BLINN STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH AT WORLD’S LARGEST CHEMISTRY CONFERENCE

  

Eleven Blinn College students recently displayed their research findings at the world’s largest chemistry conference.

Erin E. Wilson, Madison P. Smith, Sara T. Mirza, Ashley V. Daspit, Robin N. Callahan, Justin A. Galvan, Kimberly A. Morris, Marvin Wirianto, Eunae Jeong, Alvin Teh and Timothy Sitorus teamed with instructors Dr. Lee Don Bienski, Dr. Beverly Clement and Dr. Adalberto Gallegos to present three unique scientific posters at the American Chemical Society’s National Meeting and Exposition in Denver, which drew an estimated 15,000 visitors March 22-26.

The students’ posters describe how they explored flavonoids in ash tree leaves, tested commercial and wild mushrooms for specific toxins and analyzed properties of molecules dissolved in vegetable oils.

The students were required to conduct months of research and submit an abstract detailing their findings to be reviewed by industry professionals before they earned an invitation to the conference. With most presentations coming from four-year universities, Bienski said it’s an honor for Blinn to be represented.

“It’s a great experience for our students,” he said. “They participate in research years earlier than they normally would, which helps them advance to other programs and careers ahead of their peers.”

During the conference, students answered questions from industry leaders and members of the academic community from institutions across the nation.

“There’s a catch-22 in the job market. You need experience to get the job, but you need the job to get experience,” said Morris, a second-year student from Bryan. “Having the opportunity to engage in research at Blinn and attend a world-renowned chemistry conference gives you that hands-on experience and the contacts you need to be successful in the real world.”

Each of the students who attended the conference is enrolled in Chemistry 2289: Academic Cooperative, a course designed to integrate on-campus study with practical, hands-on experience. An invitation to the American Chemical Society’s national meeting is the pinnacle of the course.

“When a student presents something he or she has discovered and presents it to peers, that student is forever changed, and so is the world around them,” Bienski said.