Orbitals
What’s Happening in Chemistry Circles
Sept. 13, 2013
Department of
Chemistry
Congratulations 2012-13 Chemistry Graduates!
Undergraduate
Advising Office
104 Chemistry
Building
979-845-0520
Inside this issue:
Chemistry Scholarships Awarded
3
Stephanie Florez
Pollack Receives
Brown Rudder
Award
4
Welcome New
Students!
5
New Old Ags: Senior Autobiographies
7
Dr. Brown, Dr.
Gaede, and Dr.
Wheeler Receive
Awards
10,
12
Student Organization Updates
11,
13
In the 2012-13 academic year,
the department graduated 61
students with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry. In December
2012, the following students
graduated with BA degrees:
Zachary Beal, Doan Bui, Jeffrey
Davis, Cristin Garcia, Andrew
Rendon (cum laude), Katherine
Richards, Kimberly Trevino
(cum laude), Catherine Watkins,
and Karen Weir Gil. The following students graduated with BS
degrees: Rachel Harvill, Kevin
Holder, Sean Lau, Hoi Yu Leung,
Nathan Winser, and Anne Yau.
In May 2013, the following students graduated with BA degrees: Kristen Ackerman (cum
laude), Adriana Amagliani, Dakota Brock, Ricardo Castro,
Samantha Nash, Ethan Pulliam,
Loran Termine, Shana Leigh
Timmerman, Alaina Anderson
(cum laude), Paul Kim, Eliazar
Candanoza, Lauren Montagnino,
and James Sciandra. The following students received BS degrees: Stephen Adams, Benjamin
Cassidy (magna cum laude),
Travyss Chitolie, Daniel Dobbins, Megan Esteb (summa cum
laude), Stephanie Florez (magna
cum laude; Brown-Rudder
Award winner), Devon Kebodeaux, Eric Kleihege, Deren
Koseoglu, Kristin Light, Yen-
Nan Lin (magna cum laude),
Stacey Moller (summa cum
laude), Herbert Morais, David
Munoz, Madhav Neupane, Mark
Porterfield, Ulises Rangel, Brennon Sessions, Laura Sudderth
(cum laude), Parth Upadhyaya,
Joseph Scott Villalpando, Caitlen
Walker, Christopher Wilson,
Miranda Wysocki, Han Xiao,
Esneider Zamora, and Ryan
Zentay.
In August 2012, the following
students received BA degrees:
Karla Lumbi, and Kaitlin Wasko.
The following students received
BS degrees: Christopher Berger,
Joshua Levin, John Vu, and Andrew Winn. Congratulations to
all our graduates! Many of them
have submitted senior autobiographies, which can be found
starting on page 7.
Academic Achievement Recognized on Parent’s Weekend
The Chemistry Department
held its 5th annual Undergraduate Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 12 at 4 p.m. The ceremony is held to recognize academic award winners, scholarship recipients, and graduating
seniors.
The CRC Outstanding First
Year Chemistry Course Award,
given to the most outstanding
student in first-year major or
honors chemistry was presented to Ashley Leibham and Matthew Stouder. They received a
small honorarium and a copy of
the latest edition of the CRC
Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics.
The Outstanding Achievement
in Organic Chemistry, given to
the highest achieving student in
majors or honors organic chemistry was presented to Callie
Cheatham and Prithvi Vangal by
Dr. Dan Singleton, the instructor in the majors’ section of
CHEM228. They received a
small honorarium and a certificate.
Chemistry Department
Achievement Awards are presented to the most outstanding
junior and senior chemistry
majors who do not receive
other substantial cash awards.
Dr. David Russell, Department
Head presented each of these
students with a check and a
certificate. Students receiving
this award were Benjamin Cassidy, Megan Esteb, Stephanie
Florez, Yen-Nan Lin, Steven
Montalvo, JT Moore, Madhav
Neupane, and Stephanie White.
The Jaan Laane Academic
Achievement Awards, given to
the two most outstanding juniors, with preference given to
BS students, were presented by
Dr. Jaan Laane to Bianca
Ramirez and Kylee Stouder.
Continued next page
Page 2
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2012-13 Academic Achievement Awards, continued
Continued from page 1
Bianca and Kylee each received substantial cash awards.
The Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry, given to
the best student in CHEM415, was presented to Stacey
Moller by Dr. James Batteas.
Stacey received a subscription to the journal Analytical
Chemistry along with a small honorarium.
The ACS Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry,
given to the student with the highest achievement in Inorganic Chemistry classes and research, was presented to Mahav Neupane by his research advisor, Dr. John Gladysz. Madhav receives a small
honorarium and a letter signed by the national
chair of the Inorganic Division of the American
Chemical Society. A new award in organic chemistry for students pursuing research and advanced
courses in organic chemistry was also presented
to Madhav Neupane by Dr. Gladysz. Madhav receives a small honorarium and recognition from
the Organic Division of the American Chemical
Society.
The ACS Leadership Award, given to the students who exhibit the most leadership in service of the ACS Student Affiliates, was presented to Dakota Brock and Brennon Sessions
by Dr. Tammy Tiner, advisor to the Student Affiliates. They
received honoraria.
The Hypercube Scholar Award, presented to a student who
exhibits promise for success in graduate school, was presented to Ulises Rangel by his research advisor Dr. Stephen
Wheeler. Ulises began graduate school at UC University of
Wisconsin this semester, where he hopefully will be able to
use his award, which is a copy of the Hypercube software
package.
financial need, and specific requirements requested by the
scholarship donors. Chemistry majors who wish to be considered for departmental scholarships must complete the
university scholarship application form. Since many of the
scholarships are based on need as well as academic achievement, students are also encouraged to submit a FAFSA form.
Benjamin Cassidy,Yen-Nan Lin, Stacey Moller, and Stephanie
White received Dow Aggies Scholarships. These scholarships
are reserved for junior and senior chemistry majors. John
Nguyen and Esneider Zamora received The
George C. Bauer Scholarship, which is intended
for students demonstrating financial need.
James Sciandra received Sharon Merritt Birtcher
Scholarship, which is given to those intending to
teach high school chemistry.
Shelby Hale received the Jennifer Lynn Drost
’99 Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Emily Cargile, Lauren Montagnino, and Andrew Rendon
received Hach Scientific Foundation ACS Scholarships, for those students intending to teach
high school chemistry.
Kristen Ackermann received The Dr. John L. Hogg Endowed
Scholarship in Chemistry. Darcie Hicks and Pamela Valencia
received the Eileen and Harry Lewis Scholarship. Bianca
Ramirez received the Dr. Herman A. Liebhafsky Scholarship.
Alaina Anderson, Quy Dong, Megan Esteb, Juan Guerrero,
David Hersh, Madhav Neupane, Chan Park, and Ramsey Yusuf
received the Dr. David W. Lipp ’66 Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Ethan Pulliam received the Dawn C. ’96 and David A.
