All chemistry majors carry out research as a requirement for graduation. Forensic science students are encouraged to do the same. Students may participate in research with any department that has projects of interest to them. Recent examples include collaborations with Biology, Classics, Criminal Justice, Physics, and Psychology faculty and/or students. Many students perform more than the required number of hours for additional credit or pay.

Ongoing research focuses on the following areas:

  • Analysis of archaeological artifacts from modern and ancient sites
  • Nano-scale delivery systems
  • Organic reactions by microwave irradiation
  • Fire propagation dynamics
  • Computational assessment of reaction pathways and molecular interactions
  • Controlling biological pathways with small molecules

There are several opportunities for compensated student research. Saint Anselm College is currently receiving funding from the NH-INBRE grant, focusing on biomedical applications of research, through which summer research fellowships are available.

Additionally, the Father Michael Custer Summer Research Grant is awarded for a summer research position in collaboration with Chemistry faculty.

In addition to on campus opportunities, many students have also obtained summer industry positions or received internships. Others have participated in academic summer research programs at major research institutions.

This research is presented on campus (SOAR or Mind Over Major, for example) or at meetings of learned societies. Internship presentations are given as seminars to classes and faculty.  Descriptions of presentations given by students in collaboration with faculty in our department, though any of these opportunities, in recent academic years can be seen here.  Feel free to reach out to any faculty member for more details!

Presentations

Presentations in the 2021-2022 Academic Year

Saint Anselm College SOAR Poster Session - April 28, 2022

  • Julia Apitz (Biochemistry '22) with Dr. Jennifer Pace:  FA-NA Hybrid Analogues as Inhibitors of the Hippo Pathway
  • Bailey Cain (Biology '22), Kyle Doyle (Chemistry '23), Madison Hediger (Biochemistry '22), John Henzell (Chemistry '23), Grace Young (Biochemistry '22) with Dr. Nicole Eyet:  A Computational Study of Ionic Reactions in the Gas Phase
  • Anthony Castagno (Forensic Science '22) with Dr. Nicole Eyet:  LED Light Bulbs and Small Scale House Fires
  • Jordan Fears (Forensic Science '22) with Dr. Jennifer Pace:  Designing and Introductory Science Laboratory - Arson Investigation using GC-MS
  • Nicholas Giamarcco (Forensic Science '22) with Dr. Mary Kate Donais and Dr. Brian Musselman, Internship at IonSource: DART-MS Analysis of Beverage Cans
  • Jenna McCarthy (Forensic Science '22) and Dr. Matthew Hurley:  Assessing Mesoporus Silica Nanoparticles for Headspace Extraction of Ignitable Liquids
  • Hunter Newsham (Forensic Science '22) with Dr. Nicole Eyet: Creating Scale Models to Induce and Demonstrate Flashover
  • Brendan Parr (Chemistry '22), Christina Vita (Biology '23) with Dr. Matthew Hurley: Surfactant Vesicles ans Surfactant Nanomaterials for Targeted Drug Delivery
  • Hannah Robichaud (Chemistry '22) with Dr. Britney Privett:  Characterization of ZNF750 Transcription Factor Implicated in Tumorigenisis
  • Amber Topping (Chemistry '22) with Dr. Nicole Eyet:  Predicting Properties of Pool Fires
  • Mackenzie Vallely (Biochemistry '23) and Dr. Jennifer Pace: Design and Synthesis of Flufenamic Acid Analogues for Hippo Pathway Inhibition
  • Grace Young (Biochemistry '22) with Dr. Jennifer Pace: Synthesis and Evaluation of Efficacy of Flufenamic Acid Analogues in Hippo Pathway Inhibition

Virtual North East Regional IDeA Conference.  Lightning Talk.  August 17, 2021

  • Julia Apitz and Jennifer R. Pace.  FA-NA Hybrid Analogues as Inhibitors of the Hippo Pathway

 

Presentations in the 2020-2021 Academic Year

Saint Anselm College SOAR 2021 was held virtually on Instagram in April 2021.  See @SaintAnselmSOAR for full presentations.

