and Chemistry North American MeetingNew Orleans, LANovember 19-23, 2009

Talk presented by student:

David F. Flannelly (’10, BCMB), Dustin R. Klein, and Melissa M. Schultz Quantitative Determination of Triclocarban and other PPCPs in Wastewater by Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction-Liquid Desorption LC/MS/MS

Whad’Ya Know? airs from McGaw ChapelNPR delves into Wooster community and college

The Voice — September 18, 2009Anna Mudd, Voice Staff

Radio host Michael Feldman, announcer Jim Packard and the Whad’Ya Know? jazz trio joined Wooster students and the greater community Saturday, September 12, 2009 in McGaw Chapel for a broadcast of the live radio quiz show, “Whad’Ya Know?” During the two-hour event, audience members were treated to little-known nuggets of northeast Ohio trivia — who knew that newborn boys in Massillon are given footballs — through interviews and quizzes with locals, audience members and call-in contestants.

“Whad’Ya Know?” is a live radio quiz show that is broadcast on NPR stations. The show has been broadcasting for 24 years and is based out of Madison, Wisconsin, but it travels to other cities and towns around the nation.

Michael Feldman started off with a Wooster version of All the News That Isn’t, in which Feldman reads fake headline related to local events and places. The show moved on to an interview with Paul Locker from the Daily Record. Following that was a little Q and A and clever banter with audience members, the Whad’Ya Know? quiz and Bever-Beaver Street jokes galore.

An actual Whad’Ya Know? quiz goes like this: Feldman selects a member of the audience to come onstage, and then asks a question for a call-in listener to answer. If the caller answers correctly, then he stays on the line and works with the on-stage participants to answer a series of local-themed and often ridiculous questions. In fact, you probably didn’t know that the first Wooster football team was called the Presbyterian Steamrollers, or that the average commuting time in Wooster is 11.3 minutes. One question even asked whether it is better to have 200 meals and 450 Flex Dollars, or 240 meals and 300 Flex Dollars. Meal plan A was clearly the right answer.

The end of the program came with the jazz trio playing another tune, and Michael Feldman and the Whad’Ya Know? crew claimed that they had seen every inch of Ohio before coming to Wooster. It was decided, mostly by the audience, that they saved the best for last.

Feldman used Melissa

Schultz’s research for one

of the questions in the quiz. It was a multiple

choice question about fish

and depression.

Severance Hall

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San Francisco, CAMarch 21-25, 2010

239th American Chemical Society National Meeting !

Wooster Scientists Present Research, Receive Award at ACS National MeetingThe College of Wooster News Release — April 2, 2010

Three faculty members and six students from The College of Wooster recently returned from the American Chemical Society's (ACS) national meeting in San Francisco, where they not only shared their research with thousands of other scientists, but also received an award (honorable mention) for their work as a student chapter of the ACS.

Paul Edmiston, associate professor of chemistry, Melissa Schultz, assistant professor of chemistry, and Sarah Schmidtke, assistant professor of chemistry represented the faculty, while seniors Rachel Bennett, Deanna Pickett, Elana Stennett, and Laura West, along with juniors Zachery Matesich and Elizabeth Sakach, represented the student body.

"Our students did an excellent job in communicating the results of their research to the greater scientific community," said Schmidtke. "It was a wonderful opportunity for them to travel to a national meeting and participate in larger conversations about science. They were able to meet and listen to some of the preeminent chemists from around the world. The degree of participation by both students and faculty at the conference is indicative of the high-caliber research being performed by undergraduates at Wooster."

Edmiston, in collaboration with Pickett and West, explained the applications and properties of a swellable glass material (Osorb) he discovered that is able to remove contaminants from ground water. Pickett analyzed the large-scale applications; West looked at use of the material as a method for testing for diseases, such as tuberculosis; and Edmiston discussed the applications of using it to remove contaminants from water and its applications to biofuels.

Bennett, who also worked with Edmiston, presented work she has done in developing sensors that would be

able to monitor or detect the presence of materials that are commonly used in explosives.

Schultz presented research analyzing the selective uptake of antidepressants in fish in both laboratory and field studies - a result of their exposure to the contaminant in the water. Sakach, in conjunction with Schultz and Cate Fenster (assistant professor of biology), looked at methods for measuring the presence of bisphenol-A (BPA, an endocrine-disrupting chemical found in many plastics and a contaminant in water) and its metabolites (byproducts) in biological samples. Her results suggest that a metabolite, which potentially has 10,000 times more estrogenic activity than BPA, is found in mice that have been exposed to BPA through their drinking water.

Stennett, who studied under Schmidtke, presented research about the acid/base properties of a series of benzophenones that are FDA-approved active ingredients in sunscreens. The compounds exhibit changes in their absorbance depending upon the pH of their environment, which is important to understand for both product formulation and their fate as an emerging contaminant in aqueous environments.

Schmidtke, Matesich, and Mitchell Thayer, a sophomore at Ohio Northern, presented their joint research analyzing the role that small modifications of a molecule and its surrounding (solvent/pH) can play upon its reactivity following exposure to UV radiation. The group has been studying PABA (an FDA-approved active ingredient in personal-care products as a UV-absorber and also used medicinally to treat infections of the eye) and its derivatives. Understanding the photochemistry as a function of solvent/pH is important in the formulation of commercial products (like sunscreens) and in understanding the fate of the compound in the environment, where they are an emerging contaminant.