’88 Mason Scholarship in Chemistry.
Laura Kleihege, Netan Pruthi, Kayla Powers, and Kimberly
Trevino received The Connie G. and Otto F. (Pete) Schumm
Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry. Adriana Amagliani reThe Merck Index Award, given to the one or two most out- ceived The Emile A. Schweikert Endowed Scholarship. James
standing students pursuing careers in the health profession, Moore received the Dr. Minoru Tsutsui Memorial Scholarship. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients, and many
was presented to Megan Esteb, who will receive a copy of
the Merck Index. Unfortunately, the Merck Index Award is
thanks to the donors who have made these awards possible.
being discontinued, so Megan will be our last recipient of this
Finally, the participants in the inaugural summer research
recognition!
program were recognized: Daniel Dobbins, William Hunn,Yen
-Nan Lin, Madhav Neupane, Steven Montalvo, Chan Park,
The Hugh McLean, Jr. Award, given to a student who has
Ulises Rangel, Kylee Stouder, Samantha Yruegas, and Lusa Yu.
displayed unusual perseverance in the pursuit of his or her
degree, was presented to Zachary Beal and Alaina Anderson These students received a stipend for10 weeks of summer
research, participating in weekly meetings along with stuby Dr. Holly Gaede.
dents visiting from Universities all over the country, and preThe Chemistry Department Outstanding Undergraduate
senting their research at a poster session and departmental
Award, given to the most outstanding graduating senior,
symposium. These students were also eligible for support to
with preference given to BS majors, was presented to Stacey
attend the national ACS meeting the follow Spring. This sumMoller.
mer program continued last summer and will be offered
The 2012-13 departmental scholarship winners will also rec- again in 2014.
ognized at the ceremony. The scholarships are awarded
based to chemistry majors based on academic achievement,
Page 3
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Department of Chemistry Announces 2013-14 Scholarship Recipients
The Department of Chemistry has awarded nearly $65,000 in
scholarships to undergraduate chemistry majors for the 201314 academic year. These scholarships are endowed by generous
donors, some honoring former teachers or students. Congratulations to all our recipients, and many thanks to the donors who
made these scholarships possible.
Eileen Lob Lewis ’65 and Harry S. (Hank) Lewis ‘65
Premier Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry is an endowed scholarship in honor of the Lewises. Preference given to
a female chemistry major based on financial need and not primarily academic achievement; application required. The awardee is Darcie Hicks and Pamela Valencia.
ACS-Hach Scientific Foundation Scholarships are intended for chemistry majors who have demonstrated progress toward becoming certified to teach, with at least a 3.0 GPA. The
awardees are Mary Ann Bilhartz, Joshua Muehlbrad, and Molly
Huff.
Dr. Herman A. Liebhafsky Scholarship was established by
Dr. William R. Howell ’69 and Cindy Howell to honor a former
chemistry professor. Given to a chemistry major based on financial need and achievement; there is a preference for someone from a “rural” Texas area. The awardee is Bianca Ramirez .
The George C. Bauer Scholarship, was established in 1968
by Mrs. George C. Bauer, in memory of her husband who was a
professor of analytical chemistry at Texas A&M. This year’s
awardee is Samantha Yruegas.
The Dr. David W. Lipp ’66 Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry. Established in November 2005 by the Lipp
Family Foundation in memory of Dr. David W. Lipp ’66, the
scholarship provides support for full time students in good
standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in chemistry. The
awardees are Cody Bryant, Quy Duong, JT Moore, Chan Park, Kayla
Powers, Alyssa Smith, Robert Stevens, and Ramsey Yusuf.
Sharon Merritt Birtcher Scholarship is awarded to students planning to become teachers. The recipient is Matthew
Robbins.
The Dow Aggie Scholarships are given to outstanding junior
or senior chemistry majors. This scholarship was made available
by the generous support of Dow Chemical and its employees to
support Texas A&M University and its students. This year’s
awardees are Nicholas Gamez, Kristina Goldstein, Juan Guerrero,
and Alyssa Rosas.
The Dawn C. ’96 and David A. ’88 Mason Endowed
Scholarship in Chemistry, established by former students, is
awarded to a chemistry major on the basis of academic achievement. Preference is given to a member of the corps of cadets.
The recipient is Netan Pruthi.
Connie G. and Otto F. (Pete) ’45 Schumm Endowed
Scholarship was established as a gift from Mr. and Mrs.
Jennifer Lynn Drost ’99 Endowed Memorial Scholarship Schumm. It is awarded to outstanding chemistry majors based
in Chemistry . This scholarship was established by the Drost on both financial need and academic performance. This year’s
family in memory of Jennifer Drost, a former chemistry major.
awardees are Agata Bachleda, Josephine Eshon, Michaela Love, and
Preference is given to outstanding out-of-state students. This
John Nguyen.
year’s awardee is Kari Stratton.
The Emile A. Schweikert Endowed Scholarship was esThe Dr. John L. Hogg Endowed Scholarship in Chemis- tablished in honor of Dr. Emile Schweikert, who served as the
try was established in memory of long-time undergraduate advi- Head of the Department of Chemistry for many years and consor Dr. Hogg. The scholarship provides support for a full time
tinues as an esteemed faculty member. The scholarship provides
student in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in
support for a full time student in good standing pursuing an
undergraduate degree in chemistry. The awardees are Vivian
chemistry. The awardee is Daniel San Miguel.
Deng and Ashley Leibham.

To be considered for a scholarship, chemistry majors must apply online using the University Scholarship applica on, found at scholarships.tamu.edu. The applica on will open October 15 and close February 1. 
Most scholarships are based on financial need. To be considered for these, you will have to complete a FAFSA. 
We generally do not award scholarship to students who have already received substan al scholarships. 
Do not hesitate to inquire about any of these scholarships. Page 4
Science's Robert Carpenter, Stephanie Florez-Malaver Sweep
Brown-Rudder Awards
Texas A&M University seniors Robert Carpenter, an
applied mathematics major,
and Stephanie FlorezMalaver, a biomedical sciences/chemistry double
major, each have been recognized with the Brown
Foundation-Earl Rudder
Memorial Outstanding Student Award, earning two of
Texas A&M's three top student awards presented earlier today (Friday, May 10)
during spring commencement ceremonies.
The prestigious award honors the top two students
university-wide who exemplify the leadership and related traits of the late Gen.
Earl Rudder, a World War
II hero who served as president of Texas A&M from
1959 until his death in 1970.
The award includes a cash
gift of $5,000.
The identities of the winners were kept confidential
until the 2 p.m. ceremony
involving the College of Science, College of Veterinary
Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences, College of Geosciences, and College of Architecture at which they received their diplomas.
Florez-Malaver, who was
born in Colombia and now
lives in College Station,
boasts a minor in neuroscience in addition to her double major in biomedical sciences and chemistry, graduating with a GPR of 3.84.
