Department
of Chemistry
Undergraduate
Advising Office
Orbitals
104 Chemistry
Building
Issue 146
979-845-0520
Important
Dates:
Graduation Application Deadline:
September 10
Q-drop Deadline:
November 5
September 3, 2010
33 Chemistry Majors Graduate in May; 4 in August 2010
Nine students graduated with
BS degrees in the May 15,
2010 graduation ceremony.
They are Alisha Bohnsack,
Helen Hamilton, Masato Hirai
(magna cum laude), Aaron
Hollas (magna cum laude),
Joshua Ivy, Auburn James (cum
laude), Ruben Lopez, Kathryn
Webb (cum laude), and Jamie
Wheeler (magna cum laude).
Scott Johnsgard was awarded
a posthumous degree, accepted by his parents. Twenty
-four students received their
BA degrees in chemistry at
the same ceremony. They are
Hanna Bobrovnyk (cum laude),
Stephanie Bowman, Alice
Cole, Amanda Cooke (summa
cum laude), Jeffery DePue
(magna cum laude), Austin
Dobbs, Jamie Felps, Joshua
Hunt, Christopher Jones (cum
laude), Joshua Kammer, Kayla
Lammert (magna cum laude),
Michael Moulder (cum laude),
Trey Patterson (magna cum
laude), Aaron Pavlish, Kelli
Pearce, Crystal Penaloza,
Mitchell Ponsford, Louis
Robinett (cum laude), Daniel
Sanders (cum laude), Jason
Shore, Tiffanie Smith, Marissa
Streck, Brittany Thiers, and
Mark Zobeck (magna cum
laude).
One BS student graduated in
the August 13 graduation ceremony, Sandra Fiorentini. She
carried the gonfalon for the
College of Science and graduated summa cum laude. Three
BA majors also received their
degrees at this ceremony. They
are Jessica Hemann, Sienna
Heller, and Yuliana Perez.
To read more about the graduates and their career plans,
please see ―The New Old Ags‖
section starting on page 3.
Sciences Career Fair Scheduled for Thursday, September 16
The Sciences Career Fair is
Scheduled for Thursday, September 16 from 10 am—3 pm
in Rudder Tower, 1st Floor.
Inside this
issue:
New Students
2
New Old Ags
3
Job Opportunities 7
Good News
8
Many events are scheduled to
help students get the most
out of the career fair. A Resume Writing Workshop for
will be held Tuesday, September 7 5:30-6:30 in Eller O&M
110. This is an hour workshop
that will cover the basics of
writing a resume, including
formatting tips. Recruiter
feedback indicates that some
chemistry major’s resumes
could use some polishing. It
would be a good idea to attend this workshop if you are
looking for a full-time job or
internship.
Resume reviews will be held
Wednesday, September 8 from
12-2 pm in Eller O&M 109;
Thursday, September 9, from
10 am—1 pm in the lobby of
the Bio-Bio building; and Friday,
September 10 from 1-4 pm in
the lobby of the Bio-Bio building.
Two additional workshop on
Making the Most of the Career
Fair will be held Wednesday,
September 8 from 5-6 p.m. in
Rudder 208 and Monday, September 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
in Eller O&M 110. This workshop will teach students how
to prepare by researching companies and schools, dress guidelines, tips on starting conversations with recruiters and how
to follow up on contacts.
Students can meet informally
with former students and recruiters at the Mix and Mingle
held Wednesday, September 15
from 5 –6:30 pm in Koldus 209.
The dress for this is casual to
business casual.
For more information about
het career fair, including volunteer opportunities, please contact Ms. Marilyn Yeager at
marilyny@careercenter.tamu.e
du.
Page 2
Orbitals
Welcome New Students!
Eighty-two first-year and ten transfer students joined the
chemistry department during summer New Student Conferences. A list of these new students and their hometowns follows. Please welcome them into the department!
