January 2004 Fly-by

NSF Program Evaluation

Matthew BalhoffMajor: Chemical EngineeringHome: Baton RougeUndergrad: LSU Chemical Engineering

Years at LSU: 7 (incl. B.S. degree in ChE)

CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Daly-ThompsonOff-campus participant: Dr. Desroches, SchlumbergerProject: Multi-Scale Modeling of Porous Media FlowApprenticeship Project: SchlumbergerMinithesis completed? YesCurrent career objective: UnkownHobbies: Sports

Michael Baylis• Major: Chemistry• Home: Petal, Mississippi• Undergrad: B.S. Polymer Science, University of Southern

MS 1992• Graduate: M.S. Chemistry, LSU 1999• Years at LSU: 3+ (incl. M.S. degree work return for

Ph.D.)• CMC-IGERT Rank: Recruit• Faculty Team: Russo Off-campus: TBA• Project: Gold Nano-Rods for Polymer Physics• Apprenticeship Project: TBA• Minithesis completed? No.• Current career objective: Academia• Hobbies: Computing

Brian Benson • Major: Biochemistry• Home: Baton Rouge, LA• Undergrad: B.S. Biochemistry, LSU-Baton Rouge

(2002)• Years at LSU: 1+• CMC-IGERT Rank: Apprentice• Faculty Team: Laine/Waldrop• Off-Campus: Ralph Freedman, M.D. Anderson • Project: GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase (GMD) assay

development and• pH rate profiles• Minithesis completed? No.• Current career objective: Oncology Physician/Scientist • Hobbies: Cooking, Marine Aquaculture, Music

Alan BussardMajor: Chemical EngineeringHome: San Mateo, CAUndergrad: B.S. Chemical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley (2003)Years at LSU: < 1CMC-IGERT Rank: recruitFaculty Team: Prof. Kerry Dooley & OtherOff-campus: TBAProject: Hydrogenation of Polymers in Oscillating SystemsMinithesis completed? NoCurrent career objective: IndustryHobbies: Practical Pistol Competitions

Jason Campbell

Major: ChemistryHome: Bossier City, LAUndergrad: B.S. Chemistry, LSU-Shreveport (1999)Years at LSU: 4CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Russo, SpivakOff-campus: Patricia M. Cotts, DupontProject: Molecular recognitionApprenticeship Project: Scattering from influenza (completed)Minithesis completed? Yes.Current career objective: IndustryHobbies: Sports, Computers, Movies. Geaux Tigers.

Colleen Colson• Major: Chemistry• Home: New Orleans, LA• Undergrad: B.S. Polymer Science, University of Southern

Mississippi (2002)• Years at LSU: 2• CMC-IGERT Rank: Apprentice• Faculty Team: Dr. Thomas• Off-campus: Noel Clark (University of Colorado, Boulder)

and P.J. Persichini III (Allegheny College)• Project: Large and small molecule interactions with

phospholipid tubules• Apprenticeship Project: Not yet• Minithesis completed: No• Current career objective: Industry• Hobbies: Reading, Cooking, and Planning my Wedding

Derek Dorman

• Major: Chemistry• Home: Jackson, MS• Undergrad: B.S. Polymer Science, University of

Southern Mississippi (2000)• Years at LSU: 2• CMC-IGERT Rank: Apprentice• Faculty Team: Russo, McCarley • Off-campus: R. Epand (McMaster University) and Iris

Torriani (Brazil)• Project: Lipid-Dendrimer Interactions• Apprenticeship Project: Not yet• Minithesis completed? No.• Current career objective: Industry• Hobbies: Watching Football and Gaming

Garrett Doucet

• Major: Chemistry• Home: Luling, LA• Undergrad: B.S. Polymer Science, University of Southern

Mississippi (1997)• Years at LSU: 6.3• CMC-IGERT Rank: Honorary Craftsperson (Guinea pig

again!)• Faculty Team: Russo • Off-campus: Not Applicable• Project: Matrix Fluorescence Photobleaching Recovery and

Complex Solutions of Rodlike Polymers• Apprenticeship Project: Not Applicable• Minithesis completed? Not Applicable• Current career objective: Acadamia• Hobbies: Reading, Learning History, Playing Pool, Board

Games, Traveling

Major: ChemistryHome: Grambling, LAUndergrad: Grambling State University; Grambling, LA

(May 2000)Years at LSU: 3+CMC-IGERT Rank: ApprenticeFaculty Team: Isiah Warner, Steven SoperOff-campus: TBA (probably at NIST)Project: Surface Modification of Microfluidic DevicesApprenticeship Project: Surface Modification of Microchips Using a Zwitterionic Polymer Minithesis completed: NoCurrent career objective: IndustryHobbies: eating, shopping, dreaming about sleeping

Angela N. Douglas

Nadia J. EdwinMajor: ChemistryHome: St.Croix, USVIUndergrad: B.S. Chemistry, UVI-St.Thomas (2000)Years at LSU: 3+CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Dr. Paul Russo, Dr. Robin McCarley Off-campus: Dr. Andrea Liu, UCLAProject: Inhibiting Alzheimer’s DiseaseApprenticeship Project: Light Scattering Characterization of Dow Particles (completed)Minithesis completed? YESCurrent career objective: MD/PhD Academic ProfessorHobbies: Traveling, Reading, Writing…

