Department of Chemistry
College of Science | The University of Utah
TOGETHER APART
Education, Research, & Community
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Spring 2020
Transition to Online Education
Building Closures & Essential Research
Graduation Celebrations In a Box & Online
Dear Friends of Chemistry,
We hope you and all of your loved ones are safe and healthy during this unprecedented time, as we all try to flatten the spread of COVID-19. Our faculty and staff have been working hard to transition all our courses to an online platform that was launched on March 18th, while our research labs have been limited to only essential research operations as of March 20th.
We are doing all that we can to contribute to efforts to slow the spread of the virus in our community and city. Our students, faculty, and staff have all been asked to work from home, while those few who need to monitor the buildings and labs are adhering to strict safety protocols. As a department, we have offered to donate both personal protective equipment and chemicals needed for COVID-19 testing to the University Hospital and ARUP including 79,400 nitrile gloves, 605 safety glasses, and 31 N95 respirators. We have taken the health and safety of our students, staff, faculty, and university community very seriously, and hope to resume on-campus research and education as soon as it is safe to do so.
We look forward to connecting with all of you again when everything settles down, and we are able to return to a fully operational department. Please reach out to me or Anne Vivienne (anne.vivienne@utah.edu) if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.
Stay well and safe.
With warmest regards,
Matthew S. Sigman
Distinguished Professor and Department Chair
Peter J. Christine S. Stang Presidential Endowed Chair in Chemistry
The Sigman Group: April 2020
Our students left for spring break early in March just as all of us began to sense that our world was about to change like we’ve never experienced before. There was and is no road map for this unprecented situation. For the faculty and staff, the week of spring break was suddenly filled with meetings and strategizing. The Department of Chemistry spent the entire week quickly putting measures in place to secure the safety and well-being of its students, staff, and faculty. Here’s how the Department of Chemistry got things in order working with the University and the College of Science within ten days thanks to the cooperation and collaboration of faculty and staff, and what’s happened since it all began:
Monday March 9, 2020
• Chemistry Seminar visitors given option to cancel their trip if they feel it is safer.
• University restricts all university-related business travel.
Wednesday March 11, 2020
• Classes canceled for Monday and Tuesday to give professors and intructors time to transition to onlline courses.
Friday March 13, 2020
• Summer abroad programs canceled
• Possibility that summer courses will also be online
Wednesday March 18, 2020
• 5.7 Earthquake
• First day of online classes canceled.
Wednesday April 1, 2020
PPE Donations to U Hospital & ARUP:
79,400 Nitrile Gloves
605 Safety Glasses
31 N95 Respirators
Tuesday March 10, 2020
• Message from Dean Trapa: prepare for possible transition to online classes and students returning from spring break should self-isolate.
Thursday March 12, 2020
Lab Action Plans:
• Allowed and Disallowed Work
• Critical 14-Day
Instrument Maintenance
• Non-critical 14-day
Instrument Maintenance
• All group meetings go virtual
Sunday March 15, 2020
• Non-essential Chemistry staff will telecommute and work from home if possible.
Thursday March 19, 2020
NMR Center & Mass Spec Core Closures
Essential Research: Caring for living organisms
Maintaining continuous cell lines
Maintaining equipment and reagents
Friday April 3, 2020
University-wide Hiring Freeze implemented.
THANK YOU!
Renee Laws
Administrative Director
Renee is always keeping this department together and helping us grow. Her leadership during the quick transition to keep the students, faculty, and staff safe is remarkable.
Jim Muller
Facilities Director, Optical Spectroscopy Director, Mass Spec/Research Associate Professor
Jim makes sure the facilities are safe and functional as he orchestrates regular safety inspections, manages contruction and remodeling projects, and makes research and education possible. During the closures, he’s been on campus making sure everything continues to run safely.
Craig Erickson
Facilities Coordinator
Hired at the beginning of the year, Craig’s arrival couldn’t have been better timed. He’s been essential in assisting Jim on campus as they work together to keep everything running in the building while the rest of us are at home.
Emily Platt
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Emily has played a significat role helping students get settled into their online courses and testing, and has helped to organize alternative graduation plans. As the students have needed help or someone to listen, Emily has been there for them.
