Southwestern University was well represented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2022 meeting in San Diego, California. Eight students presented a total of six posters at the meeting: Yusuf Buhari ’23, Sean Calvert ’22, Gabrielle Cano ’22, Natalie Gierat ’22, Rhoda Hijazi ’22, Jared McCormack ’22, Neha Momin ’22, and Ethan Shilgalis ’22. This work was done collaboratively with Associate Professor of Chemistry Mike Gesinski, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sara Massey, and Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer.

Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer published a chapter titled “Semester-long Projects in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum” in a new edited volume, Active Learning in the Analytical Chemistry Curriculum. The book was published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) as part of the ACS Symposium Series. The peer-reviewed pedagogical chapter discusses the implementation and assessment of semester-long projects in undergraduate analytical chemistry lab courses. The chapter was coauthored with Angela González-Mederos of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico–San Germán and Tom Wenzel of Bates College and stems from the group’s collaboration during national active-learning workshops for analytical chemistry faculty. 

Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer, Eunice Bajomo ’19, Melanie Aing ’18, and Luke Ford ’19 published an article titled “Chemotyping of Commercially Available Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Varieties: Cultivar and Morphotype Influence Phenolic Acid Composition and Antioxidant properties” in Elsevier’s NFS Journal. The peer-reviewed article discusses a collaborative project that involved growing 22 basil varieties from seed (~100 plants), harvesting the basil leaves, and analyzing their chemical composition. The research was supported by the Robert A. Welch Foundation and Southwestern’s Herbert and Kate Dishman endowment.

Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer and Associate Professor of Chemistry Mike Gesinski published a chapter in the book Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education: Strategies for Teaching (University of Cincinnati Press, 2021). In their chapter, titled “Active Learning Pedagogies in the Introductory and Organic Chemistry Curriculum: Increasing Student Persistence and Success,” Niemeyer and Gesinski chronicle the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department’s move to active learning pedagogies and the effect these changes have had on improving retention of students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields. More information about the book can be found on the University of Cincinnati Libraries website.

Professor of Chemistry and the Herbert and Kate Dishman Chair in Science Emily Niemeyer published an article titled “Hands-on Experiences for Remotely Taught Analytical Chemistry Laboratories” in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. The article is a contribution to the “ABCs of Education and Professional Development in Analytical Science” portion of the journal and is part of a series on teaching analytical chemistry during the pandemic. Coauthored with Joel Destino and Erin Gross from Creighton University and Steven Petrovic from Southern Oregon University, the peer-reviewed pedagogical article provides an overview of different methodologies that provide hands-on laboratory experiences to students in remote and hybrid analytical chemistry courses. The collaborative article stemmed from Niemeyer’s role as a facilitator at regional and national active-learning workshops for analytical chemistry faculty. Find the article here.