UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM IN MAY A SUCCESS--

                        HELP MAKE IT A BIGGER SUCCESS NEXT YEAR!

 

Every year, the Connecticut Valley Section organizes an Undergraduate Research Symposium followed by a luncheon and Awards Ceremony at the end of the academic year.  This year the University of Connecticut hosted this annual event at the Chemistry Department on April 24th.   Six students presented research talks and twelve students presented posters.  Altogether, five institutions were represented: Connecticut College, Trinity College, US Coast Guard Academy, University of Connecticut, and Wesleyan University.  The caliber of talks and posters was impressive.  The students and their presentations are listed below.

 

Start preparing your students now!

Now is the time for undergraduate research advisers to start thinking about presentations for the 2005 Undergraduate Research Symposium.  The event not only gives undergraduate students experience in presenting their work, but it also gives them a chance to meet and discuss chemistry with students from other institutions.  We would like to increase the participation in 2005: Start preparing your students now!

 

Participants in the 2004 Undergraduate Research Symposium

 

Talks:

Kristen Allegue, Department of Chemistry, Trinity College:

“Synthesis of Asymmetrical Diynes toward Building Homoconjugated Hydrocarbon Cages”

 

Stephanie Brown, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Electrolyte Effects on Charge Transport Behaviors of [Os(Bpy)₂(Pvp)₁₀Cl]Cl and [Ru(Bpy)₂(Pvp)₁₀Cl]Cl Redox Polymers in Ultra‑Thin Film”

 

Emily Chu, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Synthesis of Linear Polyenes”

 

Aaron Parker, Department of Science, Chemistry Section, US Coast Guard Academy:

“When A + B ≠  B + A: An Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Exercise

Highlighting the Significance of Order of Addition”

 

Charles Saunders, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Working toward the Synthesis of Castanospermine”

 

Annie Troutman, Department of Chemistry, Trinity College:

“Indium‑Promoted Couplings Leading to Enediyne Formation and Oxy‑Cope Rearrangements”

 

Posters:

Xiu Chen, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Hydrolytic Protein Scissors: Orientation of Proteins Bound to Solids”

 

Amanda Deal (with Mary Grace Galinato and Harry A. Frank), Department of

Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Purification and Spectroscopic Studies of Carotenoids Obtained from Photosynthetic Bacteria Grown under Conditions Inhibiting Phytoene Desaturase”

 

Jason Ewers (with Katherine Launer, Robert Fusco and James D. Stuart), Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Developing a Liquid Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Analysis Method for Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals for the Extracts of Marine Samples”

 

Ryan Fenton, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Progress toward the Synthesis of Methyl‑5‑O‑Methyl‑d‑Glycero‑d‑(ido/gulo)Sepanoside”

 

Erica Govednik, Department of Science, Chemistry Section, US Coast Guard Academy:

“Synthesis of Ferrocenyl Dithiocarbonate Derivatives as a Route to Water‑Soluble and Functionalized D⁸‑Ferrocenyl Dithiolene Dyes”

 

Michael McCormack, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Facially Selective Nucleophilic Additions Controlled by a 4‑Methyl‑1,3‑Dioxane Chiral Auxiliary”

 

Aaron Parker, Department of Science, Chemistry Section, US Coast Guard Academy:

“When A + B ≠  B + A: An Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Exercise Highlighting the Significance of Order of Addition”

 

Jason Paisley, Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University:

“Picosecond Time Resolved Fluorescence Measurements”

 

B. Scott Perrin, Jr., Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Computational Modeling of Zinc Binding to Proteins”

 

Maura Porto (with Nathaniel C. Lim, Lili Yao, Headley Freake, and Christian Bruckner), Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Synthesis of Zinc-selective Chemosensors”

 

Lindsay Todd (with Marc Zimmer), Chemistry Department, Connecticut College:

“The Moderating Influence of Proteins on Non‑planar Tetrapyrrole Deformations.  Coenzyme F430 in Methyl Coenzyme‑M Reductase”

 

Payal Vachhani, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut:

“Locating Magnesium Binding Sites on Proteins: A Gel Electrophoresis Study”