Ackerman, Kristen Ariel
Agha, Tahra Jo
Ayala, Albert
Aziz, Hannah Renee
Bennett, Mary Drake
Besmar, Catherine
Burgess, Mariah K
Cantu, Margarita Viane
Casillas, Christian Eduardo
Cassidy, Benjamin Richard
Chambers, Natasha V
Dang, Gabriel Nathan
Dupont, Robert Joseph
Eakins, Brooke
Eppinette, Anna Rose
Felan, Kyle Ray
Ferebee, James Cooper
Fields, Lauren G
Foster, Kimberly Anne
Franko, Emily Theresa
Gonzales, Cornellia Marie
Greig, Alexander Noel
Guan, Leon Rui
Hajek, Dustin Wade
Hall, Aaron Gleann
Hersh, David Michael
Herstein, Sarah Rose
Hicks, Darcie Nichole
Hicks, Kristen V
Hryshchyshyn, Stephen
Hughes, Hayley McCall
Johnson, Mandie K
Kiebler, James Javier
Kleihege, Laura Beth
Laws, Michelle Caroline
Lopez, Alvaro
Margaretich, Sarah Kathryn
McClaine, Haley Brianna
McElhany, Grant Matthew
McKinney, Morgan Michelle
Menges, Stormie Dawn
Montalvo, Andrea
Oh, Hee Min
Ohman, Caitlin Elizabeth
Orocio, Mayra Fabiola
Palacios, Antonio De Jesus
College Station
Georgetown
San Antonio
Arlington
Prosper
Houston
Houston
San Juan
Houston
Duncan
Austin
Missouri City
San Antonio
Granbury
New Caney
Uvalde
Grapevine
Sugar Land
Houston
Fort Worth
Kyle
San Antonio
Houston
Cuero
Fort Worth
Plano
Carrollton
Austin
Jacksonville
Taipei
Frisco
Comanche
Garland
Houston
Red Oak
Weslaco
Hutto
Corinth
Boerne
Dallas
Caldwell
Laredo
Corinth
Sugar Land
Giddings
Houston
Park, Chan Young
Pearson, Clancey Ann
Petkovic, Nemanja
Polter, Mariel Marr
Powers, Kayla Marie
TX Price, William C
TX Ramirez, Bianca L
TX Rodriguez, Luis
TX Romero, Christina Marie
TX Scroggins, Bree Tiandra
TX Seifert, Ashlyn Denee
TX Skinner, Brandon Taylor
TX Smith, Janie Ruth
TX Stouder, Kylee Lauren
OK Summers, Matthew Porter
TX Trevino, Jacob
TX Trippe, Rachel Anne
TX Upadhyaya, Parth Pradip
TX Vance, Hayley Breann
TX Villanueva, Taylor Balli
TX Vinson, James Edward
TX Wakefield, Gregory Louis
TX Wiley, Kiersten Beth
TX Williams, Jonathan Michael
TX Wingate, Elizabeth Jon
TX Yruegas, Samantha
TX Yu, Lusa E
TX Zamora, Patricia Carolina
TX Zhang, Franklin Shen
TX Bogue, Jeannie Kate
TX Gomez, Jacquelynn Rose
TX Kaczor, Kaitlyn Christine
TX Kalin, Alexander James
TX Moore, James Thomas
Pruthi, Netan Sunny
TX Willmarth, Seth Aaron
TX
TX
TX Anvari, Amir Sayed
TX Coulibaly, Mohamed
TX Handley, Brandi Marie
TX Johnson, Ariel M
TX Leung, Hoi Yu
TX Lumbi, Karla Matilde
TX Ocampo-Marin, Juliana
TX Rendon, Andrew Anthony
TX Ward, Shane Joseph
TX Zamora, Esneider
TX
TX
TX
Allen
San Antonio
Dallas
Austin
Dallas
The Woodlands
Pharr
Houston
Bryan
Houston
Houston
Texas City
Archer City
Cypress
Ft Worth
Plano
Waco
Seguin
Fort Worth
Harlingen
Venus
Wake Village
Omaha
Conroe
Richardson
Laredo
Katy
Houston
Houston
Falmouth
Harlingen
Whitewright
Arlington
El Paso
Sugar Land
El Paso
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
KY
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
Houston
Houston
Burleson
Big Spring
Frisco
Houston
College Station
Lytle
College Station
Conroe
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
Page 3
The New Old Ags
Hanna Bobrovnyk was born in Kiev, Ukraine, but spent half
of her life in Clear Lake, southeast of Houston, TX. She had no
idea she would end up becoming an Aggie, let alone major in
Chemistry, one of her least favorite classes in high school. She’s
graduating in 3 years with a BA in chemistry and minor in math.
While at A&M, Hanna participated in protein crystallography
research at Dr. Sacchettini’s lab in the Biochemistry department for 2 years, winning first place at the A&M Agrilife Undergraduate Poster Competition in January 2010. She was also
actively involved and held officer positions for the American
Chemical Society and Texas A&M Bioethics Forum. One of
Hanna’s favorite activities at A&M was tutoring chemistry for
the athletic department for 2 years, and her last semester at
A&M she was an SI leader for CHEM 101. Hanna will be attending University of Houston College of Pharmacy in the fall.
