Chemistry and Biochemistry News

Biochemistry senior, Robert Coles, is an intern this summer at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (AMRICD). He is evaluating muscle fiber composition and atrophy in diaphragms of mice intoxicated with sub-lethal botulinum-toxin A. Robert has always been interested in medical research and this internship has provided him with the opportunity to gain experience in this field.​ It’s been a great summer for Robert!

Biochemistry senior, Jullie Thieu, is a student in our BS/MFS Biochemistry/Forensic Science Program. She spent time this summer completing her Capstone Internship at the Baltimore City Police Headquarters. Jullie rotated through various units there, including Crime Scene, DNA Analysis, Firearms, and Latent Prints. She loved every part of her internship. In her own words: “My favorite rotation was probably either the DNA Analysis Unit or the Crime Scene Unit . DNA analysis is a hands-on type of lab that I’m already used to and the Crime Scene Unit is full of unexpected situations: You don’t know what type of crime scene you’re going to encounter! I also enjoy working in the Latent Print Unit because working/analyzing latent prints is like the game iSpy.”

Jullie couldn’t have gotten a better internship for her future career as a Forensic Scientist!

Chemistry alum Hugh Hayes has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in chemistry at the University of Central Florida; the title of his work: “Advancements in liquid chromatography for the determination of polycyclic aromatic compounds in environmental samples”. Hugh is a 2012 graduate in chemistry and also completed his masters in forensic science at SU in 2013. Hugh plans to return to the Maryland area to complete post-doctoral work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. (NIST) Congratulations, Dr. Hayes!