Participation in the annual meeting was made possible by the College's student travel fund, faculty grants, local and national ACS funds, and institutional grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Science Foundation, and Wooster's Physics Research Experience for Undergraduates.

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American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyNational Meeting

Wooster Students Shine at National Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Competition

seven undergraduates present their research, and two receive honorable mention citations

The College of Wooster News Release — May 10, 2010

College of Wooster students made quite an impression at the 14th annual ASBMB (American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) National Meeting and Undergraduate Poster Competition, which was held last month in Anaheim, Ca. Seven students represented Wooster among the 200 undergraduates in the competition, and two of those students - Brad Palanski and Ginny Kincaid - received honorable mention citations, which placed them in the top 10 percent of student research presentations at the meeting.

"Students gave 10-15 minute poster presentations about their research project and were judged by a panel of three scientists with expertise in the discipline," said Mark Snider, associate professor of chemistry and chair of the biochemistry & molecular biology program at Wooster. "After each presentation, the judge would ask questions to assess the depth of the student's understanding of the research, methods, implications of results, and future directions of the research. We are pleased with the seven students who represented Wooster at the conference. Having two of them receive recognition at the national level for their research is quite an accomplishment and speaks highly of our students and our program."

Palanski, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Sharon, Pa., presented his sophomore research project: "Guilt by association: Functional annotation of TM0486 from Thermotoga maritima by identification of its bound ligands." His study successfully determined the function of a protein from the bacterium Thermotoga maritima using mass spectrometry to identify the small organic molecules (ligands) with which the protein is associated.

"Having the opportunity to see scientists at the cutting edge of their field give presentations was inspiring, especially

because I was already familiar with their work through my classes and research," said Palanski. "Also, the chance to present my own research to professors, professionals, and other students allowed me to receive valuable feedback and constructive criticism, which will strengthen the quality of my research."

Kincaid, a senior chemistry major from Indianapolis, presented "Kinetic studies of the hydrolytic deamidase NicF." Her Senior Independent Study project focused on the involvement of the enzyme NicF in the breakdown of nicotinic acid (vitamin B) in Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb), a causative agent of respiratory infection.

"I had an awesome experience at the national meeting," said Kincaid. "Not only did I meet some great people, but I was also challenged to think more critically about my research and future plans."

Also representing Wooster at the conference were Chelsea Stamm, Chantal Koechli, Allyson Palmer, Haley Brown, and Roger Klein, as well as faculty members Dean Fraga and James West.

Stamm, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Louisville, Ohio, discussed "Monitoring cadmium binding to the yeast transcription factors Yap1 and Yap2," which focused on determining how cadmium activates Yap1 and Yap2 by studying the localization of fluorescently-tagged proteins in mammalian cells. The significance of knowing how these proteins react to stress is that the knowledge can be applied to better understand similar mechanisms found in human cells.

"The undergraduate poster competition was especially rewarding because we could talk about science and college in general." said Stamm. "It was also very interesting being able to attend talks and posters about leading research instead of reading old techniques from textbooks."

Koechli, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Greer, S.C., addressed "Breakfast of champions: The degradation of sertraline hydrochloride by Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5," which analyzed sertraline (ZoloftTM), a commonly prescribed anti-depressant that has recently been shown to pollute aquatic and soil environments, and its adverse affect on water- and soil-dwelling organisms. Her objective was to identify a microbial organism that would be able to efficiently metabolize sertraline. She discovered that sertraline is able to break down over time in a wastewater sludge environment and identified Pseudomonas fluorescens

Anaheim, CAApril 24-28, 2010

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Pf-5 as a species able to degrade sertraline. This provides hope for potential future use of the species in remediation methods targeting sertraline and sertraline-like pollutants in the environment.

"My experience at the conference reassured me that my choice of major was the correct one for me at Wooster," said Koechli. "I realized that Wooster has given me a great education. I had the scientific background to grasp the main concept of all of the talks I attended, as well as having the critical thinking skills to analyze the research being presented and correlate it back to concepts I have learned over the past year."

Palmer, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major from Burghill, Ohio, presented "Characterization of a dimeric phosphagen kinase in Phytophthora sojae suggests an early origin of phosphagen kinase dimers," a study that used a phosphagen kinase, a family of enzymes that play important roles in energy metabolism in humans, as a model to study the evolution of new structures and functions in proteins. The phosphagen kinase from Phytophora sojae, a protozoan, was studied to learn more about the early evolution of these proteins. This enzyme was found to use a substrate previously unrecognized in protozoans, and its conformation as a dimer is rare in early phosphagen kinases. These findings will help provide a clearer picture of the evolution of the enzymes in this family.

"Attending a national conference was a great experience because I had a chance to immerse myself in the current scientific research that is going on around the country and the world," said Palmer. "I attended talks on areas of research in which I've participated, as well as research I have an interest in doing in the future or just love to hear about. It was also a very enjoyable experience to present my own research and to talk to other researchers about my findings, ways to improve my study, and how it relates to other areas of research."

Brown, a sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major from Wilmette, Ill., addressed "Examining the influence of the sulfur assimilation pathway on the regulation of the antioxidant response in baker's yeast," in which she studied baker's yeast and how it responds to oxidative stress, which is useful because yeast are good model systems. The results of this study have potential implications in dealing with some of the effects (cancer, aging) of oxidative damage in mammalian cells. The goal of her research was to examine how knocking out one response to stress impacts the main antioxidant response pathway in yeast. The results suggest that the overall magnitude of the antioxidant response is higher in cells that can't use the sulfur assimilation pathway to help in detoxifying harmful oxidants.

