OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
INTRODUCTION
A year ago Steve Drew handed over the chemistry Chair to me and amazingly I am still standing! Despite the administrative burdens, it is an honor to chair this department and to work with such fine students and colleagues.
It was wonderful to have Marion Cass back at Carleton after two years away on sabbatical. Marion spent most of her time at Imperial College, London, doing computational chemistry. We also had a new face in Mudd Hall for the year. Jane Owens joined us to teach introductory chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics. It was a pleasure to work with Jane, and we wish her well as she assumes a tenure-track faculty position at Sweet Briar College beginning next year.
We missed Deborah Gross’ and Will Hollingsworth’s presence in the department this year. Deborah enjoyed a well-deserved sabbatical, spending part of her time at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and the balance in residence at the Particle Technology Lab at the University of Minnesota. Will was here in the fall, but was away the rest of the year on an exchange program, teaching in the Chemistry Department at Macalester College. We were also largely deprived of Trish Ferrett’s services in the department as she continued to ably fulfill her commitments to administer Carleton’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant, as well as the Carleton Interdisciplinary Science and Math Initiative.
Congratulations are in order to Gretchen Hofmeister, Dani Kohen, and Joe Chihade. Gretchen generated the biggest news, having earned tenure this year. We are delighted! Dani and Joe also had big news as both had research grant proposals funded. Joe was awarded a three-year NIH-AREA grant, and Dani was awarded a two-year ACS-PRF grant.
As is the case every year, we are going to miss our now graduated senior class. This year we enjoyed working with a fine cohort of seniors. They particularly shone in comps, where we awarded more comps distinctions than we have since I have been on the faculty, and maybe the most ever. As I said at our annual department picnic this year, the senior class leaves some pretty big shoes to fill; however, by all accounts, our rising senior class and new junior majors seem to have very big feet!
David G. Alberg, Chair
STUDENT HONORS AND AWARDS
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Melanie Yuen
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY
Andrew Young
B.A. DEGREE WITH LATIN HONORS
Summa Cum Laude – Stephanie Contag
Magna Cum Laude – Alice Agyiri, Andrew Berry, Jameson Dahlin, Disan Davis, Gregory Ducker, Mark Ericson, Aaron Lackner, Dorissa Lahner, Alexander Marston, Andrew Nieuwkoop, Sarah Russell, Andrew Ullman, Katherine Waller, Andrew Young, Melanie Yuen
Cum Laude – Stephen Chapman, Man Chu, John Grotting, Emily Johnson, Anna Larson, Margaret Pain, Kartik Sampath, Aki Uchida, Nicholas Wiebelhaus
CRC PRESS FRESHMAN CHEMISTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Daniel Carroll (’09)
DEAN’S LIST 2005
Class of 2006 – Stephanie Contag, Jameson Dahlin, Gregory Ducker, Mark Ericson, Sarah Russell, Andrew Young
Class of 2007 – Erin Addison, Amelia Gauger, Wade Johnson, Luna Schwaiger
Class of 2008 – Felix Amankona-Diawuo, Michael Duyzend, Maraia Ener
DISTINCTION IN THE MAJOR
Alice Agyiri, Jameson Dahlin, Disan Davis, Gregory Ducker, Aaron Lackner, Dorissa Lahner, Alexander Marston, Andrew Ullman
DISTINCTION ON THE SENIOR INTEGRATIVE EXERCISE
Alice Agyiri, Jameson Dahlin, Disan Davis, Gregory Ducker, Aaron Lackner, Dorissa Lahner, Anna Larson, Alexander Marston, Andrew Ullman
DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Andrew Nieuwkoop
FRANZ EXNER AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHEMISTRY
Stephanie Contag, Mark Ericson
JAMES FINHOLT PRIZE IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Andrew Ullman
LAURENCE M. GOULD PRIZE IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES
Gregory Ducker
HYPERCUBE SCHOLAR FOR WORK ON COMPUTERS IN CHEMISTRY
Andrew Nieuwkoop
JEFFERSON NATURAL SCIENCES TEACHING AWARD
Admire Kuchena (’07)
MORTAR BOARD
Erin Addison (’07), Amelia Gauger (’07), Ali Khaki (’07)
PHI BETA KAPPA
Stephanie Contag, Jameson Dahlin, Gregory Ducker, Mark Ericson, Andrew Young
RICHARD RAMETTE TEACHING AWARDS
Andrew Nieuwkoop, Katherine Waller
JEAN SCHMIDT PRIZE
Anna Larson
SIGMA XI
Alice Agyiri, Jameson Dahlin, Disan Davis, Gregory Ducker, Mark Ericson, Aaron Lackner, Dorissa Lahner, Anna Larson, Alexander Marston, Jack Rousseau, Sarah Russell, Aki Uchida
OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY NATIONAL MEETING
Disan Davis
Amelia Gauger (’07)
Ali Khaki (’07)