  • Julia Apitz (Biochemistry '22) with Dr. Jennifer Pace: FA-NA Hybrids as Inhibitors of the Hippo Pathway
  • Abigail Campbell (Chemistry '21) with Dr. Nicole Eyet Arson Research:  Detection of Smoke Using Motion Activated Cameras
  • Abigail Carsten (Forensic Science '21) with Dr. Matthew Hurley: A Method to Trigger Release from Surfactant Silica Nanocomplexes.
  • Elizabeth DeGaetano (Chemistry '21) with Dr. Britney Privett: Expression and Purification of ZNF750
  • Elizabeth DeGaetano (Chemistry '21), Skyler Hickey (Chemistry '21), Johnathan Martin (Chemistry '21), Brendan Parr (Chemistry '22) Madison Rennie (Chemsitry '21) Hannah Robichaud (Chemistry '22), Amber Topping (Chemistry '22) with Dr. Nicole Eyet: A Computational Investigation of an Ion-Molecule Reaction
  • Skyler Hickey (Chemistry '21), Hannah Robichaud (Chemistry '22), Amber Topping (Chemistry '22) with Dr. Matthew Hurley (Chemistry) and Dr. Elizabeth Greguske (Biology): Developing and Evaluating Surfactant Vessicles for Targeted Drug Delivery Applications: Protein Functionalization Studies
  • Julia Krutul (Biology + Behavioral Neuroscience, ‘22) with Dr. Jennifer Pace: The Hippo Pathway and Ovarian Cancer: Preventing Cisplatin Resistance using Flufenamic Acid Analogues as TEAD Inhibitors
  • Jonathan Martin (Chemistry '21) with Dr. Mary Kate Donais: Qualitative Analysis of Fabrics Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

  • Madison Rennie (Chemistry ‘21) with Dr. Jennifer Pace: Synthesis of Flufenamic Acid Analogues for the Inhibition of the Hippo Pathway

  • Hannah Robichaud (Chemistry '22) and Amber Topping (Chemistry '22) with Dr. Matthew Hurley:  Developing and Evaluating Surfactant Vesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery Applications: Formation of Esterified Triton X-100 Vesicles and Attachment of Bacteriophage

  • Eva Marie Rudler (Chemistry '21) with Dr. Britney Privett: Discerning Iron Concentrations by XRF in Arabidopsis Thaliana Through Standard Addition

  • Caroline Thompson (Biochemistry ‘21) with Dr. Jennifer Pace: Exploring Phenyl-Amide Flufenanic Acid Analogues to be Combined with Popular Chemotherapeutic Treatments

 

National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2021@HOME Conference, April 12-14, 2021

  • Eva-Maria Rudler (Chemistry, '21) and Dr. Britney Privett: Discerning Heavy Metal Concentrations by XRF in Arabidopsis thaliana Through Standard Addition

 

SCIX 2020 – presented by FACSS. Virtual Poster Session October 12-15, 2020

  • Eva-Maria Rudler (Chemistry '21) and Dr. Britney Privett.  Discerning Iron Concentrations by XRF in Arabidopsis Thaliana Through Standard Addition

Presentations in the 2019-2020 Academic Year

Saint Anselm College Chemistry Department Presentations - Manchester, NH - April 2020

While SOAR 2020 was canceled as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, students doing research with Chemistry faculty presented their research in a virtual poster session and interacted with faculty and peers in online discussion boards to further discuss their results.

 

Presentations from prior to 2019 can be seen below.

New Hampshire INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) is a program funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop a coordinated network of biomedical research and research training in New Hampshire. In addition to providing funding for laboratory renovations, equipment, and professional development, this program provides stipends for students to perform summer research at Saint Anselm College, Dartmouth, or other institutions for eight to ten weeks of full time laboratory work. Additionally, students can apply to carry out research (~10 hours/week) during the semester through this program, attend scientific conferences, and have access to short biomedically related courses. Students who perform summer research present their work at the NH-INBRE Annual Meeting held every August and many continue during research during the semester. Those that complete research during the semester may also present their research at various conferences on and off campus including SOAR, held on our campus.

Projects have been carried out in collaboration with 27 different faculty in the Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Nursing departments. Since 2010, this grant has provide more than 325 total awards to more than 190 individual students. 

After a request for proposals, faculty in the Chemistry Department (and their collaborators) received the following awards:

 

Dr. Matthew Hurley (Assistant Professor, Chemistry) and Dr. Elizabeth Greguske (Associate Professor, Biology)
Project Title: Developing and Evaluating Surfactant Vesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery Applications

$7,000 Total Award, FY21

Dr. Jennifer Pace (Assistant Professor, Chemistry)
Project Title: Synthesis and Evaluation of Flufenamic Acid Analogues for Hippo Pathway Inhibition

$246,626 Total Award, FY21 & FY22