Research by Current Students

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

The department offers a diversity of student research opportunities, including physical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, organometallic chemistry, synthetic organic/materials chemistry, biophysical organic chemistry, chemical biology and biochemistry.  Students may begin faculty-mentored independent research as early as their first or second year.  Students have the opportunity to do research both in the academic year and during an intensive ten week summer research experience.  In addition students have the opportunity to attend and present a poster at local and/or national meetings or co-publish a paper with a faculty mentor. 

• Christopher Bennett (2010) – NMR Spin-Lattice Relaxation Studies of Leucine-Enkephalin in a Phospholipid Bilayer Membrane Environment
• Thomas Bilbo (2012) –Use of Macroarray Hybridization to Assess the Transcriptional Profiles of Pelargonium x hortorum
• Grant Buchanan (2011) – Studying Organic Dyes in a Flexible, Research-styled Organic Chemistry Experiment
• Louise Carroll (2012) – Preparation and Reactions of 2-Chlorocalix[4]arene
• Trevor Carroll (2010) – Exocyclic Alkene Calixarenes
• Nick Elliott (2011) – Enzyme Preservation by Electrostatic Printing
• Brooke Esarey (2011) – Modifications of Electron Poor Naphthalene Diimide for use in Solar Cell Technology
• Katie Esselburn (2010) – Olfactory and Auditory Cues Calling Behavior of Xenopus laevis
• Daniel Fosselman (2011) – Examining the Relationship between p53 and p21 in Human Bladder Cells
• Marcus Geer (2010) – data collection for the Ovarian Cancer Screening project @ University of Kentucky
• Elizabeth Hale (2011) – The use of macro-arrays to examine the transcriptional profile of RNA polymerase in Pelargonium Hortorum
• Chuan-Xing Ho (2010) – Fyn Targets Non-Phosphoinositide Binding Merlin Mutant to Membrane Rafts
• Marisa Horton (2011) – Purification of GacA Protein from Burkholderia cenocpacia K56-2
• Kathrine Huff (2013) – Synthesis and testing of graphene substrates
• Catherine Jakubowski (2011) – Electrospray Printing of Enzyme Microarrays
• Stephanie LaCount (2010) – Three Dimensional Modeling of the Beta-Subunit of Pelargonium X hortorum RNA Polymerase
• Mitchell Legg (2010) – Production of Electron Rich Molecules for Use in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
• Katie Leight (2011) –  Controlling the Charge Transfer Band with Electron Rich Naphthalene Derivatives for use in Solar Cells
  
• Matthew Lipner (2012) – Chemical Properties of High Mass Star-Forming Regions
• Julia Malik (2010) – Detection of HMW PBPs in bacterial membranes using biotinylated (beta)-lactams
• Matthew McErlean (2012) – A New Organic Chemistry Lab Utilizing Different Teaching Styles: Identification of Acidic, Basic, and Neutral Contaminants by Extraction and Recrystallization.
• Patrick McNamara (2010) – Transcriptional Profiles of PEP and NEP in pelargonium x hortorum
• Colin Murphy (2010) – Molecular Dynamics of Leu-Enkephalin
• Alexandra Murray (2010) – Synthesis of electron deficient aromatics for the incorporation into low cost, efficiency solar cells
• Charles Murray (2011) – Methylene-Bridge Linked Calixarenes for Chromatographic Separation
• Marissa Pfoff (2011) – Chronic Restraint Stress in Male and Female Rats: Spontaneous Recovery compared with No Extinction Controls
• David Porter (2011) –  Role of methionine in neuroprotection against oxidative stress in stroke and neurodegenerative diseases
• Krista Reiger (2010) –  Plant cuticular composition: A comparative study of two species
• Kevin Rodda (2011) –  Synthesis and modification of anthracene diimides for use in organic electronics
• Randy Ruffner (2011) – Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spin-Relaxation and Molecular Dynamics Studies of Leu-enkephalin
• Ben Sunkel (2010) –  Preparation of a novel system for the study of cell surface carbohydrate interactions with receptor proteins
• Ashley Thomas (2010) – 2-(w-Azido) and 2-(w-Alkynyl) Functionalized Tether Calix[4]arenes
• Dan Thurston (2012) – Choose Your Own Laboratory Adventure: A Multi-week Organic Chemistry Lab Incorporating Inquiry and Discovery Based Teaching Styles
• Devon Widmer (2012) – Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy studies of water uptake by waxy thin films that mimic the plant cuticle
• Shiyao (Aaron) Wang (2013) – The use of macro-arrays to examine the transcriptional profile of RNA polymerase in Pelargonium hortorum
• Linus Williams (2011) – Multicalixarenes as potential DNA transfection agents
• Courtney Yong (2012)  – Development of Spatially Encoded Polymeric Bead Based Supports for Peptide Microarray Synthesis
• Sam Wolock (2012) – Synthesis of anchor molecules for use in organic solar cells