The Chemistry Club has elected officers for the upcoming school year. Leading the club's executive board is:
Alexander Papaconstandinou - President
Rebecca Snyder - Vice President
Meghan Jensen - Secretary
Adam Mueller - Treasurer
We all look forward to a fun year!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Chemistry Night 2009: It's Elemental
The Saint Mary’s University Chemistry Department hosted the annual chemistry night celebration on October 22 and October 29 to celebrate National Chemistry Week. The theme was: Chemistry It’s Elemental! Six area high schools participated: Rochester Lourdes, LaCrosse Logan, Cochrane- Fountain City, Westby, Lewiston-Altura and Winona Senior High.
We offered some paper and pencil activities:
1. a chemdoku puzzle
2. mystery element brain teasers
3. state the symbol activity: several elements have symbols that are coincidentally the same as the two-letter postal code abbreviation for one of the 50 states.
SMU professors developed 7 lab experiments that focused on different elements:
1. Iodide in Table Salt: students tested different salts for the presence of iodine.
2. Elemental Flame Tests: students identified elements present in aqueous solutions by comparing the flame colors of known solutions of salts.
3. Alchemy: students witnessed the apparent transmutation of copper to silver to gold with pennies.
4. Atomic Emission Spectra and the bug zapper: students were able to identify the element responsible for the glow in the lamp of a common bug zapper by examining its emission spectrum and comparing it to other known spectra.
5. Copper Plating of Steel: students made a copper-plated ornament using the properties of an oxidation-reduction reaction.
6. Aiding the Discovery of a Coin Alloy: students decided if the discovered alloy is German Silver using Flame Atomic Emission Spectroscopy.
7. Detecting Bromine and Chlorine containing compounds by using the GCMS: students used the spectrum of an unknown compound to determine its identity.
AWARDS FROM October 22, 2009
LaCrosse Logan took 1st place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship to SMU and an iTunes gift card. The students were: Kacie Lvcchini, Ryan Garson, and Whitney Weymille.
Rochester Lourdes took 2nd place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship to SMU andj an iTunes gift card. The students were: Emma Tschann, Ryan Brandt, Victoria Smith.
Westby took 3rd place. Each student was awarded a certificate and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Luke Ashbrook, Evan Herold, and Dani Widner.
AWARDS FROM October 29, 2009
Winona Senior High School took 1st place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Nicky Becher, Destiny Dux, Jodi Misar
Lewiston-Altura took 2nd place. Each student was awarded with reoccurring scholarship and a gift certifcate to iTunes. The students were Rachel Stark, Elsa Prigge, Dara Sobek.
Winona Senior High school took 3rd place. Each student was awarded a certificate and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Lee Yang, Zach Erickson, Jessie Sorvaag.
We offered some paper and pencil activities:
1. a chemdoku puzzle
2. mystery element brain teasers
3. state the symbol activity: several elements have symbols that are coincidentally the same as the two-letter postal code abbreviation for one of the 50 states.
SMU professors developed 7 lab experiments that focused on different elements:
1. Iodide in Table Salt: students tested different salts for the presence of iodine.
2. Elemental Flame Tests: students identified elements present in aqueous solutions by comparing the flame colors of known solutions of salts.
3. Alchemy: students witnessed the apparent transmutation of copper to silver to gold with pennies.
4. Atomic Emission Spectra and the bug zapper: students were able to identify the element responsible for the glow in the lamp of a common bug zapper by examining its emission spectrum and comparing it to other known spectra.
5. Copper Plating of Steel: students made a copper-plated ornament using the properties of an oxidation-reduction reaction.
6. Aiding the Discovery of a Coin Alloy: students decided if the discovered alloy is German Silver using Flame Atomic Emission Spectroscopy.
7. Detecting Bromine and Chlorine containing compounds by using the GCMS: students used the spectrum of an unknown compound to determine its identity.
AWARDS FROM October 22, 2009
LaCrosse Logan took 1st place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship to SMU and an iTunes gift card. The students were: Kacie Lvcchini, Ryan Garson, and Whitney Weymille.
Rochester Lourdes took 2nd place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship to SMU andj an iTunes gift card. The students were: Emma Tschann, Ryan Brandt, Victoria Smith.
Westby took 3rd place. Each student was awarded a certificate and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Luke Ashbrook, Evan Herold, and Dani Widner.
AWARDS FROM October 29, 2009
Winona Senior High School took 1st place. Each student was awarded with a reoccurring scholarship and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Nicky Becher, Destiny Dux, Jodi Misar
Lewiston-Altura took 2nd place. Each student was awarded with reoccurring scholarship and a gift certifcate to iTunes. The students were Rachel Stark, Elsa Prigge, Dara Sobek.
Winona Senior High school took 3rd place. Each student was awarded a certificate and a gift certificate to iTunes. The students were: Lee Yang, Zach Erickson, Jessie Sorvaag.
Chemistry Night Awards: October 22, 2009
Third Place: Westby High School: Dani, Luke, and Evan
Second Place: Lourdes High School: Emma, Ryan, Victoria
First Place: Logan High School: Kacie, Whitney, and RyanChemistry Night Pictures: October 2009
High school students looking at the concentrations of pennies.
