Chemistry Program at UA Prepares Students for Careers in Science

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A summer program at The University of Alabama, funded by the National Science Foundation, is helping prepare the next generation of chemists and scientific researchers.

The UA department of chemistry is hosting a Research Experiences for Undergraduates/Teachers program under the direction of Dr. John Vincent, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Stephen Woski, associate professor of chemistry.

Top undergraduate students and high school teachers with strong backgrounds in chemistry are invited to come to the UA campus for 10 weeks during the summer to work with UA faculty in their research group and to take part in informal seminars and educational activities.

The 2010 chemistry participants and their UA faculty mentors include:

Ashley McNeill, an Austin Peay State University student from Clarksville, Tenn., who is working under the direction of Dr. David Dixon on “Computational Studies of Peptide Acidities and Decomposition Mechanisms.”

Margaret Adams, a UA student from Homewood who is working under the direction of Dr.Laura Busenlehner on “In vivo Characterization of S. pombe Frataxin.”

Cory Ayres, a Georgia Southern University student from Statesboro, Ga., who is working under the direction of  Dr. Lowell Kispert on “Evidence for Carotenoid Neutral Radicals in Plant Material.”

Jessica Duke, a UA student from Trussville who will is working with Dixon on “Computational Studies of Reactions of H₂O in Supercritical CO₂ for the Geological Sequestration of CO_2.”

Ryan Flamerich, a UA student from Chelsea who is working under the direction of Dixon on “Computational Studies of Actinide Oxide Clustering Reactions.”

Keana Graves, a Clark-Atlanta University student from Waianae, Hawaii, who is working under the direction of Dr. Martin Bakker on “Synthesis of Porous Iron Oxide/Metal Composites as Photoelectrodes.”

Caleb Hamilton, an Asbury College student from Dothan who is working under the direction of Dr. Silas Blackstock on “Exploring the Thermal and Photochemistry of a New Solar Fuel.”

Jordyn Johnson, a University of Tennessee-Chattanooga student from Soddy Daisy, Tenn., who is working under the direction of Dr. Patrick Frantom on “Biochemical Studies on Isopropylmalate Synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculos.”

Matthew Kelley, a UA student from Arlington, Va., who is working under the direction of Dixon  on “Computational Studies of the Potential Energy Surfaces of Catalytic Reactions on Transition Metal Oxides.”

Tyler McPherson, a UA student from Monroeville who is working under the direction of Dr. Shanlin Pan on “Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Using Silver Nanowires.”

Kyle Smith, a Georgia Tech student from Kennesaw, Ga., who is working under the direction of Dixon on “Computational Chemistry Studies of TiO₂ and SiO₂ Nanoparticles.”

Stephen Walker, a UA student from Trussville who is working under the direction of Dixon on “Computational Studies of Actinide Reactions in Aqueous Solution.”

Savannah Whitted, a Union University student from Lexington, Tenn., who is working under the direction of Dr. Michael Bowman on “Free Radical Intermediates in the Cytochrome bc1 Complex.”