"It was difficult to plan which lectures to go to because I was intrigued by so much of the research going on," said Brown. "After each talk, I left with a feeling of awe and amazement at getting to learn firsthand about discoveries being made in the lab. I was much more confident explaining my poster because I knew that despite my status as an undergraduate, I was still contributing to the exciting world of

research and investigation. This experience also showed me how fortunate I am to be at Wooster where, as a sophomore, I have already been able to do research and present it to a wider community of biochemists."

Klein, a junior from Grosse Pointe, Mich., with a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology and physics, presented "Investigating the chaperone ability of two sHsp isoforms based on protection of a model substrate" a study of two small heat-shock proteins that have the potential to protect the native proteins of a plant, such as those necessary to maintain normal cellular processes.

"By participating in a national conference, I was able to see some of what is going on in the world of science," said Klein. "By being able to interact with scientists at every level and hear talks from scientists from a variety of different backgrounds, I was able to learn about exciting new techniques as well as get a broader idea of what life as a researcher is like."

Dean Fraga, professor of biology, presented "Three members of the unusually large family of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B, calcineurin) in Paramecium have distinct roles in calcium dependent processes," which included two Wooster alumni as coauthors: Ray Gaines, a 2008 Wooster graduate, and William Barrington, a 2010 graduate.

"Our students were very engaged at the meeting, attending all the sessions they could and fielding questions about their work from professionals in the field," said Fraga. "I found it particularly gratifying to see how well our students presented their work to other scientists, and how they handled the questions that followed."

James West, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, presented "Comparison of cell death induced by diethylmaleate and structurally related analogs." West's poster dealt with how cells respond to a family of reactive molecules, some of which are use clinically to treat psoriasis. The study, which was co-authored with Chelsea Stamm, suggests that introducing slight modifications in chemical structure of the molecule diethylmaleate can have a significant impact on a molecule's potency in terms of its ability to bring about cell death.

"The ASBMB meeting program was altogether excellent this year," said West. "We started off on Saturday with the students presenting in the Undergraduate Poster Competition, where they represented the college very well, and ended the day with a lecture on the cellular roles of small RNA molecules by Nobel laureate Phil Sharp. I think all of us returned to Wooster revitalized and excited, ready to share what we had learned and experienced with others on campus."

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OFFICERS

Gretchen Lockhart President

Mary Kate Lockhart Vice President

Blake Smith Secretary

Elana Stennett Treasurer

Max Mullen Outreach Coordinator

CHEMISTRY CLUB SEMINARS

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 Richard HardyXIM Inc., Westlake, OH

The Task of Formulating with Today’s Government Regulations

XIM Products, Inc. was founded in 1935 as a manufacturer of bonding primers and sealers. Early XIM products had the characteristics of both a paint and an adhesive. One of the earliest products was designed to bond to aluminum without pre-treating or etching. They also offer many primers, sealers, specialty coatings additives and surface preparation products known for their fast drying and fantastic adhesion to all sorts of materials and surfaces.

Thursday, April 8, 2010 Lynda Jolly Bennett (’79)Retired Patent Attorney

I Like Research, But... Alternative Chemistry Careers

After working for seven years as an analytical chemist for electric companies, Mrs. Bennett went to law school at night. She then worked for ConocoPhillips Company (formerly Phillips Petroleum Company) for 22 years. During her patent career, the technologies she worked on included plastics (primarily polyolefins), polymerization catalysis, oil refining processes and pipeline drag-reducers, and flow improvers.

CHEMISTRY CLUBChemistry Club’s major objectives for the 2009-10 academic year were to recruit new members during Scott Spirit Day, use lab apron and goggle sales as a means to increase funds for outreach and activities, bring in speakers from fields outside of academia to introduce members and other chemistry majors to alternative chemistry careers, increase the number of social activities for club member, and give back to the community through outreach activities. The club received support from Campus Council for travel expenses of speakers, outreach programs, and activities/advertising supplies for meetings. Two members, Zachery Matesich and Elana Stennet, received funds from the National Meeting Travel Grant-ACS Student Chapter to attend the National Meeting in San Francisco, CA where they both presented posters (see also page 31).

Outreach activities for this year included a variety of demonstrations:• Sugar Column — density• Disappearing Coffee Cup — polymer chemistry• Pink Ice — acid-base chemistry• Cornstarch and Water — pressure

Scientific explanations accompanied each demonstration presented to students of elementary through high school age.

To kick off Mole Day on October 23, club members gathered for a social where they made liquid nitrogen ice cream and carved pumpkins.

For Earth Day, the club sponsored a book signing with Dr. Harry B. Gray, the Helen Murray Free Endowment Lecture speaker. Dr. Gray’s book is used in CHEM 401: Introduction to Independent Study.

On April 17, Chemistry Club participated in Science Day, a daylong campus event open to the public at which every science club on campus provided activities; all ages were welcome. The activities of the Chemistry Club included Flubber, disappearing coffee cup, liquid nitrogen ice cream, and pink ice.

