Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”

-Linus PaulingCHEMISTRY

WELCOME FRIENDS OF EKU CHEMISTRY

It has been an amazing time in the department and we wanted to share what is happening. Therefore, we are releasing our first departmental newsletter to keep everyone informed. Topics on this cover page list specific events described on their designated pages. Provided links are available with certain items to learn more. If you haven’t been able to visit us on campus, we hope you will have the opportunity to come by and see us soon.

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE?

DEPARTMENTAL DEGREE PROGRAMSAfter revisions to undergraduate & graduate curricula, changes are beginning to be noticed. Also, students interested in chemistry-related pre-professional options have a new resource available.

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READY FOR MY CLOSE-UPMaking headlines in the media (and not through American Idol).

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AWARDSThirteen student awards/recognitions were given to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of chemistry and forensic science students. Also, the department as been active and recognized in teaching, service, and scholarship.

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CHEMISTRY OUTREACHBenefits of the New Science Building are not just for the EKU students and faculty. See how the department is helping the local community.

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THE LAB NOTESDepartmental Newsletter - May 2013 www.chemistry.eku.edu www.forensicscience.eku.edu

EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

CHEMISTRY COMMUNITYStudents and faculty celebrate celebrate the end of the semester with spaghetti, scholarship, and pie!

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SPRING 2013 GRADUATIONEKU Chemistry and Forensic Science majors celebrate graduation!

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GOT RESEARCH?Students and faculty mentors have been working hard to increase the scholarship in the department. Check out what has been going on.

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Consider a Gift!Gifts can continue to fund our student awards, student travel that allow bright, innovate minds to present their research at conferences, and support departmental endeavors. Thank you for the support!!

UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY PROGRAMS

The Department underwent a series of curricular changes to enhance the bachelors degrees for chemistry, forensic science, and pre-professional health careers. Each of these bachelor degrees can now be combined with a M.S. Chemistry so both degrees can be completed in five years (see below). The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Chemistry include options in either: i) Chemistry, ii) Chemistry Teaching, iii) Pre-Pharmacy, iv) Pre-Dental, v) Pre-Optometry, or vi) Pre-Pathology Assistant. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Chemistry include options in i) Chemistry or ii) Biochemistry where both are certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Biochemistry option also follows the recommendations from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Forensic Science still offers the two options in i) Chemistry or ii) Biology.

3+2 UNDERGRADUATE / GRADUATE PROGRAM

Additional revisions allow any EKU undergraduate student majoring in

chemistry or forensic science now has the opportunity to integrate the MS Chemistry degree with your current degree allowing you to complete the MS degree with one additional year as part of an accelerated dual degree program.     With this program, you take graduate core graduate courses in 4 out of the 5 sub-disciplines of chemistry, graduate elective courses, and complete one of the following tracks: i) research thesis, ii) internship, or iii) course work.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL ADVISINGStudents interested in Chemistry pre-professional options now can have assistance through the The Center for Pre-Professional Advising. The Center, under the direction of Ms. Sharon Lee, serves current and incoming students, who are interested in pursuing healthcare & law professions.  Services to students include i) Pre-Professional Program Course Planning, ii) Entrance Exam Preparation Resources, iii) Undergraduate Research Opportunities, iv) Job Shadowing/Internship Experience, v) Professional School Choices, vi) Navigating the Application Process, vii) Personal Statements, and viii) Assisting with Resume or Curriculum Vita Preparation.

Dear EKU Alumni,We hope that you enjoy

the Lab Notebook Newsletter to learn what’s

been happening here in the EKU Chemistry &

Forensic Science programs. We would like to stay in contact with you and please let us know if

you have any news to announce!

Dr. Quan teaching his General Chemistry class in the New Science Building (left) & Dr. Smith utilizing the “chalkboards” for Instrumental Analysis (right)

f a c ebook

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h t t p : / /development.

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Chemistry / Forensic Science in the Media“LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION, SCIENCE!!” (WE ADDED THE LAST ONE)

Discovery Canada was at EKU to film a piece for their show, Daily Planet. Barbara Wheeler (EKU Forensic Science Program, Dept. of Chemistry) and Tom Thurman (EKU Dept. of Safety, Security and Management) were interviewed and filmed   in the New Science Building microscopy and instrument   labs. The segment pertaining to trace evidence of explosive evidence is currently available (until the end of June).

Calling all EKU Alumni (Chemistry and Forensic Science)

We are working on recruiting efforts through digital media and need help from our

alumni. More details about this request is available on the Youtube EKU Chem Channel. Contact Dr. Smith with any

questions.

