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Chemistry Students Present Research in New Orleans

ACS2018 Hendrix attendees

CONWAY, Ark. (April 9, 2018) – Fourteen Hendrix College students recently presented their research at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, La. The theme for the society’s 255th national meeting was “Nexus of Food, Energy & Water.”

Accompanied to the meeting by Chemistry Department faculty members Dr. David Hales, Dr. Courtney Hatch, Dr. Heidi Dahlmann, and Dr. Michael Yanney, and Laboratory Manager Linda Desrochers, the students prepared research posters and shared their research with conference attendees from throughout the world. 

Students and their presentations included:

  • Iad Alhallak ’18, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Paragould, Ark. – “Kinetic analysis of Supported Lipid Bilayer (SLB) formation through variation in lipid concentration”
  • Megan Cassingham '19, a chemistry major from Shreveport, La. – “Qualitative analysis of PM2.5 organic compounds in Conway, Arkansas”
  • Morgan Dasch ’19, a chemistry and French double major from Lakewood, Colo. – “Measurement of the activation parameters for fragmentation at penultimate proline in three tetrapeptides”
  • Chelbi Gilmore ’20, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Alma, Ark. – “Alanine helix length affects peptide fragmentation rate at a nearby proline residue”
  • Connor Griffin ’19, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Little Rock, Ark. – “Exploring the use of both planar and curved Surface polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the design and synthesis of molecular receptors for fullerenes”
  • Michael Kramer ’18, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Heber Springs, Ark. – “Design and synthesis of an effective tridental molecular receptor for fullerenes”
  • Alexis Krone ’18, a chemical physics major from Greenbrier, Ark. – “Understanding the effect of osmotic pressure on the adsorption and rupture of phospholipid vesicles on a silicon dioxide surface”
  • Catherine Lee ’18, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Conway, Ark. – “Design and synthesis of triphenylene based molecular receptors for fullerenes”
  • Eugene Pegues ’18, a chemistry major from Greenbrier, Ark. – “Development of a reusable colorimetric surface tethered polydiacetylene biosensor”
  • Evan Rivera ’18, a chemistry major from Dallas, Texas – “Organocatalyzed pericyclic reactions: exploring catalyst reactivity and substrate scope”
  • Imran Shah ’18, a chemistry major from Coppell, Texas – “Effect of the Hofmeister series on Supported Lipid Bilayer (SLB) formation”
  • Madison Sipes ’18, a chemistry major from Conway, Ark. – “Water adsorption on volcanic ash as a function of relative humidity”
  • Ryan Tumminello ’18, a chemistry major from Saint Louis, Mo. – “Quantification of soluble ions in atmospheric particulate matter using ion chromatography”
  • Kathleen Wendover ’18, a biochemistry/molecular biology major from Littleton, Colo. – “Elaboration, characterization & biodegradation of partially bio-based polymer composites in aerobic and anaerobic conditions”

About the American Chemical Society

With more than 150,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe.

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.