Max, Mary Kate, BlakeElana, Gretchen

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Chemistry MajorsClass of 2010

Standing: Bryan Albani, David Flannelly, Max Mullen, Rachel Bennett, Jared Steed, Laura West, Rebecca Hartsock, Deanna Pickett, Sara Wiswell, Blake Smith, Justin Keener Sitting: Elana Stennett, Virginia Kincaid, Gretchen Lockhart, Amy Toolis, Amelyne Major, Alexander Anderson Missing: James Aryeetey

In the Spring of 2010, 17 seniors gradated with a major in Chemistry. James Aryeetey graduated in October 2009. Of these, Jared Steed graduated with a double major in Chemistry and Mathematics. Five students graduated with minors:

Rebecca Hartsock — EducationJustin Keener — Mathematics and Environmental Studies

Amelyne Major — PsychologyElana Stennett — Religious Studies

Laura West — English

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Entering graduate school: Bryan Albani The Ohio State University Rachel Bennett Georgia Institute of Technology Virginia Kincaid University of Wisconsin-Madison (integrated program in biochemistry) (Virginia will defer for a year to travel and work on an organic farm.) Max Mullen The Ohio State University Jared Steed The Ohio State University Elana Stennett Arizona State University (physical chemistry)

Entering health professional school: Gretchen Lockhart University of Toledo Laura West University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Sara Wiswell Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Employed: Alexander Anderson TerraSalus David Flannelly Teach for America Corps (high school teacher in the Mississippi delta area) Justin Keener ABS Materials, Wooster, OH Rebecca Hartsock Riverview High School, Coshocton, OH Deanna Pickett ABS Materials, Wooster, OH

James Aryeetey’s plans are uncertain.Amelyne Major is seeking employment and eventually plans to attend graduate school.Blake Smith plans to pursue a master of science in Physician Assistant Studies.Amy Toolis would like to work for a chemical company to gain experience in a lab setting. Her future plans include continuing her education.

Commencement 2010

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Prizes, Awards, and ScholarshipsAwarded to Seniors

Bryan Albani Endowed Faculty Scholarship Fund Manges Prize

Rachel Bennett American Institute of Chemists Award

David Flannelly William Byron Ross Memorial Prize in Chemistry

Rebecca Hartsock Department of Chemistry Citizen Award Barbara Ward McGraw Memorial Prize

Justin Keener William A. Galpin Award for General Excellence in College Work (Men/1st) David A. Guldin Award (Men) Phi Beta Kappa Prize Cary R. Wagner Prize in Chemistry Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society Senior Award

Virginia Kincaid Merck Index Award

Gretchen Lockhart Joseph E. Weber Premedical Award

Elana Stennett William Z. Bennett Prize in Chemistry Jonas O. Notestein Prize Wooster Section of the American Chemical Society Senior Award

Laura West Karen Diane Cross Memorial Award G. Julian Lathrop Memorial Award Francis and Elizabeth Twinem Prize

Sarah Wiswell Endowed Faculty Scholarship Fund

Departmental Honors wereawarded to:

Rachel BennettDavid Flannelly

Rebecca HartsockJustin Keener

Virginia KincaidGretchen Lochkart

Elana StennettLaura West

Sara Wiswell

Elected to Phi Beta Kappa:

David FlannellyJustin Keener

Virginia KincaidGretchen Lockhart

Elana StennettLaura West

Majors who received American Chemical Society Certification

in Chemistry:

Brian AlbaniRebecca Hartsock

Amelyne MajorMax MullenBlake Smith

Elana StennettLaura West

Commencement 2010

Recognition of Seniors C

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Rachel Bennett Receives Earnest B. Yeager Award

The College of Wooster News Release — May 28, 2010

Rachel Bennett, a recent College of Wooster graduate and a resident of Tulsa, Okla., has been named an Ernest B. Yeager award winner by the Cleveland Chapter of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and the Analytical Topics Group of the American Chemical Society (ACS).The award recognizes Bennett's achievements in independent research, particularly in spectroscopy (the identification of chemical compounds), for which she will receive a certificate, a monetary award, and a year's

membership in SAS. The award will be presented later this month at the annual Conference on Spectroscopy and Analytical Chemistry at John Carroll University, where Bennett will give a presentation on her research.

"I am very honored that Dr. (Paul) Edmiston (associate professor of chemistry at Wooster) even considered nominating me, and thrilled to have won the award," said Bennett, who also received the American Institute of Chemists Senior Award and was named to the Dean's List. "I think it is a great way of sharing the work of the Wooster chemistry department with the greater scientific community, and I am excited to be a part of that."

Bennett's Senior Independent Study (I.S.) project (Wooster nationally acclaimed undergraduate research experience), for which she received honors, was titled, "Development of a Sensor for Gas-Phase Triacetone Triperoxide Using Waveguide Interferometry." Her work involved the development of an explosives detector specifically for triacetone triperoxide (TATP), which is a liquid explosive commonly found in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including the one assembled by the shoe bomber. Bennett used a laser set-up and a planar fiber optic material, the waveguide (like a fiber optic cable, but just on a flat piece of glass), to measure how the optical properties of a polymer film changed as it was exposed to TATP.She then measured those changes, or responses, for the application to an explosives sensor that could be applied to airport security, military operations, and other potential targets.

"My I.S. experience has taught me so much," said Bennett, who presented her research at the annual American Chemical Society meeting in March and also served as a lab assistant for general chemistry and was a member of the chemistry club while at Wooster. "It really developed my skills as an independent researcher, which I'm sure will be invaluable as I begin graduate school. All of my classes gave me a good foundation to help with my work, and I.S. was very helpful in teaching me what kinds of questions to ask in order to make progress with my research. I feel very prepared for the next step in my career and cannot thank my mentors enough, especially Dr. Edmiston, for helping get to this point and guiding me through the whole process."