She is the founder and former president of the Latin
dance group on campus
called Salsa Fusion, former
director of the American
Medical Student Association, a member of Phi Kappa
Phi and Phi Eta Sigma honor
societies and works with
the Texas A&M Family Medical Clinic.
Holly Gaede, FlorezMalaver's academic adviser,
says she can attest to the
fact that Stephanie is not a
student who seeks out the
easiest academic route.
"Stephanie added a second
major in chemistry when
her honors organic chemistry professor, David
Bergbreiter, recommended
that an undergraduate degree in chemistry was an
essential prerequisite for a
Ph.D. in chemistry, a route
she was considering," Gaede
said.
Newly minted College of Science
graduates Stephanie FlorezMalaver (left) and Robert Carpenter (right) -- pictured along with
Gates-Muller Award recipient Justin Cardenas -- receive congratulations from Texas A&M President
Dr. R. Bowen Loftin as the 2013
Karen Wooley, W.T. DohertyWelch Chair in Chemistry, says
Florez-Malaver has extensive and
diverse research experience and
is an outstanding student. "She
contributed significantly to the
Gaede recounts that Florez- intellectual excellence of Texas
Malaver's parents were suc- A&M while gaining experiences
cessful professionals in Co- that will be critical to her continlombia who immigrated to
ued development. For the past
the U.S. and had to start
two and a half years, she has been
over. "Stephanie, the most
undertaking research in my laborfluent in English, took on a
atory through a position as a Felleadership role and worked low of the Honors Undergradumany hours while in high
ate Research Program. Former
school to help support her
students who received this training in my laboratory are leading
family."
scientists in the chemical industry.
I consider Stephanie to be one of
This experience, Gaede
says, has given her a maturi- the top few among them."
ty and perspective that not
many student her age posTo learn more about the Brownsess. "While at Texas A&M, Rudder Award, go to http://
Stephanie pursued her spe- graduation.tamu.edu/
cial interests as an internabrownrudder.html.
tional student, taking on
several leadership roles in
This article is excerpted from an
student organizations. She is article written by Tura King, Dithe president and founder
vision of Marketing & Communiof Salsa Fusion Latin Dance, cations, (979) 845-4670 or turawas coordinator of Interna- king@tamu.edu, and published at
tional Week on campus and http://www.science.tamu.edu/
a member of the Colombia
articles/1065/
Student Organization."
Page 5
Orbitals
Welcome to Our New Students!
Our undergraduate chemistry program continues to grow. This
year, we welcome 134 first-year students and 13 transfer students. In addition, we’ve have welcomed several change of majors
into the department over the past year. Welcome to all our new
chemists!
NAME
HIGH SCHOOL
Abouelkheir, Gabriella R.
Adams, Landon J.
Arismendi, Bryan M.
Arp, Christopher J.
Bae, Jonathan I.
Beck, Clayton M.
Becktold, Ashley N.
Berger, Sarah J.
Bierschenk, Stephen M.
Botts, Stephen P.
Brooks, Marissa J.
Busari, Opeyemi M.
Caldwell, Claire E.
Canady, Lauren C.
Caparas, Ana Isabella D.
Castillo, Alyssa M.
Castillo, Brenda M.
Cooper, Charles W.
Cosio, Mario N.
Cotton, Alicia L.
Cunningham, Colton A.
Dobsky, Christopher P.
Drake, David S.
Drey, Michael J.
Drillette, Abbey C.
Du, Jasmine Y.
Eavenson, Dayton T.
Eaves, Alyssa C.
Ebere, Oby C.
Escobar, Edwin R.
Espinoza, Brandon R.
Farber, Astri C.
Ferreira, Jocelyn
Flores, Luis O.
Floto, Michael E.
Fong, Margarita
Galan, Ernesto
Gao, Shang
Gaona, Daniel A.
Gebremicael, Aron
Gerringer, Joseph C.
Gilbreth, Michael J.
Gonzalez, Maria G.
Guerra, Jonathan C.
Harris, Christine S.
Havens, Steven M.
Hernandez, Vanessa
Herrington, Patrick L.
Hoang, Nghi M.
Hoelscher, Nicholas P.
Howard, Kyle D.
A & M Consolidated High School
Sharyland High School
Los Fresnos High School
Woodlands College Park Hs
Pasadena Memorial High School
Medina Valley High School
Franklin High School
Rockwall High School
St Dominic Savio Catholic Hs
Douglas MacArthur High School
Brooks Academy High School
Hillcrest High School
Allen High School
Klein Oak High School
Southwest Christian Academy
Winston Churchill High School
W H Adamson High School
The Baylor School
Foy H Moody Science/Health Hs
Southwest High School
Ronald Reagan High School
Langham Creek High School
Macarthur High School
Humble High School
Brock High School
Texas Academy Math & Science
Rockwall High School
Foster High School
Alief Early College High Sch
Alief Taylor High School
Dr John D Horn High School
Antonian College Prep Hs
C E King High School
Mayde Creek High School
James Bowie High School
United High School
Alief Early College High Sch
High School In China
John H Reagan Senior Hs
Plano West Senior High School
Saint Pius X High School
Texas Academy Math & Science
South San Antonio High School
Winston Churchill High School
Deer Park High School South
Cy-Fair Senior High School
Victory Early College HS
Dickinson High School
Skyline High School
Arlington High School
Clear Falls High School
Freshmen
Ittiruck, Tanya
Ivey, Forrest W.
Jerpseth, Kevin S.
Jimenez, Alyssa
Johnson, Mary E.
Johnson, Nicole A.
Kibremesgana Tekie, Makda
Kyle, William G.
Labutis, Tanner J.
Lazaris, Athena M.
Le, Julian T.
Le, Trang H.
Lee, Da Eun
Lee, Joyce M.
Lee, Myunghoon
Lee, Sungjeen J.
Leon Marquez, Sergio
Leyendecker, Scott T.
Lindhardt, Destiny S.
Loeser, Lance J.
Lu, Crystal Y.
Luna, Mireya
Malone, Blake D.
Maurice, Magy A.
Mazan, Nicole J.
McLaughlin, Andrew S.
Melendez, Michael A.
Moreno, Laura I.
Nacianceno, Dali
Neitzel, Phillip A.
Nguyen, Khanh P.
Nguyen, Minh N.
Nichols, Ashley M.
Ofoegbu, Chidinma D.
Olson, Jakob G.
Orzabal, Marcus R.
Pachuca, Fernando
Paredes, Francisco J.
Parrish, David A.
Person, Bridget E.
Pineda, Sergio S.
Piwetz, Olivia G.
Pospisil, Elizabeth R.
Pruett, Brandon A.
Quill, Thomas M.
Ramirez, McKenzie N.
Ramirez, Pablo D.
Read, Quentin B.
Reeve, Thomas M.
Reyes, Amy R.
