A major goal of our department is for every undergraduate student in our programs to have the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of original research, including planning, design, experimentation, and publication.
We are actively training undergraduates in the process of scientific inquiry well before graduate school. Below are a few examples of the current research being conducted by students in our department.
“Undergraduate research has been an integral part of my college career over the last year. The experience I have had working under Dr. Marshall and Ms. Porter has been an incredible learning opportunity that I will remember far beyond my education. During my time of here I have been able to learn dozens of important laboratory techniques that will certainly be useful as I begin my career. The lab experience has also greatly enhanced my classroom experience, giving me great insight on the practical application of class material. More importantly however, I have practiced cooperation and have built up several strong relationships that I hope to maintain for the years to come. Dr. Marshall, Ms. Porter, and the rest of the staff has been an absolute joy to work for and I have been blessed beyond measure by their encouragement, patience, and support. I would without hesitation recommend undergraduate research to any student of chemistry, as the experience is invaluable and the relationships priceless.”
Bryan Hettick, chemistry major and researcher
Here are the titles of a few of our student research presentations:
- “Deactivation of Aflatoxin B1 by Chemical Treatment”
- “Synthesizing Novel 1,7-Phenanthroline and 4,7 Phenanthroline”
- “Fluid Extraction Methods – Oxidized and Unoxidized camellia sinensis Leaves”
- “Looping” in the Flipped Organic Chemistry Classroom
- “The Intersection of Chemistry and Archeology: Analysis of Fatty Acid Residue Extracted from Early Bronze Age Pottery Found at Khirbat Iskandar, Jordan”
- “Antibiotic Resistance and DNA Profiling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis in Wet and Dry Eye Makeup Applicators”
- “Optimization of a Gas Chromatographic Method for the Identification and Quantification of Sucralose in Solution”
- “Surveying Antibiotic Resistance and Genomic Relationships in Escherichia coli Isolated from Domestic Geese Fecal Matter in Urban Playa Lakes”
- “Identification of Enzymes Produced by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pycnoporous sanguineus in the Breakdown of Peanut Agricultural Waste”
- “A Study of the Desiccation of Peanuts with Varying Times and Temperatures for Manners in Food Preparation and Preservation”
- “Quality and Stability of Peanut Oils in Raw Nuts Treated with Ultraviolet Light to Reduce Bacterial Loads”