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Department of Chemistry AwardsChemistry & Forensic Science Student Awards & RecognitionsThe award ceremony for the EKU Department of Chemistry took place on May 3, 2013. There were 13 specific recognitions & awards given in the department to appreciate students for their hard work and dedication. Requirements for each award can be found at the following: http://chemistry.eku.edu/awards-scholarships.

Photos of all the 2013 Award Recipients are Available

The 2013 Winners for the Department of Chemistry Chemistry & Forensic Science Student Awards & Recognitions

Chemistry AwardsOutstanding General Chemistry Students Recognition" Molly Bates " " Gabriel Myers"" " " " Jacob Bonta" Zachary Hollin" " " Taylor Johnson" " " " Laura Mims" Jason Creeden"" " " Michael Luttrell

Top Chemistry Awards1. Top Freshman - Samantha L. Adams2. Top Sophomore - Kevin Elmer3. Top Junior - Adam Fluty4. Darnell Salyer Award (Top Senior) - Agathe Roubert5. Top Student in Organic - Bailey Gill6. Top Student in Analytical & Thomas Herndon Memorial Scholarship " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " - Armanda Pennington7. Top Student in Biochemistry - Saioa Oscoz8. Emerging Chemist Award - Joseph Johnson9. EKU Hypercube Scholar - Casey Howdieshell10. Harry Smiley Memorial Graduate (M.S.) Award - Lin Wu

Forensic Science Awards1. Outstanding Junior in Forensic Science - Emily Fyffe2. Outstanding Senior in Forensic Science - Hillary Crosley

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

WITH TEACHING

1. A partnership between EKU Chemistry and IT was recognized with the 2012 Post-secondary Institution Technology Award with Connect Kentucky (a non-profit group part of connect nation). The award was presented November 13, 2012 at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). This partnership continues with installation of a lecture capture system so lecture and seminar broadcasting can begin next academic year.

2. The Chemistry Department had two golden apple nominees this Spring 2013 semester, Dr. Jerome May and Dr. Martin Brock. The Golden Apple Awards are an annual ceremony held each spring recognizing EKU instructors for their excellence in teaching and encouragement of student success.  Each year University Housing students nominate the faculty they feel are excellent instructors and who have contributed to their success as an EKU student.   From all the nominees in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Brock won the golden apple.

3. A NIH funded Kentucky Bridge to a Biomedical Doctorate for Appalachian Students (“Appalachian Bridge Scholar”) program was implemented. This initiative target students for funding from Appalachia and under-represented groups (e.g. Hispanic, African American, Native American, Native Alaskan, Pacific Islander) in achieving advanced degrees (Masters and Doctorate) in biomedical science fields relating to biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.

WITH RESEARCH

1. EKU faculty & students participated in research meeting / conferences over the past academic year:a. Dr. Tanea Reed presented a poster at the Society for Free Radical Research International conference in London,

England, September 2012b. Joseph Johnson (chemistry undergraduate) presented a poster a the Society for Neuroscience conference held in New

Orleans, October 2012 and also won honorable mention at the University of Kentucky ACS regional poster competition, April 2013.

c. Undergraduate and graduate students working with EKU chemistry mentors presented oral and poster presentations at the 98th Annual Meeting for the Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) held at Eastern Kentucky University, October 2012: Allison Miller, Erica Campbell, Deidre Brumfield, Lin Wu, Yunxin Liao, Zach Sellers, Zachary Butler, Dhruv Patel, Connor Smith, Joseph Johnson, ReBecca Williams, Rachel Masek, Moses Henderson, Agathe Roubert, Phil Kyles,

d. Undergraduate students were selected to present their chemistry research at the Posters-at-the-Capitol (P@C) held in Frankfort, KY, February 2013: Connor Smith, Joseph Johnson, Moses Henderson, and ReBecca Williams

e. Agathe Roubert and Phil Kyles (undergraduate chemistry students) presented their work at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR), University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, WI, April 2013

f. Undergraduate students were selected to present their chemistry related research at the EKU Undergraduate Presentation (UP) Showcase held on Richmond Campus, April 2013: Zachary Butler, Allison Durr, Moses Henderson, Joseph Johnson, Jennifer Naumovitz, Jonathan Overbay, Walter Para, Connor Smith, and ReBecca Williams

g. Jonathan Overbay (chemistry undergraduate) will be presenting a poster at the Society for Neuroscience conference held in San Diego, November 2013

h. Multiple faculty and students are expected to participate in the 246th National Meeting of the American Chemistry Society (Sept. 2013) that will be held in Indianapolis, IN.

