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Chemistry Majors and Faculty Present Research at National Conference

Posted on Friday, April 13, 2007

Five Westminster College senior chemistry majors and three faculty members recently attended the American Chemical Society conference in Chicago.

Dr. Peter Smith, assistant professor, presented two papers: "Luminescence of Tripodal Amine and Aminophenol Complexes of Europium (III)" and "Characterization of Group 3 and Lanthanide Oxide Powders Formed via Precipitation Stripping." He presided over a session and is a member of the Younger Chemists Committee.

Dr. Helen Boylan, assistant professor, represented the department at the open meeting of the Committee on Professional Training.

Dr. Timothy Sherwood, associate professor, attended as a member of a committee to work on the Diagnostic Undergraduate Chemical Knowledge exam to assess graduating chemistry majors. The exam, from the Examination Institute of the American Chemical Society, will become available in 2008.

Valerie Kokai, a daughter of John and Linda Kokai of Wexford and graduate of North Allegheny High School, presented two posters: "Toward Soy-Based Dental Composite Materials," her honors research project; and "The Synthesis of Novel 5- and 6-Substituted Quinazoline Antimalarial Compounds" from her summer research experience in Thailand. Boylan co-authored.

Kyle Schuyler, a son of James and Marjorie Schuyler of Greensburg and graduate of Greater Latrobe High School, presented "Synthesis of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-N', N'-bis-(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)amino-ethyl)-ethane-1, 2-diamine for Bonding to Lanthanide Ions," his senior research project co-authored by Smith.

Andrew Starosta, a son of George and Linda Starosta of Cranberry Township and graduate of Seneca Valley High School, presented "Novel Method for the Tritiation of Photoactivatable Ligands," his senior research project co-authored by Boylan.

Joelle Wells, a daughter of Raymond and Barbara R. Wells of Hubbard, OH, and graduate of Hubbard High School, presented "Rain Repellant Interference with Automotive Glass Filler Adhesion," her senior research project co-authored by associate professor Dr. Martha Joseph.

Amy Wirtz, a daughter of Lynn and Tom Wirtz of Canton, OH, and graduate of Canton McKinley High School, presented "Extraction of Lactic Acid from Aqueous Solution Using Ionic Liquids with Trialkylamine and Tetraalkylammonium Salt-Based Extractants," her honors research project co-authored by Smith.

For more information, contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu.

(L-R) Joelle Wells, Val Kokai, Kyle Schulyer, Amy Wirtz, and Andy Starosta.