OFF-CAMPUS STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
INTRODUCTION
It has been another great year in Mudd Hall. With the return of Deborah Gross to Carleton after a full-year sabbatical we had all of the chemistry faculty members on campus at the same time – for the first time in at least three years. We were also thrilled to be joined by Alex Barron (’00), who is just finishing up his degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton. The table was crowded at our weekly department meetings!
In the spirit of interdisciplinary science, Alex returned to Carleton to teach in both the Chemistry and Biology Departments. During the fall and spring, he taught Ecosystems Ecology and Global Change Biology, respectively, in biology, and he taught Principles of Environmental Chemistry for us in the winter. It was a real treat to have Alex here this past year, and we wish him well as he begins a one year American Chemical Society Congressional Fellowship, working in the office of a Member of Congress.
Joe Chihade generated the biggest news in the department this year when he earned tenure. Congratulations to Joe – we are thoroughly delighted! Joe was immediately rewarded for his success by being asked to take on the directorship of the biochemistry concentration. Actually, Joe graciously agreed to that assignment at the beginning of the year, even before the tenure decision, and I am personally grateful – and in his debt – for his willingness to take over that responsibility from me.
Jerry Mohrig also generated big news in the department. First, this past fall, Jerry’s friends and students established the Jerry Mohrig Prize in Chemistry. As noted in the prize description, “this award recognizes an outstanding senior chemistry major who has excelled in the study of chemistry and in undergraduate scientific research. The award recognizes two hallmarks of excellence, achievement in formal academic coursework and in a significant research experience.” The department was proud to name senior Ali Khaki as the first recipient of the Mohrig Prize. This award joins the Finholt Prize in Inorganic Chemistry as the college’s second endowed award that recognizes an outstanding chemistry student. Second, Jerry made a generous donation to the college to establish the Jerry and Jean Mohrig Lectures in Chemistry. This endowed fund is intended to bring to campus renowned chemists as part of our comps program. It is Jerry’s desire, and the department’s intention, to select chemists for these lectureships who can also address the broader Carleton community, through public lectures, preferably at a Friday convocation. We are grateful to Jerry for his generous gift. It will benefit all Carleton students and will ensure the vitality of our unique “group” comps program – a program that has been important in the academic development of chemistry majors since 1980.
On that note, the group comps program celebrated a special event this year with the visit of Caltech chemistry professor, Harry Gray. Professor Gray’s extended visit to Carleton in 1980 was the inspiration for the very first group comps, and he returned to Carleton this year to give the Chesley Lecture and to participate in his second comps as the “subject” of a group supervised by Marion Cass and Gretchen Hofmeister. It was a memorable visit.
As is the case every year, we are going to miss our now graduated senior class, but we look forward to following their career trajectories. We also look forward to seeing them and you all at future Carleton reunions, ACS meetings, and other events.
David G. Alberg, Chair
OFF-CAMPUS STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY NATIONAL MEETING
Michael Duyzend (’08)
Ian Hill
Laura Marinelli (’08)
William Mitchell (’08)
Yui Takeshita (’08)
Ellen Valkevich
ASBMB AND EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY CONFERENCE
Thayne Dickey
2006 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AMINOACYL-tRNA SYNTHETASES
Ali Khaki
MIDWEST UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY
Felix Amankona-Diawuo (’08)
David Selassie (’09)
PITTSBURGH CONFERENCE OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
John Choiniere
STUDENT HONORS AND AWARDS
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Rosalynn Molden
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY
Luna Schwaiger
B.A. DEGREE CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
Ian Hill, Jacob Houghton, Rosalynn Molden
B.A. DEGREE WITH LATIN HONORS
Summa Cum Laude – Amelia Gauger
Magna Cum Laude – Erin Addison, Thayne Dickey, Michael Draper, Wade Johnson, Ali Khaki, Admire Kuchena, Claire Langton-Yanowitz, Luna Schwaiger, Ellen Valkevich, Stephanie Vasko, Peter Watson
Cum Laude – Caitlin Bowersox, David DeCresce, Danielle Hargreaves, Ian Hill, Jacob Houghton, Rosalynn Molden, Shayna Simmons, Christopher Ward
