22 73 7 47.90 180.95 14.01 Ti Ta N 10 74 16 20.18 183.85 32.06 Ne W S Newsletter of the Westminster College Department of Chemistry Greetings from the Chair Greetings, alumni and friends of the chemistry department at Westminster College! Things have changed around here since our last newsletter. We bid a fond farewell to Dr. Tim Sherwood who has become the dean of mathematics/natural and life sciences at the Oakland Community College outside of Detroit. Dr. Sherwood had been department chair since 2008. We will continue to miss Dr. Sherwood, but we wish him good fortune in his new position! We also said goodbye to Dr. Kristin Butterworth. She was a visiting assistant professor in the department during the 2012-2013 academic year. Dr. Butterworth is now in a permanent position at East Texas Baptist University. With the departure of two friends, we have had the opportunity to welcome two new members to the department: Dr. Francis Barrios and Dr. Johnny Westgate, both of whom are visiting assistant professors for 2013-2014. Dr. Barrios earned his B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and his Ph.D. (organic chemistry, May 2013) at Purdue University. Dr. Barrios is teaching and coordinating our organic chemistry courses this year. Dr. Westgate holds a B.F.A. (in musical theatre) from the University of Windsor, a B.S. (specialist in environmental chemistry) from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. (environmental chemistry, May 2013) from the University of Toronto. Dr. Westgate is teaching our Principles of Chemistry course and Concepts of Environmental Science. For more on Barrios and Westgate, please see page 4. We are currently in the middle of a search for a tenuretrack organic chemistry professor to permanently fill the position left by Dr. Sherwood. The number of chemistry and biochemistry majors continues to be strong. We have 24 first-year and 73 total majors. We are bursting at the seams in a space that is almost 40 years old! Luckily, a greatly improved facility for the sciences is in the works. We are excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to improving our lab space and classrooms, which will allow us to enhance and expand the exemplary work we do with our students. Many of you were educated and worked in Hoyt. If you have not visited the chemistry department in some time, you may be surprised to see that it looks exactly the same. We are clearly in need of new facilities. We would love to hear from you about what aspects of Hoyt you feel most contributed to or detracted from your education. Please stop in and see us whenever you are in the area. All of us in the chemistry department want to catch up and stay in touch with our alumni. Also, never hesitate to contact us if we can ever help you in any way. Kindest regards, Dr. Pete Smith Associate Professor and Chair Westminster College New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001 SPRING 2014 Dr. Sherwood’s New Position at Oakland Community College Dr. Timothy Sherwood was a chemistry professor at Westminster College for 14 years; he also served as chair of the chemistry department from 2008 to 2013. In June of 2013, Dr. Sherwood transitioned from Westminster to Oakland Community College (OCC) in Southfield, Mich. Westminster students and faculty were sad to lose a respected professor. Dr. Sherwood is now the dean of mathematics/natural and life sciences at OCC. As dean, he supervises 55 faculty members and nearly 100 adjuncts, serving as a mentor and manager. A few of his goals as dean are to enhance student learning and to increase the educational consistency across campuses. Although Dr. Sherwood misses his Westminster friends and colleagues, he is enjoying his new role as dean. We would like to wish Dr. Sherwood our best regards and to thank him for his valued contribution to the Westminster Way. Chemistry Awards and Scholarships for Academic Year 2012 – 2013 H. Dewey DeWitt Scholarship Julie Rice ’14 Mamora Maude Dunlap & Ashley Blystone ’12 Dr. Edward Dunlap ’32 Scholarship Dorothy J. Pollock Scholarship Louis Skurcenski ’64 Scholarship Ken Long Book Award Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh Award Jamie Daum ’13 Katherine Farley ’13 Jaimie Daum ’13 Ashley Blystone ’13 Analytical Chemistry Award Jaimie Daum ’13 Penn-Ohio Border Section of ACS Award Jaimie Daum ’13 Freeman Award Lance Jubic ’15 CRC Award Sara Monts ’16 Kennedy Publishers Green Chemistry Articles Dr. Sarah Kennedy, Westminster College assistant professor of chemistry, co-authored two articles regarding Green Chemistry in the Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine. The first article, Going Green: Basics and Benefits of Green Chemistry, outlines the fundamentals of green chemistry and some of the guiding principles for sustainable chemical production. To follow up on the fundamentals, Tips and Resources for Green Process Evaluation describes how specific metrics, such as atom economy and the environmental factor (E-factor) can be utilized to evaluate a chemical