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Department News, Awards, & RecognitionsADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

WITH RESEARCH - con’t

2. At the 2012 Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Annual Meeting:a. Graduate student, Lin Wu (mentor: Dr. Buchang Shi), won 1st in Graduate Oral Presentation, Category: Chemistry.b. Graduate student, Zach Sellers (mentor: Dr. Tanea Reed), won 2nd in Graduate Oral Presentation, Category:

Physiology & Biochemistry.c. Undergraduate student, Moses Henderson (mentor: Dr. Tanea Reed), won 1st in Undergraduate Poster Presentation,

Category: Physiology & Biochemistry.

3. Graduate student, Zach Sellers (mentor: Dr. Tanea Reed), was presented an Outstanding Poster Certificate for his presented work at the EKU Graduate Research Expo (Sponsored by the EKU Society of Foundation Professors).

4. Yunxin  Liao and Lin Wu (chemistry graduate students) with Dr.  Buchang Shi, won  Kokes Awards of North American Catalysis Society. The award also gives Yunxin Liao support to attend North American Catalysis meeting, to be held in Louisville, June 1-5,  2013

5. Adam Fluty (chemistry undergraduate) was nominated by EKU for the 2013 Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Adam was only one of two students nominated by EKU for this scholarship.

6. Rebecca Seitz and Nina Salazar (forensic science undergraduates) are working with faculty Barbara Wheeler to help document items within Elmwood estate which was acquired by EKU in 2011.

7. EKU faculty & students will also participate in research programs at other institutions during the Summer 2013a. Dr. Tanea Reed will be joining the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of

Cincinnati (UC). She will be a role model for minority students and supervising research in the laboratory of Dr. Edward Merino working with nucleic acid chemistry, specifically DNA damage and oxidative stress. 

b. Adam Fluty (chemistry undergraduate) will be participating in the University of Cincinnati REU program.c. Kevin Elmer (forensic science undergraduate), was awarded a materials science REU at Washington State Universityd. Jooyoung Cho (chemistry graduate student) will be conducting her research at UC and NKU, Summer 2013.

WITH SERVICE

1. The Department of Chemistry has been hosting a series of campus visits from local elementary and middle schools. The 7th and 8th graders from Powell County Middle School, 8th grade Gifted & Talented students from Clark-Moores Middle School, and Clark County Middle School have had tours of the New Science Building. During some of these tours, EKU faculty engaged these students with various demonstrations ranging from extraction of DNA to analysis of drug from dollar bills with mass spectrometry.  The Model 5th graders and Lincoln County Middle School students are scheduled to tour the NSB in Summer 2013.

2. Eastern Kentucky University’s STEM-H Institute will partner with the Kentucky Girls STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Collaborative to host the 5th annual conference “Reaching for the Stars!” on June 7 at EKU. Keynote speakers include Dr. Tanea Reed, chemistry assistant professor. In conjunction with the conference, EKU will host a Girls STEM Day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Girls who will be in grades 6-12 in Fall 2013 are eligible to attend.

3. The Eastern Kentucky University Gifted and Talented Education Graduate Students and members of the EKU STEM-H Faculty and Staff will participate in the sixth annual summer camp, Soar to New Heights!, for Gifted and Talented students who will be entering grades 6-8 in Fall 2013. The camp dates will be June 24-28, 2013.

Department News, Awards, & RecognitionsADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Our Chemistry CommunitySTUDENT APPRECIATION, CHEMISTRY POSTER SESSION, PIE-IN-THE FACE

Two events were held this academic year, which were firsts for the department. On the last day of the semester (May 3), the Department of Chemistry hosted the Chemistry Faculty-Student “Mix”-er that included a Student Appreciation Lunch where students were treated to lunch with faculty serving salad, spaghetti, and breadsticks. Cake with liquid-nitrogen ice cream were also available. Following lunch, ten students enrolled in chemistry research credit courses, Jonathan Keeling, Karin Forbes, Keely Frazier, Lauren Miller, Jonathan Overbay, Adam Fluty, Carrie Black Johnson, Sarah Kelsey, Joseph Johnson, and Zachary Butler, presented their work in a poster session that was used as part of the course evaluation as well as demonstrate their work to other students and faculty.

The poster session was then followed by the Chemistry / Forensic Science Award Ceremony (see Page 4 for the different categories and the winners).

The last day of the semester was finally capped off with the annual Pie-in-the-Face contest (extra tidbit: the first pie thrown to chemistry faculty was back in 2008). The EKU Crime & Chemistry Club in collaboration with the EKU Physics Club ran the event to encourage voting of their “favorite” chemistry and physic faculty members. The “winners” were Dr. Martin Brock (Chemistry) and Drs. Jerry Cook and Jessica Lair (tie for Physics). Agathe Roubert (B.S. Chemistry) was the lucky student to award Dr. Brock with his pie (photo to the right).