Rivas, Jacob G.
Robb, Elijah W.
Roberts, Rachael M.
Robinson, Colleen F.
Sala, Amanda N.
Sbarra, Aaron M.
Schwartzkopf, Crimson M.
Settle, Courtney C.
Shea, Jacqueline R.
Carroll Senior High School
Ross S Sterling High School
Cedar Creek High School
Sharyland High School
Texas Home School
Cypress Falls High School
Liberty High School
Burnet High School
Plano Senior High School
William P Clements High School
Flower Mound High School
Coronado High School
Memorial Senior High School
Oakridge School
Memorial Senior High School
Mansfield High School
High School In Mexico
Byron P Steele High School
Cy-Fair Senior High School
William P Clements High School
Dulles High School
W H Adamson High School
Kingwood High School
Langham Creek High School
Plano West Senior High School
Clear Falls High School
Smithson Valley High School
Pasadena High School
Sam Rayburn High School
Bay Area Christian School
Westbury Senior High School
Klein Oak High School
Sandra Day O'Connor Hs
Wylie High School
Florence High School
A & M Consolidated High School
Northbrook Senior High School
Thomas Jefferson High School
New Braunfels Senior Hs
Westlake High School
Ball High School
Canterbury Episcopal School
Texas Academy Math & Science
Clear Springs High School
Canyon High School
Prince Of Peace Christian Sch
Thurgood Marshall
Quanah High School
Boerne Samuel V. Champion
C E King High School
C E King High School
John Paul II High School
Duncanville High School
Temple High School
Pantego Christian Academy
Gig Harbor High School
Prosper High School
Azle High School
Deer Park High School South
Continued next page
Page 6
Orbitals
Welcome Incoming Chemistry Students
Continued from page 5
Sim, Eugene
Sim, Lauren V.
Smelley, Kayla B.
Smith, Hannah M.
Swisher, Cameron J.
Taylor, Kevin M.
Teel, Ryan L.
Thibodeaux, Xavier J.
Tong, Sally
Tong, Vivian N.
Torres, Alma R.
Tran, An T.
Traverse, Jason T.
Turner, Clint A.
Tyler, Tarik J.
Valdivia Martinez, Veronica F.
Vasquez, Alberto
Vogel, Andrew D.
Waldo, Joshua E.
Wilks, Anthony C.
High School In Korea
Seven Lakes High School
Kingwood Park Hs
Shawnee Mission East H S
Wimberley High School
Rowlett High School
Friendswood High School
Westfield High School
Lloyd V Berkner High School
John B Connally High School
Law Enforce & Criminal Just Hs
Woodlands College Park Hs The
Burges High School
Rockwall High School
Second Baptist Upper School
Woodlands Preparatory School
James Pace High School
Cinco Ranch High School
Clyde High School
Central High School
Williams, Reuben B.
Xia, Walter
Zavala, Miguel
Zemanek, Sydney K.
Transfers
Bruhn, Jonathan M.
Crowe, Brock A.
Lee, Elbert F.
Lee,Seok Woo
Martin, Caroline H.
McCandless, Jason H.
Mikulencak, Colton E.
Morgan, Allison M.
Neal, Stephen F.
Ortiz, Jose D.
Sander, Kyle P.
Sayler, Nathaniel B.
Sumaiya Turna, Sayada
Welcome to Recently Declared Chemistry Majors
Andrew Bach
Christoper Barker
Jooyeon Chae
Redis Duraj
Daniel Frazier
Steven Guo
Donald Hendrix
Molly Huff
Pamela Isaac
Adam Kier
Le Le
Christopher Liehr
Diego Lopez
Anastasia Lopez
Benton Mahaffey
Aaron Menchacha
Troy Privett
David Riddle
New Faculty Members Join Department
This Fall, two new faculty
members have joined the department. Dr. Lei Fang joins
us as an assistant professor
after completing postdoctoral
study at Stanford University
and obtaining his Ph.D. at
Northwestern. His research
area is organic chemistry and
polymer synthesis, with particular emphasis on organic electronic materials and macromolecules for energy conversion and storage. This Fall he
is teaching CHEM227. He will
be looking for undergraduates
to join his research group
beginning next semester. To
learn more about his research,
visit the departmental web
page at http://
www.chem.tamu.edu/faculty/.
Sarah Roque
Joel Russell
Kirby Siebert
Ian Sindelar
Nga Tran
Matthew Wesson
Freeport High School
Westwood High School
Waxahachie High School
Bryan High School
Big Sandy High School
Dimond High School
Fort Bend Christian Academy
Castilleja School
Central High School
Thrall High School
Plano East Senior High School
Rockwall Heath High School
Victory Early College HS
Liberty High School
Georgetown High School
High School In Bangladesh
Public Policy Internship Program
Bring your talents to D.C.,
Austin, Paris, London, or
other European Union
cities!
A PPIP internship provides participants the opportunity to
work full-time in policy-related
internships for a semester. Internship sites vary and typically
Please welcome these new
range from governmental agenfaculty as you see them in
cies to non-profit organizations
the classrooms and hallways! and private firms. Students take
an active role in their organizations and gain valuable
knowledge that will prepare
them for life after graduation.
We are also joined by Dr.
Soon Mi Lim as a Lecturer.
Dr. Lim received her Ph.D.
here at Texas A&M with analytical chemist Dr. Paul
Cremer and did postdoctoral
work at the Texas A&M
Health Science Center in the
Department of Systems Biolo- Dr. Lei Fang
gy and Translational Medicine.
She has taught at Texas A&M
in the first year program, and
has also taught at Blinn recently. This semester she is
teaching CHEM316 and will be
working on redeveloping the
quantitative chemistry laboratories.
Dr. Soon Mi Lim
They are currently accepting
applications. Visit ppip.tamu.edu
for more information.
Page 7
Orbitals
New Old Ags: Senior Autobiographies
Alaina Anderson: I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew
up in a suburb of the DFW area known as Flower Mound. Before
the start of my junior year of high school, my family relocated to
Magnolia, Texas, which is about an hour north of Houston. I always knew I was going to attend Texas A&M University and be a
chemistry major. Being a chemistry major and graduating with a
bachelor’s degree in chemistry was definitely one of the best decisions I have made in my life thus far. The classes were interesting
yet challenging and I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful professors all while making life-long friends along the way.
Chemistry has opened up numerous doors and opportunities for
me. While at Texas A&M I was able to work in an undergraduate
research laboratory in addition to having two internships positions within the chemical industry all while being involved in several on-campus organizations including the Texas A&M Wind
Symphony Band and Gamma Phi Beta. Needless to say, I am extremely thankful for my experiences at Texas A&M – I was able
to grow academically and professionally in addition to experiencing the spirit of the 12th Man while cheering on the Aggies in Kyle
Field. I will be applying to graduate school this upcoming Fall, and
I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me.