production process and identify areas to improve sustainability. The articles can be found on the magazine website, or with the following links: Westminster’s Chem Club Fosters Science Education Locally and Globally Where else can you make ice cream using liquid nitrogen but in Chem Club? This student-focused organization does more than provide fun, food, and science, though. This year the group is involved in outreach programs like Project Malawi and the Origins Afterschool Program. Located in southern Africa, Malawi is a country roughly the size of Pennsylvania and is one of the poorest nations in the world. An estimated 42 percent of Malawians are illiterate, and only about 3 percent receive a secondary education. However, with a grant from the American Chemical Society and help from project founder Dr. Kathy Robertson, the Chemistry Clubs from Westminster, Seton Hill, and Allegheny College are preparing interactive, educational kits to send to the Kalibu Academy High School in Malawi. The Malawi Project hopes to enrich the student’s learning experience and to nurture a life-long love of science. The Westminster Chem Club is also committed to local outreach programs, such as the Origins Afterschool Program. Students from Westminster perform science experiments at schools and also talk with high school seniors about life as a science major. The Chem Club is a growing, vibrant organization with high hopes for the future. The student leadership is strong and committed; they plan to continue developing community-based projects at Westminster, in Lawrence County, and beyond. http://www.wcponline.com/pdf/July%20 2012Kennedy_Nowicki.pdf http://www.wcponline.com/pdf/1211Kennedy_ Nowicki.pdf 2 Chem Club members make liquid nitrogen ice cream as a fundraiser for Project Malawi Class of 2003 – Where are they Now? Amanda Fond Lima (not shown in photo) earned a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. She was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She is now employed at Schafer Corporation as a scientific, engineering and technical advisor (SETA) Caruso, Reino, Battin, Holets, Krone to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va. Amanda is married to David Lima and resides in Crofton, Md. Vincent Caruso is a senior research associate at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals where he serves as a senior analytical chemist with a focus on chromatography and chiral separations. Vince and his wife reside in Levittown, Pa. LT Pasquale Reino, D.O., is a graduate of LECOM medical school and completed an orthopedic residency in Cleveland at South Pointe Hospital. He is in the U.S. Navy where he works as an orthopedic surgeon. Pasquale worked at Fort Meade and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Pasquale and his wife, Cyndi, currently reside in Yokosuka, Japan. Erin Battin earned a Ph.D. in bioinorganic from Clemson University. She is currently a teaching assistant professor at West Virginia University where she teaches general and organic chemistry. Erin resides in Morgantown, W. Va. Heidi Holets, a 2004 biology graduate, is also in the photo. Katie Krone studied at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. She is currently a resident at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., where she is doing a combined residency in internal medicine and pedicatrics. Katie resides in Northampton, Mass. Looking Back on the Long Lectures Westminster College welcomed Dr. Charles Taylor and Dr. Bruce Bursten for the 5th and 6th annual Ken and Nancy Long Chemistry Lectures. Taylor is the director of the Chemistry and Surface Science Division at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). He has also served as president of the Pittsburgh-Cleveland Catalyst Society and as chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Fuel Chemistry. During the 5th annual Long Lecture, Taylor discussed energy challenges and their possible solutions. Accordingly, the mission of NETL is to develop our national energy security and sustainability. Pursuing this objective, NETL has implemented a wide range of research programs focused on developing domestic coal, natural gas, and oil using environmentallyfriendly methods. Bursten is a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Tennessee. He has received numerous awards for his academic accomplishments. These include the 2001 national Catalyst Award from the American Chemistry Council, the 2003 Spiers Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK, and the 2005 Morely Medal. Dr. Charles Taylor In 2008, Bursten served as the president of the American Chemical Society. Offering insight from his position, Bursten highlighted the role of chemistry in solving global issues. Speaking to scientists, students and laypeople alike, he urged everyone to embrace both the challenges and opportunities of scientific discovery. The Westminster chemistry department is grateful for the expertise of both distinguished scientists. Taylor and Bursten contributed to the tradition