Edmiston, who will continue to work with Bennett on the TATP sensor project this summer, offered high praise for his prized pupil. "The Yeager Award is very prestigious," he said. "Rachel's work in developing spectroscopic sensors for liquid-based explosives is timely and needed, given the use of these agents in terrorist activities. These liquid-based explosives prevent the public from bringing liquids onto airplanes. We hope the success of this project will add a new tool to the detection of these explosives."

Bennett, who will attend Georgia Institute of Technology and pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry this fall, joins an impressive list of Wooster students who have won the award during the past 50 years.

Previous College of Wooster Recipients of

the Yeager Award

1963 John H. Konnert

1967 Richard D. Ash, Jr.

1968Jon Mynderse

1969 Virginia E. Coates

1980 Alexander Kondow

1986 Anne M. Mulichak

2002 Richard Barger

2005 Stacey Dean

2006 Colleen Burkett

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Senior Independent StudyJames AryeeteyS. N. CollinsSynthesis and Characterization of Iron and Cobalt Salts with p-phenylenebis(picolinaldimine)

Bryan AlbaniS. N. CollinsThe Synthesis and Characterization of Potential Anticancer Gold(III) Coordination Compounds

Alexander AndersonK. J. FeierabendPhotochemistry of Oxalic Acid and Malonic Acid in Aqueous Solution at Different Protonation States

Rachel BennettP. L. EdmistonDevelopment of a Sensor for Gas-Phase Triacetone Triperoxide Using Waveguide Interferometry

David FlannellyM. M. Schultz and M. J. SniderWastewater, the New Lipstick in Feminization: The Analytical Determination of a Range of Endocrine Disruptors in the Chicago Watershed

Rebecca HartsockJ. C. Amburgey-Peters and M. W. Broda

(Education)Correlating Engagement and Performance of Students and Analyzing Curriculum Changes in The College of Wooster Introductory Chemistry Course, Chemistry 110 Fall Semester 2009

Justin KeenerP. A. BonvalletOptimization of a Wittig Polymerization for Use in OLEDs

Virginia KincaidM. J. SniderNicotinic Acid Degradation in Bordetella bronchiseptica: Kinetic Studies of the Hydrolytic Deamidase NicF

Gretchen LockhartJ. C. Amburgey-PetersThe Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) Assay as a Simple Screening Test for Phospha-tidylserine Analogs

Amelyne MajorJ. C. Amburgey-PetersA Novel Phosphonate Method for the Synthesis of Cyclohexyl Phosphoserine Molecules as Phospholipid Analogs

Max MullenP. A. BonvalletA Study of the Kinetic and Binding Properties of Dimeric Calix[4]arene Capped Azobenzene

Deanna PickettP. L. EdmistonIn Situ Remediation of Groundwater Contaminants Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene by Swellable Organo Silica-Nano Zero Valent Iron Composite Materials

Blake SmithS. N. CollinsThe Synthesis and Characterization of Anti-Cancer Gold Complexes and Anti-Bacterial Silver Complexes Using the BAP Ligand

Jared SteedK. J. Feierabend and R. D. Pasteur (Mathematics)Investigation of the Kinetics of Aqueous Dicarboxylic Acids Under Tropospheric Light Conditions and the Application of Systems of Ordinary Differential Equations to Model Chemical Kinetics

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Elana StennettS. J. Schmidtke and K. J. FeierabendElucidating the pKa of Three Hydroxybenzo-phenone Derivative Sunscreen Molecules through Computational and Experimental Methods

Amy ToolisP. A. BonvalletDabbling with DABAL: Synthesizing 4,5-Dimethylcatechol from the Trimethylaluminum Adduct DABAL-Me3

Laura WestP. L. EdmistonDiagnosis of Active Tuberculosis Infection Using Animated Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Materials

Sara WiswellS. N. CollinsThe Synthesis of a 2-Phenyl-1,10-Phenanthroline-Gold(III) Complex for its Potential Anti-Cancer Properties

What exactly is INDEPENDENT STUDY?

For more than 60 years, every Wooster graduate has had the experience of creating

something genuinely new and valuable through I.S.: Independent Study.

I.S. is a year-long project that allows you to throw yourself into an idea you care

about. It's like being in a class of one. (Literally. I.S. takes the place of one of your

four classes each semester of senior year.)

With the one-on-one support and guidance of a faculty adviser in your senior year,

you'll take a journey of self-discovery — culminating in a major research paper, an

art exhibit, or a performance — that pulls together what you've learned and shows

others where you've been.

It's a significant piece of work, but you don't go there all at once. Wooster's

curriculum is structured to prepare you, from your first semester on campus, for the

kind of scholarly, critical inquiry that I.S. demands.

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Majors Class of 2010

Standing: Seth Maurer, Mohit Ballaney, Marc Christian, Nathan Gemberling-Johnson (degree pending), Andrew Trembath Sitting: Ryan Story, Kimberly Krall, Allyson Palmer, Chantal Koechli, Angela Grass, Akane Fukuda, Emily Barth Missing: William Barrington, Minyoung Heo, Brandon Michels

In the Spring of 2010, 14 seniors gradated with a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB). Of these, Marc Christian graduated with a double major in BCMB and Mathematics. Five students graduated with minors:

Emily Barth — PhilosophyMinyoung Heo — Mathematics

Chantal Koechli — FrenchKimberly Krall — Art History

Seth Maurer — PhilosophyAllyson Palmer — French

Andrew Trembath — Economics

Brandon Michels opted for early admission in the fall of 2009 to The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (see page 45).