Eliazar Candanoza: I graduated from Harlingen High School
South in Harlingen, TX in 2009 and decided to come Texas A&M
University just a couple of months before graduation, and it
turned out to be the greatest decision I have ever made. As a first
generation Hispanic student the University was very helpful in
helping figure out what classes to take and what kind of organizations to join. At first I started off as Biology major but during my
sophomore year decided to switch to chemistry because of the
fun I had in General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Since I
already having taken some education courses, I decided to go into
the chemistry education track. The courses for the chemistry side
of my education have been the toughest courses ever but through
all they have made me a better student and have taught me so
much about the chemistry world. On May 10th, 2013 I am graduating with a B.A. in Chemistry and minor in Education, and I still
have no clue what to do after graduation.
Dan Dobbins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, the
son of an aerospace engineer and a 4th grade schoolteacher. Dan
fell in love with chemistry as a child through reading, taking classes, and earning merit badges through the Boy Scouts of America.
He enrolled at Texas A&M in the fall of 2009 as a chemical engineering major. Realizing rather late in his undergraduate career
that the chemical engineering degree plan would not prepare him
for a life of research, he changed majors to chemistry halfway
through his junior year. One of the first courses he took after
changing majors was polymer chemistry, taught by Professor Karen Wooley. Dan was fascinated with the way that polymer
chemistry bridged the gap between blackboard mechanisms and
real-world materials, so that summer he began research with
Professor Karen Wooley studying methods of increasing the mechanical robustness of anti-fouling polymer films during the 2012
Summer REU Program. In spite of numerous research hurdles,
Dan decided that he wanted to do this for the rest of his life, so
he applied to several graduate schools in order to earn his Ph. D.
After visiting the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Florida, Dan settled on the University of Florida, where
he will begin working under Professor Brent Sumerlin midway
through this summer studying boronic acid ester polymers. Dan
hopes to find employment in the defense industry upon graduation,
but is also considering academic research and industry as well.
Megan Esteb: I grew up in Houston, TX and graduated from a
local private high school. While in high school, I discovered my
passion for chemistry and decided to pursue that as my major in
college. I visited Texas A&M during my senior year and fell in love!
Since I came to A&M, I have made life-long friends, learned from
brilliant professors and experienced amazing things inside and outside the classroom. I have the privilege of graduating from A&M
with a BS in Chemistry. I will be matriculating to Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston this fall .
Deren Koseoglu was born and raised in College Station and is a
1st generation Aggie. He started Texas A&M in the Fall of 2009 in
the biomedical engineering department, but, after deciding that
engineering wasn’t right, chose chemistry, a subject he loved since
high school. He did research on a post-traumatic stress disorder
treatment drug with Dr. Welsh at the Vet school in the summer of
2010. He then took a break from research and focused on his
coursework before becoming involved with the MiniPharma program under Dr. Romo in the summer of 2012. He was on the molecular modeling team and acted as team leader of the research
group. After graduation he started working at Kaneka Nutrients in
Pasadena as a Quality Control Chemist testing raw materials, Ubiquinone, and Ubiquinol samples. After working a few years, he plans
on obtaining an MBA and then continuing his career in the business
side of the chemical industry.
Josh Levin: I grew up in League City, TX and graduated from Clear
Creek high school in June 2008. I decided to pursue a degree in
chemistry at Texas A&M University, one of the best decisions I’ve
ever made. After a long 5+ years I recently graduated with a B.S. in
chemistry with many great experiences and lifelong friends. During
my undergraduate career I worked in the Organic Chemistry Lab
Program under the supervision of Dr. Hildreth, and undergraduate
research under the supervision of Dr. Abraham Clearfield. Upon
graduating, I was offered to continue working for Dr.Clearfield in
his research laboratory to work on kinetic and ion-exchange studies
for ZS Pharma Inc. I will continue to work for Dr.Clearfield until I
find a more permanent job in the chemical industry.
My name is Yen-Nan Lin. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan and immigrated to U.S. at age of 12. I graduated from Texas Academy of
Math and Science and began my study at Texas A&M University in
2009. Life in Texas A&M has been wonderful and my college life has
been great. Besides technical knowledge I learned from classes and
labs, I was able to learn and experience many wonderful things such
as magic performance, horse training, archery, golf, skiing, sky diving, etc. I enjoy traveling to new places and do crazy things. I
couchsurf and hitchhike in many different countries. I volunteered at
an orphanage and a medical facility in Ghana. I stayed with a South
African family in a township founded during the Apartheid. I interviewed local farmers on a mountain in Mauritius. I stayed with an
Indian family through the Rotary Club and experienced the extreme
financial gap between the rich and poor. I crawled into the war
tunnels used during the Vietnam War and learned the Vietnamese
Page 8
Orbitals
New Old Ags: Senior Autobiographies
perspective on the “America War.” I slept in the Kyoto train
station with homeless people on a freezing winter night. I wandered into several villages in China and successfully found the
village where my ancestors lived before immigrating to Taiwan
nearly 400 years ago. I have so far visited over 30 countries in the
world. I will begin my physician scientist training this summer. I
appreciate every help and support from Chemistry Department
and College of Science. Thank you!
Stacey Moller: I was born into a family of Aggies and was raised
in Rosharon, TX. Two wonderful teachers who taught high
school chemistry inspired me to pursue this field of study in college. While at TAMU, I enjoyed participating in clubs such as the
American Chemical Society and Sigma Alpha Lambda.
After graduating in May with a BS in chemistry and a minor in
oceanography, I started working as a chemist at Glori Energy. At
Glori, I work with a variety of analytical instruments on a daily
basis testing samples from the oil fields of our clients. I have had
the opportunity to travel to another company to test the ability
of their filtration system to separate crude oil from water and will
be on site when the system is put in place in the field. I look forward to where my job will lead me and visiting A&M as a former
student.
David Muñoz graduated from Eisenhower High School in Houston, TX in 2009 and decided to come to Texas A&M on the
Century Scholarship among other outside scholarships. He decided to pursue a B.S. degree in chemistry due to its applicability and
his love of science. During his undergrad, he did research with
Professor Marcetta Y. Darensbourg on hydrogenase enzyme biomimetic models and was able to produce a publication along with
Danielle Crouthers. Furthermore, David obtained minors in
mathematics and physics and took on chemical engineering courses in order to prepare for a Masters program in chemical engineering here at A&M. He has had many good times with his
friends and has made many memories that will last throughout his
life. The chemistry courses and even the labs were a wonderful
experience as these were the mediums by which he was able to
develop lasting relationships with many of his classmates. The
course material was interesting and without a doubt quite intriguing bringing about an even greater passion for science in this
young man. Currently, his future goals are to obtain a Masters
degree in chemical engineering and end up working with an industrious chemical company where he can use the science he learned
as a chemist and apply them as an engineer.