79,400 Nitrile Gloves 605
Donations Provided By:
Department of Chemistry Stockroom ACS Student Chapter Burrows Research Lab
College of Science | The University of Utah We
31
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Two members of our faculty have received seed grants from the University of Utah to pursue research directly related to testing and treatment for the virus.
Jon Rainier
The Synthesis of Coronavirus Translation Inhibitors
Matthew Kieber-Emmons
Thermodynamic Considerations for Zinc Chemotherapeutics towards Emergent Coronavirus
CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!
Department of Chemistry
College of Science | The University of Utah
Graduation 2020 Comes In a Box
For our students who have worked for so many years for this moment, many of them overcoming significant hurdles and obstacles to get here, graduation is a rite of passage signifying to themselves and their community that they have gained the skills and knowledge to contribute to making this world a better and brighter place. We could not let spring pass without acknowledging their success and celebrating with them.
The College of Science is sending out Graduation In a Box this spring which will include:
Two Convocation Programs
A College of Science Mug
Honors or Internship Cords Awarded by The College of Science
The College of Science will host an in-person convocation in December for Graduates.
CLASS OF 2020 spotlights CHEMISTRY
Dominique Pablito
I fell in love with chemistry because of the many domains of research that fall within the department. The projects range from water conservation, finding alternatives for renewable resources, crop growth, medical research, and so much more.
Natascha Knowlton (one of Chemistry’s student advisors) kept me going when I wanted to give up. I walked into her office at the age of 15 to declare my degree in the Chemistry Department. Thoughtout the years, I have faced numerous challenges. Both of my parents abandoned my life freshman year, I was diagnosed with an adrenal tumor my sophomore year, underwent surgery my junior year, and have lost many family members throughout my time in college. As a Native American student studying far from my home on the reservation, I constantly felt like returning home when things got hard. Living away from my people, language, and culture has had a huge effect on my mental health. Natascha Knowlton and Whitney Hills were definitely big assets for me during the challenging moments of my life.
After graduation, I will be pursuing my Ph.D. at Brown University in the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Department. I plan to celebrate this accomplishment by taking a one year break from school to spend time with my family and learn more about my culture. I look forward to returning home and taking a break because I have gone to school year-round for my entire life. I never took a break which is how I've managed to graduate high school at the age of 15 and now college at the age of 20.
Connor Terry Weatherly
“Connor has been working in my lab for three years on the physics and chemistry of electron-transfer reactions at three-phase boundaries, research that impacts energy storage and generation technologies. He has published his research in leading chemistry journals, and is headed to graduate school next year (he has been accepted at Cal Tech and several other top chemistry graduate programs). His undergraduate research has not only contributed to an important scientific area, but has prepared him for graduate school and beyond.”
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Professor Henry White
Rachel Cantrell
I am going to Yale this fall to pursue my PhD in Organic Chemistry, where I plan to conduct total synthesis research. I am immensely grateful to have been a member of the Looper Group since freshman year, and I will always be thankful for the support I’ve received from Professor Looper and my labmates! (Rachel was last year’s Goldwater Scholar).
Nick Olsen
I fell in love with chemistry gradually. My favorite part was how it changed the way I looked at everyday objects. There's a lot more going on in glass of water than I expected.
There are so many people that inspired me throughout my time at the University of Utah! Caitlin Coplin is the sweetest smartest person out there, Michael Grünwald is a fantastic and jolly mentor, and Samira Gholami helped me take those first few steps necessary to get engaged on campus!
I'm going to Columbia University to pursue a PhD in chemical physics! I gotta get more time in the pretty Utah wilderness before I move.
Sara Leininger
I took chemistry my senior year of high school, and really struggled through it for the first 8 months. But in the last month of school, my teacher pulled me aside and told me that I had a talent for chemistry, and suddenly my perspective totally changed. It all started to make sense for me, and I began to love working in chemistry. Here at the U, I've had so many supportive professors that have made student success their priority, and have helped me build my confidence in science.
CLASS OF 2020 spotlights CHEMISTRY
Erin Johnston
I fell in love with chemistry (specifically nuclear chemistry) in Gen Chem II, taught by Jeff Statler. Before that, I hadn’t really known why I pursued chemistry other than it sounded cool. It’s not the most glamorous origin story, but it wound up working out pretty well. I begin my PhD in Nuclear Engineering at the U of U this summer which I am very much looking forward to.