She has enjoyed her time at Texas A&M and will remember the
memories made here forever, such as running NMR spectra at
3 am for 234!
Alisha Bohnsack was born and raised in Western Colorado.
She moved to Texas in 2007 and is a first generation Aggie. In the summer of 2008 she interned at
Champion Technologies, an oilfield chemistry
company in Houston, TX, and discovered her passion for chemistry. She worked in the Corrosion
Lab and returned for a second summer in the Analytical Services Lab. In Spring 2010 she was an undergraduate researcher for Dr. Hong-Cai Zhou,
studying metal-organic frameworks and their applications in gas storage and separations. She also taught a freshman chemistry lab and was the historian for the American
Chemical Society-SAC for one semester. She received a B.S. in
Chemistry in May 2010 and is now working on a Ph.D. at the
University of Texas at Austin. She hopes to one day settle in
the Houston area and work at an industrial chemical company.
Orbitals
work in the classroom really solidified my love for chemistry. I
had Dr. Vigh for quantitative analysis and I will never forget the
encouragement he gave me to do my best and never give up
and to always read the questions on tests carefully. A big
thanks to Dr. Hilty and Dr. Yeager for sticking with us in physical chemistry even though our heads were spinning in utter
confusion. Dr. Tiner and Dr. Gaede were the best advisors
any undergraduate could ever have. I truly thank all of my
teachers for the encouragement and knowledge it takes to
make it through this tough major. I have enjoyed every moment of my chemistry life at A&M and I will miss all the friends
that I have made, the late night study sessions, the last minute
lab write ups, and the feeling of accomplishing something most
people could not even dream about doing. Thanks chemistry
for being the hardest but the best part of my college life.‖
Amanda Cooke grew up in Louisiana, Egypt, and Scotland
before moving to Katy, Texas when she was 16. She received
her B.A. in chemistry and her minor in English. While in school,
she enjoyed being a member of Delta Delta Delta, Pioneers
Friday Church, Camp Stackman 08, Freshman Leaders in
Christ, and attending First Baptist Bryan. Her favorite part of
Texas A&M is the student body and she has loved
meeting so many different people. Amanda is excited to begin medical school at UT Houston in
August 2010. She hopes to one day use medicine
as a way to glorify God and serve others.
Jeff DePue writes: For the next year or two, I
will be traveling in Asia, learning the languages
there, and talking to students. When I get back
from Asia, I plan on using my degree to become a high school
Chemistry teacher for a little while going to seminary to study
the Bible. In the long run, I plan to become a pastor or go back
to Asia and teach there.
Austin Dobbs was born and raised in Houston, TX, but lived
in Nigeria and the United Kingdom for a total of 6 years before
Alice Cole writes: ―Upon entering my college life, I was unattending college at Texas A&M University. He graduated with
sure of what the future held for me. I was thrilled to be in
a BA in Chemistry with a Biological Chemistry Track. During
wonderful Texas A&M but was not quite confident in the major his 4 years in College Station he was actively involved with
I chose. After squeezing out my freshman year in classes that
Grace Bible Church and the Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity. He
were not my strong suit, I found that chemistry was one of my played tenor saxophone in the Texas A&M Hullabaloo Band all
favorite classes. I inquired about adding it as a minor and found four years of his college career. Since the fall of his freshmen
myself completely dropping my previous major for chemistry,
year Austin had been involved in a long distance relationship
thanks to Dr. Tiner. After switching into chemistry, I found
with the love of his life, but they are now reunited in lonestar
out quickly enough that when someone asks you what your
state and he and his fiancée Jessica will be married in May,
major is, the response is usually something along the lines of
2011. Austin held the office of both vice-president and presi―really?!‖, ―oh, I hated chem.!‖ or ―so you actually like that
dent of the TAMU Pre-Pharmacy Society while at A&M, and
stuff?‖ And I actually DO!! Chemistry at Texas A&M was my
will be starting pharmacy school at the University of Houston
home for the next three years and I sincerely loved every min- College of Pharmacy in the fall of 2010 in pursuit of his
ute of it. Even though physical chemistry made me dizzy some- Pharm.D.