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Entering graduate school: Mohit Ballaney Johns Hopkins University (M.S. in biotechnology, followed by an MBA/J.D. dual degree) Marc Christian Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (industrial & systems engineering) Angela Grass University of Pittsburgh (genetic counseling program) Entering health professional school: Emily Barth The Ohio State University Brandon Michels The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (Fall 2009) Ryan Story The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Entering M.D./Ph.D. Program: Allyson Palmer Mayo Clinic, MN

William Barrington is participating in the summer research program at OARDC. His future plans include attending graduate school.Akane Fukuda moved back to Japan to prepare for transfer into medical school.Minyoung Heo plans to pursue a career in biomedical research as a scientist.Chantal Koechli’s future plans are to complete a year of service (potentially City Year or teaching a year of English in France) and then attend graduate school in either soil science or environmental microbiology.Kimberly Krall is currently searching for research positions to gain work experience. Her future plans include attending a graduate school in either chemistry or biochemistry.Seth Maurer plans to conduct research this summer at the OARDC on biological control. His future plans include attending graduate school.Andrew Trembath plans to attend graduate school.

Commencement 2010

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Departmental Honors wereawarded to:

Emily BarthChantal KoechliAllyson Palmer

Ryan Story

Elected to Phi Beta Kappa:

Emily BarthChantal KoechliAllyson Palmer

Ryan Story

Elected to Beta Beta Beta (Biology):

Emily BarthMarc Christian

Chantal KoechliSeth Maurer

Allyson Palmer

Elected to Phi Sigma Iota (Foreign Languages):

Allyson Palmer

Elected to Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy):

Emily BarthSeth Maurer

Prizes, Awards, and ScholarshipsAwarded to Seniors

Emily Barth James Kendall Cunningham Memorial Prize Dan F. Lockhart Outstanding Senior Award Jonas O. Notestein Prize Joseph E. Weber Premedical Award

Marc Christian Vivien Chan Prize in Interdisciplinary Sciences Foster Prize in Mathematics

Chantal Koechli William A. Galpin Award for General Excellence in College Work (Women/1st) David A. Guldin Award (Women) Sisodia-Williams Prize in Biochemistry

Allyson Palmer Karen Diane Cross Memorial Award Endowed Faculty Scholarship Fund

Ryan Story Dan F. Lockhart Outstanding Senior Award Joseph E. Weber Premedical Award

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Senior Independent StudyMohit BallaneyS. S. Strand (Biology)Should Doctors Determine the Genotype of the Histoplasma capsulatum Strain Causing Chronic Histoplasmosis Prior to Prescribing Antifungal Drug Treatments to Patients Suffering from the Disease?

William BarringtonD. Fraga (Biology)Characterization of the Calcineurin Gene Family in Paramecium tetraurelia

Emily BarthP. L. Edmiston (Chemistry)Viral Pathogen Removal from Water using Swellable Organically Modified Silica

Marc ChristianW. R. Morgan (Biology) and J. L. Hartman (Mathematics)Differential Gene Expression of H. Bacteriophora TTO1 in Response to Heat Stress

Akane FukudaS. S. Strand (Biology)Comparing the Acidity of Histoplasma capsulatum-Containing Phagosomes in P388D Cells and RAW 264.7 Cells Using Fluorescent Microscopy

Angela GrassS. S. Strand (Biology)Identifying Genes Required for Growth in Histoplasma capsulatum Under Osmotic Stress Conditions

Minyoung HeoW. R. Morgan (Biology)Yeast Functional Genomic Screens to Explore the Function of P. infestans’ RxLR Effectors

Chantal KoechliS. S. Strand (Biology)Breakfast of Champions: The Degradation of Sertraline Hydrochloride by Pseudomonas fluorescens

Kimberly KrallP. L. Edmiston (Chemistry)Chemical Analysis of Materials used to Create the Paint Found on The College of Wooster’s Egyptian Coffin

Seth MaurerJ. D. West (BCMB) and B. McSpadden-Gardener (OARDC)Capacity for Microbial Biomass to be Used in Biological Control to Manage Plant Pathogen Growth: Advancement of Pseudomonas flourescens Strain Wayne1R as a Biocontrol Agent Through Identification of Novel Biocontrol Genes

Allyson PalmerM. J. Snider (Chemistry) and D. Fraga (Biology)Expression and Characterization of Phytophthora sojae Phosphagen Kinases

Ryan StoryM. J. Snider (Chemistry)NAD Catabolism: Identification of a 6-Hydroxy-nicotinate 3-Monooxygenase in Bordetella bronchiseptica

Andrew TrembathC. P. Fenster (Biology)Assessing the Effects of Neuregulin-1 on Chemical Long Term Potentiation in Cerebellar Granule Cells in vitro

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Brandon Michels granted early admisison to Ohio StateHow many students can say they have performed surgeries on large animals before entering veterinary school? Brandon Michels is one of the few.By the time Brandon was a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major at The College of Wooster, he had assisted veterinarians in numerous operations on large animals — dairy cattle, beef cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats — over the past two years while shadowing at the Sugarcreek Veterinary Clinic, in part because of his education at Wooster.Superior Science

“I had heard a lot about Wooster and its science curriculum,” said Brandon, a resident of Uhrichsville, Ohio, and a graduate of Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School. “I knew I would be challenged.”And he was right. Brandon has had to work hard to achieve a 3.4 grade point average, which he believes is better than many students from other institutions with higher grade point averages. “I’ve always been told that a ‘B’ at Wooster is like an ‘A’ at a lot of other schools,” said Brandon, whose father is a vice president at a local bank and whose mother is a waitress. “I believe I was better prepared because of my education at Wooster.”Early Admission to Veterinary School

