Helen Murray Free Endowed Technical Lecture
2023-02-23 11:00 (America/New_York)
Rigoberto Hernandez, PhD

– Gompf Family Professor, Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University

– Director, Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE)

Lean Lecture, Wishart Hall, 11 AM

Dr. Hernandez is a computational and physical chemist who studies nanoscale systems with applications in biology and energy. He is also a leader in building diversity, equity, and inclusion into institutional practices, and has been president of OXIDE (Open Chemistry Collective in Diversity & Equity) for over a decade

Spiral feedback between computation and experiment at the nano-bio interface

The nanoparticles we make today to address problems in energy and human health will enter the environment tomorrow. Will they be benign or will they lead to deleterious downstream effects to our environment? Will those impacts change as the nanoparticles are transformed through their interaction with organisms or the environment? This presents a need for developing and benchmarking design principles for sustainable nanoparticles, and it is being addressed, in party, by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. [ACS Central Science 1, 117 (2015)] Our group contributes to that effort by advancing theoretical and computational frameworks to bridge across molecular scale structure and motion, and the behavior of nanoparticles in complex environments at macro and meso scales. [J. Phys. Chem. B 120, 7297 (2016) and [ACS Central Science 7, 1271 (2021)] The latter includes the contact of nanoparticles with model membranes and other constituents found in the cellular matrix. Our toolkit includes molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling, nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, coarse-graining, and machine learning. We will describe the spiral feedback between simulation and experiment that we are employing to design principles for creating devices optimized for high performance and minimal environmental impact.

Helen Murray Free Endowed Public Lecture
2023-02-23 19:30
Rigoberto Hernandez, PhD

– Gompf Family Professor, Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University

– Director, Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE)

Lean Lecture, Room 001, Wishart Hall

A reception with light refreshments will immediately follow the lecture

Dr. Hernandez is a computational and physical chemist who studies nanoscale systems with applications in biology and energy. He is also a leader in building diversity, equity, and inclusion into institutional practices, and has been president of OXIDE (Open Chemistry Collective in Diversity & Equity) for over a decade

Managing Inclusive Excellence in Academia

The Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE) is aimed at institutional reform so as to lower inequitable barriers hindering the success of faculty from diverse groups. We implement the “top-down” hypothesis by asserting that academic middle managers—namely, department heads and chairs—held accountable for diversity and inclusion will make sustained and significant improvements in the representation and climate of their departments. The collaborative itself is a partnership with the department heads of research-active chemistry departments, social scientists, and other key stakeholders. The lowering of these barriers increases the likelihood that individuals already in the tenure pipeline will have equitable chances of success and thereby leads to changes in faculty demographics closer to those of the broader U.S. population. The creation of a more equitable climate is also expected to encourage more disadvantaged students to enter academic careers in the chemical sciences. We will report on OXIDE’s approaches to increase awareness of effective policies and practices that decrease inequitable barriers and improve the diversity climate in research-active chemistry departments. We will discuss how these findings can inform the intentional management of inclusive excellence, and why the lens of discipline-based diversity (DBDR) research is needed in chemistry.

Summer Research - Student Short Talks
2023-09-19 11:00 - 11:50
Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Summer Research Poster Session
2023-09-21 11:00 - 12:00
Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 140

Learn about summer research

Experience a poster session

Refreshments provided

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-10-12 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Laurel Lasch, Aidan R. Mason, Rebecca Partee –

Laurel Lasch, advised by Jennifer Faust

Aidan R. Mason (double major in physics), advised by Paul Bonvallet and Susan Lehman

Rebecca Partee, advised by Sarah Sobeck

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-10-17 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Jackie Moshier, Aileen Yeo, Jason R. Stewart –

Jackie Moshier, advised by Paul Edmiston

Aileen Yeo, advised by Sara Martin

Yubin Kim advised by Paul Edmiston

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-10-19 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Young Cho, Mary Sirois, Yubin Kim –

Young Cho, advised by Jennifer Faust

Mary Sirois, advised by Anna Gallo

Jason Stewart, advised by Sara Martin

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-10-24 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Ciara O’Connor, Nick Gaba, Fiona Roche –