times and the sheer number of fifteen page lab reports still
occasionally haunts my dreams, I appreciated every minute. I
Masato Hirai was born in Tokyo, Japan, and lived in two
would not be the person I am today without the hard work
other places; Westchester, New York and Christchurch, New
chemistry has made me do throughout the years. Dr. Keeney- Zealand. Inspired by his high school chemistry teacher, he
Kennicutt made freshman chemistry an extremely fun class and chose to pursue his career in chemistry instead of becoming a
fueled my affection for chemistry in general. Dr. Santander and medical doctor. As for now, he will be staying in Aggieland to
Dr. Tichy were my organic chemistry professors and their hard
Page 4
More New Old Ags
work on his PhD studying bioinorganic chemistry. He is bravely
a huge LA Lakers (Kobe Bryant in specific) fan despite all the
hatred from everyone in Texas.
My name is Joshua Hunt and I was born and raised in Pasadena/Deer Park, TX. I graduated in May with a BA in chemistry and a minor in biochemistry. I spent a year doing research
with Dr. Singleton in physical organic chemistry, and hope to
pursue interests in the physical biological chemistry research
one day. I was involved in a couple of organizations while at
A&M including MSC Town Hall and IAESTE. Through IAESTE I
was able to have the amazing opportunity of doing an internship with Endress and Hauser Conducta in Germany for a summer. I am currently seeking a full-time position conducting
chemical research and hope to obtain my PhD one day.
Orbitals
programs. For several reasons, I chose A&M, and I've never
regretted that choice despite the fact that in the end, I have
switched majors twice, first to chemical engineering and then
settling on chemistry, taking the environmental science track.
Out of my five years here at A&M, my two years as a chemistry
major have perhaps been the most enjoyable. Part of that is
working in labs, doing experiments and using scientific equipment that only a world class university like Texas A&M could
offer. Part of it was also just the people I got to know, both the
chemistry department faculty as well as other students. They all
made my years here some of the best.
But now I'm moving forward, into my future shaped largely
from my time here at Texas A&M. Thanks to an excellent
preparation in science, I was accepted to the Geological and
Planetary Sciences division at Caltech in Pasadena, California,
into the Ph.D. program for planetary science. It wasn't the
most direct way of getting there, but I'm still chasing that
Auburn James visited Texas A&M for the first time the sum- dream of space exploration, finding out more about the solar
system, and about the entire universe out there that's just waitmer before senior year of high school and immediately knew
she wanted to become an Aggie. With an interest in materials, ing to be discovered. Caltech will be different from Texas A&M
she started college as a Chemical Engineering major. After only in more ways than one, but I'm looking forward to the challenges and the opportunities that await me there. Still,
a month, she realized Chemical Engineering had far
my strongest ties will always be back here in Texas,
too macroscopic a focus and changed majors to
and thanks to what I've learned here, I not only have
Chemistry (B.S.). Through sophomore year, Authe chance to take my education even further by atburn was a member of the MASS program and
tending graduate school in another state, but hopeintended on receiving her teacher’s certification to
fully someday to help expand our knowledge of and
teach high school. After beginning undergraduate
our presence among the planets and the stars themresearch, she decided she enjoyed research and
wanted to teach chemistry at the college level.
selves.
She performed undergraduate research for a total
of two years in the Fackler group. During college, Auburn was Kayla Lammert was born and raised in Longview, TX. She
graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
a member of CARPOOL for three semesters, and never fulChemistry and a minor in Business Administration. In addition
filled her dream of starting the Texas A&M Prank Club. Auto academics, Kayla was involved in several organizations. She
burn begins graduate school at the University of Texas in fall
was an active member of MSC Hospitality and the Pre-Dental
2010 and hopes to study materials with inorganic, as well as
Society in her sophomore and junior years, but the majority of
organic, components.
her extracurricular activity was with the Aggie Orientation
Leader Program. Kayla served as an Orientation Leader, Family
Chris Jones writes: I graduated high school from Kingwood
High School in Kingwood Texas. I chose Chemistry as my ma- Track Coordinator on the Executive Committee, and CoDirector of AOLP, which welcomes new students and their
jor because it was my favorite class in high school. I will be
family members to Texas A&M during New Student Conferreceiving a B.A. in Chemistry with a Biological Chemistry
ences. In addition, Kayla served as Conference Director for
Track. For the past year, I have been doing undergraduate
MSC LEAF, an organization focused on developing leadership
research in Dr. Robert Chapkin’s lab (he is a nutrition Profesamong Texas A&M’s female population. Kayla enjoyed attendsor). I will be entering the University of Michigan’s Chemical
Biology graduate program this summer. My biggest worry right ing church at A&M United Methodist, being with her friends,
now is if I can adjust to the weather up there after having lived reading, and running. After graduation, Kayla will attend Baylor
College of Dentistry in Dallas, TX.
in Texas my whole life.
