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

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.

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.

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

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.

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~