Ciara O’Connor, advised by Jennifer Faust

Nick Gaba (double major in physics), advised by Paul Bonvallet and Cody Leary

Fiona Roche (double major in art history), advised by Sarah Sobeck and Brian Cope

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Mole benefiting from science

Chemistry/BCMB Seminar
2023-10-26 11:00 - 11:50
Brad Palanski (’11, BCMB), PhD

Director of Biochemistry at Venture-Backed NewCo

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Dr. Palanski majored in biochemistry and molecular biology major at The College of Wooster, earning his B.A. in 2011. After earning a PhD in chemistry from Stanford University in 2018, he spent the next three and a half years working as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard School of Medicine. Recently, he became the Director of Biochemistry for a venture-backed company, specializing in the development of vaccines.

Mole doing research

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-10-31 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Noah Hill, Connor Krucek, Marisol Varela Ausec –

Noah Hill, advised by Paul Edmiston

Connor Krucek, advised by Paul Bonvallet

Marisol Varela Ausec, advised by Sara Martin

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-11-07 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Sarah Epstein, Isaac Jimenez-Ekman, Eli Harvey –

Isaac Jimenez-Ekman, advised by Sarah Sobeck

Eli Harvey, advised by Anna Gallo

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Chemistry/BCMB Seminar
2023-11-09 11:00 - 11:50
Sheri Shamblin (’89. CHEM), PhD

Pfizer, Director

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Sheri has recently retired from Pfizer Worldwide Development and Research where she was Director in Drug Product Development leading a group of scientists that design and develop clinical and commercial formulations. Sheri has over 28 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry that includes preclinical and late-stage product development with an expertise in developing novel modified release formulations. She received her Bachelors of Arts with a major in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For over a decade Sheri has been an adjunct professor at Purdue University Department of Industrial Pharmacy where she lectured graduate students in field physical pharmacy and solid-state chemistry and served as a thesis advisor to graduate students. In addition, she is a member of the Advisory Board for the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Station at The University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin. In 2020 was a Nominee for Connecticut Women of Innovation for her work in advancing drug delivery technologies to help commercialize innovative medicines. Sheri is currently consulting for the pharmaceutical industry and has recently joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy faculty as an adjunct professor.

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2023-11-14 11:00 - 11:50
Senior Presenters:

Sarah Epstein, Jameson Sprankle, David K. Evans –

Sarah Epstein, advised by Jennifer Faust

Jameson Sprankle (double major in geology), advised by Paul Edmiston and Meagan Pollock

David K. Evans, advised by Paul Bonvallet

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 045

Safety Training
2024-08-27 11:00 - 11:50
Session I: OSHA Training with Nate Hoam, Chem Tech Safety Consultant

Location: Freedlander Theater

Safety Training is mandatory for:

Biology, BCMB, Chemistry, Environmental Studies and Neuroscience seniors (There are a few exemptions that advisors will communicate directly with the senior)

Students employed by the College working in Severance or Williams Halls; stockroom assistants, laboratory assistants, research assistants, greenhouse assistants, STEM Zone Interns, or building monitors

Notice to Health Coaches: We know that health coaches typically experience conflicts with Safety Training. Coaches should plan to attend the entire Session I as this session must be completed in its entirety as an in-person training that has limited occurrences. We will communicate via email how to complete Session II after Session I has been completed. Please watch your emails for more information.

Safety Training Details/Requirements:

Session I: Tues. August 27 from 11:00-11:50am in Freedlander Theater: OSHA training with Nate Hoam

Session II: Thurs. August 29 from 11:00-11:50am in Freedlander Theater: Building specific training

Bring the Building Policy Guide with you to this session.

Both sessions will require using your phone to log attendance in the Moodle Safety Training Course. To speed up the process, please come with your phone logged-in to your Wooster account and ready to take a picture of a QR code that will direct you to the course. Once you have been directed to the Moodle course site, you will need to enroll in the course at the beginning of Session I and then enter a code to indicate that you have attended the training sessions. If you have trouble with this please reach out to staff before you leave the training session –if you have not completed the necessary information, you will not be considered in attendance and have to repeat the session.

Laboratory Safety Quiz

Safety Agreement Form

The Safety Agreement Form will become available in the Moodle Laboratory Safety Training Course once you have attended both training sessions and passed the Safety Quiz.