Madhav Neupane: After earning my high school diploma from
Kathmandu, Nepal, I set out on a challenging journey of getting
higher education in the United States. Considering Texas A&M
University for my undergraduate degree was definitely one of the
best decisions I have ever made. My interest in learning chemistry
and doing research grew stronger upon involvement in research
at TAMU. Each and every day at TAMU has been a learning experience. Culture, traditions, and the chemistry program at TAMU
have made me a better individual and a focused scientist. I have
decided to join Columbia University in the city of NY as a graduate student in chemistry. At Columbia University, I will be working on synthesis of Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and their
applications in nano-electronic devices. After my graduate studies,
I plan to join academia and continue doing research in the United
States. With whatever learning experiences I have had in the US, I
also plan to share some of my intellectual perspectives to improve
higher education in Nepal. Besides being intrigued by chemistry and
science in general, I enjoy watching soccer, cricket, and basketball. I
have been a lifelong fan of Manchester United soccer club. Last but
not the least, I want to thank Dr. John A. Gladysz, Dr. Marcetta
Darensbourg, and Dr. Holly Gaede for their guidance and advising
throughout my undergraduate career.
Stephanie (Florez) Pollack: I was born in Bogota, Colombia, and
came to the U.S at the age of 15. I graduated this past May with a
double major in Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences and a minor in
Neuroscience. During commencement, I was awarded with the
2013 Brown Rudder Outstanding Student Award, the highest honor
an undergraduate can receive at Texas A&M. Being a chemistry
major and having pursued research for two years under the supervision of Prof. Karen Wooley, contributed significantly to my success
as a student. Through my research, I published an undergraduate
thesis and became a co-author of two scientific publications for
major journals including the Journal of the American Chemical Society. During my time at Texas A&M I founded Salsa Fusion Latin
Dance Company, an organization that promotes diversity through
Latin dance. My interactions with science, research, and my community led me to the decision of becoming a physician. I currently
work as a research assistant in the Wooley lab and in 2014 I hope
to start medical school.
Brennon Sessions: I was born in Houston, but was raised in Kansas for most of my elementary school education life. I moved back
to The Woodlands, TX where I got involved in band in school,
which eventually led to me taking an AP chemistry course with a lot
of my friends. The teacher taught us with much enthusiasm about
science, and was very involved in our education, which made me
want to pursue a degree in chemistry. I never thought about coming
to Texas A&M, until a girl said I should come because she was going…. And here I am now. I initially came here as a Chemistry major with the intentions on transitioning into Chemical Engineering. I
met all the requirements to switch and right before I made that
decision, I thought it might be a good idea to stay where I was. I
was right. The friendships I made in the chemistry department could
not be matched anywhere else. Without my friends, I would not
have been able to do as well in obtaining my degree. After graduating, I will be working for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, OH as a
researcher in the Cascade group. I am really excited about this
transition and am proud to work for such a strong company. I can’t
wait to see where this career takes me in life, and I am so happy
that it all started here at Texas A&M.
Katherine (Richards) Sweitzer: I was raised in College Station,
which made for a very natural transition to Texas A&M in 2008.
After three years in the chemistry program, I was accepted to and
began pharmacy school at the University of Houston. During my off
summers and when I could fit it into my schedule, I finished up the
remaining credits I needed for the B.A. degree and graduated in
December 2012. This past June, I married my high school sweetheart (also an Aggie!) and celebrated our shared love for A&M by
having our wedding reception at the MSC. I have a couple of years
left of pharmacy school, then off to the real world!
Page 9
New Old Ags: Senior Autobiographies
attend Texas A&M University for a PhD
program bringing them to the United States
to live in College Station, Texas. Graduated
from Texas A&M Consolidated High School
in 2007 and decided to be the third family
member to become an Aggie! Karen began
her college career at Blinn College as a Biology major; however after her first chemistry
course she decided she enjoyed the subject
and once she transferred to Texas A&M in
the fall of 2009 she began her B.A chemistry
degree. With intentions to continue on the
medical field she added a Biological Chemistry track, was a member of the Premedical
Student association and shadowed/worked
for a Clinic. In her last year, however, she
decided she wanted to precede her chemistry career in an either chemical or petrochemical industry and joined Dr. Barondeau’s
research group as a research assistant, which
she enjoyed very much. Throughout her 4
Caitlen Walker: I grew up in many small
years in Texas A&M University she very
towns all in northeast Texas and moved to
much enjoyed the atmosphere and traditions
College Station while I was a junior in high
school. After graduation from A&M Consoli- of Texas A&M, was the vice-president of the
Venezuelan Student Association (VSA) and
dated High School it was off to Texas A&M
University since I refused to attend anywhere had a good time learning about the different
chemistry courses. After graduating in Dec
else. As a third generation Aggie I was al2012, Karen applied to different petrochemiready prepared and excited for this kind of
cal companies and was hired by Halliburton
college life. I chose to study chemistry because it had multiple options for career paths as an Associate Chemist in the production
and at the time I had no idea where God was enhancement team located in Houston, TX.
leading me. I loved the chemistry topics covered in all classes especially in organic chemistry with Dr. Daniel Romo. Dr. Romo gave Miranda Wysocki was born in Austin,
me the opportunity to complete my research Texas to Patrick and Elizabeth Wysocki. She
credits with his new undergraduate program was raised a t.u. fan until she saw the light
called MiniPharma. This program resembles a during her junior year of high school and was
pharmaceutical organization fighting cancers accepted into Texas A&M. As a first generation Aggie, Miranda started out a biology
and Dr. Romo assigned me as Synthetic
Team Leader for the program. A year later I major, but quickly changed to chemistry with
plans to attend pharmacy school upon gradurealized that I loved the teamwork aspect
but I wasn’t thrilled about being trapped in a ation. In the summer of 2011, Miranda travlab for the rest of my life. This led me down eled to the Dominican Republic and voluna path to finding if there was something oth- teered at a pharmacy in a children’s hospital.
er than chemistry that I could do after gradu- While there, she would interact with the
children and teach them English. Upon her
ation. I believed that my major in chemistry
prepared me in being a leader and extremely arrival back to the United States, she realized
that she wanted to give back to her commubenefitted my ability to solve problems.
nity on a deeper level and teach. Miranda has
These two qualities and the background
accepted a position to teach chemistry at
chemistry gave me got me accepted to join
Westside High School in Houston, Texas this
the United States Navy to become a Flight
Officer. I may not have a career in chemistry Fall. She looks forward to starting her career
itself but Texas A&M Chemistry Department as a graduate from Texas A&M and is very
thankful for the knowledge and experience it
allowed me to develop the characteristics
that could best serve a Naval officer and with has given her.
