2001-2002 Chemistry Club Officers
This year’s club officers initiated a Chemistry mentoring program for the incoming freshman Chemistry majors. Upperclassmen majors were matched with freshman according to background and career interests.Five freshmen entered SHC as declared Chemistry majors, they, with their hometown and career interest follow:
In honor of the Labor of Love event on campus Chem Club members continue to keep our environment beautiful by picking up litter along a 2.5 mile stretch of highway.
Every fall Seton Hill Student Government Association sponsors a fair to allow clubs to recruit new members and educate the campus about their organization. Chem Club gave people a hands on glimpse of some of their fun activities by having students build molecules out of gumdrops and observe a red, white, and blue density column. The Club members had the opportunity to educate people about Chemistry programs at "Life Launch" on October 18. Freshmen students were required to visit various programs and talk with faculty and students about their program.
Club President Christin Hanigan and Secretary Susan Gillenberger man the table!
The Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh has recently started a student affiliate group, of which club secretary, Susan Gillenberger is chairman-elect. In order to increase the SA awareness and membership, a kickoff party was held on the Gateway Clipper Fleet in Pittsburgh, PA. Five students and their dates boarded the boat for a relaxing, fun filled evening on the river.
Juniors Tracey Harshberger and Sara Hileman pose with senior Kimberly Hart on the Gateway Clipper.
Prof. David Austin from Yale University visited Seton Hill on October 3, 2001,to give a seminar on his current research. The topic of his seminar was using a technique called display cloning to discover new proteins and new protein/small molecule interactions. This technique involves using cDNA phage display and affinity chromatography to isolate the new protein. At the conclusion of the seminar, students and faculty attended a dinner prepared by Mrs. Tracey’s nutrition and dietetics juniors.
Prof. Austin diagrams the method of display phage cloning.
In celebration of mole day Chem Club had the dining hall bake a cake for the dessert of the day. Pamphlets were set on all of the dining hall tables with fun filled facts and the history of the mole. Faculty and students were also given the opportunity to guess the number of moles of M&M’s in a jar.
Vice President Tracey Harshberger and Treasurer Sara Hileman pose with our club mascot, Millie Mole!
National Chemistry Week started with a cupcake sale in the shape of the periodic table. In congruence with the theme, "Chemistry and Art" students were given the opportunity to see the two together in paper chromatography.
The Chemistry Club took part in the Alumnae Phone–a–thon. Making phone calls to help reach the goal of roughly $500,000, the club also updated alumnae addresses, asked their veiws on Seton Hill College becoming officially co-ed and soon becoming a university, and asked if there was anything desirable to be published in the Forward New Magazine. The Phon-a-thon was a great way for club members to help raise money for the college, while gaining communication skills and learning opinions about the college’s changes from those who have graduated in the past.
Friday ~ 9th
The Humanities department and Chemistry club combined efforts this year in analyzing a water sample found in a local stream. Dr. John Spurlock’s World Geography class collected a water sample and performed on site pH testing. Chem Club helped analyze the water samples for iron, chromium, and lead using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. We then helped analyze results, which showed an alarmingly high concentration of iron and chromium.
Three students traveled to the Pittsburgh section ACS meeting which included a dinner and a keynote speaker. This year, Dr. Attila Pavlath, president of ACS, was invited to talk on alternate energy sources.