Once you have completed the four parts of Safety Training (Session I, Session II, Quiz and Agreement Form) you will be cleared to work in the laboratory settings.

Safety Training
2024-08-29 11:00 - 11:50
Session II: Severance and Williams Specific Training

Location: Freedlander Theater

Safety Training is mandatory for:

Biology, BCMB, Chemistry, Environmental Studies and Neuroscience seniors (There are a few exemptions that advisors will communicate directly with the senior)

Students employed by the College working in Severance or Williams Halls; stockroom assistants, laboratory assistants, research assistants, greenhouse assistants, STEM Zone Interns, or building monitors

Notice to Health Coaches: We know that health coaches typically experience conflicts with Safety Training. Coaches should plan to attend the entire Session I as this session must be completed in its entirety as an in-person training that has limited occurrences. We will communicate via email how to complete Session II after Session I has been completed. Please watch your emails for more information.

Safety Training Details/Requirements:

Session I: Tues. August 27 from 11:00-11:50am in Freedlander Theater: OSHA training with Nate Hoam

You will receive the Severance and Williams Building Policy Guide at this session.

Session II: Thurs. August 29 from 11:00-11:50am in Freedlander Theater: Building specific training

Bring the Building Policy Guide with you to this session.

Both sessions will require using your phone to log attendance in the Moodle Safety Training Course. To speed up the process, please come with your phone logged-in to your Wooster account and ready to take a picture of a QR code that will direct you to the course. Once you have been directed to the Moodle course site, you will need to enroll in the course at the beginning of Session I and then enter a code to indicate that you have attended the training sessions. If you have trouble with this please reach out to staff before you leave the training session –if you have not completed the necessary information, you will not be considered in attendance and have to repeat the session.

Laboratory Safety Quiz

After completing Session I and II, you will need to complete the Laboratory Safety Quiz with a minimum score of 90%. This quiz will be available in the Moodle Laboratory Safety Training Course once you have completed Sessions I and II.

You may take this quiz as many times as needed to pass it.

Safety Agreement Form

The Safety Agreement Form will become available in the Moodle Laboratory Safety Training Course once you have attended both training sessions and passed the Safety Quiz.

Once you have completed the four parts of Safety Training (Session I, Session II, Quiz and Agreement Form) you will be cleared to work in the laboratory settings.

Senior Meeting - Chemistry
2024-09-03 11:00 - 11:50
Severance 238

Chemistry senior meeting is a required event.

A Class of 2025 photo will be taken with the option for students to have individual photos taken for promoting their senior seminar.

Chemistry/BCMB Professional Development Meeting
2024-09-10 11:00 - 11:50
Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences – 060

Professors Karl Feierabend and Mark Snider present: Since you will not be at Wooster forever…

Learn and share how to explore and prepare for your post-Wooster plans.

What can I do now to start preparing for employment or graduate studies?

How do I request letters of recommendation?

How do I get the most out of departmental seminars?

Chemistry Seminar: Research Series
2024-09-17 11:00 - 11:50
Quentin Michaudel, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University

Dept. Chemistry and Dept. Materials Science & Engineering

Modern Organic Reactions for Precise (Macro)molecular Synthesis

Polymer Chemistry

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Lunch will follow in Severance 105 and will include a discussion about graduate programs at Texas A&M. RSVP (encouraged/not required) link: https://forms.office.com/r/1xZAYrNEdQ

Chemistry/BCMB Seminar: Research Series
2024-09-24 11:00 - 11:50
Anne-Frances Miller, Professor of Chemistry; Biochemistry

Distinguished Prof. of Arts & Sciences, Professor of Chemistry, University of Kentucky

How coupling between protein and flavin enables uphill electron transfer in flavoproteins

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Lunch with Professor Miller will follow in Severance 105.

