Research Symposium 2021

The 2021 Research Symposium was held virtually (again) due to COVID-19

Awards Presented:

  • Outstanding Performance in Introductory Chemistry:   Reuben Fortier
  • Outstanding Performance in Analytical Chemistry:  Chelsey Lecus
  • Outstanding Performance in Biochemistry:  Gabrielle Haskins
  • Outstanding Performance in Inorganic Chemistry:  Aliece Novitski
  • Peter Kovacic Scholarship for Outstanding Performance in Organic Chemistry:  Alexis Hope Stauffacher
  • Vanselow Award for Outstanding Performance In Physical Chemistry:  Elizabeth Merkel
  • Chemistry Emeritus Award, Outstanding Junior:  Bruce Yang
  • Outstanding Senior:  Nicole Carlson
  • Teaching Assistant Award – Discussion:  Alexander Drena
  • Teaching Assistant Award – Lab:  Elizabeth Merkel
  • Gloria Moczynski Teaching Assistant Award-CSI:  David Schreurs
  • Sosnovsky Award for Excellence in Graduate Research – Md. Rashid Roni

Poster Awards:

Students who presented their research included:

  • Nicholas Hopper – “Methyl Pyruvate Hydrogenation on Pd(111); ReactionKinetics from First-Principles”
  • Robert Bavisotto – “Effects of Terminus on Tribochemical Reactions of Midchain Length Carboxylic Acids on Copper”
  • Gabrielle Grimes – “Investigation of student understanding of acid-base chemistry in undergraduate analytical chemistry”
  • Allison Tomczyk – “Exploring Modifications to Scale-Themed Instruction in General Chemistry II: Determining Content Area and Scale Concepts Targets”
  • Fatoumata Diawara – “Are we meeting students’ needs? Matching the difficulty level of chemistry text with student reading comprehension abilities”
  • Ethan Kub – “Development of an LC-MS Method to Quantify Ceramide Levels and test Combination Therapies on Glioblastoma Cancer Cells”
  • Mohammad Mohiminul Islam – “Development and validation of LC-MS/MS method for quantitative bioanalysis of carmofur in rat plasma”
  • Vilashini Rajaratnam – “Shake Flask Lipophilicity Assay, PAMPA and RED Plasma-Protein Binding Assay of ARN14988, an acid ceramidase inhibitor, a potential drug for glioblastoma” & “LC-MS/MS Method Development and Validation for Quantification of ARN14988, an acid ceramidase inhibitor, in rat model”
  • Alex Drena – “Studying the Pre-A Motif of Truncated Hemoglobin N”
  • Shahama Alam – “Probing the mechanism of the enzyme Cytochrome c Nitrite reductase (CcNiR): studies of the wild type and its variants”
  • Trevor Melkonian – “Structural and Functional Characterization of PlInd4, a PLP-Dependent L-Arginine Oxidase from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea”
  • Jonathan Mielke – “Elp3 and tRNA: Towards Understanding a New Role in Wobble Uridine Modifications”
  • Victoria Mandella – “The Search For Intermediates in the Cytochrome C Nitrite Reductase Catalyzed Reduction of Nitrite”
  • David Schreurs – “Search for the Optimal Measurement of Student Ability”
  • Md Yeunus Mian – “Design and Synthesis of Anti-schistosomal Drug with decreased sedation”
  • Khorshada Jahan – “A convenient approach to synthesize regioselective C-2 alkylation of Protected Gramine”
  • Taukir Ahmed – “Large scale synthesis of a benzodiazepine which positively modulates the GABA®A in type 3 medulloblastoma cancer cells”
  • Muhammad Asad Uz Zaman – “In-vivo efficacy study of Phenylboronic Acid Nitrogen Mustards as antitumor agents for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer”
  • Jawad bin Belayat – “Development of a novel, small-molecule brain-penetrant histone deacetylase inhibitor that enhances spatial memory formation in mice”
  • Kamal Pandey – “The Total Synthesis of Unnatural Enantiomers of biologically active C – 19 Methyl Substituted Macroline, Sarpagine, And Ajmaline Indole Alkaloids”
  • Sepideh Rezvanian – “Synthesis of Chiral Imidazodiazepines as a-Subtype Selective GABA(A) R Modulators to Treat Schizophrenia and Depression”
  • Alex Vincent – “6-nitroquinolone Derivatives and their H-Bonding Properties: Binding β-Sheets and Dimerization Imaging”
  • Taylor Wilcox – “Development of new treatments for neuropathic pain based on imidazodiazepines”
  • Michelle Meyer – “Cell Viability, Motor Performance, and Behavioral Assessments of New Drug Candidates”
  • Eron Saxon – “Synthesis of a Phenyl Boronic Acid Nitrogen Mustard Analog”
  • Trevor Hagemann – “Oxidized Arginine Derivatives“
  • Nicolas Zahn – “Nebulized MIDD0301 Reduces Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Bronchoconstriction in Murine Models”
  • S. Rashid Roni – “Metabolism and drug disposition of clinical asthma compound MIDD0301 in mice”
  • Daniel Webb – “Synthesis of MIDD0301 Phase II Metabolites and Application of Amino Acid N-Carboxy Anhydrides to Generate New MIDD0301 Analogs”