BISCOTTI AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING SEMINAR ATTENDANCE
Ian Hill, Lauren Wagner (biology)
CATHERINE E. BOYD PRIZE IN MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES
Michael Draper
CRC PRESS FRESHMAN CHEMISTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
James Fuller (’10)
DEAN’S LIST 2006
Class of 2007 – Erin Addison, Amelia Gauger, Wade Johnson, Luna Schwaiger, Stephanie Vasko
Class of 2008 – Michael Duyzend, Maraia Ener, William Mitchell
Class of 2009 – Claire Liepmann, Jonathan McMurry, Yirong Zhu
DISTINCTION IN THE MAJOR
Erin Addison, Ian Hill, Wade Johnson, Rosalynn Molden, Luna Schwaiger, Ellen Valkevich
DISTINCTION ON THE SENIOR INTEGRATIVE EXERCISE
Erin Addison, Ian Hill, Wade Johnson, Rosalynn Molden, Luna Schwaiger, Ellen Valkevich
FRANZ EXNER AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHEMISTRY
Erin Addison, Wade Johnson
JAMES FINHOLT PRIZE IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Ian Hill
HYPERCUBE SCHOLAR FOR WORK ON COMPUTERS IN CHEMISTRY
Stephanie Vasko
INITIATIVE FOR SERVICE INTERNSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Olivia Jee (’08)
JERRY MOHRIG PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Ali Khaki
MORTAR BOARD
Class of 2007 – Erin Addison, Amelia Gauger, Ali Khaki
Class of 2008 – Michael Duyzend, Caroline Hurd, Olivia Jee, Laura Marinelli
PHI BETA KAPPA
Erin Addison, Thayne Dickey, Michael Duyzend (’08), Amelia Gauger, Wade Johnson, Luna Schwaiger
RICHARD RAMETTE TEACHING AWARD
Admire Kuchena
SECOND CENTURY STUDENT AWARD
Ali Khaki
SIGMA XI
Erin Addison, John Choiniere, Thayne Dickey, Jonathan Dozier, Amelia Gauger, Ian Hill, Wade Johnson, Ali Khaki, Admire Kuchena, Claire Langton-Yanowitz, Rosalynn Molden, Shayna Simmons, Ellen Valkevich, Stephanie Vasko, Christopher Ward, Peter Watson
ENROLLMENTS
Fall Term
| 123, Principles of Chemistry | 41 | Drew |
| 230, Equilibrium and Analysis | 31 | Gross |
| 233, Organic Chemistry I | 56 | Hofmeister |
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 11 | Chihade |
| 304, Quantum Spectroscopy Laboratory | 29 | Ferrett, Hollingsworth |
| 344, Quantum Chemistry | 29 | Hollingsworth |
| 350, Chemical and Biosynthesis | 8 | Alberg |
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 9 | Staff |
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 2 | Staff |
Winter Term
| 122, Introduction to Chemistry | 26 | Cass |
| 128, Principles of Environmental Chemistry | 45 | Barron |
| 233, Organic Chemistry I | 57 | Chihade |
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 41 | Alberg |
| 305, Chemical Kinetics Laboratory | 23 | Cass, Hollingsworth |
| 334, Bioanalytical Chemistry | 11 | Drew, Gross |
| 335, Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory | 8 | Drew, Gross |
| 343, Chemical Thermodynamics | 26 | Hollingsworth |
| 353, Organic Chemistry III | 9 | Hofmeister |
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 6 | Staff |
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 27 | Staff |
Spring Term
| 123-1, Principles of Chemistry | 46 | Gross |
| 123-2, Principles of Chem., Problem Solving | 17 | Kohen |
| 128, Principles of Environmental Chemistry | 20 | Hollingsworth |
| 230, Equilibrium and Analysis | 40 | Drew |
| 234, Organic Chemistry II | 60 | Hofmeister |
| 306, Spectroscopic Char. Chem. Compounds | 20 | Alberg |
| 320, Biological Chemistry | 35 | Chihade |
| 321, Biological Chemistry Laboratory | 19 | Chihade |
| 345, Statistical Thermodynamics | 7 | Kohen |
| 351, Inorganic Chemistry | 22 | Cass |
| 352, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 7 | Cass |
| 354, Lasers and Spectroscopy | 10 | Hollingsworth |
| 391, Independent Study | 1 | Staff |
| 394, Student-Faculty Research | 19 | Staff |
| 400, Integrative Exercise | 27 | 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.
Trish Ferrett received a Carleton College Targeted Opportunity grant for a month in 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 Carleton College Targeted Opportunity grant to support monthly travel in 2008 to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These trips will be part of a sabbatical project to write an edited book on integrative and interdisciplinary science learning based on work by multiple scholars.
Marion Cass and Gretchen Hofmeister received a $2,000 Carleton College Targeted Opportunity grant for their project “Moving Toward a New Paradigm of Teaching Inorganic Chemistry.”
The Frank G. and Jean M. Chesley Lectureship was held this year by Dr. Harry Gray of the California Institute of Technology. The Chesley Lectureship, in the fields of the natural and physical sciences, mathematics, and anthropology, is made possible by a gift to Carleton from Jean M. Chesley (’37) of Red Wing, Minnesota, and the late Dr. Frank G. Chesley (’36). The title of Dr. Gray’s Chesley Lecture was “Powering the Planet with Solar Energy.”
