Joan Sabourin (1966, 化学)

Joan Sabourin, a 1966 Aquinas 化学 alumna, was named to the 2016 class of ACS Fellows by the American 化学ical Society. The ACS Fellows Program was created by the ACS Board of Directors in December 2008 “to recognize members of ACS for outstanding achievements in and contributions to science, the profession and the Society.


Lindsay Armstrong (2016, 化学)

photo of a student  大学肄业生uate Research

 Studies on "Under Air" Direct Arylation
 
顾问: 
Dr. Jonathan Fritz
 Project/地点: Summer 2014 Aquinas Mohler-Thompson Research Project, Aquinas College

 Composing an 大学肄业生uate Laboratory on the Topic of Direct Arylation Reactions
 顾问: Dr. Jonathan Fritz
 Project/地点: Aquinas 化学 Capstone Research Project, Aquinas College

Current Position

Laboratory Technician at Corrosion Control Consultants in Grand Rapids

Student Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program

“We have a great group of faculty that invest time into each student and really want to see them succeed.”


Nina Diklich (2016, 化学 and Mathematics)

photo of a student  大学肄业生uate Research

 Adsorption of BSA Protein on SiO 2  Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution: Impact of pH on Size and Zeta Potential at the Nanoparticle-Protein Interface
 顾问: Dr. 维姬H. Grassian
 Project/地点: Research Experience for 大学肄业生uates (REU) at the University of Iowa Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (NNI)

Computational Investigation of the Role of Phosphine Ligands in the Reactivity of Direct Arylation
顾问: Dr. Li-Heng Chen and Dr. Jonathan Fritz
Project/地点: Aquinas 化学 Capstone Research Project, Aquinas College

大学肄业生uate Internships/Positions

CO-OP/Intern with Aptar集团, Inc. from 2012 to 2016
顾问: Reiker Canfield, Jon Werner, Amy Molloy, and David Kanter
地点: 卡里,

Student Representative for the American 化学ical Society (ACS) at the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 20 th  Conference of Parties (COP20) in 2014 and 21 st Conference of Parties (COP21) in 2015
顾问: Dr. Keith Peterman and Dr. 格雷戈里·福伊
地点: Paris France, Lima Peru, and Washington D.C.

Current Position

Aptar集团 Inc. in Supply Chain Purchasing and Marketing

Student Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program

“While in the Aquinas College 化学 Department, I constantly felt that I was simultaneous pushed to do my best, yet supported by those around me. The professors genuinely cared about my education and my wellbeing throughout my four years, and they constantly encouraged me to work harder. Aquinas also exposed me to amazing experiences outside the classroom that would not have been possible otherwise. The supportive and familiar environment of the department made me a better chemist and a better person.”


Samantha Houchlei (2016, 化学)

photo of a student  大学肄业生uate Research and 化学 Related Positions

 Laboratory Technician
 
主管: Scott VanWeezel
 地点: Autocam Automotive, Grand Rapids, MI

Constructing a Phase Diagram for a Eutectic Mixture with Differential Scanning Calorimetry: A Physical 化学 Lab
顾问: Dr. Elizabeth Jensen
Project/地点: Aquinas 化学 Capstone Research Project, Aquinas College

Current Position

“I am the Child and Youth Program Coordinator for the Michigan Army National Guard. In short this means [we] put on programs (i.e. camps, science fairs, and training) for the kids of military members throughout the state. “

Student Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program

“The networking skills and work ethic the chemistry department has taught me has made me a better person and showed me how to be successful. The most important thing I learned from my professors is how to adapt and overcome in the event of a failure or set back. Life happens and everything may not work according to plans but being able to be flexible and reevaluate is of the utmost importance.”

Bonus Material

“My favorite event that we did through Aquinas 化学 was the battle of the 化学 俱乐部. It was a great opportunity to use our chemistry knowledge and have fun with other chem majors.”


Nicholas Pierce (2016, 化学)

photo of a student  大学肄业生uate Research and 化学 Related Positions

 Mutagenesis of a TfdA-like enzyme
 顾问: Dr. Timothy Henshaw
 Project/地点: Summer 2014 Mohler-Thompson Research Project, Aquinas College

Generating Compound Heterozygous Mice to Study the Imprinting Regulation at the H19/Igf2 域
顾问: Dr. Piroska Szabó
Project/地点: Epigenetic Research Project, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids,MI

Assistant Research Technician
顾问: Dr. Piroska Szabó
Project/地点: Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI

Mutagenesis of OXA-207
顾问: Dr. Timothy Henshaw
Project/地点: Aquinas 化学 Capstone Research Project, Aquinas College

Current Position
Job Enthusiast

Student Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program

“The chemistry department teaches the skills needed to succeed in any type of position.”
“The faculty in the chemistry department support 45-minute questions during their office hours.”
“Know your movies because Dr. Henshaw will definitely talk about a movie during your time at Aquinas College.”
“The faculty are enthusiastic about 研究. They will support you in any 研究 position (even if it is biology).”
“Becoming a chemistry major is one of the hardest things to do. The Aquinas College chemistry department is very supportive when taking on this challenge.”