and academic excellence embodied by the Long Lectures and previous speakers. Dr. Bruce Bursten 3 Westminster Welcomes Two Visiting Assistant Professors of Chemistry Dr. Francis Barrios was born in Puerto Rico, and he did not plan to become a scientist. He wanted to be a cardiologist. But during an organic chemistry seminar, Barrios discovered that he wanted to make medicines, not prescribe pills. So Barrios pursued his graduate studies at Purdue University, where he earned a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry. In fact, Barrios would like to expand his grad school research, modifying natural products for structure-activity investigations. To his students, Barrios advises, “Have passion for what you do, and work hard every day because hard work pays off.” Barrios When Barrios is not in the lab, he enjoys scuba diving at night, when the water’s depths are their most dangerous and their most beautiful. He is also a paintball fanatic. Born in London, Ontario, Dr. John Westgate has dual bachelor degrees in fine arts and in science. At Toronto University, he earned a Ph. D. in environmental chemistry. His research goals include educating people on how the pollutant concentration of ice cores is dependent on the origin of the air before it snows. Westgate has a music studio in his apartment, where he plays guitar, bass, and keyboard. His strangest lab experience was in the glory days of mouth pipetting: he accidentally got rat Westgate blood in his mouth! 2013 Summer Internships and Research Experiences Westminster students not only perform well in class, but they continue their educations throughout the summer. The chemistry department would like to recognize the following individuals for their motivation and talent beyond the classroom: • Allison Rice ’14 interned at the University of Kansas under Dr. Michael Johnson. She investigated the release of dopamine in mice with Huntington’s disease. • Danielle Murtagh ’14 continued her independent study and senior research at Westminster College, which involved separating barium and strontium in precipitates from produced water. • Haley Gabor ’14 interned at Ainsworth Pet Nutrition as a quality control scientist, analyzing food samples for toxins. • Julie Rice ’14 worked at North Carolina State as a summer scholar. She studied the effect of beverages with and without the addition of Rice presents her summer research probiotics. • Katherine Francois ’14 worked with Dr. Stefan France at Georgia Tech, optimizing the organic synthesis of natural products. • Also at Georgia Tech, Lance Jubic ’15 researched the binding of RNA to iron(II), specifically analyzing the folding of Poly U-Fe2+ and P4-P5-Fe2+ complexes. • Laura Nice ’14 worked as a pharmacy technician at the Akron General Medical Center Pharmacy. • Tyler Umstead ’14 interned at Sonneborn in Petrolia, Pa., as a quality control chemist, testing high-purity specialty hydrocarbons. Francois and her summer research mentor 4 Chemistry Department Mourns a Loss Dr. H. Dewey DeWitt, Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, passed away on March 18, 2013. He joined Westminster College in 1956 and was chair of the chemistry department for 27 years. He completed an undergraduate degree at Erskine College and a doctorate at Vanderbilt University. DeWitt was also a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy as a radar and electronics specialist on carriers and at Pearl Harbor headquarters. Prior to starting his academic career, he worked for Monsanto Chemical Company, Southland Paper Mill, and DuPont. An active research scientist, DeWitt authored a number of scientific papers and held more than 30 U.S. patents. After retiring in 1993, DeWitt worked as the college archivist, organizing, labeling, and preserving historical documents that can inform future generations of his beloved Westminster’s past. Under DeWitt’s leadership, the chemistry department instituted a number of initiatives that have made it the esteemed program that it is today. The faculty designed an advanced laboratory program that incorporates work from multiple upper-level courses in the major. This program was a significant innovation in the late 1960s and is still considered a high impact practice in chemistry education today. DeWitt’s team also spearheaded the weekly department seminar program, in which junior and senior chemistry majors hone their presentation skills. Both curricular innovations remain in practice and continue to distinguish Westminster chemistry and biochemistry graduates. DeWitt was remembered by Dr. Timothy Sherwood in a memorial minute during a faculty meeting as “a true southern gentleman with an enthusiasm for life and a deep interest in people.” DeWitt was preceded in death by his wife and is survived by two sons, a daughter, and several extended family members. This treasured friend of Westminster and of our community for more than 50 years will be greatly missed by all who knew him, but his legacy in the chemistry department will be long-lasting! Memorials may be made to the H. Dewey DeWitt Scholarship Fund at Westminster College. 