High school student studying the color emmision.
Alexander and Ghada
The Barking Dog... Tim McDonald and Catlin O'Connor
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Thanks to our student workers
A big thank you to our student workers. Many of these students worked in the labs alongside the professor helping out as a student assistant. They assisted in World of Materials, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.
Jen Koezly: Our wonderful summer student worker. She cleaned and organized the labs, washed tons of glassware and helped to organize the organic chemistry lab.
Eli Amouzou: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Luke Baertlein: Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Lauren Baier: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Nicole Clammer: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Hilary Framke: Fall and Spring student assistant in Organic Chemistry
Ben Ludescher: Fall and Spring student assistant in World of Materials
Tim McDonald: Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Rob McElherne: Fall and Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Alexander Papaconstandinou: Fall and Spring student assistant in Organic Chemistry
Tom Schultz: Spring stockroom worker
Rebecca Snyder: Fall and Spring student assistant in World of Materials
Jocelyn Stage: Fall and Spring student worker in General Chemistry
Lukas Wallerich: Fall and Spring student worker in Organic Chemistry
Jen Koezly: Our wonderful summer student worker. She cleaned and organized the labs, washed tons of glassware and helped to organize the organic chemistry lab.
Eli Amouzou: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Luke Baertlein: Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Lauren Baier: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Nicole Clammer: Fall student assistant in General Chemistry
Hilary Framke: Fall and Spring student assistant in Organic Chemistry
Ben Ludescher: Fall and Spring student assistant in World of Materials
Tim McDonald: Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Rob McElherne: Fall and Spring student assistant in General Chemistry
Alexander Papaconstandinou: Fall and Spring student assistant in Organic Chemistry
Tom Schultz: Spring stockroom worker
Rebecca Snyder: Fall and Spring student assistant in World of Materials
Jocelyn Stage: Fall and Spring student worker in General Chemistry
Lukas Wallerich: Fall and Spring student worker in Organic Chemistry
Special thanks...
We want to thank our adjunct staff this year for all of their hard work and dedication to making the SMU Chemistry Department shine.
Chris Goller: taught General Chemistry I Lab
Barb Keller: taught General Chemistry I and II Labs
Sue Mundahl: taught World of Materials Labs
Jim Vogel: taught Analytical Chemistry I and II along with the corresponding labs
Chris Goller: taught General Chemistry I Lab
Barb Keller: taught General Chemistry I and II Labs
Sue Mundahl: taught World of Materials Labs
Jim Vogel: taught Analytical Chemistry I and II along with the corresponding labs
Honors
Dr. Roger Kugel was honored this spring for his 30 years of service to Saint Mary's University.
Girl Scouts at SMU
Dr. Brett Bodsgard working on a chemistry project at Girl Scout night. March 11, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Senior Focus: Aaron Clark
Major: Biochemistry / Philosophy
Hometown: Woodbury, MN
Plans After Graduation: take a year off, then apply to graduate school
Research Project:
SMU Activities:
Favorite SMU Memories:
Honors: AIC Chemistry Award
Hometown: Woodbury, MN
Plans After Graduation: take a year off, then apply to graduate school
Research Project:
SMU Activities:
Favorite SMU Memories:
Honors: AIC Chemistry Award
Senior Focus: Sarah Murphy
Major: Chemistry / Mathematics
Hometown: Delano MN
Plans After Graduation: University of South Carolina graduate school for a doctorate in Analytical Environmental Chemistry
SMU Activities: Sigma Alpha Iota (Music Fraternity), Chemistry Club, Math Club, Concert Band, Pi Mu Epsilon (Math Honor Society)
Favorite Memories of SMU: Blowing up the blast shield, embedding several metals in the ceiling of the lecture hall, lunches with faculty, other people, and Alexander in the chem
Research Project: Atomic Emission of Lithium, Rubidium, Cesium, Calcium, and Strontium: A Study of the Transition from Linear to Square Root Dependence on Concentration
Honors: ASC Award, Honor's Program
Anything Else: The AA will eat you all.
Hometown: Delano MN
Plans After Graduation: University of South Carolina graduate school for a doctorate in Analytical Environmental Chemistry
SMU Activities: Sigma Alpha Iota (Music Fraternity), Chemistry Club, Math Club, Concert Band, Pi Mu Epsilon (Math Honor Society)
Favorite Memories of SMU: Blowing up the blast shield, embedding several metals in the ceiling of the lecture hall, lunches with faculty, other people, and Alexander in the chem
Research Project: Atomic Emission of Lithium, Rubidium, Cesium, Calcium, and Strontium: A Study of the Transition from Linear to Square Root Dependence on Concentration
Honors: ASC Award, Honor's Program
Anything Else: The AA will eat you all.
Senior Focus: Caitlin O'Connor
Major: Biochemistry / Biophysics
Hometown: Chanhassen, MN
Plans After Graduation: Apply to Dental School and Graduate School, get a job working as a lab technician.
