Seven graduate students from Missouri State University’s chemistry department will present their research results and network with chemistry professionals at the 247th American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting in Dallas, Texas, March 16-20.

“Research involvement is really where our students learn from faculty on how to ‘think outside the box.’ The chemistry department is proud of the breadth of research activity within its walls and of the students and faculty who take their findings to national chemistry conventions like this one,” said Dr. Alan Schick, department head. “MSU has students involved in the creation of new materials and of better ways to measure and understand them. Contributing their results and observations to the greater scientific community is what helps science to progress, and it is great to see our students involved in the scientific process!”

The students participating are listed below:

• Helena De la Hoz will present “A proposal for the development of socioscientific inquiry about climate change in a non-science majors chemistry course”
• Wesley Dowler will present “Synthesis, Characterization, and Application Studies of PEGylated-poly(aryl-amide-sulfide) Dendrimer”
• Johnathon Hoskins will present “Investigation of Holmium (III) tetraphenylporphyrin-based ion selective electrodes”
• Michael Nothnagel will present “Investigation of the mechanism for Lawesson’s reagent mediated dimerization of fluorenones to bifluorenylidenes via quantum chemical methods”
• Shalisa M. Oburn will present “Synthesis of planar polyaromatic molecules incorporating intramolecular halogen bonding”
• Aaron Proctor will present “Dynamic analysis of DNA containing etheno adenine using deuterium solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance”
• Jennifer Schott will present “Anion Selective Polymeric Membrane Electrodes based on Lanthanide Metalloporphyrins”

Dr. Matt Siebert, assistant professor of chemistry, will also present his research project entitled “Density functional theory investigation of the mechanism for AuCl3-catalyzed conversion of acyclic propargyl acetates to bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane carbocycles.”

For more information, contact Dr. Tammy Jahnke, dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, at (417) 836-5249.