Chemistry and Biochemistry News

Honors Chemistry Student Justin Nova

Three students from Honors General Chemistry have had their work from their Spring 2021 course successfully published in Illuminate: The Undergraduate Journal of the Northeast Regional Honors Council. Alyss Rollins and Justin Nova coauthored “Detection of Metal Ions Using Pinto Bean Synthesis of Carbon Quantum Dots” and Matthew Dougherty authored “A New Application to Purifying Drinking Water Using Carbon Quantum Dots“. All three students worked with their course instructor, Dr. Jeremy Burkett to review their writing, on navigating the submission process and to address reviewers comments and suggestions. Congratulations to all three students and to Dr. Burkett on these publications.

The ACS student club sponsored several events to celebrate national chemistry week, culminating in everyone’s favorite ice cream!

Wrapping up the summer series on what chem faculty did over the summer is Professor Harrell’s attendance at the wedding of biochemistry alum Delaney Patterson. Delaney, a 2018 graduate got married in Taneytown, MD to fiancee Shawn DiMaggio on August 21. The couple resides in Pennsylvania, where Delaney is employed by Eurofins Lancaster Labs. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Josef Kittelberger is a ’20 Chemistry graduate of Stevenson. He returned to SU this past May for graduation and everyone loved seeing him and hearing about his very exciting job: Joe is utilizing his chemistry degree in the candy industry! After graduation, Joe obtained a position at Hybrid Confections, the sister company of Enstrom Candies, a four-generation family-owned candy company in Grand Junction, Colorado, known for its delicious toffees and confections. Joe is involved in their new project: gummy manufacture, including cannabidiol (CBD) gummies. To quote Joe, “Working in the candy business is a sweet gig!”

Next in the series of what chemistry faculty did this summer is Professor Tim Dwyer’s trip to Colorado in July. You may already know that Dr. Dwyer is originally from Colorado and that most of his extended family still lives there. Seeing his family was overdue because of Covid, and he was able to be present for his dad’s 80th birthday celebration.

Dr. Dwyer took two of his kids with him on this trip. If you’ve ever had Dr. Dwyer as a professor, it’s likely you know all three of his kids’ (and his pets’!) names. They all enjoyed time with their family, hiking in Red Rocks, rock climbing and took in a Colorado Rapids soccer game together.