Linus Pauling Day 2020
Monthly Archives: February 2020
2020 Chemistry REU at University of Southern Mississippi
Our “Sensing and assembly based on non-covalent interactions” REU program has been recommended for funding (NSF) and is currently seeking applications from students that are interested in conducting research during the summer. This program will provide the participating REU students an extensive 10-week summer research experience (June 1st – August 7th, 2020) in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). This program will also provide professional trainings and workshops and conclude with a research symposium. The application deadline is March 14, 2020.
Benefits:
• $5,000 stipend.
• Housing in USM dormitory and meal plan provided.
• Travel assistance will be available to help defray the cost of traveling to Hattiesburg.
Who should apply:
• Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Current undergraduate students who have completed at least their freshman year but have not graduated, majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field.
• Strong academic record with a desire to conduct research; GPA > 2.8.
• Students from underrepresented groups in STEM (women, NSF-defined underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities) and students from community colleges or other academic institutions with limited research opportunities, are especially encouraged to apply.
For more information and application details, please visit:
https://www.usm.edu/mathematics-natural-sciences/chem_reu.php
| USM Chemistry REU | School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences | The University of Southern MississippiThis is the home page for Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs housed at USMwww.usm.edu |
Feel free to contact me at song.guo@usm.edu if you have any questions.
LPI Seminar Series
CDC Chemistry ORISE Fellowship Opportunity
Fellowship Position at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Environmental Health
Division of Laboratory Sciences
Clinical Chemistry Branch
Protein Biomarker and Lipid Reference Laboratories
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the agency Americans trust with their lives. As a global leader in public health, CDC is the nation’s premier health promotion, prevention, and preparedness agency. Whether we are protecting the American people from public health threats, researching emerging diseases, or mobilizing public health programs with our domestic and international partners, we rely on our employees to make a real difference in the health and well-being of our people here and around the world.
The Division of Laboratory Sciences (DLS), National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, conducts research and provides laboratory support that improves the detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of environmental, tobacco-related, nutritional, newborn, selected chronic and selected infectious diseases. Within DLS, the Protein Biomarker and Lipids Reference Laboratories in the Clinical Chemistry Branch supports this through performing research on biomarkers to detect human exposure to environmental chemicals and to diagnose and treat chronic diseases, as well as through the Clinical Harmonization program to improve the quality and reliability of diagnostic tests for priority clinical analytes.
DLS is seeking candidates for a full-time fellowship administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) at the Bachelor’s or Master’s levels in chemistry, biochemistry, or related science (Minimum GPA: 3.0). Experience in chemical and analytical laboratory work is desired, but not required.
This fellowship will provide the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in human exposure research and laboratory medicine. This includes operating state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and procedures, performing quality assurance tasks, processing and evaluating complex laboratory data.
Under the guidance of a mentor, training opportunities during the fellowship may include:
• Preparation of biological samples to quantify biomarkers of human exposure or establish reference values according to established laboratory procedures
• Operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and automated liquid handling instrumentation
• Data processing and analysis using complex software and data evaluation procedures
• Develop written documentation that clearly and accurately documents laboratory procedures, instrument operation, experimental results, troubleshooting and remedial actions
• Perform tasks in compliance with policies and regulations such as those outlined in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards
The following skills are desired:
• Experience conducting laboratory experiments
• Ability to conduct literature searches and to write reports describing laboratory results
• HPLC, GC, and MS instrumentation experience
• Good written and oral communication skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office
This fellowship is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) (visit http://orise.orau.gov/cdc/ for further information and eligibility). Candidates must have received their degree within five years of the appointment. The initial appointment is for one year but may be renewed for up to five years upon recommendation of CDC and contingent on the availability of funds. The stipend depends on educational level and experience and follows those described in federal salary tables (GS tables). Fellows are
offered a standard Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance policy (no dental or vision) with a maximum stipend toward single coverage of $513 per month. Relocation expenses are not covered.
The appointment is full-time at CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC or the program administrator, and there are no fringe benefits paid.
