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Chemistry

Pauling Medal Award Symposium and Banquet

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The chemistry department and University of Portland student affiliates of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will host the 48th annual Linus Pauling Medal Award Symposium and Banquet on Saturday, October 5, beginning at 1 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons. The 1 p.m. sympChad A. Mirkinosium is free and open to the public; attendance at the Pauling Award Banquet at 7 p.m. requires reservations and payment.

The 2013 Linus Pauling Medal for outstanding contributions to chemistry will be presented to Chad A. Mirkin of Northwestern University (pictured). Symposium speakers will include Mirkin, as well as Joseph M. DeSimone of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Clifford P. Kubiak of the University of California at San Diego, and Hongkun Park of Harvard University. A reception and undergraduate research poster presentation will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Bauccio Commons. The Linus Pauling Award Banquet begins at 7 p.m. in the Board Room, and requires tickets from http://tinyurl.com/kbth2ho, $30 for regular admission and $15 for students.

For more information or to reserve tickets, go to http://tinyurl.com/lvnspf9, or call the chemistry department at 7123.

Two Students Win Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

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University of Portland students Claire Couch, of Oregon City, OR, and James Gaynor, of Vancouver, WA, have received prestigious scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Couch and Gaynor earned two of 271 scholarships that were awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,107 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated nationwide. The one and two year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

Couch is a sophomore biology major from Oregon City. Her career goals include getting her doctorate in virology and conducting research in virus ecology and viral evolution.

Gaynor is a junior chemistry major from Vancouver, Wash. He plans to pursue his doctorate in physical chemistry and masters in materials science as well as research nanomaterials for application in biomedicine and energy, and teach at the university level.

Past Goldwater Scholarship recipients from the University of Portland include Claire Clelland ’05 and Mitchell Myjak ’01. Truc-Vi Huynh Duong ’13 was an honorable mention for the award.

The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986. The scholarship program, honoring Senator Barry Goldwater, was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering.

Since its first award, the foundation has bestowed more than 6,550 scholarships worth about $40 million. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 80 Rhodes Scholarships, 118 Marshall Awards, 110 Churchill Scholarships and numerous other distinguished fellowships.

Engineering + Science Fair

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The Engineering + Science Fair will take place on Friday, February 22nd, 1:00pm-4:00pm in Shiley Hall.

The following companies are recruiting mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology students in addition to engineering students for internships and job opportunities at the fair:

  • Cooper Zietz Engineers  (specific majors to be announced)
  • Garmin (specific majors to be announced)
  • Fast Enterprises – Mathematics majors
  • Expeditors – Mathematics majors
  • Oregon Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Survey (specific majors to be announced)
  • Portland General Electric – Mathematics majors
  • Nalco – Chemistry majors
  • Rentrak – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics majors
  • Clean Water Services (specific majors to be announced)
  • Cvent (specific majors to be announced)
  • US Army Corps of Engineers – Mathematics majors
  • Intel Corporation – Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics majors
  • United States Marine Corps Officer Programs – all majors
  • Siltronic (specific majors to be announced)

Career Services is helping students to prepare for the event via their “How to Work a Job Fair” workshops. These will take place on Wednesday, February 20th and Thursday, February 21st at 1:00pm and 4:00pm. Students are encouraged to go learn some tips and tools for attending the career fair. All workshops are 30 minutes and conducted in the Career Services office, lower level of Orrico Hall.

In addition, Career Services is offering extended drop-in hours (10:00am-4:00pm) for resume review on Wednesday (2/20) and Thursday (2/21). No appointment is necessary and free resume paper is available.

 

Spring 2013 Promotions and Tenure Announcement

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 Please join me in congratulating the following faculty who were recently awarded tenure and promotion, effective July 1, 2013:

Dr. Warren Wood

Dr. Warren J. Wood, Chemistry, tenured and promoted to associate professor;

 

Dr. William Curtis

Dr. William M. Curtis, Political Science, tenured and promoted to associate professor;

 

Dr. Edward Valente

Dr. Edward J. Valente, Chemistry, tenured (already serving at the rank of full professor).

 

 

 

My gratitude, also, to the members of the University Rank and Tenure Committee and to all our colleagues who supported these faculty for tenure along the way.  There is no more sacred duty of a college or university than the tenuring of its faculty.  The College is stronger for having them among us.

Warm regards,

Dr. Michael F. Andrews
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
McNerney-Hanson Endowed Chair in Ethics
and Professor of Philosophy
The University of Portland

Number of students with double majors nearly triples

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By Kate Stringer, Staff Writer

From THE BEACON

With two majors and a 23 credit hour course load, junior Kristin Wishon is lucky if she gets four hours of sleep at night.

“I don’t have time to do things that are just for fun,” said Wishon, who is double majoring in biochemistry and music. “But I enjoy what I’m doing anyways so I don’t really care.”

Wishon is part of a growing trend at college campuses across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of college students who double major has increased over the past 10 years by 70 percent. While some students choose two majors because they believe it will make them more employable, many are simply passionate about multiple fields of study.

[Read more…] about Number of students with double majors nearly triples

Sister Angela Hoffman Named ACS Fellow

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Sister Angela Hoffman, OSB, a University of Portland chemistry professor, has been chosen a 2012 American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow and was recognized for her “outstanding achievements in and contributions to Science, the Profession, and the Society.” Election as an American Chemical Society Fellow requires a peer nomination as well as a formal committee review.“It’s pretty awesome to be recognized in this way,” Hoffman said. “I am very honored to be included on the list.”
[Read more…] about Sister Angela Hoffman Named ACS Fellow

Chemistry Welcome

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The chemistry program at the University of Portland is renowned in the Pacific Northwestfor its rigor, creativity, and high-level of undergraduate research. The quality and rapid growth of this program necessitated a modern and sophisticated home for the University’s biology and chemistry laboratories of instruction and research. In the summer of 1999 theUniversity of Portland opened its award-winning interactive laboratory facility, Swindells Hall.

The University of Portland serves a student body of ~3,000 undergraduates, 63% of whom are female. Chemistry majors at the University of Portland have unique opportunities to grow in their pursuit of knowledge, application of technique, and serve the university and their community.

The University of Portland’s ACS-certified chemistry program allows students to become active learners of chemistry, while the curriculum is designed to cultivate independent and critical thinking skills.

In addition, the department has an excellent array of state-of-the-art facilities and instrumentation available to chemistry students and faculty.

The University continues to attract and retain very talented students in the sciences. The chemistry department is currently made up of nine full-time faculty members all of whom are active scholars in their respective sub-disciplines.

We invite you to explore our programs, and to contact us if we can answer any further questions for you.

Sincerely,

Kevin Cantrell
Chair, Chemistry Department
cantrell@up.edu

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