BUCHNER BULLETIN
SETON HILL COLLEGE
ACS-SA CHEMISTRY CLUB
SPRING 1999
Semester Highlights:
A. Community Outreach:
Thanks to funding from an ACS CISA (Community Interaction Grant) and a grant from the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, the Chapter hosted seventy 6th- 8th graders from Conn-Area Catholic School, Connellsville, PA on 4/22/99. The students enjoyed laboratory activities, a campus tour and lunch in Lowe Dining Hall.
Fifty Junior Girl Scouts from Westmoreland County earned the "World of Today and Tomorrow" science badge on Saturday 3/7/99. The Scouts worked for three hours in the labs, completed mini-lab reports and the day ended with a badge ceremony in Lynch Auditorium.
Chapter members served as guides, hostesses and lab assistants for the annual Women in Science Day. Female junior high school students from 62 local high schools were honored for their performance in math, chemistry and/or biology.
The Chapter members had two clean-up days for the Adopt-a-Highway project. The club has adopted a 2.5 mile stretch of road at Twin Lakes Park, Greensburg, PA.
Two teams of bowlers participated in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon.
Teachers for the Girl Scouts!
Advisor Susan Yochum,SC, Kate Shane, B.J. Grimm, Ann Marie Staub and Kelly Riggs.
B. ACS Meetings:
Five seniors attended the ACS National Meeting in Anaheim this March. Fariha Ahmed (with Dr. John Cramer as adisor) presented, "A Study of the DNA Binding Properties of 4’,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) with Respect to Calf Thymus DNA." Rebecca Mazur (with Susan Yochum,SC, Ph.D. as advisor) presented, "Adsorption Studies of Gas Phase Molecules on a Model Cell Membrane Surface." Betty Jo Grimm, Paula Durkota and Kim Fatzinger presented the Chapter’s poster,
"Broadening the Spectrum of Science by Leading Our Youth, Serving Our Community, and Discovering Ourselves."
The same students and advisors as mentioned above also participated in the ACS Meeting-in-Miniature held at Duquesne Univerisity on 3/6/99.
The Chemistry Program hosted an ACS Pittsburgh Section "On–the-Road" Meeting on 4/8/99. John Cramer invited the 1999 winner of the prestigiuos George C. Pimental Award in Chemical Education, Mary Virginia Orna, OSU. In her address, "Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nazareth, or Seton Hill? One Women’s Odyssey Among Many in the Chemical Education of Women," she summarized some of the advantages that small liberal arts college students and faculty enjoy that enable them to overcome the view that great things can only be done in large, cosmopolitan settings.The Chapter members with advisor, Susan Yochum, SC hosted a pre-meeting event for student affiliates from local colleges and local high school students. Student Affiliates from Thiel, Chatham, Carlow, Duquesne, and Waynesburg shared a pizza party and a tour of the chemistry labs, molecular modeling lab and the physician assistant labs.
Kate Shane, Kami Carrera, Ann Marie Staub, Betty Jo Grimm and advisor Susan Yochum,SC attended the ACS/SACP Awards Dinner on 5/10/99 at Duquesne University. The Club was honored for earning the OUTSTANDING award for 1997-98.
C. Seminars:
Laura Brown (’97) is a chemist with PPG, Industries. She presented, "What is Paint?" on 2/3/99.
Kimberly Ritenour-Rodgers (’97) a graduate student at Duquesne University presented her doctoral research, "A Proposed Pathway for the Biosynthesis of Oleamide" on 4/29/99.
D. Summer Interns:
Congratulations to Ann Marie Staub, Jessica Conlon and Christin Hanigan who have summer internships with Bayer Corporation. Alexis Pleva received an internship with PPG, Industries.
E. Spring Banquet:
Senior chapter members, Kelly Riggs, Betty Jo Grimm, Paula Durkota, Kim Fatzinger and Rebecca Mazur were honored at the annual banquet. The graduates were given a gold clock engraved with their names. The event was held at Hoss’s Steak and Sea House on 5/4/99. The Club members gave our advisor a "horse" plaque and a coyote wind chime!
F. Other News:
A Member-Initiated-Member Executed Society of Analytical Chemistry grant for $800 was awarded to Susan Yochum,SC for the Club’s outreach activity with Conn-Area. She also secured a Pittsburgh Conference National Memorial College Grant for $3000 and a Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh College Grant for $5000. These monies will be used toward the purchase of a new FT-IR.
Adopt-a-Highway helpers!
Paula Durkota, B.J. Grimm, Kami Carrera, Dee Chengelis, Christin Hanigan, Brad, Kate Shane, Ann Marie Staub, Theresa and Becky Mazur, Susan Yochum,SC.