Aaron Lackner
Anna Larson
Andrew Nieuwkoop
Jack Rousseau
Andrew Ullman
Andrew Young
MIDWEST UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY CONSORTIUM CONFERENCE
Jameson Dahlin
Disan Davis
Dorissa Lahner
MIDWEST UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY CONSORTIUM ONLINE POSTER SESSION
(http://www.chem.hope.edu/~discus/cgi-bin/muccc/discus.cgi?pg=topics)
Jameson Dahlin
Disan Davis
Dorissa Lahner
MINNESOTA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ANNUAL MEETING AND WINCHELL UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM
William Mitchell (’08)
ENROLLMENTS
| Fall Term | ||||||||||
| 122, Introduction to Chemistry | 24 | Cass | ||||||||
| 123, Principles of Chemistry | 35 | Owens | ||||||||
| 230, Equilibrium and Analysis | 38 | Drew | ||||||||
| 233, Organic Chemistry I | 47 | Alberg | ||||||||
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 17 | Chihade | ||||||||
| 291, Independent Study | 1 | Staff | ||||||||
| 304, Advanced Laboratory I | 28 | Cass, Hollingsworth | ||||||||
| 344, Quantum Chemistry | 29 | Hollingsworth | ||||||||
| 353, Organic Chemistry III | 4 | Hofmeister | ||||||||
| 392, Independent Research | 2 | Staff | ||||||||
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 14 | Staff | ||||||||
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 1 | Staff | ||||||||
| Winter Term | ||||||||||
| 123, Principles of Chemistry | 35 | Kohen | ||||||||
| 233, Organic Chemistry I | 46 | Chihade | ||||||||
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 31 | Hofmeister | ||||||||
| 291/391, Independent Study | 2 | Staff | ||||||||
| 305, Advanced Laboratory II | 23 | Cass, Owens | ||||||||
| 338, Intro to Computers and Electronics | 7 | Drew | ||||||||
| 343, Chemical Thermodynamics | 25 | Owens | ||||||||
| 350, Chemical and Biosynthesis | 11 | Alberg | ||||||||
| 359, Molecular Orbital Theory | 5 | Cass | ||||||||
| 392, Independent Research | 1 | Staff | ||||||||
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 10 | Staff | ||||||||
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 32 | Staff | ||||||||
| Spring Term | ||||||||||
| 123-1, Principles of Chem., Problem Solving | 22 | Kohen | ||||||||
| 123-2, Principles of Chemistry | 38 | Owens | ||||||||
| 230, Equilibrium and Analysis | 47 | Drew | ||||||||
| 233, Organic Chemistry I | 21 | Alberg | ||||||||
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 42 | Hofmeister | ||||||||
| 306, Advanced Laboratory III | 10 | Alberg, Hofmeister | ||||||||
| 320, Biological Chemistry | 41 | Chihade | ||||||||
| 321, Biological Chemistry Laboratory | 20 | Chihade | ||||||||
| 351, Inorganic Chemistry | 14 | Cass | ||||||||
| 352, Laboratory in Inorganic Chemistry | 11 | Cass | ||||||||
| 391, Independent Study | 2 | Staff | ||||||||
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 21 | Staff | ||||||||
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 29 | Staff |
GIFTS AND GRANTS
Dani Kohen’s research is supported in part by an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Type B grant, awarded in the summer of 2006. The grant, “Studying the Behavior of CO2 Within Zeolites: Atomistic Simulations,” is for $50,000 over three years.
Steven Drew’s research is supported by an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Type B grant, awarded in the summer of 2004. The grant, “The Synthesis and Characterization of Chiral Platinum(II) Extended Linear Chain Materials and Their Potential Application as Gas Sensing Transducers,” is for $50,000 over three years.
Gretchen Hofmeister’s research continues to be supported by an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Type B grant ($50,000) for her project, “Titanium and Aluminum Complexes of Chiral and Achiral Trisphenol as Selective Lewis Acid Catalysts.”
Will Hollingsworth received a Carleton College FIPSE grant for summer support to develop some writing exercises to help learn quantum mechanics.
Trish Ferrett received a Carleton College Targeted Opportunity grant for 1/9 salary for each of summers 2006 and 2007 to administer the Carleton Interdisciplinary Science and Math Initiative (CISMI) and Carleton’s fifth Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant.
Trish Ferrett received a 2005 Carnegie Scholars Award, from the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL), which is part of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The award included one Carleton course release to support Trish’s classroom research project on integrative learning (fall 2005). Carnegie also supported three extended scholar residencies at the foundation in Palo Alto, CA. The Carnegie award, combined from Carnegie and Carleton, totaled to about $38,000.