God’s blessing I will become a Naval Ensign
Anne Yau: I entered Texas A&M University
by October 2013.
during my sophomore year. Chemistry is
Karen Weir was born in Caracas, Venezue- actually my 2nd choice, but I quickly found
out that being in Chemistry major in Texas
la. Her mother received a scholarship to
Kimberly Trevino: I grew up in Houston
Texas, and moved to Cypress during high
school. I am the first in my family to attend
Texas A&M University. Three years later my
younger sister followed in my footsteps and
is class of 2016. While at Texas A&M I was
active in the Pre-Med Society, Alpha Epsilon
Delta and American Chemical Society – Student Affiliate Chapter. I graduated in December of 2012 with a B.A. in Chemistry, on the
biological chemistry track. I have always
wanted to be a doctor, and loved taking
anatomy and physiology. I am especially interested in orthopedic surgery and plan to
pursue that. I will be applying to medical
school in May and plan to stay in Texas.
A&M was so much fun. You get to experience many different chemistry(s) (Analytical,
Physical, Organic, Inorganic etc) hands on
(lab) or in class. I changed from B.A chemistry to B.S Chemistry because I could take
more chemistry classes and learn more. I
love being a Chemistry major in Texas
A&M because it gave me so many experiences that I need after I graduated. My favorite
chemistry is Organic Chemistry and I
thanked Dr. Romo for giving me a chance to
work under him as a undergraduate researcher starting summer 2012. I was on the
synthetic team where we coupled peptides
and made molecules to be tested in bioassay
team. What we are really doing is
very meaningful because we are looking for
a anti-cancer drug! Now, I am working in
MD Anderson, doing the exact same thing,
looking for a cancer cure!
Got News?
We welcome news from current
students and Old Ags!
Please send updates to. advising@chem.tamu.edu.
Page 10
Orbitals
Dr. Larry Brown Earns Presidential Professor Award
COLLEGE STATION -- Dr. Lawrence
S. Brown, instructional assistant professor of chemistry, has been recognized with the 2013 Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award,
the most prestigious faculty honor
bestowed by Texas A&M University in
recognition of classroom performance.
er and an early adopter of both innovative teaching methods and delivery,
including online homework assignments and televised lectures which
debuted on local cable channels and
now are available worldwide on
iTunesU. In addition, his expertise in
educational practices helped reshape
Brown earned a B.S. degree from
Rensselaer Polytechnic University and
an M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton
University, all in chemistry. Since coming to Texas A&M, he has received
several college- and university-level
awards for teaching.
Brown was feted along with Dr. Helen
Reed, professor of aerospace engineering in the Dwight Look College of
Engineering, with the award, announced by Texas A&M President R.
Bowen Loftin.
"Dr. Brown and Dr. Reed personify
Texas A&M College of Science Dean Dr. H.
the teaching qualities that we value so
Joseph Newton (pictured at podium) surhighly at Texas A&M -- caring for stuprised Dr. Brown April 1 in his Heldenfels
Hall classroom with his award announcedents, being dedicated and innovative
ment. Dean Newton was accompanied by
and being leaders in their fields," Loftin Brown's wife, fellow chemistry professor
Dr. Sherry J. Yennello, who noted with
said. "They join a growing number of
amusement that at least one student
distinguished faculty who have had
questioned the validity of an award prebestowed on them this special desigsented on April Fool's Day!
nation -- the university's highest form
of recognition for teaching excelthe freshman engineering curriculum
lence."
at Texas A&M and make it a national
The prestigious award, established in model.
2003 by former Texas A&M President
Robert M. Gates to underscore the
importance of teaching at a major research university, provides for presentation each spring of two Presidential
Professor for Teaching Excellence
Awards, each with a $25,000 stipend
that includes the title of "Presidential
Professor for Teaching Excellence" -- a
designation retained by the recipient
for the remainder of his or her career.
The two professors selected each year
are formally introduced at the university's spring commencement ceremonies at which their respective colleges
will award degrees.
Coalition project that restructured
Texas A&M's undergraduate engineering curriculum. The chemistry course
he developed for engineering majors
has been adopted by many other top
universities, and the textbook he
wrote has become a market leader for
such courses.
Three of his students wrote in support of his nomination: "If the world
of chemistry were to be described as
a galaxy, then Dr. Larry Brown would
definitely be the North Star. His effervescent teaching style, open-door policy, beaming personality and genuine
love for teaching certainly make him
shine brightly in the eyes of those who
are fortunate enough to be enrolled in
his class."
A colleague noted that, "Through his
unique combination of intellect, effort,
skill and personality, Dr. Brown not
only inspires students to excel, but
also provides them with the help they
Brown has been a member of the
Texas A&M Department of Chemistry need to do so."
faculty since 1988. Colleagues describe
him as an extraordinarily gifted teach- He was involved in the Foundation
Nominations for the Presidential Professor awards are made by students,
faculty members and deans in each of
the university's colleges and schools.
Faculty Senate representatives review
each nomination and narrow the list
that is sent to the president for the
final selections.
Brown is the sixth College of Science
faculty member to merit the coveted
honor since its inception in 2003, the
same year in which physics professor
and fellow Foundation Coalition project member William H. Bassichis
earned selection as one of the award's
two inaugural recipients. Brown's fellow chemistry professors David E.
Bergbreiter, the late John L. Hogg and
Dr. Wendy L. Keeney-Kennicutt also
received the honor in 2006, 2007 and
2009, respectively. In 2012, mathematics professor Dr. Harold P. Boas became the first recipient in the Department of Mathematics' history.
This article was written by Lane Stephenson, Division of Marketing &
Communications, (979) 845-4662 or lstephenson@tamu.edu and originally
appeared in http://
www.science.tamu.edu/articles/1049/.
Page 11
Orbitals
NOBCChE Chapter Established
Texas A&M has established a student
chapter of the National Organization for
the Professional Advancement of Black
Chemists and Chemical Engineers
(NOBCChE). This TAMU chapter, established in the Fall of 2012, has contributed
to Texas A&M University and the local
community by stimulating interest and
promoting awareness in chemistry, chemical engineering and related areas for under
-represented students. Their main focus is
to encourage these students to pursue
advanced degrees in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
disciplines.
The Chapter received recognition in the
November 5, 2012 issues of Chemical &
Engineering News (http://cen.acs.org/
articles/90/i45/LOCAL-CHAPTERS.html)
after members attended the 39th annual
national meeting held in September in
Washington, D.C.
The first meeting of the term will be held
Tuesday, September 17 at 5:30 p.m. in
TAMU SPE Student
Chapter Honored
Texas A&M University Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has been recognized
for its noteworthy excellence in programs, activities and participation levels
with a national 2013 SPE Outstanding
Student Chapter Award.
A photo op at the 2012 NOBCChE meetingfrom
left: Brian Mosby Keturah Odoi, Tiffany Pinder,
and Dr. James Batteas (chapter advisor along
with Dr. Kim Dunbar, not pictured )
2014 CHEM. All are welcome to come
and learn more about the chapter. RSVP
at http://doodle.com/sp4eviswpn8tiipc.