Evidently administrators at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine agreed because they extended Brandon an invitation to enroll a year early. Most students have to wait months for a verdict, but Brandon had to wait only minutes. In fact, just after his interview, Brandon received a call on his cell phone from the interviewer, who said, “You’re in.”It was a thrill for Brandon, who loves the outdoors and has been working on farms in and around Tuscarawas County since he was 16. One of the farmers, Hans Bichsel, took a liking to Brandon and introduced him to the joys of farming, but it was his high school anatomy teacher, Marilyn Kramer, who had the greatest influence. “She encouraged me to think about becoming a veterinarian,” he said.Going Wooster’s Way

After graduating from high school, Brandon chose Wooster, and he was not disappointed. “Wooster’s science courses prepared me well,” he said. “They were stringent and encouraged me to think outside the box. You don’t just memorize information here. Professors put you in situations and force you to think about how your decisions would affect outcomes.”The outcome for Brandon has been extremely satisfying, but not at all surprising. He entered the program at Ohio State in the fall of 2009, which required that he forego his senior year at Wooster. Brandon was really disappointed that he didn’t get to do I.S., but he could not pass up the opportunity to enroll early.Fortunately, Brandon maintained his ties to Wooster. He marched with his classmates at commencement. His undergraduate degree is from Wooster, and that was very important to him.

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Senior Research SymposiumOn April 23, The College of Wooster did not hold any conventional

classes; instead the College itself became a classroom as the Class of 2010 demonstrated the projects they developed this academic year. Students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members were encouraged to move around the campus and listen to presentations, view art exhibits, ask questions about research posters, and explore the work of the senior class.

All Chemistry Majors and BCMB Majors presented posters of their Independent Study projects. In addition, students had an opportunity to present their work orally.

Oral Presentation: Modern Warfare

Rachel Bennett Sensing the Mother of Satan: Development of a Sensor for Gas-Phase Triacetone Triperoxide Using Waveguide Interferometry

Oral Presentation: Environmental Science — Water

Deanna Pickett In Situ Remediation of Groundwater Contaminants Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene by Swellable Organo Silica-Nano Zero Valent Iron Composite Materials

David Flannelly An Analytical Determination of a Range of Endocrine Disruptors in the Chicago Watershed

Chantal Koechli Breakfast of Champions: The Degradation of Sertraline Hydrochloride by Pseudomonas Fluorescenes

Reflections on Environmental Science — Guest lecturer Dr. Harry B. Gray shared his thoughts in an informal conversation to cap off the session on environmental science. Dr. Gray gave the Helen Murray Free Endowed Lecture (see page 27).!

Oral Presentation: Agricultural Change

Marc Christian Differential Gene Expression of H. bacteriophora in Response to Heat Stress

Melissa Schultz and Paul Bonvallet served as moderators for two of the oral sessions.

Rebecca Hartsock with Drs. Amburgey-Peters and Broda (Education) were participants on a Student/Faculty I.S. Panel. Rebecca’s Independent Study was a chemical education research project. Her study explored the correlation of student engagement and performance in the introductory chemistry course and the effectiveness of curriculum revisions made to the course.

The Senior Research Symposium was supported by the Henry J. Copeland Fund for Independent Study.

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Department of Chemistry 2010 Summer Research ActivitiesHHMI Summer Research Scholars

Ryan Burzese (’11) with Sarah SchmidtkeAcidity of a Class of UV-Absorbers: pKa Analysis of Benzophenone Derivatives

Matthew Henke (’11) with Mark SniderCloning and Characterization of NicX, a novel Extradiol Dioxygenase Involved in Nicotinic Acid Degradation

Michael Krasnor (’12, Neuroscience) with Mark Snider and Stephanie Strand (Biology)Identifying Bacterin in Aerubic Wastewater Sludge Capable of Degrading Sertraline

Emily Linville (’12) with Paul EdmistonDrug Delivery Using Animated Materials

Elizabeth Sakach (’11) with Melissa SchultzAnalysis of Antidepressants in Fish

Katherine Stencel (’11) with Mark Snider and Melissa SchultzTransformation of Sertraline by Aerobic Sludge

Eric Sullivan (’11) with Mark SniderMechanistic Studies of NicF, a Maleamic Acid Amidohydrolase Involved in Nicotinic Acid Degradation

Jason van Houten (’11) with Mark Snider and Dean Fraga (Biology)Myxococcus Xanthus Novel Arginine Kinase Kinetics

HHMI SEER Participants

To attract and retain under-represented students in the sciences, the Summer Early Engaged Program (SEER) program provided fellowships to graduating high school seniors to participate in a four week summer research experience, under the guidance of a faculty member and an upper class student mentor. The student mentors participated in the 8-week SRS program and then integrated first-year students into the project during the final four weeks of the program.