Joshua Kammer writes: I'm originally from San Antonio,
Texas, and I graduated from Central Catholic High School in
2005. Throughout my life I've always wanted to work on something related to space exploration; I was one of those kids who
never really stopped wanting to be an astronaut. So when I was
applying to colleges I first had aerospace engineering in mind as
my major. I wanted to stay in state as an undergraduate, so the
two places I had as choices at that point were Texas A&M or
UT Austin, both of which had excellent aerospace engineering
Ruben Lopez III writes: Most of my summer has been full of
applications and moving. Regardless, I apologize. I'm responding
to let you know that I am working for Lynntech; in fact, I have
been working with them since Aug 2, 2010. I received word of
an on-phone interview a week after application, and then 3
weeks later I received an E-Mail in regards to an on-site interview for July 12, 2010. The next morning I received a job offer,
and I accepted.
Page 5
Orbitals
year. She also participated in undergraduate research in the
Bizon & Setlow Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience Research
lab. She was employed her last two years at the best job ever,
Mike Moulder writes: I was born in Independence, Missouri,
the Organic Chemistry Lab Program. She received a B.A. in
but grew up for most of my life in Chardon, Ohio. Shortly before college, I moved to The Woodlands, TX. I started attend- Chemistry and will be participating in the DeBakey Insitute
Summer Research Program in Toxicology immediately after
ing Texas A&M in Fall of 2006, where I would later go on to
receive a B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics. While graduation. In the Fall, she will attend UTSouthwestern for
at A&M, I participated in numerous intramurals and attended a Radiation Therapy. She appreciates all the professors, my
lot of sporting events. I worked for Texas A&M Read & Counts OCLP crew, and fellow students that made her time at A&M
for a year and was also a member of the Aggie Optometry
both challenging and fun!
Association. For my senior year, I received the Dr. David Lipp
Scholarship. After graduation, I will be moving to Houston with Mitchell Ponsford was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He is a
long-time girlfriend and fellow Aggie graduate, Allison Weaver, B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. He is a Private Pilot
where I will be attending optometry school at the University of with an Instrument rating and has flown airplanes biweekly
Houston. This is a four year program that I will start attending
since his senior year in high school. During his college career
he was involved in the Aggie Flying Club, Pre-Dental Society, Pi
in the fall.
Kappa Phi fraternity, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church worship
Trey Patterson writes: Howdy, I was raised in the small town team. Thanks to his loving sister, Jenna (A&M class of ’13), he
became more involved in church activities and Breakaway his
of Crosby, Texas and received a B.A. in Chemistry to become
senior year. His future plans are to go to dental school and
the first but definitely not last Aggie in my family! While at
Texas A&M I was an officer in Texas A&M Iron Spikes, a mem- become an oral surgeon.
ber of CARPOOL, a member of the Terry Foundation Student
Organization, and inducted into Phi Beta
Louis (Robby) Robinett III grew up in Longview,
Kappa. Also, I was very lucky and got the opTexas. He entered A&M as a general studies major
portunity to work as a dental assistant at a
and after enjoying his freshman chemistry classes delocal endodontist office in Bryan, which ascided to pursue chemistry and ultimately medical
sured me that my decision of becoming a denschool. He plans to attend UT Health Science Center
tist was indeed what I want to do for the rest
San Antonio for medical school next year. While at
of my life. Beginning in July I will be attending
Texas A&M, he was highly involved in Campus Cruthe University of Texas Health Science Center
sade for Christ, Walton Hall RHA and played alto
in San Antonio Dental School in pursuit of
saxophone in the TAMU Wind Symphony. He credits
his success to Jesus, who provided everything he needed to
becoming a dentist.
matriculate into medical school. I should be graduating cum
Aaron Pavlish, class of 2010, received a B.A. in chemistry and laude.
a minor in business. He was born in Victoria, Tx and began his
studies at A&M as a general studies major. He enjoys any outDaniel Sanders was born in College Station, Texas but
door activities and has a love for saltwater fishing. During his
moved to Waco, Texas where he attended high school. He
time at Texas A&M he was involved with TAMU Coastal Con- graduated with a B.A. in chemistry on a biological chemistry
servation Association and also participated intramural sports.
track. He and his wife, April, currently reside in San Antonio
He also was a student research worker in Dr. Sacchettini's
where he attends the University of Texas Health Science Censtructural biology laboratory. Aaron will be attending Texas
ter School of Medicine. When he is able to pull his nose from
A&M - Corpus Christi in pursuit of a MBA with a concentration the books he thoroughly enjoys tennis.
in health care administration in the fall.