There are too many people at the University of Utah that encouraged me in my many moments of doubt to discuss only one. The following assisted me through my undergraduate experience with their unwavering faith in my abilities, and truly are to thank for my success in this four-year journey: Tascha Knowlton, Jeff Statler, Dr. Matthew Cecil, Dr. Sam Carroll, Dr. Luther McDonald, Dr. Michael Morse, Madi Odette, and Caitlyn Greenburg.
To celebrate my graduation, I plan to binge eat gas station candy while watching old seasons of Project Runway until 2AM.
Kiana Luu
Kason Glover
My love for chemistry really started in high school when I had to take some medication that gave me ridiculous goosebumps as a side effect. My fascination with how that happened led to a more serious study of chemistry, and my time at the U has allowed me to explore that and a host of other questions about the chemical nature of the human body.
I've been accepted to the PhD program at the University of Michigan, and head there this fall! I think I'm going to buy a new camera.
Jessie Ann Montgomery
Chemistry was the subject that made me fall back in love with science. I spent my freshman year of high school taking Honor Biology, which I absolutely hated. However, it set me up to take "normal" chemistry my sophomore year, which was a blessing in disguise. I reveled in the study of elements & molecules. As if the tears shed over obtaining my bachelor's wasn't enough, I've decided to go do more schooling after this. I'm planning on taking a gap year to work as a medical assistant and conduct research. I guess one degree just wasn't enough for me!
I fell in love with science as a child intrigued by nature, the skies, and the stars. The historical aspect of quantum mechanics has always been so fascinating to me. When I took General Chemistry, I truly enjoyed problem-solving, and learning about thermodynamics, leading me to become a chemist today.
I have been fortunate to have many great professors including Prof. Peter Armentrout who allowed me to be a part of his research lab, and Prof. Michael Morse, my hero in Quantum Chemistry, whom I also took a graduate course in spectroscopy.
I will be starting my Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in fall 2020. In the meantime, I plan on working on my German and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Utah.
I absolutely fell in love with Chemistry from a biology class in Highs School actually. I found that I loved the chemistry side of things much more and I decided to jump right into chemistry after that. I don't regret it at all and I love that there is always more to learn.
Chemistry Student Awards and Scholarships
UNDERGRADUATE
American Institute of Chemists Award
Allison Jacobsen
Senior Comprehensive Exam Prize
Allison Jacobsen
Walter D. & Grace G. Bonner
Memorial Awards
Natasha Andreasen
Kason Glover
Kathryn Jones
Yingyue Li
Rachel Payne
Susanna An Tang
Magdalene Brueggemeyer
Elliott Gray
Sara Leininger
Nicholas Olsen
Anthony Phero
Chase Zagorec-Marks
COS Outstanding Senior
Undergraduate Researcher Award
Connor Terry Weatherly
Dean’s Scholarships (College of Science)
Bassel Tekarli
Rory Weeks
Emily Yang
Crocker House Scholarship
Lillee Casselman
Joseph T. Crockett M.D. Memorial Scholarships
Corvin Arveseth
Kaden Rawson
James M. Sugihara Scholarship (CoS)
Brekke Pattison
Paul C. and Darice F. Koo Scholarship
Yexalen Barrera
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow
Connor Terry Weatherly
Undergraduate Research Award
Susanna An Tang
Honors in Chemistry Awards
Magdalene Brueggemeyer
Kathryn Jones
Jessie Montgomery
Wallis Scholl
Rachel Cantrell
Nicholas Olsen
Siani Weston
Chase Zagorec-Marks
ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Award
Magdalene Brueggemeyer
ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Award
Rachel Cantrell
ACS Division of Physical Chemistry Award
Allison Jacobsen
ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award
Alayna Arnholt
Leon Watters Memorial Awards
James Carrington