Christine Kasprisin and Matthew Naticchia with Ryan Burzese and Sarah Schmidtke

Samantha Martinez and Eric Painting with Matthew Henke and Mark Snider

Sophomore Research Participants

Rebecca Craig (’13) with Karl FeierabendPhotochemistry of Aqueous-Phase Short Chain Dicarboxylic AcidsStephen Wanner (’12) with Paul EdmistonPhosphogen Kinase Structure Function Relationships

Feierabend and Craig

Snider, van Houten, and Fraga

Snider, Krasnor, Stencel, Strand, and Schultz

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Participants with External Funding

National Science Foundation EXP — Paul EdmistonEmily Barth (’10)Third World Water ProtectionRachel Bennett (’10) Explosives Detection Using Waveguide InterferometryGideon Mabeny (’12) Produced Water AnalysisLaszlo Marcze (’12) Virus Capture Using Swellable GlassMelissa Morgan (’13) Synthesis of Organosilica that SwellsPaige Piper (’13) Vapor Capture by OrganosilicaMatthew Varga (’12) Cadelytic Dechlorination of Groundwater ContaminationLaura West (’10) Vapor SensorsAdam Will (’13) Explosives Detection: TATP and TNT

AMREapplied mathematics research experience

Melissa Venecek (’12) and Pamela Wales (’11) with Sarah SchmidtkeComputational Chemistry to Determine the Free Energy of Adsorption of Rubber Chemicals

The AMRE is a program initiated by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science designed to give students experience in the practical applications of mathematics and computer science which the classroom cannot provide. Student teams and faculty advisors are joined with a business, industry, or agency (client). This partnership is beneficial to all involved. The student participants are exposed to the practical applications of mathematics and computer science in a “real world” setting and acquire knowledge which will aid them in their senior independent study and later in life. The faculty advisors have the opportunity to be involved with a very select group of students in a summer activity, while contributing to research. Clients have the opportunity to tangibly support education and obtain solutions to problems that would most likely not be addressed internally.

Back: Naticchia, McGuire, Burzese, KasprisinFront: Venecek, Wales, Schmidtke

Back: Wanner, Varga, Will, Cornwell, West, Bennett, Mabeny, MorganFront: Linville, Marcze, Barth, Edmiston, Song, Piper, Leisure

Hotchkiss High School Pre-College Research Program — Paul Edmiston

MacIntosh Cornwell and Hae Jin Song, both students at Hotchkiss High School in New York, participated in the pre-college research program sponsored by the Provost’s Office. Cornwell worked with the thermochemistry of swellable glass while Song used FT-IR to measure the absorption of TATP.

Jane Leisure volunteered her time to worked with Paul Edmiston. She is attending Ohio University, majoring in Physics.

National Science Foundation REU (Physics) — Sarah Schmidtke

Colin McGuire (’12, High Point University)Temperature and pH-Dependence of Fluorescence of PABA and Its Acid Derivatives

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2010 Summer Activities at Other LocationsJohnBain(’11)UniversityofCincinnatiAdvisor:AnnaGudmundsdottirProject:Studying1,3BiradicalsUsingLaserFlashPhotolysis

ColleenBartman(’12)UniversityofToledoAdvisor:DonaldR.RonningProject:DNARecombinationandProtein/DNAInteractions

EricJohnson(’12)WashingtonUniversity,St.LouisAdvisor:LindaSandellProject:GeneticMouseModelsofCartilageRepairandOsteoarthritisResistance

SamanthaJustice(‘12)TheCollegeofWooster—HHMIJamesWestProject:CharacterizingtheYap1StressResponseinS.cerevisiae

MaggieKehm(’12)OARDCAdvisor:FengQuProject:MolecularCloningofArabidopsisDicer‐Like2(DCL2)Gene

MaxMullen(’10)TheOhioStateUniversityAdvisor:PrabirK.DuttaProject:SynthesisofLanthanumStrontiumAluminumManganateforHighTemperatureOxygenSensors

JeffreyNoel(’12)PurdueUniversityAdvisor:KivitaShahProject:CyclinDependentKinase5’sRoleinTumorandAlzheimerSuppression

BradPalanski(’11)FundaciónInstitutoLeloir,BuenosAires,ArgentinaAdvisor:ArmandoParodiProject:MechanismsofN‐linkedproteinglycosylation

JesseRossington(’11)OARDCAdvisor:FredMichelProject:Experimentingwithbio‐ethanolproductionprocesses

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Department of ChemistryTop Ten List

Why you should attendThe College of Wooster and declare a

major in the Department of Chemistry.

✦ Classes are small, even in Introductory Chemistry — less than 35 students per section — and advanced courses are smaller. Students get to know their professors; they can get help from a professor, a student tutor (free) or regularly scheduled review sessions.

✦ Every year an average of 30 students (about 50:50 men and women) graduate with a major in chemistry or biochemistry & molecular biology, more than most schools the size of Wooster.

✦ Wooster is nationally recognized for its program of Independent Study. For more than fifty years the College has mentored every graduate to complete an Independent Study research project.

✦ Few departments in liberal arts colleges are as well equipped with research instruments as The College of Wooster. Students are introduced to these tools as early as their first year in chemistry.

✦ Over the last decade the work of 154 students has been featured at professional meetings, and 20 peer-reviewed articles have appeared in professional journals with student co-authors.

✦ The department recognizes the excellence of our students through nineteen awards, prizes, and scholarships.

✦ Students have the opportunity to meet the requirements for an American Chemical Society Certified Degree in chemistry.

✦ Chemistry Club is a student-run organization that is a nationally recognized and award-winning student chapter of the American Chemical Society.

✦ Historically (1920-1995), Wooster ranks second among four-year private institutions, judged by the number of students who went on to earn the Ph.D. in chemistry. (Baccalaureate Origins of Doctoral Recipients, 8th Edition, Franklin & Marshall College.)

✦ Severance Hall is one of the best liberal arts science facilities in the country.

!Severance Hall