Jason Shore was born and raised in Plano, TX. He was origiKelli Pearce grew up in Rosenberg, TX outside of Houston.
nally a computer science major, but found it boring and decided
She recently graduated from Texas A&M with a BA in Chemis- to switch to chemistry. Outside of his academic activities, Jason
try. During her four years at A&M she was a Chemistry tutor
was a member of Company S-1 in the Corps of Cadets and
for the athletic department at A&M. Outside of academics she
played piano for the Aggieland Orchestra. He is currently
was a participant in racquetball and flag football intramurals as
working towards a master's degree in Medical Sciences at the
well as a full time employee at Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. in College University of North Texas Health Science Center, and his next
Station, TX. As for the future Kelli recently accepted a posistep is to apply to medical school.
tion as a Chemistry teacher at Waco High School in Waco, TX.
Tiffanie Smith writes: I was born and raised in Wortham,
Crystal Penaloza was born in raised in Dallas, Texas. She is a TX. I received a B.A. in chemistry while also focusing on a
first generation Aggie and chose A&M for its strong traditions
variety of other sciences while completing the biological sciand its outstanding academics. During her time here at Texas
ences track for chemistry majors. I worked on research in the
A&M she was very active in her sorority, Sigma Lambda
Barondeau lab during my senior year at Texas A&M. Outside
Gamma National Sorority, Inc serving as President her senior
of academics, I have been involved in numerous organizations
More New Old Ags
Page 6
More New Old Ags
including Aggie School Volunteers, Lacrosse Little Sisters and Big
Event. I received a great job offer in Houston, TX that I have
gratefully accepted. After graduation I will move to Houston to
pursue my career as a chemist.
Brittany Thiers writes: I was born and raised in Mertzon, Texas.
I graduated high school with a total of 29 people so coming to
Texas A&M University was a big change for me. At first, it was
overwhelming but after my first semester I knew that I was meant
to be an Aggie. I received a B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in the
Biological track offered by the Chemistry Department. Between
classes and football games, I worked in the Organic Chemistry
Laboratory Program for two years. While in college, I attended
Grace Bible Church and I have never met a more encouraging
church family than that of Grace. I also met my future husband at
Aggieland and we will be getting married in June of 2011. Currently, I am pursuing a teacher certification in order to teach high
school chemistry. After teaching for a few years, I will be attending graduate school in order to receive a Master’s in Chemistry. I
would like to thank my parents, Wes and Karen, for all of their
prays, love, and support to make my dreams possible.
Kathy Webb writes: I graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a
minor in Business Administration. I grew up in Colorado Springs,
Colorado and when people look at me with a "what were you
thinking coming to Texas face" I answer with the fact that I am in
the third generation at this institution, so naturally I had no choice.