Lunch with Professor Miller will follow in Severance 105 RSVP (encouraged/not required)

Chemistry Seminar
2024-10-01 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Pavel Anzenbacher, Jr., PhD, Professor, Center for Photochemical Sciences, Bowling Green State University

Smart materials

Molecule-ion interactions

Supramolecular chemistry

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 045

BCMB/BIOL Seminar
2024-10-17 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Madigan (Strange) Snyder (’19, BCMB), PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas Heath Science Center at Houston

Functional Characterization of LETM1-Domain Containing 1 (LETMD1) in Brown Adipocyte Mitochondria

Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Science – 060

Professional Development Research Paper Discussion
2024-10-22 11:00 - 11:50
In preparation for Tehshik Yoon’s, PhD, Professor ofChemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, seminar onThursday, October 24, 11 AM, Lean Lecture, Drs. Bonvalletand Martin will host a context session on Dr. Yoon’s paperentitled:

“A General Strategy for the Synthesis of Truxinate NaturalProducts Enabled by Enantioselective [2+2]Photocycloadditions”

Please read the paper and come with your questions.The goal of this session is to dive a bit deeper into one of theprojects that Dr. Yoon will be discussing in his seminar

Refreshments provided.

Helen Murray Free Endowed Technical Lecture
2024-10-24 11:00 - 11:50
Tehshik Yoon, PhD

Professor of Chemistry, Associate Chair for the Graduate Program, Director of Graduate Studies

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Technical Lecture: Stereocontrol in Photochemical Reactions

Photochemistry is intriguing as a synthetic tool because the absorption of light by an organic molecule results in the formation of exceptionally energetic reactive intermediates that can react in ways that are inaccessible to ground-state molecules. However, this high reactivity is also a challenge for stereoselective synthesis: control over the stereochemistry of photochemical reactions, particularly using enantioselective catalysts, has been a long-standing challenging synthetic problem with few general solutions. We recently developed a strategy that utilizes privileged chiral Brønsted acid scaffolds to control both the absolute and relative stereochemistry of complex [2+2] photocycloadditions. These reactions have enabled a general, concise, and stereocontrolled strategy for the synthesis of the truxinate and truxillate natural products.

Wishart Hall, Lean Lecture

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Board Member, Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus

Associate Editor, Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry

Guest Editor: Trailblazers 2022, C&EN

American Chemical Society Cope Scholar Award

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award

American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow

Cottrell Scholar Award

Postdoctoral Fellow (NIH), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Moles using science everyday

Professional Development Lunch & Learn
2024-10-24 12:00 - 13:00
How to Navigate & Apply to PhD Programs

Tehshik Yoon, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Helen Murray Free Endowed Lecturer, will lead the discussion.

Severance Hall, Room 105 (STEM Zone)

Lunch provided. RSVP encouraged but not required by Tuesday, October 22, 4:30 PM: https://forms.office.com/r/vmfbCfpZ8i

Chemistry Senior Seminars
2024-10-29 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Senior Presenters: Cameron Jacobsen, George Belay, and Stephanie Nino-Suastegui

Cameron Jacobsen | advised by Paul Bonvallet

George Belay | advised by Jennifer Faust

Stephanie Nino-Suastegui | advised by Mostafa Abdelaziz

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, Room 060

Chemistry Senior Seminar
2024-11-05 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Senior Presenters: Cam Ray, Ryan Gross, and Adam Karp

Cam Ray | advised by Jennifer Faust

Ryan Gross | advised by Karl Feierabend

Adam Karp | advised by Paul Bonvallet

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, RM 060

Chemistry Senior Seminar
2024-11-12 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Senior Presenters: Ben Nichols, Jeff Allison, and Khally Minich

Ben Nichols | advised by Karl Feierabend

Jeff Allison | advised by Paul Bonvallet

Khally Minich | advised by Sara Martin

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, Room 060

Chemistry Senior Seminar
2024-11-19 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Senior Presenters: Elizabeth Longbrake, Yoshi Otani, and Ama Asante

Elizabeth Longbrake | Jennifer Faust

Yoshi Otani | Jennifer Faust

Ama Asante | Anna Gallo

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, Room 060

Chemistry Senior Seminar
2024-11-26 11:00 - 11:50
Research Seminar Series

Senior Presenters: Ellen Daugherty and Alexis Basinger

Ellen Daugherty | advised by Sara Martin

Alexis Basinger | advised by Karl Feierabend

Location: Ruth W. Williams Hall of Life Sciences, Room 060

How to Find and Apply for Summer Internships/Research Experiences
2024-12-03 11:00 - 11:50
Ashleigh Best, Director of Career Planning, APEX

Mark Snider, PhD, Professor, CHEM/BCMB