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 2007.
Funds were received from Carleton’s Howard Hughes grant to support the summer 2007 research of four chemistry students.
Will Hollingsworth received funds from Carleton’s Howard Hughes grant for summer support to develop a new first-year seminar and modeling exercises using VENSIM dynamic system software.
Jerry Mohrig made a donation to the college to establish the Jerry and Jean Mohrig Lectures in Chemistry. This endowed fund is intended to bring to campus renowned chemists as part of our comps program. It is Jerry’s desire, and the department’s intention, to select chemists for these lectureships who can also address the broader Carleton community.
Joe Chihade’s research continues to be supported by a $199,277 three-year National Institutes of Health AREA grant, awarded in the spring of 2006, 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.”
SEMINARS
Carleton Chemistry Faculty: Seminars Kick-Off/Careers Discussion
Martin Zanni, University of Wisconsin, Madison: Femtosecond 2D IR Spectroscopy – A New Technique for Studying Structures and Dynamics
Colin Nuckolls, Columbia University: Reaction Chemistry Meets Lithography
Carleton Science Majors: Sigma Xi All-Science Poster Session
Kara Bren (’91), University of Rochester: Impact of Dynamics on Heme Protein Redox Properties
Kevin Freeman-Cook (’94), Pfizer Pharmaceutical: Organic Chemistry at Pfizer: New Compounds as Treatments for Arthritis, Oncology, and Bacterial Infections
Deborah Gross, Carleton College: MS-CHAOS, Alpine Valleys, and Biofuels: Single Particle Measurements in Switzerland and Minneapolis
David Sholl, Carnegie Mellon University: Using Atomically-Detailed Models to Accelerate Materials Discovery for Hydrogen Purification and Storage
Elaine Marzluff, Grinnell College: Structure Determination of Biological Molecules in the Gas Phase
Carleton Chemistry Faculty: Summer Research Recruiting
Facundo Fernandez, Georgia Institute of Technology: Vacuum is not the Limit: Ions in Open Air Reveal the Composition of Counterfeit Drugs
Hal Van Ryswyk (’82), Harvey Mudd College: From Molecular Alligator Clips to Molecular Wires: Electron Transfer To, Through, and Within Metalloporphyrins
Sheila David, University of California, Davis: Dare to Repair: From Chemistry to Cancer
Michael Burand, University of Minnesota: Synthesis and Characterization of Oligothiophene-Based Compounds for use as Semiconducting Materials in Thin-Film Transistors
Stacey Stoffregen, Iowa State University: Sequence-Selective Cleavage of Peptide Bonds with Palladium(II) and Platinum(II) Complexes
Kelly Knutsen (’99), National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Towards Solving the World’s Energy Crisis: Ultrafast Charge Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Third Generation Solar Cells
Richmond Sarpong, University of California, Berkeley: Methods and Strategies Inspired by Seven-Membered Ring Containing Natural Products
Ronald Breaker, Yale University: Chemical Sensing and Gene Control by Riboswitches
R. Graham Cooks, Purdue University: Trace Organic Analysis: A Chemical Grail
Kevan Shokat, University of California, San Francisco: Chemical Genetic Analysis of Kinase Signaling in Normal and Disease Physiology
Harry Gray, California Institute of Technology: The Currents of Life: Electron Flow Through Metalloproteins
Terry Sheppard, Chief Editor, Nature Chemical Biology: Scientific Publishing as a Process and a Career
Jeffrey Roberts, University of Minnesota: Surface Functionalization and Passivation of Aerosolized Silicon Nanoparticles
Senior Comps Talks:
Erin Addison, Thayne Dickey, Danielle Hargreaves, Admire Kuchena, Christopher Ward (chemistry) and Yi An, Ron Hause, Jennifer See, Lauren Wagner (biology): Riboswitches
John Choiniere, David DeCresce, Ian Hill, and Rosie Molden: Dr. Quadrupole; or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Trap The Ion
Stephanie Vasko: “Less is More!”: The Chemistry and Physics of Quantum Dots: From First Principles to Current Applications
Jon Dozier, Jake Houghton, Ali Khaki, Claire Langton-Yanowitz, Yong Won Lee, Shayna Simmons, Will Van Story, Maya Warren, Peter Watson: Inside Shokat’s World: Exposing Signal Transduction Cascades
Caitlin Bowersox, Amy Gauger, Wade Johnson, Paul Klick, Matt Topeff, Ellen Valkevich: E.T. II: The Quantum Sequel