But today, having a choice wouldn't have made the end result any
different. I went into college thinking I was going to go to medical
school and become a doctor, but that all changed after my first
internship. I had the opportunity to do two summer internships
with Celanese Chemicals. The first was in Clear Lake in the Vinyl
Acetate unit as a process chemist intern. I did several projects and
got to dress in FRC's and steel toed boots and see what an actual
chemical plant looks like and how products that end up in our
mainstream stores are manufactured. My second internship was
for their headquarters site in Dallas, TX. I was a supply chain analyst intern and had the opportunity to see how chemical companies actually run. During my undergraduate career, I was a supplemental instruction leader for general chemistry and the President
of the American Chemical Society-SAC my last year. Junior and
Senior year, I also did research for Dr. James Batteas doing lithography and nanografting of porphyrin thiols on a SAM of gold/mica. I
completed the Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis Program
as well as two poster presentations, one at Student Research
Week and one at the American Chemical Society national conference in San Francisco in March. I am currently living in Houston
and working as a Technical Service Engineer at INEOS Olefins and
Polymers USA in La Porte and am looking forward to the next
chapter of my life as an "adult". I hope to go back to school at
nights/weekends to get an MBA after a couple of years in the
working world. kmwebb2010@gmail.com :)
Jamie Wheeler grew up in Georgetown, Texas. In addition to
her chemistry degree, Jamie also completed a minor in English,
enjoying technical writing and Shakespeare. While at Texas A&M,
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Jamie was very involved at St. Mary’s Catholic Center and
did undergraduate research with Dr. James Batteas in
Chemistry and Dr. Jaime Grunlan in Materials Science and
Engineering. During her summers and one fall, she also did
research internships at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and
in industry with Celanese and Ticona, followed by a science
policy internship in Washington, D.C. After graduation,
Jamie will begin a Ph.D. program in Materials Chemistry at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Summer 2010 Graduates
Sandra Fiorentini received her B.S. degree in chemistry
with a minor in Spanish in August of 2010, graduating summa
cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. Originally from Syracuse, New
York, Sandy came to Texas A&M thanks to its fantastic opportunities for National Merit Scholars and its first-rate
chemistry department. She earned her degree in just three
years while also working for Dr. Hildreth in the CHEM 237
lab and in Dr. Romo’s research group. In April 2010, she
received the Dr. Jaan Laane Academic Achievement Award
and the ACS Analytical Chemistry Award. Sandy is excited
to start her career with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in
Fort Worth in September, where she will be an engineering
associate with the Low-Observable Materials Development
Program. Until she begins her job, Sandy plans to enjoy
some quality time with her parents, who now live in Fort
Worth, and also visit friends in Syracuse. Sandy’s interests
include cooking, playing piano, and saving the pandas.
Yuliana Perez (BA Summer 2010) participated in the
choir of St. Mary’s Church and in their female soccer team.
She was the captain of the soccer team in 2008-2009. She is
now expecting her first baby, which should be here in March
2011. She is planning to teach chemistry in a local high
school in the Rio Grande Valley and in a few years continue
to finish her master degree. Yuliana was raised in Mission
TX but was born in Reynosa Tamaulipas. She is the first
generation student and is helping her brothers and cousins
to continue with the aggie tradition of continuing a career in
Aggieland. During her college years she worked at A&M in
the financial aid department for 3 years and then in the Public Policy Research Institute for 1 year.
Welcome to Recently Declared
Chemistry Majors
Erika Attleson
Jeffrey Clemens
Joanna Hebert
Eric Kleihege
Brenda Longoria
Michael Pham
Ashley Wallace
Orbitals
Page 7
Career Opportunities
Rebekah Brown of S&S Professional Services, LP
recently contacted the advising office about job openings for
entry level BS/BA chemistry graduates. If interested, please
contact her at rbrown@SSPROSERV.com.
Job Description: Entry-Level Chemist
The basic function of this position is to conduct testing and
experiments.
Principal Responsibilities
·Work safely and maintain a clean, safe work environment.
·Design, set up, and conduct experiments to evaluate the
properties and performance of products.
·Apply knowledge of industry specifications and procedures
in interpreting test results.
·Maintain equipment in good working order.
·Maintain records of activities and enter data in computer
files.
·Develop, improve, and document laboratory procedures.
·Properly dispose of hazardous materials.
Start Date: ASAP
Location: La Porte, TX
Education: BS in Chemistry preferred (4yr. Technical Degree Required)
Type of Company: Chemical Manufacturer
Job Description: Analytical Sciences Technician
Job Summary
The successful candidate must be flexible and willing to learn
a wide range of analytical job duties They should possess
excellent interpersonal, teamwork and multitasking skills.
Job duties will include safely conducting analyses and setting
up and maintaining analytical equipment. The candidate
must safely handle hazardous chemicals and will be responsible for working safely in the laboratory including following
all safety rules, performing safety inspections and resolving
any safety issues. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively with his/her supervisor, particularly in reporting data in written and electronic form. Proficiency in
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word is required. Additional
considerations are listed in the job summary below.
Qualifications
Associates Degree in Chemistry (or Chemistry Technician)
or BS/BA in Chemistry
Entry Level
At least one semester of Quantitative Analysis Laboratory
preferred
At least one semester of Instrumental Analysis Classroom/
Laboratory preferred
Mechanical Aptitude desired
Start Date: ASAP
Length of Assignment: 6+ month temp with possibility
to hire
Pay rate: DOE (send salary requirements; non exempt)
Location: Kingwood, TX
The Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M
University at Qatar (TAMUQ) invites applications for
a Teaching Associate position at our campus in Doha,
Qatar (www.qata.tamu.edu). TAMUQ is a branch campus
of Texas A&M University in College Station, TX and is a
partnership with Qatar Foundation. TAMUQ is located in a
new state-of-the-art, 595,000 square foot building. Salary
rates are competitive and, in general average 30% (added
as a premium) higher than comparable salary rates of similar positions in the US. Fringe benefits include free furnished housing in one of several gated communities, K-12
education for dependents, group health insurance, annual
leave allowance, and a car allowance. The appointment is
expected to begin in January 2010.