Research Project: The Spectrophotometric Determination of Atrazine using p-Aminoacetophenone in Yolk Samples from Gallus gallus
SMU Activities: Residence Life (RA for 2 years), Chemistry and Physics Club, ACS Tutor
Favorite SMU Memories: ACS National Meeting in San Francisco, glass blowing in P Chem "Hot glass looks exactly like cold glass", the Chemis-tree during Christmas time, working with Tom on our research project.
Hometown: Chanhassen, MN
Plans After Graduation: Apply to Dental School and Graduate School, get a job working as a lab technician.
Research Project: The Spectrophotometric Determination of Atrazine using p-Aminoacetophenone in Yolk Samples from Gallus gallus
SMU Activities: Residence Life (RA for 2 years), Chemistry and Physics Club, ACS Tutor
Favorite SMU Memories: ACS National Meeting in San Francisco, glass blowing in P Chem "Hot glass looks exactly like cold glass", the Chemis-tree during Christmas time, working with Tom on our research project.
Senior Focus: Tom Briese
Major: Biochemistry
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Plans After Graduation: I will be working at Fermilab in the context of a 10 week summer internship with Dr. Nienaber and Tim McDonald, then volunteering with DeSales Service Works in Camden, NJ for a year. I hope to apply to medical schools for the 2011 year.
Research Project: Spectrophotometric Analysis of Atrazine in Protein Samples
SMU Activities: Outreach Retreat Team, Concert/Jazz Band (trombone), CoExist, Chemistry Club, Physics/Astronomy Club, Biochemistry/Physics Tutor
Favorite SMU Memories: Performing in Gaslight 2010 as a Jedi Knight and a Banana, Chemistry Night, Inorganic Chemistry with John Nolte and Brett
Honors: AIC Biochemistry Award
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Plans After Graduation: I will be working at Fermilab in the context of a 10 week summer internship with Dr. Nienaber and Tim McDonald, then volunteering with DeSales Service Works in Camden, NJ for a year. I hope to apply to medical schools for the 2011 year.
Research Project: Spectrophotometric Analysis of Atrazine in Protein Samples
SMU Activities: Outreach Retreat Team, Concert/Jazz Band (trombone), CoExist, Chemistry Club, Physics/Astronomy Club, Biochemistry/Physics Tutor
Favorite SMU Memories: Performing in Gaslight 2010 as a Jedi Knight and a Banana, Chemistry Night, Inorganic Chemistry with John Nolte and Brett
Honors: AIC Biochemistry Award
Senior Focus: Michelle Hermes
Major: Biochemistry / Biology
Hometown: Roseville, MN
Plans after Graduation: Study for the GRE this summer, figure out what I want to do next, and find a job.
Research Project: The Effects of atrazine on Pack Cell Volume, Gender, and Development of Gallus gallus.
SMU Activities: Member of Biology and Chemistry Clubs
Favorite SMU Memories: I'll never forget all the late nights studying in the library drinking Big Buddy energy drinks from Kwik Trip.
Honors: Presented research at the 23rd Annual Winchell Undergraduate Symposium and the Private College 2010 Scholars at the Capital Event.
Hometown: Roseville, MN
Plans after Graduation: Study for the GRE this summer, figure out what I want to do next, and find a job.
Research Project: The Effects of atrazine on Pack Cell Volume, Gender, and Development of Gallus gallus.
SMU Activities: Member of Biology and Chemistry Clubs
Favorite SMU Memories: I'll never forget all the late nights studying in the library drinking Big Buddy energy drinks from Kwik Trip.
Honors: Presented research at the 23rd Annual Winchell Undergraduate Symposium and the Private College 2010 Scholars at the Capital Event.
Girl Scout Night at SMU
On March 11, 2010 the Physics Club and Chemistry Club hosted two Girl Scout Troops to assist them in earning the Science Wonders Try-It Badge. The professors and college students planned an array of science experiments and demonstrations. Fifteen 2nd and 3rd grade girls learned through hands-on activities about recycling paper, magnetism, static electricity, and the formation of crystals. There were also three exciting demonstrations: how a stir plate works, Elephant’s toothpaste, and the magnetism flyer. A special thanks to Professor Bodsgard, Father Nienaber, and Professor Wanberg and the following students: Jen Koezly, Brian Kasel, Tim McDonald, Renee Custer, Tom Briese, and Mary Glenski.
Alumni Update: Rob Charneske
I am doing well, and I am currently living in Chicago still. I am still looking for a job that is chemistry related. I have had a few job offers. One being a repair tech. It would have involved me fixing NMR, IR and other chemistry related instruments in the Chicago land area for schools and local drug company's. The second was a job offering in upper Wis. involving the production of chemicals for use in labs. The tech job really didn’t appeal to me much. The job in Wis. was a little to far from family and any real social life, due to me not knowing anyone from upper Wis. So, I respectfully declined that offering. Currently I am a service tech. fixing household appliances and working on larger appliances as well such as fryers at Mc Donald's and other food places . I think everyday of the great times I had in the chemistry dept. I hope all is well. Rob~
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