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