The successful candidate is expected to hold a
Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or a closely related field,
and two years in teaching in the laboratory and scientific
research at university or college level.
Preferred education and experience include: advanced laboratory coursework, Master degree in Chemistry or related field, and four years experience.
Duties:
1. Set up experiments for student labs, supervise students
during experiments and handle any aspect of lab preparation as needed.
2. Assist the course professor with lab protocols.
3. Prepare and perform recitation and problem solving
sessions.
4. Assist in the preparation of quizzes and in grading lab
reports, quizzes and assignments.
5. Responsible for quality control, routine maintenance,
safety procedures, inventory management and teaching
collections.
6. Hold office hours for one-to-one tutoring.
7. Edit, photocopy, scan, and web post handouts & solutions.
Application Information: Dr. Hassan S. Bazzi
College of Science
Texas A&M University at Qatar
P.O.Box 23874
Doha 23874
Qatar
science@qatar.tamu.edu
Phone: +974-4423-0018
Fax: +974-4423-0060
DEPARTMENT
OF
CHEMISTRY
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843
Phone: 979-845-0520
Fax: 979-845-2338
E-mail:
hgaede@mail.chem.tamu.edu
Good News!
Distinguished Professor Joe Natowitz has been elected to the
2010 class of Fellows of the American Chemical Society. The 2010
ACS Fellows were honored at a special ceremony during the ACS
National Meeting in Boston on Monday, August 23. Congratulations to
Joe on being a part of this distinguished group.
Bob Hildreth and Linda Redd have been selected to receive a 2010
College of Science Outstanding Staff Achievement Award. Congratulations to Dr. Hildreth
and Ms. Redd.
Professors Kenn Harding and Simon North have been selected to receive a Distinguished Achievement College-Level Award in Teaching from The Association of Former Students. The awards will be presented at the annual College of Science Faculty and Staff Meeting to be scheduled in early fall 2010.
Regents Professor Sherry Yenello has been announced as the 2011 winner of the Francis P.
Garvan-John M. Olin Medal sponsored by the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal Endowment. The purpose of the award is to recognize distinguished service to chemistry by women
chemists. She will be honored at the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, in conjunction with the 241st ACS national meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Old Ags
Find us on
facebook
The department
launched a new
facebook page
today.
Search for
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Chemistry on
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it!
Gregory Fritz (BS ’09) wrote in last semester: ―Just thought I would share..... as of today
(which also happens to be my birthday) I started my job in the animal science department. I
will be doing research with Dr. Wu on animal nutrition and metabolites. I will mainly be using HPLC.....I think this will be a great opportunity for me....combining livestock and chemistry!!!Just though I would share the good news,
-GREGORY!!!! aka Fritz the Cat (Dr. Hogg would always call me this!)‖
Jennifer Putsche (BS 2003) sent in an update this summer. ―Since attending A&M, I
worked as an Inside Sales Coordinator for KTI Networks in Houston. Currently, I am
working on certification in Nuclear Medicine Technology at HCC while volunteering at
South Loop MRI in Houston. I am also a personal business assistant and occasional substitute teacher for Amira-Tanya Zeiger, specializing in Egyptian style dance.‖ Friends may contact Jennifer at Jennifer.putsche@gmail.com .
Ready, Set, Go! 5K Fun Run
The Beta Beta Chapter of Phi Lambda Upsilon, the national chemistry honor
society, will be holding their 3rd annual 5K fun run/ walk entitled Ready, Set,
Go! on September 25th. Proceeds from the race will fund science education
equipment grant proposals submitted by public schools in Bryan and College
Station.
What: 5K Fun Run/ Walk Ready, Set, Go!
When: September 25, 2010; 8:30 A.M
Where: Polo field, Lot 50; event parking is free at Lot 50.
Registration Fee: $10 for students and $15 for others (includes a t-shirt)
Preregistration is highly encouraged; however, on-site registration will be accepted. Please arrange your time accordingly if you are planning to do on-site registration.
There will be a costume contest where best costumes will be awarded.
For more information about pre-registration and the race please visit:
www.readysetgorace.net