Applications should be completed at https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/CDC-DLS-2020-0074 by April 4, 2020. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis. Additional questions can be directed to Heather Kuiper, PhD (uyk6@cdc.gov).
Spring 2019 – Undergraduate of the Quarter – Jackson Wiley
Jackson Wiley is one of our Undergraduates of the Quarter in for Spring 2019 and we couldn’t be prouder. Jackson grew up in Medford in Southern Oregon, attending North Medford High School. It was during his Junior year there that he took AP Chemistry and found a new passion. His teacher instilled an enthusiasm in his class and, coupled with his skill in Math, it set the course for his college career.
While originally he wanted to explore a number of interesting and far away campuses, when he stopped by OSU for a visit he immediately fell in love. He had heard about the amazing research the university is well known for and knew this was the place he wanted to be.
It was those opportunities that he first heard about during his Freshman year that got him into Staci Simonich’s research group. When he’d learned about undergraduate research opportunities, he began exploring the listings to find something that caught his interest.
Staci’s group was working in environmental chemistry and toxicology, topics which Jackson was very interested in. After contacting Staci, they exchanged a few more emails and he was welcomed into the research group.
After graduation, Jackson knew he wanted to get into grad school. While he finalizes his plans, he is currently looking into a handful of schools to pursue Astrochemistry. This field is the crossroads of Astronomy and Chemistry, studying the effects of chemicals and materials in extraterrestrial environments. As the field often deals with poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the very chemicals he’s currently studying in his research group, it seemed like an excellent fit. We hope it continues to fuel his passion in chemistry!
When not at school, he follows his native Oregonian roots and enjoys exploring and hiking through nature. He’s also found of video games, fitting in some time between study sessions and school work. His favorite book is 2001: A Space Odyssey, and his favorite food is sushi. Yum!
We wish all the best to Jackson from OSU to beyond!
Spring 2019 – Undergraduate of the Quarter – Linus Unitan
Linus Yunitan has been named one the Undergraduates of the Quarter for Spring 2019.
From Portland, Oregon and an alumna of Lincoln High School, Linus had taken IB examinations that gave him the option to either take honors general chemistry or go straight into organic chemistry his first term at Oregon State. Although he decided to pursue the organic chemistry course, he became interested in Dr. Remcho’s work after reading through various group papers. After going to his office hours and expressing his interest, Dr. Remcho invited him to come observe a group meeting. Linus is now working with Dr. Remcho to develop microfluidic devices for medical diagnostics.
Linus explained he loves chemistry because to him, chemistry felt like the “Goldilocks of the sciences.” He described how chemistry had the best of both worlds, with the rich physical application of biology and logical mathematical structure of physics.
In addition to classes and his work in research, Linus worked as a peer advisor for the College of Science over the summer and is a member of the unicycle club. He also was a member of his high school marching band but after graduation, was not certain continuing would be an option in college. While touring Oregon State and first seeing Reser Stadium, he could not resist joining the band. For Linus, marching band became a major factor in his decision to attend Oregon State. Since then, he has earned a role as the drum major.
We are delighted to name Linus an Undergraduate of the Quarter for Spring 2019. After graduation, Linus hopes to attend medical school and work as a physician in Oregon. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and are excited to see what he accomplishes.
Fall 2018 – Undergraduate of the Quarter – Tanner Aldous
Tanner Aldous has been named one of the Fall 2018 Undergraduates of the Quarter, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Tanner grew up in Drain, Oregon, where his North Douglas High School graduating class was no larger than twenty students. Relative to Drain, Corvallis was a big move for Tanner. He was happy that Oregon State University was in a bigger town, but still felt small like his home town.
Tanner wanted to pursue chemistry because of the great influence from his high school chemistry teacher, and because he knew he wanted to stay in Oregon for college, OSU was the school of choice. Oregon State University seemed to choose Tanner, rather than the other way around. The campus in the fall with the leaves changing colors, was something that the other Oregon institutions couldn’t compare to.
An interest in the medical field combined with a passion for chemistry made it so Tanner’s major choice was pretty simple: Chemistry with a Premed option. Once graduated, Tanner plans to go to medical school.