Questions can be sent to nobcche@chem.tamu.edu. Please visit the
website to learn more about chapter activities http://nobcche.chem.tamu.edu/
index.php.
The group was honored along with other award-winning student chapters at
the SPE's annual technical (ANTEC)
conference, held April 22-25 in Cincinnati. Chapter president Jacqueline Pope,
a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of
Chemistry and a member of Texas A&M
chemist Dr. Janet Bluemel's research
group, accepted the award on the organization's behalf.
Texas A&M's SPE chapter (TAMU SPE)
is a student organization dedicated to
promoting awareness of polymer science and engineering with monthly technical meetings, interaction with industry
professionals through consortia and
plant visits, and participation in national
conferences. One of its main initiatives
is a monthly seminar series intended to
provide SPE members and the overall
student body with technical and practical knowledge related to the polymer
industry -- experience which has enabled students to gain an understanding
on industrial processes and concerns, to
be aware of opportunities regarding
polymer-related careers for scientists
and engineers, and to create networking
opportunities between students, industry leaders and faculty.
Undergraduate chemistry majors are
encouraged to join. To learn more
about the Texas A&M chapter, go to
http://plastics.tamu.edu.
For more on the national SPE organization, visit http://www.4spe.org/.
This article was written by Shana K.
Hutchins [(979) 862-1237 or
shutchins@science.tamu.edu] and originally appeared at http://
Page 12
Orbitals
Dr. Holly Gaede Earns Presidential Advising Award
COLLEGE STATION -- Dr. Holly C.
Gaede, instructional assistant professor
in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, has been selected as
one of five recipients of the 2013 President's Award for Academic Advising.
appointed by Texas A&M's Office of the
Dean of Undergraduate Programs and
Associate Provost for Academic Services. Selection was based on nomination packets that included letters from
fellow advisors, students and faculty.
Gaede was honored for her exceptional
counsel and career guidance earlier this
week by Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin as part of the annual University Advisors and Counselors Spring
Awards Breakfast, held May 1.
Dr. Timothy P. Scott, associate dean for
undergraduate programs in the College
of Science, also received the honor in
2005, as did the Department of Biology's Christine Farris and the Department of Physics and Astronomy's Sandi
Smith in 2009.
Recipients, who each receive $2,000
and a plaque, were selected by a committee comprised of three students, the
president-elect of University Advisors
and Counselors, and a representative
This article was written by Shana K.
Hutchins, (979) 862-1237 or
shutchins@science.tamu.edu and originally appeared at http://
www.science.tamu.edu/articles/1063/
Dr. Steven Wheeler Receives NSF CAREER Award
COLLEGE STATION -- Steven E.
Wheeler, an assistant professor in the
Department of Chemistry who specializes in computational quantum chemistry, has received the National Science
Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award, also known as the
CAREER award. The research will be
funded at $413,000 over five years, and
is titled, "Controlling Supramolecular
Self-Assembly of Planar and Curved
Polycyclic Aromatic Systems."
rials with unique electronic properties.
The award also supports the development of an intuitive, freely available
computational chemistry "app" for the
Apple iPad, Wheeler said.
"The app will enable the incorporation
of computational chemistry into the
undergraduate chemistry curriculum
and allow students to explore chemical
principles at their own pace," Wheeler
said.
Wheeler's research group uses computational models to understand and predict the behavior of molecules. One
particular goal is to understand and
learn to control the weak, non-bonded
interactions between molecules that are
vital to the packing of molecules in the
solid state.
Wheeler's research emphasizes building
simple conceptual models that are useful to chemists, he said. Wheeler hopes
to foster close ties and collaborations
with experimental chemists to maximize
the impact of his group's work on the
community of chemistry researchers.
lor's in chemistry and physics from New
College of Florida in 2002 and his docWheeler joined the Texas A&M in 2010 torate in physical chemistry from the
The CAREER award will support reafter serving three years as a National
University of Georgia in 2006.
search aimed at controlling the molecu- Institutes of Health National Research
lar packing of large planar and curved
Service Award postdoctoral fellow in
molecules of interest for the developthe Department of Chemistry and Bio- Wheeler recently received the highly
competitive American Chemical Society
ment of organic electronic materials -- chemistry at the University of Califoressentially new, non-silicon-based mate- nia, Los Angeles. He earned his bache- COMP OpenEye Outstanding Junior
Continued on next page
Page 13
DEPARTMENT
OF CHEMISTRY
Undergraduate Advising
Office
104 CHEM
College Station, TX
77842
Phone: 979-845-0520
Fax: 979-845-4719
E-mail:
advising@chem.tamu.edu
Find us on
facebook
Chemistry Open House: October 12
Every year Texas A&M's Department of
Chemistry hosts a free, open to the public,
Chemistry Open House to celebrate National Chemistry Week. This year's participants include the Departments of Biology
and Physics & Astronomy, students from
the Dwight Look College of Engineering
and SACNAS, and the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. The event will be
held from 10 a.m.—3 p.m. in the main
Chemistry Building complex (not Heldenfels).
The Chemistry Open House features the
popular Chemistry Road Show, guided lab
tours, hands-on and computer activities,
door prizes and science goodie bags. The
Chemistry Road Show is recommended for
all ages and includes demonstrations of popu- tober 20-26, with a theme of Energy: Now
lar science.
and Forever!
The Chemistry Open House held as part of More information about the Open House
National Chemistry Week, an annual event
can be found at http://www.chem.tamu.edu/
that promotes public awareness of the imopenhouse/. Students are encouraged to
portance of chemistry in everyday life. It is
volunteer through the ACS Student Affiliate
coordinated by the American Chemical SociChapter.
ety (ACS). National Chemistry Week is Oc-
Wheeler Wins Career Award (continued)
The
department has
a
facebook page.
Go to
www.facebook.com
/tamu.chemistry
and become a fan!
Faculty Award for 2013 intended to provide
greater visibility for worthy rising research
stars. In Wheeler's case, his work on understanding and modeling non-covalent interactions has broad application in multiple areas
ranging from biological chemistry to surface
enhanced nanophenomena to atmospheric
chemistry.
For more information about Wheeler's research, visit http://www.chem.tamu.edu/
rgroup/wheeler/.
This article was written by Vimal Patel, (979)
845-7246 or vpatel@science.tamu.edu and
originally appeared at http://
www.science.tamu.edu/articles/992/
American Chemical Society-Student Affiliate Chapter
The Texas A&M University American Chemical Society Student Affiliate Chapter (ACSSAC) is a student organization that is dedicated to promoting interests in science. All majors are welcome to participate. The meetings are held on Tuesdays at 6 pm in CHEM
2104 and feature talks from faculty and professionals in industry as well as social events.
This club is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates who are interested in meeting
new people, taking chemistry to the campus and community, and furthering their
knowledge of chemistry.
They have an Open Facebook group, ACS
Texas A&M SAC.