Tag chemistry department

Shippensburg’s chemistry department gains widespread attention in viral video

Shippensburg’s chemistry department gains widespread attention in viral video

Shippensburg University’s Chemistry Department recently made headlines on the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) YouTube channel, Reactions. Dr. John Richardson, Dr. Jeb Kegerreis and sophomore chemistry student, Rebekah Feight, were highlighted in the viral video, “Coke Just Revolutioned Coke,“ which reached one million views. Their research investigated the sugar content and chemical composition of different types…

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Students Cole Pearson and Mady Bihun present at national symposium

Shippensburg University students Cole Pearson, a Wood Honors College student and chemistry major, Mady Bihun, a mathematics major, recently showcased their research at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS), hosted by Rice University. Pearson presented an ongoing research project that he has been working on for over a year and over the summer,‘Development of a Computational Tool for Kombucha Titration Analysis’. “This project has involved the incorporation of analytical chemistry, mathematical modeling and chemical thermodynamics. Furthermore, Pearson shared how his studies at Ship prepared him to communicate complex research. “My 3+ years of education at Shippensburg University and the College of Arts & Sciences, and particularly the Chemistry Department, has been instrumental in teaching me how to speak about science and research to a general audience.” While at GCURS, Pearson was inspired by the keynote speaker, Dr. Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, who spoke about her lifelong career in biophysical chemistry and what to expect of the field in the future. “Her work is especially exciting to me, as I hope to pursue a career applying an interdisciplinary physics-biochemistrt approach to solve pertinent problems.” Pearson also acknowledged the faculty at Ship who helped guide him and the SU Foundation, which funded his summer SURE grant. “I want to thank my research advisors, Dr. Jeb Kegerreis, Dr. Luis Melara and Dr. John Richardson, for their guidance. I want to also thank the SU Foundation for funding the summer SURE grant that supported my research.” Bihun, who presented in the applied mathematics section, focused her research on the connection between math and human biology. “I presented on The Decay of Botox Within the Human Body,” she said. “Which was a beginner’s mathematical study on how Botox interacts with human nerve cells.” To assist her research, Bihun frequently met with her advisor, Luis Melara. “We wanted to guarantee that no matter the person’s mathematical background, they could fully understand the concepts,” she said. One particular presentation stood out to her for its innovative approach. “I really enjoyed the presentation by Josh Ebbert, who automated the assignment of glycemic index (GI) values to food in national nutrition datasets using natural language processing and machine learning,” Bihun shared. For Bihun, GCURS enabled her to build upon her confidence and look forward to graduate school. “Having the opportunity to present my research at Rice University has helped me gain a better understanding of graduate school and how I will fit into that world after undergrad,” she said. Pearson and Bihun’s achievements shows how undergraduate research and mentorship allows students to take on challenging opportunities and follow their passions.

Cole Pearson, a Wood Honors College student and chemistry major, Mady Bihun, a mathematics major, recently showcased their research at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS), hosted by Rice University.  Pearson presented an ongoing research project that he has been working on for over a year, ‘Development of a Computational Tool for Kombucha Titration…

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Abbie Morgan ties for first at national chemistry competition

Abbie Morgan ties for first at national chemistry competition

Senior chemistry major and mathematics minor Abbie Morgan recently presented her research on kombucha fermentation and analytical chemistry at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) National Meeting in San Diego, California. Morgan tied in first place alongside two students from the University of California-Davis and the University of Massachusetts in the Division of Agriculture and Food…

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Daniel Predecki, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Dr. Predecki published an article, “Aza-Diels-Alder synthesis and NMR characterization of aromatic substituted 1-methyl-2-phenyl 2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-pyridinones,” in the Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research with four of our majors. Read it here. Dr. Predecki was co-author on an article titled, “The differentiation of N-butyl pentylone isomers using GC-EI-MS and NMR,” which was published in Forensic Science International. It…

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Chemistry Students Travel to Indianapolis for National Meeting of the American Chemical Society

Eight Shippensburg seniors stand in front of expo sign at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

The National Meeting of the American Chemical Society is one of the most important events in the field of chemistry in the US. It’s held twice a year and brings together thousands of chemists, scientists, researchers, educators, and students from all over the world to share their latest research findings, innovations, and discoveries. Shippensburg University…

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