John E. Castle (’40) gave a $10,000 gift to the college to support student-faculty research in chemistry.
The Dow Chemical Foundation continued to support chemistry at Carleton through its Chemistry Undergraduate Scholarship Program. This past year, the last of the program, they provided funding for one $4,000 student scholarship.
Carleton College received a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for $800,000. Trish Ferrett is administering this grant and Carleton’s Interdisciplinary Science and Math Initiative (CISMI) through the summer of 2008.
Funds were received from Carleton’s Howard Hughes grant to support the summer 2006 research of four chemistry students.
Will Hollingsworth received funds from Carleton’s Howard Hughes grant for summer support to develop modeling exercises using dynamic system software.
Joe Chihade received a $199,277 three-year National Institutes of Health AREA grant for his project, “Unusual Basis of tRNA Identity in Human Mitochondria.”
David Alberg’s research is supported by a National Institutes of Health AREA grant ($132,117), awarded in the spring of 2003, for his project, “Inhibitors of Trypanothione Reductase.”
Dani Kohen’s research is supported in part by a National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant, awarded August 2005. The grant, “Acquisition of a Computer Cluster for Research, Research Training, and Teaching,” is in collaboration with Hope, Macalester, and Gustavus Adolphus Colleges and is for $382,000.
Funds raised by Carleton College to match the National Science Foundation 1992 Young Investigator Award (NYI) to Trish Ferrett is still supporting her pedagogical research and curricular development for her new scholarship of teaching and learning project. Combined NSF and Carleton-raised funds total to about $458,000 since 1992.
This was the last year of Jerry Mohrig’s $24,000 Research Site for Educators in Chemistry grant at the Chemistry Department of the University of Minnesota to study theoretical aspects of his research on elimination reactions.
SEMINARS
Stacey Bent, Stanford University: Bringing Organic Chemistry to the Surface
Jane Owens, Carleton College: Computational Studies of the Photodynamics of Retinal
Carleton Chemistry Faculty: Careers Discussion
Ann McDermott, Columbia University: Enzyme Motions: TIM and P450
Carleton Science Majors: Annual All-Science Poster Session
Shana Kelley, Boston College: Ultrasensitive Biomolecular Detection at DNA-Modified Nanostructures
Eric Person (’95), California State University: The Chemist’s Role in Clandestine Laboratory Investigation
Elizabeth Edblom (’83), 3M: Materials Research at 3M
Marion Cass, Carleton College: Examination and Animation of Fluxional Processes that Interchange Axial and Equatorial Atoms in Simple AXn Molecules
Carleton Chemistry Faculty: Summer Research Recruiting
Ron Kim (’86), Merck and Company: Glucagon Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Erik Sorensen, Princeton University: Reactivity and Applications of a New Diene for Organic Synthesis
Melissa Hines, Cornell University: In Search of Perfection: Controlling Surfaces with Chemistry
Dan Frisbie (’89), University of Minnesota: Organic Thin Film Electronics: A Materials Science Perspective
William Daub, Harvey Mudd College: Transition State Topologies in Claisen Rearrangements Involving Cyclic Substrates
Tobin Marks, Northwestern University: Self-Assembly Chemistry for Molecule-Based Organic and Organometallic Electronics
John Bercaw, California Institute of Technology: Alpha-Olefin Polymerizations with Metallocene Catalysts: Kinetics, Mechanisms, and Kinetic Resolutions
Carolyn Bertozzi, University of California, Berkeley:
Chemistry in Living Systems: New Tools for Probing the Glycome
Karin Musier-Forsyth, University of Minnesota:
Nucleic Acid Chaperone Activity of HIV Nucleocapsid Protein
David Oxtoby, Pomona College:
From Greenhouse Warming to the Formation of Living Cells: A New Approach to Nucleation
Senior Comps Talks:
Jason Acosta, Tommy Adams, Stephen Chapman, Mandy Chu, Whitney Kruse, Dorissa Lahner, Allison Smith, Melanie Yuen: The Research of Tobin Marks in the Area of Organic Electronics
Caitlyn Cornell, John Grotting, Aaron Lackner, Anna Larson, Alex Marston, Sarah Russell, Andrew Ullman, Nick Wiebelhaus, Andrew Young: Metallocene Catalyzed Polymerization
Andrew Berry, Disan Davis, Greg Ducker, Mark Ericson, Emily Johnson, Andy Nieuwkoop, Margaret Pain, Jack Rousseau, Kartik Sampath, Aki Uchida, Kate Waller: The Research of Carolyn Bertozzi in the Area of Chemical Biology