Dear Friends,
We are excited to bring to you the Spring 2018 edition of Chemistry Connections ! I am delighted to tell you that this Spring we graduated another great class of chemistry students (29 B.A., 15 B.S., 1 M.S. and 1 Ph.D.). Some of these students are going to higher studies including professional schools, while others are entering the workforce. We wish them success.
The quality of our students remains impressive. This year nine chemistry students were recognized among the IUPUI’s Top 100 undergraduate students, and among these students 19 of them are either current or former Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) leaders. Ms. Priya Dave, who accompanied Dr. Bill Scott to Cuba, was recognized as the most outstanding student of IUPUI, and she was a PLTL leader in Chemistry. You will find a more detailed story about the Cuba connection in this issue. One of our students, Christina Skaggs, was recognized as one of the top 50 graduate students at IUPUI. Another graduate student, Greta Ren gave an impressive press conference at the ACS Spring National meeting at New Orleans. Thanks to your generosity many of these students received scholarships orawards.
The department continues to change and grow. We have hired Dr. Ian K. Webb from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who will be joining us in the Fall. Our faculty continues to thrive in scholarship, teaching, and service. At the ACS National meeting, Professor Pratibha Varma Nelson received the Pimentel Award, and there was a full-day special symposium dedicated in her honor. Among the other notables, Professor David Malik retired after 38 years of service. In this issue, you will find descriptions of faculty and student awards.
I am also pleased to tell you that the planning for a new science building is underway, and in the new building, organic chemistry laboratories will be relocated. This is going to be a busy and exciting time.
As I mentioned to you before, a special occasion is coming up – IUPUI is turning 50! This is quite a milestone from its beginning on the 38th Street. The campus continues to grow; new students come in with new energy and enthusiasm. The core values remain the same, and you are at the heart of them. Please take a part in the celebration. After all this is your university, and because of your success, IUPUI and the department are successful. Please feel free to reach out with updates at czinski@iupui.edu or connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ChemIUPUI.
Partha Basu, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Chemistry and Chemical Biology