1960 Chemistry Department Dr. Hendry, Dr. DeWitt, Dr. Simmons Chemistry Majors Win Environmental Award Junior Lance Jubic and senior Tyler Umstead earned one of the prestigious Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards in May 2013 for their roles in the development of a comprehensive, yet approachable website, detailing the effects of hydraulic fracking on local water quality. On the website, people can view educational videos and links, monitor the latest news and data, learn about upcoming events, and share information about water quality near fracking sites. Part of this program also involves volunteer participation to monitor the water near drilling sites and to hold fracking companies accountable. Routine monitoring of total dissolved solids can indicate spills and pipe leaks, and this data can be uploaded to the Web page. This information helps individuals and communities evaluate environmental conditions of the streams in the area. Hydraulic fracturing has the potential to impact residents in Lawrence and Mercer counties, and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council Jubic and Umstead edit their website acknowledged Lance and Tyler’s effort to raise awareness and to provide easy, public access to water testing data. For more information, visit their website at https://sites.google.com/site/lawrencecountyallarm/. 5 Westminster Students to Use New Scanning Electron Microscope Through National Science Foundation Grant Westminster College science students will have access to a variable pressure scanning electron microscope (SEM) that will be housed at Youngstown State University (YSU) as a result of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The grant was awarded to YSU “for the acquisition of the SEM equipped with high resolution imaging detectors, an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, nanometer pattern generation system, electron backscatter diffraction, and remote control capabilities,” according to the NSF website. “This instrument will enhance existing novel materials research programs, promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education at regional northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania institutions, facilitate and enhance multidisciplinary research and expand academic-industrial collaborations.” Dr. Peter Smith, Westminster associate professor of chemistry and co-principal investigator on the NSF grant, said the SEM will allow researchers to view materials up to 500,000x magnification. “They will be able to see structural details in a material that are smaller than one micrometer – about 20 times smaller than the width of a human hair.” While the equipment will be located at YSU and opportunities to use it will be available to several institutions, Westminster students will be trained to use the equipment and will be preferred users. “Westminster students will have two routes of access to this instrument. My research students will routinely use the SEM to image materials that we are currently making,” Smith said. “We are making new materials that have potential commercial applications. Specifically, we are making new rare earth silicates that have potential to be used as light-emitting materials in various applications from medical imaging instruments to fluorescent light bulbs. In order for us to incorporate any of our compounds into commercial devices, we have to thoroughly understand the structural characteristics of the materials. The SEM will allow us to do that analysis.” Students will also have a broader exposure to the SEM through Smith’s Inorganic Chemistry course. Inorganic Chemistry is an introductory course focused on the energetics and reactivities of simple inorganic substances. Discussions throughout the course emphasize the periodic nature of the chemical and physical properties of the chemical elements and their compounds. The laboratory component of the course allows students to apply and master the concepts of inorganic chemistry through experimentation. Students create inorganic compounds, analyze those compounds and report their findings. One of the lab experiments Smith is developing will allow for the students to make a related series of materials with commercial interest. Because the SEM will be equipped with remote access, Smith and the students can send their samples to YSU to be loaded into the SEM by technicians at YSU, and then the students can control the analyses from Westminster. The students can watch the analyses in real time and acquire their images without having to travel to YSU. SEM image of synthesized La2O3 6 Chemistry Students and Faculty Present at ACS, Pittcon The chemistry department encourages participation by its faculty and students at national meetings for professional development and to get the word out about quality research that happens at Westminster. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the work of 15 undergraduate students was presented at professional conferences. Seven majors presented their research at the 245th American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting and exposition April 7-11, 2013, in New Orleans, La.: • Optimizing the microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) by Hannah Anderson ’13, Allison Rice ’14, Dr. Peter Smith • Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of europium oxyorthosilicate (ESO) by Nathaniel Ferrebee ’13 and Students and Boylan at Pittcon Dr. Peter Smith • Determination of capsaicin concentration in hot peppers and salsas using carbon screen printed electrodes by Toby Bonitz ’13 and Dr. Larry Miller • Optimizing the solvent extraction separation of samarium from cobalt in series 2:17 SmCo magnets by Jaimie Daum ’13 and Dr. Peter Smith • Determining the capsaicinoid content of commercial pepper sprays by voltammetry by Robert McBride ’13 and Dr. Larry Miller • Manganese-porphyrin complex used as a potential radiation mitigator by Mark Biedka ’13 and Detcho Stoyanovsky (University of Pittsburgh, as part of an REU experience) Smith participated in the ACS meeting as a committee member for Chemical Abstracts Service and as treasurer for the Division of Professional Relations. Eight students presented their research at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Jaimie Daum presents at ACS Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon) March 17-21 in Philadelphia: • Capsaicin and Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) Quantification of Peppers Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography by Scott Braden ’13 and Dr. Sarah Kennedy • Field and Laboratory Analysis of Abandoned Mine Drainage through a Passive Treatment System by Haley Gabor ’14 and Dr. Helen Boylan • Analyzing the Chemistry Behind Color-Changing Paints by Nicole George ’13, Julie Rice ’14 and Dr. Helen Boylan • Quantification of Capsaicin and Determination of Scoville Units of Salsas through High Performance Liquid Chromatography by Olivia Miller ’13 and Dr. Sarah Kennedy • Optimization of the Recovery of Barium and Strontium from Produced Water by Danielle Murtagh ’14 and Dr. Helen Boylan • Preliminary Studies in the Chemometric Analysis of Frack Water Samples by Gavin Steadman and Dr. Helen Boylan (with coauthors Dr. Carolyn Cuff, professor of mathematics, and students Morgan Swartz ’13 and Brittany Majors ’14) • Longitudinal Study of Metal Concentrations in Fingernails, Toenails, and Hair: A Comparative Analysis by Krista Ulisse and Dr. Helen Boylan Seven of the eight presenting students also participated in Pittcon as student aides. Boylan, a member of the Pittcon organizing committee, served as chair of registration for the conference, and Dr. Timothy Sherwood delivered a workshop for science teachers as part of Pittcon’s Science Week outreach program. Current students had the opportunity to network with Westminster alumni at Pittcon, including Andrew Davic ’09, Brian Domanski ’08, Daniel Hopkins ’80, Doug McMahon ’07, Justin Shearer ’02, and Ian “Mitch” Taylor ’08. An alumni gathering is being planned for Tuesday, March 4, at 7 pm at Lizzie McNeill’s (400 N. McClurg Court) in conjunction with Pittcon 2014 in Chicago. 7 Department of Chemistry Dr. Pete Smith, Chair Inorganic Chemistry Martha R. Kellner Physical Chemistry Helen M. Boylan Analytical Chemistry Sarah Kennedy Biochemistry Larry Miller Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Department of Chemistry Westminster College New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001 724-946-7294 (phone) 724-946-7297 (fax) www.westminster.edu chemistry@westminster.edu Newsletter edited by Sara Monts ’16 and Helen Boylan. Student Research Published in Undergraduate Journal A collaborative research project by Ashley Blystone ’12 and Justin Jones ’12 under the mentoring of Drs. Sarah Kennedy and Helen Boylan was published in the Winter 2013 issue, Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research. Their published work, “Quantification of 4-ethylphenol in Belgian style beers by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,” was a combination of Blystone’s senior research and a joint class project by Blystone and Jones for their Instrumental Analysis course. Blystone’s senior research involved the analysis of 4-ethylphenol, a compound released by Brettanomyces yeast. This compound contributes to the flavor profile of Belgian beers but can spoil wine. Working with Jones, Blystone quantified several analytical figures of merit for the GC-MS analysis of 4-ethylphenol for their Instrumental project. Blystone also was selected to present this work as an oral presentation at the American Chemical Society Agriculture and Food Chemistry Symposium in March 2012. Blystone working at the GC-MS RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Department of Chemistry 319 S. Market Street New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001 PERMIT NO. 180 NEW CASTLE, PA 16108 U.S. POSTAGE PAID NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION