Honors at Graduation
Honor Societies
Departmental Awards
Scholarships Awarded to Biochemistry and Chemistry Majors
Beloit College 27th Annual Student Symposium, April 10, 2003
Beloit College International Symposium, November 13, 2002
The Beloit Biologist, Volume 22, 2003
You may remember that the College participated in the first National Survey
of Student Engagement (NSSE) in 2000. Supported by grants from the Lumina Foundation
for Education and the Center for Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College,
and cosponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and
the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, NSSE (http://www.indiana. edu/~nsse/)
surveys over 100,000 first year and senior students from more than 400 institutions
around the country each year. Student responses are grouped into five clusters
of activities that research has shown are linked to success in college: Level
of academic challenge, enriching educational experiences, student-faculty interaction,
active and collaborative learning, and a supportive campus environment. In the
initial survey, Beloit was one of four colleges to score in the top 20% of each
category. We recently received the results of the 2002 survey. Although NSSE
no longer releases data for all participants identified by school, the summary
provided to each institution is quite useful.
In each of the five categories listed above, the responses of our first year
students again were significantly above the averages both for all colleges and
universities and for liberal arts colleges participating in the survey. The
same was true for our seniors. Most remarkably, both first year and senior scores
increased between 2000 and 2002 in all five areas, sometimes dramatically. For
example, “benchmark scores” for the “student-faculty interaction”
category increased from 37 to 46 for first year students and from 48 to 57 for
seniors, showing improvement from the initial to the final year of college,
as might be expected, but also significant improvement for both groups from
2000 to 2002.
A few specific items are illustrative. Of our seniors, 56% indicted that they
had participated in study abroad, vs. 36% for all liberal arts colleges and
18% overall, a strong indication that our students take advantage of “enriching
educational experiences” at Beloit. Given our long-standing emphasis on
interdisciplinary learning, it was perhaps not surprising that 74% responded
that they “often or very often put together ideas or concepts from different
courses when completing assignments or during class discussions,” compared
with 58% for all liberal arts colleges and 54% overall. Our seniors reported
that 51% had “worked on a research project with a faculty member outside
of course or program requirements,” while the comparative numbers were
33% and 24%. Reflecting our institutional support for the advantages of a diverse
campus environment, 84% reported that they “often or very often had serious
conversations with students who are very different from you (religious beliefs,
political opinions, or values),” compared with 64% and 53% nationally.
A recent presentation by Laura Parmentier and Ken Yasukawa (Biology) to the
Pew Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium highlighted some examples of
how the sciences at Beloit have changed in the past decade to encourage and
support increased student engagement. General Chemistry and several Biology
courses have adopted a “studio format” that integrates class and
laboratory activities in 24- student sections, replacing a larger lecture and
several laboratory sections for a course. A recent Beloit seminar to Ecuador
focused on rainforest ecology, and the Scotland Seminar has an environmental
theme. The Chemical Equilibrium course uses a case study coupling laboratory
analysis of soil ion exchange capacity with the effects of acid rain in various
countries.
A grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation has enabled us to establish both a spectroscopy
and molecular visualization laboratory in chemistry and an interdisciplinary
geographical information system (GIS) and ecological modeling laboratory. Through
a grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Rama Viswanathan, George
Lisensky, and several students have set up laptop computers interfaced to instruments
for pairs of students to use for collecting data in our introductory courses,
which can then be shared through a wireless network. The Organic Chemistry course
now uses a “Chem Activities” approach of collaborative problem solving
in place of most lectures in the classroom, and Laura Parmentier has been working
with students to develop inquiry-based experiments for the course that use the
two research-grade capillary gas chromatographs that she obtained through a
grant from the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory
Improvement Program. The levels of student engagement we are seeing in the sciences
from the start are not an accident.
While we were conducting our search for a new faculty member in chemistry this
past year, we were fortunate to have temporary help in the fall from Håkan
Carlsson (Biochemistry) and Christy Whiddon (General Chemistry), doctoral students
working at the University of Lund, Sweden, where Håkan's advisor is Ebbe
Nordlander ’86. They returned to Lund to complete their theses
in the spring. In addition to gaining some valuable teaching experience while
at Beloit, they were also able to search successfully for permanent faculty
positions for next year. They are moving to the Los Angeles area where Håkan
will be at Azusa Pacific University and Christy at the University of Redlands
starting next fall. We really appreciate their help this past year.
We are also very pleased to announce that Kathleen Mandell will be joining us
this fall with a tenure track appointment in chemistry. Kathleen completed her
undergraduate degree at Elmhurst College, has had significant industrial experience
in the Chicago area, and has just successfully defended her thesis in biophysical
chemistry at the University of Illinois–Chicago. After starting as a teaching
assistant at UIC, she has been an NSF Graduate Fellow in the GK-12 Education
Program since 2001, working closely with teachers at Robeson High School in
Chicago to introduce a laboratory component into their chemistry program. She
has also been involved with the Women in Science and Technology Program at Argonne
National Laboratory to attract students, particularly girls and minorities,
into the sciences. Her research has involved using spectroscopy and thermal
methods to study the structure and thermodynamics of linear and dumbbell DNA
molecules, and of drug-DNA interactions. This summer, she, along with Amada
Drennan’05, is working in the photosynthesis group at Argonne
National Laboratory on a project to attach titanium dioxide nanochip fluorescent
probes to DNA. Kathleen and her family will are moving to Beloit in August,
and we are delighted to have them joining us here.
Yesterday was graduation. Here is the message I just sent to the current majors:
“Once again, graduation was a lovely experience. We had an outstanding
class of biochemistry majors. Of the total of 27 graduates from the Biology
and Chemistry Departments, 9 were biochemistry majors! Seven graduated with
both academic Honors and Honors in Biochemistry for their research efforts.
And to top it all off, Muyiwa Awoniyi’03 won the Blue
Skies award, honoring Beloit College alumnus Warren Miller. Hooray for all the
graduating students, and for those of you who will over the years fill their
fine shoes!”
Once again, there have been many kind gifts from wonderful alumni. There are
boom boxes and timers and the little things that make life in the lab more fun,
thanks to donations from Pete Allen’96, Brian Davis’81,
Michelle Meyer’83, and others. There are internships and short
courses filled with current information, thanks to gifts from people like Joe
Verdi’83, Camille Fox’02, and Tara Sander’94.
Rush University Department of Biochemistry–special thanks to VP Klaus
Kuettner, new Chair Ted Oegema, and Drs. Cheryl and Warren Knudsen–also
continues to provide internships and unique assistance and materials.
The speaker at this year’s Commencement was Daniel Barry, M.D., Ph.D.,
who applied 14 years in a row before being accepted as a NASA astronaut trainee.
Biochemistry majors also know how to persist and succeed. Dawn Miller’96
just got accepted to medical school. Bryna Dunaway’03
set high goals and was accepted to the most highly rated Physician’s Assistant
Program in the United States. Katie Stettler’02 is working
on diabetes at Vanderbilt with the researcher who heads the American Diabetes
Association. Clarissa Schumacher’03 has been a Kemper
Fellow, a top honor that usually goes to an economics major, but she is also
a biochemist, thanks in part to an internship experience at Pierce Chemicals
where Kari Roettger’03 and Carrie Clothier’97
also worked.
I want to thank Håkan Carlsson (from Lund University, Sweden) who taught
biochemistry this year, and his spouse Christy Whiddon who taught general chemistry.
Kathleen Mandell will be arriving from Chicago this fall as a tenure-track faculty
member teaching biochemistry. I had a chance to visit with her and her family
recently, and she will be a fine addition to the supportive biochemistry community
here. It is the students (and alumni) who make it enjoyable to be at Beloit,
and I hope you will all join me in welcoming her this fall.
Many of you have experienced my teaching methods in the laboratory, methods
that I believe have been useful in helping students understand that science
is not cookbook and boring, and can be challenging and fun. As my email signature
says, “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one
brief shining moment...” I am grateful to all the alumni who have shared
their stories and their experiences of walking the road of innovation and leadership.
What my students and I have learned from you is that the hallmark of a true
leader is the willingness to make mistakes. Lead on, alumni. It is worth the
price!
Kathleen Greene
Associate Professor of Education & Chemistry
B.Sc. Univ. of Lethbridge, Canada
M.S., Ph.D. Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
At Beloit since 1987
I have several fields of particular interest to me. These include science education,
elementary teacher education, science teacher education, the intersection of
gender/ science/education, and more abstract and theoretical topics like classroom
culture, what schools are for, and how educational spaces are constituted.
I have been involved in a number of projects, including a U.S. Department of
Education-funded project developing bioinformatics curriculum materials for
preservice teachers. Also, I have been working with Laura Parmentier on her
NSF project incorporating GCs into chemistry courses, especially organic.
This past spring, I had the privilege of team teaching General chemistry (Chem
117) with Brock Spencer. Although I teach science teaching methods to preservice
teachers, this was my first time teaching undergraduate chemistry in over ten
years (and since completing my science education degrees). It was a stimulating,
challenging and rewarding experience that I look forward to repeating some time
soon!
In the fall, I taught an FYI on Garbage. Once upon a time it was taken for
granted that garbage, or at least much of it, biodegraded. Archaeology of modern,
anaerobic landfills has disproven this fact and provides interesting data on
our consumer culture. While ancient sites can be dated by the types of pottery
found, modern sites can be dated by the type and shape of the opening in soft
drink cans. What does environmental science say about your choice of paper or
plastic bags, cloth or disposable diapers, packaging and recycling? Are the
accepted answers the same in all countries? This first year seminar went beyond
the study of garbage, the environment, and human behavior to investigate where
stuff comes from, and whether the ultimate fate of materials should be considered
as part of their design. I also taught Inorganic Chemistry in the fall, and
General Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium in the spring. Since the latter both
use ChemLinks materials, the spring was an all module semester!
Beloit College held its first annual International Student Symposium in the
fall. Designed to mirror the student research symposium in the spring, this
was a day when classes were cancelled and students presented educational aspects
of their international experiences in simultaneous sessions. I was this year’s
Symposium organizer.
An interesting web site that I maintain (on a Departmental XServer) houses the
ChemConnections web materials. See http://chemistry.beloit.edu. I also continue
to be associated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Materials Science
Research and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces.
To watch some movies made at Beloit see:
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/edetc/cineplex
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/edetc/nanolab
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/edetc/SlideShow
Beloit students participated this year in presenting to the general public at
the Engineering Expo in April.
As you may be able to tell from the list below, my interests are moving more
and more in the direction of nanotechnology, and I will be teaching an FYI on
that subject this fall!
Presentations and Workshops
•G. C. Lisensky and C. Widstrand, “Incorporating Nanotechnology in the Curriculum,” Workshop for Physics Teachers, Cornell Center for Nanoscale Systems, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, July 2002.Publications
• S. M. Condren, J. Breitzer, A. C. Payne, A. B. Ellis, C. G. Widstrand, T. F. Kuech, and G. C. Lisensky, “Student-centered, Nanotechnology-enriched Introductory College Chemistry Courses for Engineering Students,” Int. J. Engineering Ed., 18, 550 (2002).Last spring, Leta Moser’02 obtained institutional review
board approval of a human study of vitamin C, and a group of students began
a study of the effect of vitamin C and E dosage using blood-based endpoints.
We drew blood from 10 subjects over an entire semester, each subject consuming
200, 500x2, and 1,000x2mg of vitamin C daily, in addition to 400 iu of vitamin
E. In consultation with national experts nationwide, we selected three major
endpoints–Heinz bodies, TBARs, and protein carbonyls, which were analyzed
in Beloit, Arizona, and Oregon. This summer Leta and I will be presenting one
set of results at the AGE meeting in Baltimore and another at the Linus Pauling
meeting in Oregon. Many thanks to so many of you who have contributed to the
vitamin C/nutrition research over the years.
I have fully recovered from the accident I had in December of 1999, and the
kind support of many alumni and students through the ordeal has been vital to
maintaining my spirits. Thanks.
The lab courses I taught this year were thrilling. In Advanced Biochemistry,
students did individual projects. Kari Roettger’03, Muyiwa Awoniyi’03,
and Karl Mehta’04 beta-tested a Western blot kit for
Pierce Chemicals in Rockford. Leta Moser’02 and Patrice
Leahy’04 continued a vitamin C study, and Elif Alpoge’05
built an electronic model of how memory works.
I also taught a course on nutrition directed at non-science majors. Student
groups each selected a question and investigated to develop a preliminary answer.
Each of the groups presented a poster at a daylong nutrition minisymposium during
the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Topics and questions discussed
included the advantages of breastfeeding a child, whether it is better to eat
at Subway or MacDonald’s, how philosophers have been influenced by their
diets, and what the new U. S. “organic” food label means. We also
began exploring producing a nutrition journal from class results to disseminate
easy tips to provide better nutrition. Pictured here is Emily Polak’03
presenting her group’s poster on a study of how the perception of sweetness
influences hunger and satiation.
Let me conclude by mentioning that many of the blood analyses in the vitamin
C study were done at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon, where I coincidentally
got to see my first grandchild, Owen Arn, the son of Beloit alumni Katrin and
biology major Brandon Arn. My fortune at Christmas this year read, “he
who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” I have enough.
Thank you.
The predominant theme for my teaching, scholarship, and outreach this year
has been “Active Learning.”
Our “Guided-Inquiry” approach to the organic chemistry sequence
continues to go well. This is the second full year of our efforts at a more
student-driven course, and this second year of refinement of both materials
( developed by Andrei Straumanis) and pedagogies in the classroom and laboratories
has been quite successful. Students report making significant gains in areas
of conceptual understanding, problem solving, laboratory skills, and group work,
this on top of being a lot of fun!
I continued work this year on my NSF-CCLI project for “Enhancement of
the Organic Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum Using Temperature-Programmable,
Computer-Controlled, and Network-Accessible Gas Chromatographs.” Last
fall we were able to incorporate three new or refined experiments using the
new GCs into the organic laboratory based on last summer’s work by Nana
Fenny’04, Nancy Nguyen’04, and Justin Severson’04.
This summer, Jacob Horger’05 joined me on the project,
and we developed two additional GC experiments for the organic sequence, one
experiment based on the analysis of fats to be included in Chem 117, and another
experiment based on the analysis of flavor components in candy to be used for
6th grade girls and their teachers and parents as part of the annual Girls and
Women in Science program at Beloit College. We are currently in the process
of preparing papers based on this work for submission to The Journal of
Chemical Education.
I had opportunities this year to talk about both the curriculum development
and the experimental design work I have been doing at both national and regional
meetings. I presented a workshop on feminist pedagogies in the sciences at the
Annual UW-System Women’s Studies Conference in Madison. Ken Yasukawa (Biology)
and I were invited to give a talk on active learning in chemistry and biology
at the Pew Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium on Attracting and Retaining
Majors conference in Chicago, and I also gave a presentation on active learning
at the Annual UW-System Women & Science Program spring retreat in Wisconsin
Dells.
Finally, I continued to engage in science education outreach projects by modifying
some of our activities from Chem 117 (see picture on page 32) for elementary
school students. Thus, we had kindergartners making “slime” and
fourth graders learning about solar energy by experimenting with a fifty foot
long black plastic bag. These are active learning experiences I recommend for
anyone of any age!
The ChemLinks grant officially ended last October, but the modules (6 of 13
with Beloit co-authors Sharon Anthony, George Lisensky, and Heather Mernitz)
continue on and will be published by W.W. Norton starting this fall. Through
the end of 2002, an estimated 10,000 students in more than 100 different educational
institutions had used over 22,000 modules! Our collaboration on the modules
continues with the Modular Chemistry Consortium (Berkeley), and all five of
the NSF Systemic Initiative projects have joined together as the Multi-Initiative
Dissemination Project (MIDP) to hold workshops around the country, which will
extend for a third year through the coming academic year. Since the last newsletter,
I have given MIDP workshops at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, University
of Richmond, Northeastern Illinois University, University of Missouri- Columbia,
and ChemLinks/MC2 workshops for the Rocky Mountain Chemistry Chairs (Reno),
NSF Chautauqua (Berkeley), NIH Bridges to the Future (Lake Tahoe), and NSF SENCER
(San Jose).
This June, I was one of 50 participants in an ACS meeting, “Exploring
the Molecular Vision,” sponsored by the ACS Society Committee on Education.
The purpose of the meeting was to define the minimum skills and content for
a chemistry education at a time when the interdisciplinary connections of chemistry
to areas like biology, nanotechnology, and resources and environment are rapidly
reshaping what it means to practice chemistry.
I have been dividing my teaching between Chem 117, which I team-taught with
Kathy Greene in the spring and will revise for next year based on our experience,
and environmentally related courses. In the fall, my FYI dealt with water resource
issues, and in the spring I taught the capstone environmental studies seminar,
The Challenge of Global Change, with a focus on climate change and issues of
sustainability.
While planning for an addition and renovation for Chamberlin Hall are on hold
pending the start of a new capital campaign, I am part of a task force that
is starting this summer to develop a master campus plan for the College, one
that will deal with space needs for the next 25 years and the relationship of
the College to its environs.
As usual, this has been an interesting year of teaching and research. I taught
a Special Topics course on Molecular Modeling and Visualization, and students
were able to use state-of-the-art software (including Gaussian-98 running on
both a Mac and a PC) to successfully compute and visualize properties and structures
for some very interesting systems, including hydrogen-bonded complexes and biological
molecules. In addition, we were also able to use a Scanning Tunneling Microscope
for the first time and obtain some preliminary images of surface structures
–a practical demonstration of electron tunneling.
I taught CS220-Computer Organization and in the process brought myself up to
speed with the ever changing landscape in CPU design and philosophy. In spring,
apart from teaching Thermodynamics and Kinetics, I taught the CS100-CS116 sequence
of computer courses for non-majors. CS116 in particular has been quite popular
with students majoring in the sciences, since the topic is interfacing instruments
to computers. I have developed some very interesting software using a variety
of languages and platforms to demonstrate interfacing concepts. In particular,
I have written my own serial drivers using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
and the Windows API for direct real time data acquisition into an Excel spreadsheet,
which functions as an electronic “chart recorder” for instruments
connected to a serial port on a laptop PC. I have also extended the software
so that data obtained by multiple student groups in the laboratory using Excel
on laptops (see cover for related story) can be transmitted (wirelessly!) to
a central computer on the network and displayed in yet another Excel spreadsheet.
Each column in this central Excel spreadsheet, which can be projected so that
all groups in the classroom or laboratory can see the information, displays
data obtained by a single student group using a laptop. The central computer
spreadsheet also displays a graph where each group’s data are represented
by a uniquely color coded set of points and a legend, all updated in real time
as the experiments are in progress!
I will be on sabbatical leave this coming fall, working with John Jungck and
the BEDROCK/BioQUEST Consortium on some interesting applications of bioinformatics
in undergraduate research and education. In a sense, I have already started
my sabbatical work. With the help of a Freeman Foundation grant, I visited Japan
during Spring Break to study, among other things, bioinformatics research at
the Kyoto Institute of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), located in Kyoto University.
I also participated in the annual BioQUEST Conference held this summer at Beloit
College from May 31 to June 3. The highlight of this conference was the keynote
address by Alan Kay, visionary and inventor of the computer mouse and the graphical
user interface (GUI).
“The Structures of Weakly-Bound Complexes Using Molecular Beam Electric
Resonance Spectroscopy (MBER): The Stereochemistry of the Hydrogen Bond.”
Rama Viswanathan, Department of Chemistry, Beloit College
“Molecular Visualization: Computational Geometric Approaches Using Voronoi
Polygons and Polyhedra as Well as Their Topological Duals, Delaunay Triangulations,
to Understand Protein Structure, Function, and Evolution.” John Jungck,
Department of Biology, Beloit College
“Bone Morphogenetic Proteins and Their Role in Cartilage Integrity and
Repair.” Susan Chubinskaya, Rush Medical College
“Long Range Sequence Dependent Reactions in Short Duplex DNA.” Kathleen
Mandell, University of Illinois-Chicago
“Building and Evaluating Chemical and Biological Architectures.”
Albena Ivanisevic, Departments of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Purdue
University
“Using Mass Spectrometry and Yeast Genetics to Understand Transcriptional
Regulation via Histone Acetylation.” Christine Smith, Reed College
“Thermodynamic Analysis of Enzyme Action: Case Studies of Cytidine Deaminase
and Creatine Kinase.” Mark Snider, College of Wooster (Ohio)
The twelfth annual Girls and Women in Science (GWS) Conference, supported
by Beloit College, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and private donations,
was held at Beloit College March 28-29, 2003 and as usual was a great success.
GWS is a minds-on, hands-on science workshop weekend for sixth grade girls,
along with their teachers and parents, and is designed to ignite enthusiasm
for science in sixth grade girls. Once again, Jennifer Rumppe’03
was the student director. Jason Marmon’06, Amanda Drennan’05,
Jennifer Rumppe’03, Jacob Horger’04, Ru Yi Teow’03, Ezra Eibergen’03,
and Stephanie Gage’05 helped present science to the general
public at the annual Engineering Exposition held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in April, 2003.
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03 was the lead in the Theater Department’s
superb fall 2002 production of “Jesus Christ, Superstar.” Emily
Good’03 acted as one of the Apostles. Emily and Bryna
Dunaway’03 were also members of the production staff, while Justin
Severson ’04 played trumpet for the orchestra.
FALL
| 117 | General Chemistry |
43 |
| 230 | Organic Chemistry I |
38 |
| 250 | Inorganic Chemistry |
2 |
| 300 | Biochemistry |
16 |
| 370 | Advanced Topics (Molecular Visualization) |
10 |
| 380 | Senior Seminar |
5 |
| 385 | Senior Thesis |
1 |
| 395 | Teaching Assistant |
3 |
| Total |
118 |
| 117 | General Chemistry |
38 |
| 186 | Chemical Issues: Nutrition |
12 |
| 220 | Chemical Equilibrium |
23 |
| 235 | Organic Chemistry II |
19 |
| 240 | Thermodynamics and Kinetics |
3 |
| 275 | Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
11 |
| 280 | Professional Tools for Chemists |
15 |
| 380 | Senior Seminar |
4 |
| 385 | Senior Thesis |
2 |
| 390 | Special Projects |
1 |
| 395 | Teaching Assistant |
2 |
| Total |
130 |
| SUMMA CUM LAUDE | Kari Roettger |
| MAGNA CUM LAUDE | Muyiwa Awoniyi Vu Nguyen Jennifer Rumppe Clarissa Schumacher |
| CUM LAUDE | Bryna Dunaway Ezra Eibergen Ru Yi Teow |
| DEPARTMENTAL HONORS | Muyiwa Awoniyi Bryna Dunaway Ezra Eibergen Vu Nguyen Kari Roettger Jennifer Rumppe Clarissa Schumacher Ru Yi Teow |
| Phi Beta Kappa | Nana Fenny’04 Nancy Nguyen’04 Vu Nguyen’03 Kari Roettger’03 Jennifer Rumppe’03 Clarissa Schumacher’03 Ru Yi Teow’04 |
| Mortar Board | Maylene Corpuz’04 Nana Fenny’04 Danijela Maric’04 John Miura’04 Nancy Nguyen’04 |
JOHN H. NAIR AWARD
honors an alumnus (Class of 1915) and provides membership in the American Chemical
Society for one or more seniors who plan careers in chemistry.
Ezra Eibergen’03
Jennifer Rumppe’03
WILLIAM J. TRAUTMAN AWARD in PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
(Professor at Beloit 1921-1947) given to a student doing outstanding work in
physical chemistry.
Jennifer Rumppe’03
Ru Yi Teow’04
EDWARD C. FULLER AWARD in CHEMICAL EDUCATION
was established by the majors of the Class of 1982 in honor of Professor Fuller
and is given to a junior or senior who has done outstanding work as a teaching
assistant.
John Miura’04
Nancy Nguyen’04
CRC PRESS FIRST YEAR CHEMISTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
recognizes outstanding work by a first-year student and consists of a copy of
the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics .
Daniell Kelly’06
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
sponsored by the Division of Polymer Chemistry recognizes outstanding work in
the introductory organic chemistry course.
Kristin Block’06
DAVID A. NORRIS '92 STUDENT RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
was established by David's friends and family in his memory and provides endowed
support for chemistry-related undergraduate research.
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03
Karl Mehta’04
Kari Roettger’03
Anne M. Verville Scholar’s Award (Biology Department)
given to an upperclass biology major chosen by department faculty as the outstanding
student of the year.
Kari Roettger’03
Gertrude E. Sweet Award (Biology Department)
presented to a biology student who is committed to serving others and demonstrates
leadership in confronting societal issues related to the life sciences.
Nancy Nguyen’04
Warren Miller “Blue Skies” Award
presented every year to a member of the senior class who has not only been an
outstanding student and campus citizen, but who has also “fostered good
cheer, a good-humored perspective, and saving grace in the conduct of our daily
lives together.”
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03
Thomas N. Mathers Award (Economics and Management Department)
awarded to an outstanding major.
Clarissa Schumacher’03
William & Eudora Shepherd Award (Music Department)
presented to upperclass music majors who have studied voice seriously and have
been active performers of classical music.
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03
| Muyiwa Awoniyi '03 | Ferwerda Science Scholarship |
| Maylene Corpuz '04 | Eaton Scholarship, Eldridge Scholarship, Ericsson Scholarship, Ferwerda Science Scholarship, A & M Wilson Scholarship |
| Emily Davis '04 | Eaton Scholarship, Eldridge Scholarship |
| Jonathan Demick '03 | Ericsson Scholarship, Trustee Scholarship |
| Bryna Dunaway '03 | Ferwerda Science Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship |
| Ezra Eibergen '03 | Ericsson Scholarship, Ferwerda Science Scholarship, Ousley Scholarship, Porter Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship |
| Nana Sarkoah Fenny '04 | World Affairs Center Scholarship |
| Emily Good '03 | Presidential Scholarship |
| Margaret Hulse '04 | Presidential Scholarship |
| Daniell Kelly '06 | Eaton Scholarship |
| Patrice Leahy '04 | Bullock Scholarship, Margaret Hotelling Wedel Scholarship |
| Karla Lightfield '04 | Presidential Scholarship |
| Danijela Maric '04 | World Affairs Center Scholarship |
| John Miura '04 | Eaton Scholarship |
| Nancy Nguyen '03 | Neese Scholarship, Ericsson Scholarship |
| Vu Nguyen '03 | Presidential Scholarship, Sanger Scholarship, Charles Winter Wood Scholarship, Eugene & Susan Zeltman Scholarship |
| Alexandra Nicholson '05 | Eaton Scholarship |
| Gregory Peck '04 | Nancy Logan Hill Scholarship, Eaton Scholarship |
| William Ringland '04 | Presidential Scholarship |
| Kari Roettger ’03 | Ellen Pepe Koch Scholarship |
| Jennifer Rumppe '03 | Paul Boutwell Scholarship |
| Clarissa Schumacher '03 | Judge William Hooker Scholarship, Ray Koenig Scholarship, Kohler Company Scholarship, Porter Scholarship |
| Ru Yi Teow’03 | Phee Boon Kang Scholarship |
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03
“Breathe Easy: Regulating Asthma.” Based on research with Dr. Jonathan
Arm at Harvard University. Mentored by Professor George Lisensky.
Ezra Eibergen’03
“Interfacing Instruments to Computers: Visualizing Data.” Work done
with Professor George Lisensky at Beloit College.
Jimmy Franco’03
“Alt-711 Reversing Crosslinkage and Unlocking Aging.” Poster presentation
mentored by Professor Roc Ordman.
Jimmy Franco’03
“Visualizing Complexity in Biology: From Biochemistry to Ecology.”
Work mentored by Professors John Jungck and Rama Viswanathan.
John Miura’04
“Crystal Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Malate Synthase Complexed
with Pyruvate and Acetyl-CoA.” Research carried out at the University
of Oregon with Dr. James Remington. Metored by Professor Laura Parmentier.
Nancy Nguyen’04
“Asthma Nurse Education Intervention and Lower-Income Asthmatic Children
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.” Research undertaken at the Medical College of
Wisconsin with Drs. John Meurer and Jennifer Cohn. Mentored by Professor Marion
Fass.
Vu Nguyen’03
“Biofilms: A General Overview and Case Study.” Work carried out
with Drs. Beth Lazazzera and Nicola Stanley at UCLA.
Clarissa Schumacher’03
“Controlling Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis through Coping Efficacy.”
Mentored by Professor Roc Ordman.
Ru Yi Teow’03
“Preliminary Model of Transmembrane Electron Transfer in Photosynthetic
Bacteria.” Research carried out at Northwestern University with Professor
Paul Loach. Mentored by Professor Roc Ordman.
Clarissa Schumacher’03
“International Education: Lessons for Learning Abroad (Ireland).”
Mentored by Professor Laura Parmentier.
Nana Fenny’04 and Maylene Corpuz’04
“Outreach in the Colonias.” Mentored by Professor Marion Fass.
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03
The Modulation of Basophil Function by LIRS
Jonathan Demick’03
Circumsporozoite Protein and the Development of a Vaccine for Plasmodium Falciparum
Bryna Dunaway’03
A New Weapon in the Fight Against AIDS: Directly Observed Therapy
Emily Good’03
Going to Extremes: Methods to Control the Spread of Invasive Plant Species
Lauren Matzuka’03
West Nile Virus: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Potential Vaccines
Vu Nguyen’03
Identification of the Suppressor Mutation that Restores Biofilm Formation to
a sipW Mutant of Bacillus Subtilis
Kari Roettger’03
Plate-Based Immunoprecipitations and Coimmunoprecipitations
Clarissa Schumacher’03
Controlling Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis through Coping Efficacy
Ru Yi Teow’03
Preliminary Research to Develop a Model of Transmembrane Electron Transfer in
Photosynthetic Bacteria
Elif Alpoge’05 has an internship at Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory, She is working with Dr. Jerry Yin on a project in molecular neurobiology,
continuing in fall with a clinical study in psychology mentored by him at the
University of Wisconsin in Madison. She reports that the laboratory she is working
in at Cold Spring Harbor is just down the hallway from Dr. James Watson’s
office!
Muyiwa Awoniyi’03 is spending the summer performing research
at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In fall, he will begin a fellowship
at Mayo that will enable him to take graduate classes and undertake more research,
at the end of which he will decide whether to pursue a clinical or research
career in medicine.
Maylene Corpuz’04 was awarded a Schweppe Scholarship
and will be performing research at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Amanda Drennan’05 is performing research in photosynthesis,
working with Professor Kathleen Mandell at Argonne National Laboratory.
Nana Fenny’04 is interning in the Department of Biochemistry
and Biophysics, Texas A & M University at College Station.
Jacob Horger’05 is working with Professor Laura Parmentier
at Beloit College, developing new experiments for the GCs acquired through an
NSF-CCLI grant.
Patrice Leahy’04 has been accepted in the Research Experience
for Undergraduates (REU) Summer Program at SUNY, Stony Brook and is performing
research in computational structural biology with Professor Carlos Simmerling.
Karla Lightfield’05 is taking summer classes at the University
of Hawaii-Manoa.
Danijela Maric’04 may be interning at Rush University
or at Chicago Medical School. Alternatively, she may spend the summer working
for a biotechnology company in Serbia.
Lauren Matzuka’03 is working at a veterinary hospital
in North Carolina.
John Miura’04 is attending the Summer Undergraduate Research
Program at New York University Medical School, conducting biomedical research.
Nancy Nguyen’04 is spending the summer as a research
assistant in the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) at the Medical
College of Wisconsin, where she is working with the Fight Asthma Milwaukee Allies
coalition.
Alexandra Nicholson’05 is working in the arthritis laboratory
at Rush University, Chicago, as a Schweppe Fellow.
Nayani Pramanik’04 has been awarded a Schweppe Fellowship
and is performing research at Northwestern University.
Kari Roettger’03 is working (for the fourth summer) in
Research and Development at Pierce Biotechnology in Rockford, Illinois.
Jennifer Rumppe’03 is spending the summer helping her
mother get a small business up and running.
Nozomi Yamaoka’06 is spending the summer researching
religion in Japan with the help of a Venture Grant from Beloit College.
| Elif | Alpoge | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Istanbul, Turke |
| Muyiwa | Awoniyi | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Chicago, IL |
| Davianne | Cartwright | 2006 |
Biochemistry | Nassau, Baham |
| Maylene | Corpuz | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Ewa Beach, HI |
| Emily | Davis | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Wooster, OH |
| Jonathan | Demick | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Beloit, WI |
| Amanda | Drennan | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Franklin Park, I |
| Bryna | Dunaway | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Toledo, OR |
| Ezra | Eibergen | 2003 |
Chemistry | South Beloit, IL |
| Nana | Fenny | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Accra, Ghana |
| Emily | Good | 2003 |
Biochemistry | St. Albans, VT |
| Jacob | Horger | 2005 |
Chemistry | Morrison, CO |
| Margaret | Hulse | 2004 |
Chemistry | Clayton, MO |
| Daniell | Kelly | 2006 |
Chemistry | Deerfield, IL |
| Patrice | Leahy | 2004 |
Chemistry | Bedminster, NJ |
| Karla | Lightfield | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Burlington, WI |
| Rachel | Linz | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Okemos, MI |
| Danijela | Maric | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Belgrade, Yugo |
| Lauren | Matzuka | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Kailua Kona, H |
| Karl | Mehta | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Bangalore, Indi |
| John | Miura | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Hilo, HI |
| Nancy | Nguyen | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Beloit, WI |
| Vu | Nguyen | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Ontario, CA |
| Alexandra | Nicholson | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Wausau, WI |
| Gregory | Peck | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Belvidere, IL |
| Nayani | Pramanik | 2004 |
Biochemistry | Bangalore, Indi |
| Chiemi | Riedel | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Denver, CO |
| William | Ringland | 2004 |
Chemistry | Villa Park, IL |
| Kari | Roettger | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Winnebago, IL |
| Jennifer | Rumppe | 2003 |
Chemistry | Clinton, WI |
| Clarissa | Schumacher | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Belvidere, IL |
| Justin | Severson | 2004 |
Chemistry | Poplar Grove, I |
| Dina | Simkin | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Northbrook, IL |
| Matthew | Sonnenberg | 2006 |
Biochemistry | Barrington, IL |
| Amanda | Splan | 2005 |
Biochemistry | Clinton, WI |
| Ru Ti | Teow | 2003 |
Biochemistry | Penang, Malay |
| Zachary | Walker | 2005 |
Chemistry | Wilmette, IL |
| Nozomi | Yamaoka | 2006 |
Biochemistry | Tajimi-shi, Japa |
| Rebecca | Zeni | 2004 |
Chemistry | LaGrange Park, |
Muyiwa Awoniyi – Chicago, Illinois. Biochemistry and
Music.
Muyiwa has enjoyed Beloit’s unique opportunities for a liberal arts education.
With support from faculty and friends, he acted in campus productions of “A
Dry Place” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” While he liked the
research projects offered at Beloit, he also wanted to explore different research
opportunities off-campus. Encouraged by Professors Roc Ordman and Bill Brown,
Muyiwa spent summers interning at Rush University, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard
Medical School. Muyiwa values and treasures his interactions with the chemistry
and biology faculty and staff and the guidance that he received from them. When
he first joined the College as a freshman, his sole goal was to become a physician.
However, his experiences at Beloit College have resulted in a passionate interest
in research, which he will be pursuing through a graduate fellowship at Mayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. At the end of the fellowship, Muyiwa will decide
between a career in clinical medicine and an academic career in research.
Jonathan Demick – Beloit, Wisconsin.
Jonathan intends to attend medical school either this fall or next fall. Eventually,
he hopes to become a family practitioner in a rural setting.
Bryna Dunaway – Toledo, Oregon. Biochemistry.
Bryna will be joining the Physician Assistant Program at George Washington School
of Medicine in Washington, D.C., next year. While at Beloit, she was an active
volunteer in programs such as the Rape Victim’s Advocacy of Rock County.
What she really liked about Beloit was being surrounded by all the kind and
interesting people there.
Ezra Eibergen – South Beloit, Illinois. Chemistry.
Ezra has won a number of departmental awards while at Beloit College, including
the William J.Trautmann Award in Physical Chemistry and the ACS Junior Analytical
Chemistry Award in his junior year, and the John H. Nair Award for being an
outstanding student in his senior year. Ezra has contributed significantly to
the computer interfacing initiatives of the Department, working on a number
of projects, most recently with Professor George Lisensky.
Emily Good – St. Albans, Vermont. Biochemistry and Theater.
Emily Good will begin an apprenticeship at the University of Vermont Morgan
Horse
Farm Breeding and Training Program this upcoming year. She hopes to attend veterinary
college the following year.
Lauren Matzuka – Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Biochemistry.
This summer she will be working at a veterinary hospital in North Carolina.
In the fall, she will join Western University School of Veterinary Medicine.
.
Vu Nguyen – Ontario, California. Biochemistry
Major and Environmental Studies Minor. While at Beloit, he was an active member
of the flute choir, international club, an advocate for rape victims, and a
mentor at a local church. He was also a T.A. for General Chemistry. He was inducted
into the Mortar
Board Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa during his senior year. Vu spent summer
2002 researching biofilms and their genetic engineering in the Microbiology,
Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Department at UCLA. He spent fall 2002 on
a sailing ship–SSV Corwith Cramer. On board ship, he conducted research
on the ecology of marine bacteriophage distribution along the Atlantic continental
shelf-break region while learning how to sail and earning the honorary title
of “most sea-sick” crew member! He might spend the next two years
as a Peace Corps volunteer, or as a tutor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong,
or may simply get his feet wet in industry. Eventually he plans on becoming
a physician.
Jennifer Rumppe – Clinton, Wisconsin. Chemistry.
In her three years as a Beloit College student, Jen has participated in three
undergraduate research programs. She has worked at Mississippi State University
(summer 2001), Cornell University (summer 2002), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(fall 2002, Chemical Separations Group). Her projects have involved a variety
of topics, including organometallic synthesis, bioorganic synthesis, and the
evaluation of ligands using radiotracers. In the fall of 2003, she will enter
graduate school at the University of Texas-Austin, where she plans to focus
on organic chemistry. Jen was the student director of
the Girls and Women in Science Program at Beloit College two years in a row,
and
her volunteer efforts were featured in a recent article in the Beloit Daily
News.
Kari Roettger – Winnebago, Illinois. Biochemistry.
Kari has spent the last four summers performing research as an intern in various
laboratories. For three summers she worked in the Research and Development Department
at Pierce Biotechnology in Rockford, Illinois. The fourth summer was spent at
Loyola University Medical Center doing research in virology. Kari will be attending
graduate school in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Loyola University
in Chicago. While at Beloit, Kari was also actively involved in music, winning
the 2001 annual Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra Concerto competition. She
participated in the Beloit College Orchestra, the Baroque Ensemble and a woodwind
quintet, as well as gave a number of solo performances including a senior flute
recital. Kari’s academic awards and honors include the ACS Organic Chemistry
Award (2001), the Keck and LaVaughn Kunny Biology award (2001), and the James
E. Duffy internship in community service (2002). She was also inducted into
Mortar Board and Phi Beta Kappa. Eventually, Kari wants to teach, either as
a professor or as a health educator.
Clarissa Schumacher – Belvidere, Illinois. Biochemistry
and Economics & Mgmt.
Clarissa spent three summers working for Kemper Insurance Companies as a Kemper
Scholar. Summer 2002 was spent in the Chicago area, where she worked in environmental
litigation. While at Beloit College, Clarissa worked on research projects for
Pierce Chemical Company and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Clarissa also
participated in Girls and Women in Science, Mortar Board, cheerleading, softball,
and student athletic training. After graduating from Beloit College, Clarissa
will be performing biomedical research and working towards her Ph.D. at Northwestern
University.
Ru Yi Teow – Penang, Malaysia. Biochemistry.
Ru Yi performed two summers of research on the membrane chemistry of photosynthetic
bacteria at Northwestern University. As a Schweppe Scholar, he worked under
the mentorship of Prof. Paul Loach. Ru Yi was a radio host on WBCR and tutored
at the Outreach Center in his first year at Beloit College. Throughout his years
at Beloit College, he was a member of International Club, and worked as a lab
aide at the Language Lab in WAC. With encouragement and support from friends,
family and faculty members, Ru Yi spent fall semester of his senior year in
Scotland with the Glasgow Seminar. He enjoyed the experience and liked traveling
in Europe. Ru Yi was a member of Mortar Board, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
His aim in life, quoting Douglas Foard, the executive secretary of Phi Beta
Kappa, is to “learn how to live a life, rather than simply have the skill
to earn a living.” After graduation, Ru Yi plans to attend graduate school
in the U.S.A. Finally, he wants to point out an interesting fact–Trustee
Phee Boon Kang’73, Chiatzun Goh’01, and he all came to Beloit College
from the same high school in Penang!
Keep sending us your news and views and pictures!
1935 William “Bill” Swisher became a student again
when he returned to Beloit to participate in Alumni College, June 11-13, 2003.
1946 J. Carolyn “Lynn” Prouty Lawson was a presenter
at the Second Environmental Writers Conference in honor of Rachel Carson, held
in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in June 2002. She read the Afterward from her book
Staying Well in a Toxic World: Understanding Environmental Illness, Multiple
Chemical Sensitivities, Chemical Injuries, and Sick Building Syndrome.
1962 Paul Stitt. After graduating from Beloit, Mr. Stitt went
on to earn a master’s degree in biochemistry and took a position with
a large food company before starting his own health-food baking business, Natural
Ovens Bakery, in 1976. Now, the Manitowoc, Wis.-based regional bakery employs
250 people, and daily places its products on the shelves of more than 1,200
grocery stores throughout the Midwest. The success of the business is founded
on the idea that fresh, satisfying food without chemical additives is the key
to vibrant health, a principle that Paul and his wife, Barbara, have taken far
beyond the confines of their bakery. Their tireless work to raise awareness
about nutrition and to promote healthy eating–– especially among
elementary school children–led to their founding of a nutrient research
venture and a non-profit foundation. Mr. Stitt received the highest honor from
the Alumni Association when he was one of three accomplished alumni to receive
a 2002 Distinguished Service Citation during Homecoming festivities.
1964 Bruce Dunlap will begin as the new Dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University, Miami. Prior to taking
this position, Dr. Dunlap was the Fred M. Weissman Professor of Chemical Ecology
at the University of South Carolina, where he also served as associate director
for administration of the USC Nanocenter.
1967 Eric Gordon writes to say that he enjoyed reading last
year’s newsletter, and that it seems like a few lifetimes since 1966 when
he spent the summer in Beloit. After two decades in “Big Pharma”
and after just finishing a third decade in the world of Silicon Valley startups
(three in ten years), he has recently decided to diversify his lifestyle, spending
two days a week as a venture capitalist in Palo Alto (www. skylineventures.com),
one day a week helping to advise an antibiotics company starting up at Stanford,
and consulting at various biotechs. He reports that it has been a very good
ride professionally and that he still thinks fondly of his time at Beloit.
1977 David Virshup will be moving to Washington University
in St. Louis this summer. He was lured away from the mountains and his position
as Professor of Pediatrics and Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City with the offer of an endowed professorship in a world-class
research institution.
1981 Brian Davis has moved to Texas so that he can be closer
to his family (and warmth). He is still working in Business Development for
Incyte.
1983 Joe Verdi is helping Beloit students with internships
this summer in Portland, Maine, where he is Director of the Maine Medical Center
Research Institute. Here is what he wrote: “I never thought running a
research institute was such a 24-hour-a-day job. If I did I probably would have
been nicer to my previous bosses. All I do from the time I awake till the time
I sleep is HUSTLE and MOVE. Kids, family, science, it just doesn’t stop.
It’s kind of cool having a hectic yet totally balanced life.......We have
a big chunk of land and I love getting dirty in the flower beds, and veggie
gardens, I love coaching soccer for Joey and Laura. I totally enjoy bringing
little David to work to play with the mice, frogs and bunnies. I am enjoying
working with students again. I have a terrific set of students and postdocs
now who only want to be the best, willing to sacrifice and are totally altruistic
in the lab and their life. It’s real neat seeing people share ideas and
reagents just to solve problems and create knowledge. Life is GREAT.”
1984 Deming “Eddie” Tang emailed recently from
Shanghai to say that he decided to leave Intel Corporation last year with several
of his colleagues and go back to his home city to join SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing
International Inc.), the largest China-based foundry start-up in China. He is
Senior Technical Manager of the Yield and Transfer Department at SMIC. It was
a hard decision for him to make after living 20+ years in the U.S.A. but he
thinks it will bring him returns both professionally and financially. His family
has joined him in Shanghai as well.
1986 Amy Knowlton is active in AIDS research at Johns Hopkins,
reports Professor Roc Ordman after meeting her in Baltimore recently. Professor
Knowlton has had three Beloit College students intern with her–Bryna Dunaway’03
during summer 2002, and Ashley Neils’04 and Lisa Rossi’04 during
the current summer.
1986 Paschal Sciarra received “double excellent”
honors for a presentation made at the 48th Annual Thermoset Molding Conference
at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
1988 Vivette Brown-Ritchie visited Beloit College recently
Dr. Brown-Ritchie is a post-doctoral fellow at the Ontario Cancer Institute
in Toronto, Canada.
1988 Kevin Glaeske also visited Beloit College recently. Kevin
obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Utah and is an Assistant
Professor of Chemistry at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. He has cordially
invited all of us to come and visit their brand new Science Building and facilities.
1989 Bill Hipple lives in Oakville, Ontario, and wrote to announce
that spouse Cindy and he just added a girl, Jessica (born on July 5) to their
family. Jessica has two brothers, Matthew, 2 , and Tyler, 6, and all of them
think that she is adorable. Professionally, Bill is now an independent computer
consultant and contracts with the local regional police and a large insurance
company. During the past two summers, the family has travelled to New York City
but is now thinking of visiting Chicago. They would love to come to Beloit and
chat with the students. Bill concludes by saying that he has always had a great
place in his heart for Beloit and its Chemistry Department. Thanks, Bill, and
congratulations and best wishes to you and your family!
1989 Trudy Hartmann Malone reports that she still practices
as an OB/GYN specialist in Menomonee Falls, and lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
1989 Christie Strope-Veale visited Beloit College recently.
When she mentioned that she teaches high school chemistry and physics in Plainfield,
Illinois, the Department promptly provided her with a number of surplus instructor’s
copies of chemistry textbooks (donated by Laura Parmentier) to add to her collection.
1991 Yoon-Hang Kim graduated from the UCSD-SDSU General Preventive
Medicine Residency Program and obtained his M.P.H. from San Diego State University
last year. Since then, he has a fellowship with Dr. Andrew Weil, guru of alternative
medicine and founder of the first Integrative Medicine program in the country
at the University of Arizona Medical School in Tucson (http://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/about2.html).
He reports: “Five months already have flown. I made a significant departure
from my original ambition of wanting to learn everything in the two years of
the fellowship. During my quarterly review, it occurred to me that the best
way I can benefit from this fellowship is not through knowledge. As Gandhi once
said ‘Become the change you desire.’ I am devoting significant time
and energy to my own wellness including physical activity, nutrition, and other
regenerating and recreating activities.”
1993 Brenda Waller is an applications instructor and course
developer in the Educational Services Department of MDL Information Systems
in San Leandro, California.
1994 Sudha Pavuluri has written to say that after eight wonderful
years in England, she will be moving to Freeport, Bahamas, this coming fall.
1995 Ashley Eversole Hesslein finished her Ph.D. at Yale in
November 2000, then switched laboratories and did a postdoctoral fellowship
working on the mechanism of peptide bond formation in the ribosome. While at
Yale, she met and married David Hesslein, an immunologist who will postdoc at
UCSF while she looks for a job in biotech in the Bay area. Congratulations and
best wishes!
1995 Ann Miller is a forensic chemist with U.S. Customs in
Chicago and is also working with the Department of Homeland Security.
1996 Dawn Miller has accepted an Army commission in the Uniformed
Services University of Health Sciences and will be starting medical school there
in the fall.
1996 Carrie Tuit is a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University,
working with Professor Bess Ward on a project studying marine nitrogen cycle
microbiology.
1996 Lina Tze will be graduating with a Ph.D. from the Molecular,
Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics Graduate program at the University
of Minnesota in July. After that, she will undertake postdoctoral research in
immunology at the Australian National University in Canberra.
1997 Gregory Ehrendreich reports that he just passed his prelims
for a Ph.D. at Rush University. His thesis committee liked his research proposal,
and he is now busy looking at secondary structure predictions before trying
to make an antibody from a synthetic peptide.
1997 David Gan wrote in August 2002 to inform us that a new
member–Jordan David Gan–has been added to the Gan clan. Our best
wishes to the family!
1998 Amy Cone is working as the Public Health Emergency Response
Coordinator in Wichita Falls, Texas.
1998 Lakmini Weerakoon is a research assistant in synthetic
organic chemistry at the University of New South Wales in Australia. She writes
that the open country is just fantastic, and that life is lovely.
1999 Kevin Braun. Now in his fourth year at the University
of Arizona, Kevin is completing a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, with a minor
in organic chemistry. His lab is working to design molecules with new and interesting
nonlinear optical properties that can be used in numerous applications, including
data storage, biological imaging, three dimensional micro-fabrication, and optical
limiting. More specifically, Kevin studies dyes that can be applied in the devices
in three dimensions; some of his previous research is already being used commercially.