Christopher W. Guillory• Major: ELRC = Educational Leadership Research &

Counseling• Home: Sorrento, LA• Undergrad: B.S, Mathematics, USL (1997)• Years at LSU: 4+ • CMC-IGERT Rank: Apprentice• Faculty Team: Kennedy, Monlezun Off-campus: Jean Fields• Off-campus participant: TBA• Project: IGERT Program review• Apprenticeship Project: Retention Rates at Public Universities

in Louisiana• Minithesis completed? No.• Current career objective: ??? • Hobbies: Comic books and spending free time with my wife

Veronica Holmes

Major: ChemistryHome: Baton Rouge, LAUndergrad: B.S, Chemistry, Southern University (1999)Years at LSU: 4 CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Daly, ThompsonOff-campus: Drew Poche’ (Dow)Project: Flow Through Porous Media Apprenticeship Project: Related to Project, completed. Minithesis completed? Soon, very, very soon. Current career objective: Agriculture Innovations Hobbies: Marathon training

Allison M. JoubertMajor: BiochemistryHome: Opelousas, LAUndergrad: B.S. Biological Sciences, LSU-BR (2001)Years at LSU: 6+ (including undergraduate)CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Vince J. LiCata and Jackie Stephens

Off-campus: Alexandra Klinger ( Johnson & Johnson)Student Team Member: Greg ThompsonProject: Bridging the In Vitro – In Vivo Gap: Structure-Function Studies of a DNA Binding ProteinApprenticeship Project: Hydrodynamic and X-ray Scattering Properties of Type I

DNA Polymerases from E. coli and T. aquaticus (completed)Minithesis completed? YesCurrent career objective: Pharmaceutical Research Hobbies: Watching Movies, Hanging out with friendsand playing Tennis

Mariah McMastersMajor: ChemistryHome: Paragould, Arkansas Undergrad: Chemistry and Mathematics, B.S., Arkansas State University (1999)Years at LSU: 3CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Robin McCarley, Paul Russo, Bob HammerOutside Participant: TBAProject: Inhibiting Alzheimer’s DiseaseApprenticeship Project: Surface-Induced Aggregation of Beta Amyloid Peptide Minithesis completed: YesCurrent Career Objective: AcademicsHobbies: Reading, Cooking

Matthew MalwitzMajor: ChemistryHome: Currently – Baton RougeUndergrad: University of Southern MississippiYears at LSU: 3CMC-IGERT Rank: ????Faculty Team: SchmidtOff-campus: TBA (possibly SANS expert at NIST or ORNL)Project: Examination of Shear Induced Orientation of Polymer-Clay Solutions and Films by Rheology, Scattering, and Microscopy TechniquesMinithesis completed: NoCurrent career objective: Eventually to work in either a national lab or industry.Hobbies: Gaming

Rhonda Nichols

Major: Human EcologyHome: Baton Rouge, LAUndergrad: B.S, Textile Science, LSU (1996)Years at LSU: 4+ CMC-IGERT Rank: ApprenticeFaculty Team: Negulescu, Kuttruff Off-campus: Billie CollierProject: Textile End-Use Applications of Recycled Commercial Polymer Materials and Textiles Apprenticeship Project: Evaluation of Effect of Color Component in Naturally Colored Cotton Minithesis completed? Yes.Current career objective: Agriculture Innovations Hobbies: Science and Research

James Rucker• Major: Chemistry• Home: Scott, AR• Undergrad: B.S. Chemistry, University of Central Ark.

(2002)• Years at LSU: 2• CMC-IGERT Rank: Apprentice• Faculty Team: Hall, Hammer, Browne

» Off-campus: John Straub, BU• Project: Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Beta Sheet

Peptides• Apprenticeship Project: TBA• Minithesis completed? No• Current career objective: ???• Hobbies: Sports, Computers

Christopher SparrowMajor: ChemistryHome: LouisianaUndergrad: B.S. Chemistry, Xavier New OrleansYears at LSU: 2CMC-IGERT Rank: ApprenticeFaculty Team: Maverick-Cleij (departed, to be replaced)Project: Inorganic functional polymersApprenticeship Project: NMinithesis completed? NCurrent career objective: ?????Hobbies: Sports

Greg ThompsonMajor: BiochemistryHome: Slidell, LAUndergrad: B.S. Biology Millsaps College, Jackson, MSYears at LSU: 1.5CMC-IGERT Rank: ApprenticeFaculty Team: LiCata, Batista, Stephens Student Team Member: Allison JoubertProject: Protein: Bridging the in vivo in vitro gap.Apprenticeship Project: DNA Type I PolymerasesMinithesis completed? No.Current career objective: UndecidedHobbies: Likes watching football, and playing golf.

Kanika VesselMajor: Mechanical Engineering (M.E.)Home: Detroit, MIUndergrad: B.S. M.E., Southern University-Baton Rouge (SUBR) (1999)Years at LSU: 4CMC-IGERT Rank: ArtisanFaculty Team: Dr. Su-Seng Pang, Dr. Yitshak Ram & Dr. Ioan Negulescu Off-campus: Dr. Guoqiang Li-LSU/SUBRProject: Biodegradable Polymers and Sensitivity of EigenvaluesApprenticeship Project: Parametric and Sensitivity Analysis of a Vibratory

Automobile Model.Minithesis completed? Yes.Current career objective: Industry first, eventually ProfessorHobbies: Reading, Bowling and Skating.

John K. WhiteheadMajor: ChemistryHome: TexasUndergrad: Texas A&M branch campusYears at LSU: 2CMC-IGERT Rank: ApprenticeFaculty Team: Hammer-Fields-NewcomerOff-campus: TBAProject: Peptide design characterizationApprenticeship Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Fmoc-aminomethylphosphinateMinithesis completed? YesCurrent career objective: Synthetic ChemistHobbies: Reading and Sports