Brayden Fairbourn
Kincade Stevenson
Aryana Vadipour
Ferdinand A. & Ruth Anderson
Peterson Scholarships
Christopher Nielson
Jose Rivera
Departmental Tuition Benefit Scholarships
Julia Case
Alex Engstrom
Samantha Kraus
Joshua Walker
Rory Weeks
The Ronald & Eileen Ragsdale
Undergraduate Endowment Scholarships
Brighton Alvey (Burdett Awards)
Brandt Graham
Min Htet Kyaw
Noah Shepard (Eyring Award)
David Swan (Reese Award)
Undergraduate Research Scholarships
Tyler Ball
Alex Engstrom
Christopher Nielson
Chemistry Student Awards and Scholarships
UNDERGRADUATE
Goldwater Scholarships
Rachel Cantrell (2019-2020)
Lydia Fries (2020-2021)
Mack Thomas Rozelle Scholarships
Alayna Arnholt
Tyler Ball
Shelby Galinat
Samantha Kraus
Jarom Mercer
Jose Rivera
Kincade Stevenson
Joshua Walker
Emily Yang
Lloyd E. Malm
Memorial Awards
Lillee Casselman
Connor Elggren
Kevin Lutz
Warren McCarthy
Chris McNerney
Grace Moore
Laura Foot Award
Sarada Adhikari Timsina
W.H. Breckenridge
Honors Scholarship
Alison Wang
Educational Service Awards
Paul Basking
Caitlin Coplin
Heather Cummins
Kaitlin Marler
Nicholas Papadopoulos
Henry Ponce
Alice Snelling
Ella Spurlock
Anna Thomas
Hector Torres
Tobi Yoon
Teaching Assistants of the Semester Recognitions
Liz Cowgill
Dale Cummings
Jessica Garcia
Allison Jacobsen
Brian Johns
Hyonoo Joo
Marcus Mifflin
Sasha Moonitz
Yulia Piminova
Jordan Reelitz
Nathan Ricks
Teaching Assistants of the Year
Kaelen Harris
John Kim
GRADUATE
Cheves T. Walling
Graduate Research Awards
Cheryl Mathis
Peter Stevenson
Dow Chemical First-Year Scholarships
Changhang Dai
Nicholas Vitti
Marcus Mifflin
The Ronald & Eileen Ragsdale Curie Club
Graduate Research Awards
Pavithra Naullage
Mengwei Yuan
Anthony W. Czarnik Curie Club
Graduate Teaching Award
Lori Digal
Craig & Linda Lee
Curie Club
Graduate Teaching Award
Emily Kirkeby
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Amy Morren
Chemistry Faculty Awards
University of Utah Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence
Cynthia J. Burrows
Distinguished Professor
American Chemical Society
Leadership in Publishing Award
Cynthia J. Burrows
Distinguished Professor
Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar
Cynthia J. Burrows
Distinguished Professor
Mayent-Rothschild Sabbatical Award
Cynthia J. Burrows
Distinguished Professor
Royce W. Murray
Young Investigator Award
Martin Edwards
Research Assistant Professor
Fellow of the American Chemical Society
Joel Harris
Distinguished Professor
Eastern Analytical Symposium Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry
Joel Harris
Distinguished Professor
American Chemical Society Award in Spectrochemical Analysis
Joel Harris
Distinguished Professor
The Analytical Science Power List 2019
Joel Harris
Distinguished Professor
Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair
Ryan Looper
Professor
AAA If/Then Ambassador
Janis Louie Professor
International Society of Electrochemistry Fellow
Shelley D. Minteer
Professor
University of Utah Distinguished Research Award (2020)
Shelley D. Minteer
Professor
The Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry Reilley Award
Shelley D. Minteer
Professor
Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair of Biological Chemistry
Shelley D. Minteer
Professor
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
Valeria Molinero
National Academy of Sciences
Publishing Cozzarelli Prize
Valeria Molinero
Distinguished Professor
Jack and Peg Simons Endowed Professor of Theoretical Chemistry
Valeria Molinero
Distinguished Professor
NSF Early Career Award
Caroline Saouma
Assistant Professor
American Institute of Chemists
Gold Medal
Peter Stang
Distinguished Professor
National Academy of Inventors Fellow
Peter Stang
Distinguished Professor
John A. Widtsoe Presidential Endowed Chair in Chemistry
Henry White
Distinguished Professor
W.W. Epstein Outstanding Educator Award
Luisa Whittaker-Brooks
Staff Service Recognitions
10 Years
Aaron Fleming
15 Years
Steve Brown
Katherine Snow
Lucy Houser
25 Years
James Muller
30 Years
Dennis Edwards