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Contents
A Note from the Collaborative Director
Undergraduate Research: Adjusting to Life at a Liberal Arts College
2012-2013 McNair Scholars
Fall-Summer Collaborative Grants
Convention Spotlight
NCUR
AACR
- Kaela Gedda
- Jens Paasen
- Gretchen Panzer
- Hannah Schmitt
- Luanne Spence
- Sarah Titus
Collaborative Research Stories
Important Dates
May 4, 2012 Student Academic Travel Grant and Attendee Grant applications due
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McNair Scholars 2012-2013
Louis Ayensu-Mensah
Chemistry Major, French Minor
I was born in Ghana
and came to the U.S. seven years ago. I am on the men’s soccer team and also,
the track & field team. I am currently a junior with a chemistry major and
French minor. I have been doing chemistry research with Dr. Kurstan Cunningham
for the last two years. For the last two years, we worked on the photochemical
properties of copper complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline and its derivatives.
The phenanthroline complexes give off energy when light shines on it, and even
though this particular research is not as effective as photosynthesis, the main
idea is something relative to that. So far, the cost of the reagents do not
make them very applicable for making feasible alternative sources of energy,
but they are very important in research because they are good at making more
qualitative research by mimicking what ruthenium complexes do. Since copper is
less expensive than ruthenium, this research is actually a cheaper way to work
with phenanthroline complexes. So far, I am not completely certain about what I
intend to do in graduate school, but it know it will be something chemistry
related – probably in inorganic or analytical chemistry. Right now, I know I am
going to graduate school and through the McNair program, I hope to get some
extra help in the application to and transition into graduate school. 
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