He says, “Once I complete my Ph.D., I would like to finish my master’s
in archaeology, so that one day I might develop my research around the applications
of spectroscopic techniques for the non-destructive analysis of archaeological
artifacts.” (Editor’s Note: Kevin was profiled in Beloit Magazine
recently. See http//www.beloit.edu/belmag/03spring/03spr_profiles.htm#chemist
for the full story. Kevin wrote to point out a small error in the 2002 edition
of the Newsletter, where his research was also described. While Kevin’s
group does collaborate with Dr. Seth Marder, his official advisor is Dr. Joseph
Perry.)
1999 Derek Divine is a naval flight officer (1st Lieutenant)
for the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed in Beaufort, S.C. He was awarded his “Wings
of Gold” in 2001. In October 2002, he reported that “...as a Weapons
Systems Officer (WSO), it is my job to effectively utilize the sensors, communications,
and weapons systems in order to effectively carry out the mission. Sensors include
FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared), Radar, and others. ... I did a lot of work
in college that utilize the same principles as the sensors on the F/A-18.”
1999 George Rogge has been accepted into the Pharmacology Program
at Emory University and will be pursuing his Ph.D. there.
2000 Scott Barry is a graduate student in the Chemistry Department
at Northwestern University. He visited Beloit during fall 2002 and gave a talk
to the CHEM380 Senior Seminar class about his research work on designing “better”
high-density batteries. While at Northwestern, Scott has twice received the
Chemistry Department’s award for exemplary work as a Teaching Assistant.
2000 Catherine McClure writes to say that she has finished
her M.P.H. at the University of Illinois-Chicago and has enrolled in a one-year
B.S.N. (nursing) program at Rush University.
2001 Antoire Christie has been accepted into the graduate program
in Biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.
2001 Bashar Qumseya is a medical student at St. George’s
University School of Medicine in Grenada. 2001 Stephanie Williams is now a Peace
Corps volunteer stationed in Nkroful, Ghana. Williams is teaching chemistry
and math at a rural high school. She coordinated regional educational outreach
activities in commemoration of World AIDS Day, and is organizing an AIDS bike
ride in Ghana. Her work is featured in a story in the summer 2003 issue of Beloit
Magazine.
2001 Tori Ziemann stopped by in January on her way from Nebraska
back to Massachusetts. She had just finished working as a T.A. for the Environmental
Semester program at Woods Hole again and said that she will be continuing her
research at the Marine Biology Laboratory until May (including a month-long
sampling cruise from San Diego up to Oregon). Tori starts graduate school in
Geology this fall at the University of Notre Dame, working with Dr. Peter Burns
on characterizing uranium minerals.
2002 Johnny Franco is in the M.D./Ph.D. program at the University
of Texas Medical School in Galveston.
2002 Matt Heming wrote in August 2002: “Right now I am
attending a summer program at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England. It
is hosted by the University of New Hampshire and Gonville and Caius College
(Cambridge University). I am taking a break from the sciences to study Tudor
and Stuart history and twentieth century British Literature. It has been a tremendous
experience. I am living in Gonville Court, which is the oldest court in the
College, dating back to the 14th century. There really is no experience like
this. King’s College and its magnificent chapel are on one side, Trinity
College is on the other, and the river Cam is right behind us. I have had the
opportunity to look through and touch a Bible used by Queen Elizabeth I (among
other manuscripts and books dating as early as the 12th century), see the register
where Charles Darwin signed when he matriculated at Christ’s College,
learn to row with the Caius crew several evenings a week, and take in sights
of this beautiful city. The program hosts excursions on the weekends where I
have attended a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Globe
Theatre in London, and seen Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford- Upon-Avon.
I have also taken time to visit cousins and aunts and my grandmother while I’m
here. Although it has been an academic summer, and quite rigorous at that, I
have thoroughly enjoyed my experience.” Matt added that he planned to
attend the University of Wales in Cardiff, working on a M.Phil. in Connective
Tissue Biology.
2002 Leta Moser. After finishing up at Beloit this past December,
Leta Moser is spending 8 months as a research assistant in Mohsen Meydani’s
Vascular Biology Laboratory at Tufts University. This fall she will enter the
Ph.D. program in Interdisciplinary Medical Biology at Vanderbilt University
(following in the footsteps of Kathryn Stetler’02), where she thinks she
may go into pharmacology.
Cyril M. Carney '31
Weldon R. Crawford '50
Gerald L. Geison '6 5
John P. Kaltenbach'44
Kenneth S. Kemmerer '30
Laurna Ellis Merriell '48
Charles H. Sperry '37
John F. Steinmann '29
Our alumni email network is growing steadily. It has been tremendously helpful to our present students for finding mentors, summer research positions, and post-graduate opportunities. The Beloit College Alumni office now maintains an email directory that can be accessed by registered users at http://alumni.beloit.edu/ . If you are not registered, we encourage you to do so. Please send email addresses and changes to alumni@beloit.edu .
Chemistry faculty
brownwh@beloit.edu
greene@beloit.edu
lisensky@beloit.edu
mandellc@beloit.edu
ordman@beloit.edu
parmentr@beloit.edu
spencer@beloit.edu
ramav@beloit.edu
Departmental web pages
https://www.beloit.edu/chemistry
(Previous issues of the Annual Newsletter dating back to 1993
are available on-line via the home page!)
https://www.beloit.edu/biochemistry
https://www.beloit.edu/biology
ALUMNI, PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH!! Please send your news and notes to any of the Chemistry facultythis is what keeps the newsletter going!
Gifts have been received from Peter Allen’96, Christopher Bailey’82,
Katherine Bailey’81, Jeffrey Cleaveland’83, Brian Davis’81,
Joseph Donofrio’74, William Hipple’89, William McIvor’85,
Michelle Meyer’83, Reno Novak’83, and John Sokatch’56.
The David A. Norris’92 Student Research Fellowship, established by David’s
friends and family in his memory, continues to provide endowed support (see
page 18 ) for chemistry-related undergraduate research by providing funds for
research expenses and/or travel to present research results. Research that draws
connections between chemistry and other fields and the sciences and beyond is
encouraged.
Thank you for your support, and thank you to all those not listed here who continue
to give generously to Beloit College and the Chemistry Department. Your support
is crucial for nurturing and enhancing the strength of our programs and infrastructure.
Thanks to Arno Damerow, Instructional Technologist in Information Technology Services at Beloit College, for his expert help and invaluable advice in producing the printed copy. Thanks also to N. Marie Dries’92, Assistant Editor, Beloit Magazine, who provided us with digests of news received from alumni–many of the news items have been reprinted in the Alumni News and Notes section. A special note of thanks to Sandy Schley and the staff of the Beloit College Print Shop for the quality work produced. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of Gillian Condell’05, who compiled the weekly newsletters that were emailed by the Department during the academic year and used as one of the sources of news for this annual edition.
Richard L. Besore’52
Cyril M. Carney’31
William A. Cureton’31
Stewart W. Gloyer’32
Peter A. Lagocki’73
Vella Root’39