Video clips for the event are available on the EKU Chemistry Youtube Channel as

well as Facebook.

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Department of Chemistry Graduates - Spring 2013CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE

EKU CHEMISTRY AND FORENSIC SCIENCE ALUMNI

Robert Absher"" " " Christina Barnett " " " Teia Brandenburg Jeffrey Burton "" " " James Byrd " " " " Erica Campbell " " "Scott Caudill " " " " Adam Cooper"" " " Hillary CrosleyHaley Dubree" " " " Kyle Francis" " " " Joseph Johnson Sarah Lavender" " " Allison Miller "" " " Alyssa RadfordAgathe Roubert" " " Zach Sellers" " " " Sara Tillery

Ms. Allison Miller, B.S. Forensic Science (pictured above), was selected as the

student commencement speaker during the afternoon ceremony (May 11, 2013).

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Eastern Kentucky University | Department of Chemistry | 521 Lancaster Ave. | NSB 4126 | Richmond, KY 40475

Students and Faculty have been working together to produce great scholarship. The following are quick summaries of EKU chemistry faculty members. More detailed information is available on the EKU webpage.

Dr. David Cunningham: Research involves projects focused on collection and analysis of samples of forensic interest, as well as, projects involving development of new analytical reagents and devices.   Specific projects include imaging of latent fingerprints on metal substrates such as gun shell casings, coins, keys, and locks.   Another project focuses on photopolymerization processes for improving commercial enzyme electrodes for testing whole blood.  

Dr. Margaret   Ndinguri: Research involves synthesis of interesting molecules that have biological and medicinal significance., specifically focused on the development of new small biological molecules and peptide based anticancer agents. Several peptide motifs have been used as vehicles for drug targeting and exhibit a diverse spectrum of biological activities including, anti-tumor, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions.

Dr. Pei Gao: Assembling protein molecules onto designated positions on a surface (nanometer to micrometer scale) while retaining their bioactivity is critical to develop new protein based devices such as biosensors and biochips. Another project is the assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that can be coated with thiol-derivatized single-stranded oligonucleotides to investigate molecular interaction and recognition, which are critical in sensing areas.

Dr. Donghui Quan: Research is dedicated to chemical modeling of astronomical systems. Regions in the interstellar medium with relatively high densities (i.e. interstellar clouds) are rich in chemistry. Despite the extremely low density and relatively low temperature, many molecules, including organic, have been detected towards these sources. In addition, Titan has a dense atmosphere where the physical conditions and chemical composition of Titan’s atmosphere are similar to early Earth. The most abundant chemical species in Titan’s atmosphere are nitrogen gas, methane, hydrogen gas, and more importantly, many hydrocarbons and nitrogen bearing organic molecules. Modeling: Computer assisted modeling of the molecules in these systems will lead to a better understanding of this underlying chemistry.

Dr. Tanea Reed: Approximately ten million people worldwide suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that currently has no cure. This research evaluates a novel drug as a post therapeutic treatment and investigates its remediation of moderate traumatic brain injury. The use of this neuroprotective agent against oxidative stress in this TBI study would demonstrate the prevention of functional neurological decline and restoration of function following brain injury. This project incorporates biochemistry, proteomics, drug therapy, and neuroscience. An interview with Dr. Tanea Reed about her research, called Focus on Scholarship, can be viewed through the Power of Maroon YouTube Channel.

Dr. Buchang Shi: Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) is a polymerization process that converts a mixture of CO and H2 to hydrocarbons. The FT reaction becomes an attractive way to produce biofuel from biomass. Another area of our research is the sugar and chemical production from low temperature pre-treated biomass. Our ultimate goal is to develop a technique that can produce fuels and chemicals from low temperature pre-treated biomass, which could be an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly technique in utilizing biomass.

Dr. Darrin Smith: Research is based on the application of mass spectrometry for the analysis of compounds, either found readily found in biological matrices or from synthetic methods. Using ambient ionization sources, molecules can be desorbed directly from sample surfaces with little to no preparation (including derivatization) or prior separation. In addition, nanospray ionization is also utilized for the determination of protein identification through peptide sequencing to gain information about different disease states and toxicosis.

Dr. Lori Wilson: Many programs are being implemented at EKU to increase and retain students in science, engineering, technology & math (STEM). Evaluation of these programs can serve research purposes which affects national policy and provide resources and visibility for the programs. Undergraduate students would be involved in designing the evaluation, identifying indicators and measures appropriate for their assigned program, choosing a data collection method, and consider the use of control groups, adequate numbers and representative samples.

Chemistry / Forensic Science Research