Currently, Tanner is working in Dr. Burrow’s lab. He got started in this lab by asking professors if they had any openings in their lab, because he wanted to see if research was something he would be interested in. Now, Tanner is working with nanoparticles, specifically nanostars. He aids a graduate student, Lixia, by making nanostars from nanoseeds. He also performs data collection and analysis for this project.
Outside of school, Tanner likes to hang out with friends, and get to know new people, especially if they are also chemistry students. He finds collaboration on school work to help transition into friendships. He is also a part of the professional chemistry fraternity Alpha Chi Sigma. The fraternity is fairly small right now, but Tanner hopes to see it grow by the end of his time at Oregon State.
Building Better Batteries: Chemical Solutions to Climate Crisis
In Prof. David Ji’s research team at OSU, students are thinking big. To find solutions to the devastating threats of climate crises requires a panoramic view of the challenges and the entire paradigm of research effort. Fortunately, Ji research team is armed with one of the most powerful tools in generating new knowledge and novel solutions for energy storage technologies: chemistry.
A PROBLEM WORTH SOLVING
Global warming, climate change, and environmental pollution represent the most significant challenges of our time. In order for the society to make the transition from fossil fuel energy resources to cleaner, more renewable sources of energy, new grid-level energy storage systems are indispensable. These new energy storage systems need to have excellent longevity as well as have high energy and power densities to enable the widespread installation of renewables as the cost-effective alternatives to the conventional, pollution-intensive sources of energy. Currently, the market-dominating battery technologies suffer from significant safety, toxicity, and resource availability issues. As such, Ji research team focuses on novel battery chemistries that incorporate abundant materials and unique electrochemical mechanisms. Student researchers in the Ji team think outside-the-box and advance the knowledge to tackle these problems in unconventional ways.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Ji research team thrives at the edge of knowledge. “Pushing the boundaries of what is known about chemical bonding in ionic solids will lead to future groundbreaking discoveries,” says Ji. The research group has been a pioneer in the development of novel ion-storage mechanisms in solids for electrochemical energy storage since it began at OSU in 2012. They have contributed significantly to the development of new aqueous battery systems and novel electrocatalysts for fuel cells. Their studies on the electrochemical behaviors of unique charge carriers in solids and electrolytes have helped surface a roadmap toward research for next-generation storage batteries. “The overarching goal of our research is to construct a new paradigm of storage batteries,” says Ji. “We look at problems within the battery field from the perspective of a chemist and holistically design new electrochemical systems for energy storage at the level of new chemical reactions, which is beyond a typical approach of materials science.” The team is known for cutting-edge research in providing fundamentals and innovative solutions to long-standing problems.
COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
Every student who has joined the Ji research team is passionate about helping others. “A large reason we study battery chemistry is that we want to make the world a better place and are concerned about the devastating effects of climate change,” says Sean Sandstrom, a graduate student in the Ji group. The group currently consists of a postdoc, ten graduate students, including exchange students, and three undergraduate research assistants. “We hope to not only train but also to inspire the next generation of scientists to dream big and tackle grand challenges,” says Ji.
Request for Proposals
The OSU Advantage Accelerator is seeking proposals to facilitate the further development and commercialization of OSU applied innovations. Proposals can be submitted for projects focused on bringing OSU-owned innovations invented by OSU faculty, staff and/or graduate students in any discipline closer to market. Each project may be awarded up to $15,000 and should span six months or less, beginning in April 2020. Funding can be used to fund students, prototyping expenses, travel and more. Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. Read the full RFP here:https://advantage.oregonstate.edu/advantage-accelerator/funding-opportunities/aid-fund
Free Middle School Women in Science Workshop
Discovering the Scientist Within is a program designed to nurture 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls’ interest in the STEM fields and consists of activities paired with adult women scientist role models. The event will be on campus, Saturday, March 7, from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Registration opens Feb. 1, and closes March 1. Contact Emily Nicholson in Precollege Programs at 737-9424 with questions.