Andrew Zahrt (2014, 化学 and Biology)

photo of a student 大学肄业生uate Research

 Investigating Effects of Carboxylate Ligands on the Regioselectivity of Direct Arylation Reactions by Computation
 顾问: Dr. Li-Heng Chen and Dr. Jonathan Fritz
 Project/Location: Aquinas 化学 Senior Research Project, Aquinas College

 Effect of Additive Structure on Regioselectivity in a Direct Arylation 
 顾问: Dr. Jonathan Fritz
Project/地点: Summer 2013 Aquinas Mohler-Thompson Project, Aquinas College 

Current Position
Ph.D. program in chemistry at University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in the Denmark 集团.

Andy's Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program

“I really liked how accessible professors were, and how willing to help and engage in in-depth discussions they were. At any time in my day, if I had an idea or question about a particular topic, I could wander down the hall and have a 45 minute discussion about it with an expert in the field. I'm not certain where else I would have that kind of an opportunity. 

“My advice would be to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. 不 be passive in 学习 - you'll learn more outside of the classroom than you will in the classroom. 不 limit yourself to the information covered in class. 在那里 is a whole world of information out there waiting; the classroom is just where you become literate enough in the field to understand it. A small environment like Aquinas is the perfect place to create opportunities, just don't be shy and be active in your 学习!”


Marissa Saladin (2014, 化学 and Math)

photo of a student 大学肄业生uate Research

 Conditioned Likelihoods Using Bifurcation Continuation in Inverse Modeling of Dynamical 系统 
 地点: Summer 大学肄业生 Research Institute of Experimental Mathematics (SURIEM) at Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University

 A Structure-Based Predictive Model for the Substrate Specificity of the Tobacco Etch Virus Protease
 Program/Location: Research in Science and Engineering (RiSE) at Rutgers University

 Determination of Physical Property Trends of Alkylammonium Metal Bromide Liquid Crystals J. 大学肄业生. 化学. Res. 2014, 13, 26-29.
 顾问: Dr. Elizabeth Jensen
 Project/Location: Aquinas 化学 Senior Research Project, Aquinas College

Current Position 
Ph.D. program in chemistry at Pennsylvania State University in the Maroncelli group.

Marissa’s Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program
“What I loved most about the chemistry program at Aquinas College was the sense of support among its members. 化学 can be a challenging major, but I could always turn to my professors. Because of the smaller department, they were almost always free for a quick chat or homework discussion. Additionally, they were extremely encouraging in branching outside of the department to new opportunities, such as internships and 研究. In some larger universities, students can get lost in a department of hundreds of students, but the chemistry professors at Aquinas worked with me individually to support me in discovering what I wanted out of my education. “


George Van Den Driessche (2013, 化学 and Math)

photo of a student 大学肄业生uate Research and Internships

 Development and Improvement of Direct Arylation Reaction Yields Using Various Abundant Earth Metals with Various Carboxylic Acid Ligands
 顾问: Dr. Jonathan Fritz
 Project and 地点: Aquinas Senior Research Project, Aquinas College

Formulation of Alternative Softening Technologies for Amway Fabric Softener Product 行 
顾问: Phil Silva and Kara Smith
地点: Amway in Ada, MI

Drug Screening on Xenopus Oocytes for an Alternative Drug Treatment Pathway of Depression 
顾问: Dr. Scott Myers and Dr. 凯尔弗朗茨
地点: Georgia State University, BRAIN Fellowship: NeurOp Inc.

Current Position
Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University in the group of Dr. Elena Jakubikova.

George’s Comments on the Aquinas 化学 Program
“The small class sizes really allow the professors to push their students.”

“When you begin your studies in chemistry, be prepared to work hard. 在那里 is no other way to succeed in this field.” 

“Get over your fear of the chemistry faculty and ask for help! The only reason they are terrifying is because they are pushing you to become the best scientist you can be!”