Dear Carroll College Chemistry Alumni and Supporters:
It has been an upbeat and unseasonably warm fall semester here on campus. However, snowfall has descended on the Helena Valley and now winter has made its presence known. We hope you and your family are healthy and enjoying autumn. This fall update is just a sample of what has been happening already this semester in our department.
Students Present their Research at American Chemical Society Conference in Las Vegas
Chemistry research students Maggie Bailey, Elliot Wald, and Tim Radosevich presented their work at the ACS Western Conference in Las Vegas, NV, October 20-22. Their poster on Metal-oxide photovoltaic cells synthesized using materials abundant in the Martian regolith summarized their findings from two years of NASA-funded research.
The students presented in the general poster session with graduate students, industry representatives, and a handful of other undergraduate students. Due to the quality of their poster and their impressive understanding of the research, the students were awarded a prize for their poster presentation.
Participation in national and regional conferences gives our students an advantage after graduating from Carroll because they have had the opportunity to network with the professional community, learn about cutting edge research, and attend skill-building workshops and short courses provided by industry and academic experts.
"Attending the ACS Western meeting was such an amazing experience! It was fascinating to hear professional chemists discuss their research and see how the field is responding to issues such as the ecological crisis and COVID. Getting to present our own research in a poster session provided me with the opportunity to share my love of science with others and practice valuable networking and communication skills.
"As one of only a few undergraduate attendees, I realized how lucky I am to be at Carroll where student research is both encouraged and supported. Later this November, I will be traveling to Baltimore for the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA international conference and am looking forward to meeting researchers from across the globe!" ~ Elliot Wald, junior, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
In addition to the ACS Western conference, these research students have been invited to the Murdoch College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, WA, to provide one of only 16 oral presentations. They have also been accepted to the international ASA, CSSA, and SSSA conference in Baltimore, MD, to present in the New Frontiers in Astropedology: Uniting Soil, Crop, and Planetary Science. The chemistry faculty are committed to providing our students the opportunity to attend and present at conferences.
This year the faculty were able to successfully coach students through the application process for conference travel funding from the Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC). Notwithstanding, participation in this conference would not have been possible without financial gifts from our donors. The chemistry department, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), is working to create new endowed faculty chair positions to fund student research experiences and conference travel. The endowed faculty professorships will allow us to increase the number and quality of student research experiences we provide.
You can help provide these impactful opportunities for Carroll College students. To learn more about supporting student research opportunities and student scholarships, or creating an endowed faculty professorship, please contact Chris Aimone,Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at caimone@carroll.edu, 406-447-4445.
Alumni Updates
We often receive updates from our alumni. We are proud to learn of your successes and momentous events. Below is a list of recent alumni updates we have received:
- Michael Henderson ‘21 (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology) – 1st Author Publication titled: Leveraging Biological Buffers for Efficient Messenger RNA Delivery via Lipid Nanoparticles (Molecular Pharmaceuticals, Article ASAP)
- Pierce Fix ‘18 (Chemistry) – Publication titled: Nanoscale Raman Characterization of a 2D Semiconductor Lateral Heterostructure Interface (American Chemical Society Nano 2022, 16, 1, 340–350)
- Sierra Richmond ‘09 (Chemistry) – placed 1st among females in the 2022 Olympic Mountains Ultra Marathon
- Rebecca Coates ‘08 (Chemistry) – married her husband Matt Wolstoncroft in Kauai on November 18, 2021. Publication titled: Thermochemical studies of hydrated manganese dications, Mn2+(H2O)x (x = 4–9), using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry (International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 2021, 468, 116638)
Would you like to share your update with the other chemistry and biochemistry alumni? Email a faculty member and they will work with you to include your update in a future newsletter.
Successful Saints Giving Day Helped Support Professor Chrissie Carpenter’s Research
Last March, Carroll held its first 24-hour Saints Giving Day to support programs across campus. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters we raised $3,550 to support Professor Carpenter’s research program to investigate naturally occurring carbohydrates and lipids for use in aqueous-based green chemistry. The funding allowed Dr. Carpenter to hire two research students over the summer of 2022.
"Over the summer, I worked with Dr. Carpenter to synthesize renewable surfactants from carbohydrates and household oils. Throughout this experience, I faced many challenges that refined my lab and problem-solving skills. In addition, I obtained hands-on experience in operating several analytical instruments proficiently. I thoroughly enjoyed working in the lab to create impactful and original research." ~ Noah Lohar, junior, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
"This past summer one of my peers and I performed summer research for Dr.Carpenter. During this period my lab partner and I studied two different projects. Our main research centered around synthesizing surfactants from common sugars (carbohydrates) and oils. Our second research project involved collecting soil samples along the Missouri river in order to test for heavy metal content.
"While we were able to make significant progress within the field of study, it is inevitable that problems arise in research, and it was no different for our research. However, that’s the thing about research: you learn to be patient and keep trying until you succeed because when you do succeed it is the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling. When I first started this research it seemed daunting and overwhelming. However, Dr.Carpenter was able to provide a supportive environment where I was able to challenge myself into applying the knowledge I have garnered thus far. It was this application of my education that made me realize how much I loved performing research." ~ Blake Chennai, junior, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
The chemistry department would like to extend a special thanks to: Bill and Diana Beaulieu, Nathan Bollar, James Olson, and Maria Rogne for their generous support of these students.
The department has capacity and desire to provide more research experiences for our students. In fact, increasing the number of students who benefit from these transformative summer research experiences is one of the chemistry department’s strategic goals.
Scholarships for Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Students
Do you know someone who is thinking about studying Chemistry or Biochemistry & Molecular Biology? The Roy F. Simperman Math & Science Scholarship is for qualified Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and other STEM majors. These generous scholarships are awarded at a maximum of $10,000 for academic year 2023-24. If you know a prospective student interested in our programs at Carroll, please direct them to our scholarships page.
Keeping Updated on News from the Chemistry Department
Did you miss our spring 2022 newsletter? Previous newsletters and press regarding the chemistry department can be found on our Chemistry News page. In addition, regular updates regarding our department can be found on our Instagram & Past Events page.
We are extremely grateful for the outreach and engagement we have seen from our alumni and supporters. Many of the transformative experiences we provide our students are made possible through your generosity. We also appreciate your feedback, insights, and ideas, which are important for the future success of our programs.
Please feel free to reach out to any of us via email and be sure to follow us on Instagram @Carroll_College_Chemistry.
Sincerely,
The Carroll College Chemistry Faculty