Editor's Notes
Greetings Penn State Chemistry!
The history of the Department of Chemistry began when our institution was founded in 1855 and initially named the Farmer's High School of Pennsylvania. The first president of Penn State, Evan Pugh, was a chemist with a focus in agriculture, and developed some of our earliest lab research. He had a professorship program established in his name nearly 100 years later that annually bestows the highest honor at the university to faculty who are pioneers in their field of research.
This month I learned more about Evan Pugh and our department's earliest history at the “Evan Pugh: Student to Scientist” exhibit curated by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' Museum & Art Gallery. Patti Wood Finkle, collections manager of the EMS museum, provided a wonderfully detailed tour with access to some of Pugh's original research equipment and handwritten letters. I highly recommend everyone check out this exhibit, which will be on display at the EMS museum in Deike Building until the end of October 2023. For those who wish to know more, please contact Patti at pwf5120@psu.edu.
This edition of the newsletter includes the Anand Group Lab Profile, department happenings, a message from the Department Head and the GSA, Chemistry Safety Insights, and Jackie Bortiatynski's Teaching Corner.
If you wish to have a story shared in a future newsletter, please contact me at chemcommunications@psu.edu.
Kathryn Harlow, Communications Coordinator
A Message from the Department Head
My heart’s in the Highlands
I just returned from a trip to the Highlands of Scotland. Home of medieval castles and rolling hills. It’s a land of many charms that can look like Central Pennsylvania at times. It was a chance to step away from the daily grind, eat some amazing food, and to reconnect with nature. May and June are a particularly busy time around the Department of Chemistry at Penn State; we are working on annual reviews and take care of end-of-year budgetary matters. It was nice to get away after attending to many of these.
I drove a rental car through the Highlands, and it was quite an experience. There was driving on the left side of the road to be sure, but there was also the surprise of country roads too narrow for two cars to fit. This quandary is solved, somewhat surprisingly, by periodic little pull offs on either side of the road. I found myself driving with a heightened awareness of my fellow traveler. Once settled in, I was struck by the collegiality in which we shared the road, stopping when needed to let the other pass, and thank yous with a wave of a finger or a little peace sign. It reminded me of our own department and the collegiality we share amongst our staff, students, faculty, and alumni; how we take turns doing the courteous thing to keep us all moving forward.
It was nice to unwind, read a book for pleasure, and enjoy Scottish hospitality. But I’m also aware of the work that continued while I was away. I’m grateful to our staff who held the department together and to my group who pressed on with the research. I look forward to returning to the department, refreshed and energized. But I will also think of the lines from the Scottish poet Robert Burns, “My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.”
Best Wishes,
Phil Bevilacqua
Student Recognition
Penn State Learning honors outstanding guided study group leaders.
Two recently graduated students in the Eberly College of Science have been recognized as recipients of the Outstanding Guided Study Group Leader Award for their commitment in creating and facilitating collaborative and comfortable spaces for chemistry learning.
Student Awards
Aditya Sapre, a third year chemical engineering graduate student in the Sen Group, receives 3rd place prize in the PPG Annual Pitch Competition amongst other recognitions.
Sapre's PPG pitch, titled "Simple and Effective Way for Protein Purification", involved research on the usage of microfluidic devices, where it was shown that with application of chemotaxis, the separation of proteins can be clearly and effectively achieved. This is the third year in a row that a member of the Sen Group has won an award in the pitch competition.
Sapre also participated in the Annual Life Science Symposium managed by Huck Life Sciences where he presented a poster, titled "Directional Transport of Passive Tracers Due to Enzyme Micropumps on Supported Lipid Bilayers", and received both the People's Choice Poster Award and Best Poster Award in Genetics and Molecular Biology Category.
Faculty Publications
On the Importance of Mental Health in STEM
Christian Pester, K. Hepler Early Career Professor in Chemical Engineering with an appointment in Chemistry, co-authored this ACS Polymer article on mental health in STEM academia.*This Editorial is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or health advice.
Faculty News
Zack Rhoden joins the faculty as the Assistant Lab Director for the Analytical Chemistry Instructional Program (and Assistant Teaching Professor).
Rhoden received his Ph.D. in 2022 from Penn State Chemistry under the supervision of Ben Lear. His thesis investigated ligand effects on the electron paramagnetic resonance of atomically precise gold clusters and the validity of thermogravimetric analysis for thiolate protected gold systems.
The Graduate Student Association (GSA)
A Message From Vice-President Kara Pytko:
Hello summer! The GSA hopes that you have been taking some time to enjoy the sunshine and relax. This past month was wonderful; we packed our schedules with fun activities for the department. We hosted a pride happy hour, an inter-departmental trivia night, multiple outreach events, a professional development workshop, elected GSA lab representatives, and more!
We strongly urge those who don't already follow our social media pages to please do so that you can stay up-to-date on our events and view our photos! Next month is going to be even more packed with Arts Fest activities coming up!
Follow us on Instagram (psuchemgsa), Twitter (@ChemGSA_PSU), Facebook (PSU Chemistry GSA) and LinkedIn (Penn State Chemistry Alumni).
GSA Executive Board 2023-2024: Mary Kate Caucci, President | Kara Pytko, Vice President | Brandt Graham, Secretary | David Olori, Treasurer | Gaurav Dey, Outreach Chair | Olivia Peduzzi, External Liaison
Chemistry Safety Insights
Teaching Corner with Jackie
Be Well
One of my goals this summer is to learn more about pedagogical practices that support the emotional wellbeing of my students. My advisees and students often share how stressful academic life can be, especially if they need to work a part-time job or have an unexpected absence due to illness. A colleague recommended that I read some works by the author Sarah Rose Cavanagh. I decided to research some articles by Cavanagh, which led me to They Need Us to Be Well. This article focuses on the need for faculty to be well because we transfer our emotional state to our students. It also shares the idea that energy and passion are contagious in the classroom.
My own teaching experiences mirror the argument Cavanagh makes; that students and faculty synchronize emotions when we are in a learning space together. The authentic passion we bring to our teaching is felt, and it helps to motivate and engage our students in learning. When we share our love for the course content and our commitment to support students in the learning process, they feel it. The article also said that an instructor needs to be emotionally well to be able to convey the passion needed to connect with students. Cavanagh urges instructors to take advantage of the shift to summer from the normal semester schedule and reclaim rest as well as recharge. She encourages us to engage in rejuvenating activities that bring us perspective and joy.
In previous summers I have not used my time to recharge or gain more rest. This summer I am taking her advice and making more time to enjoy playing with my grandsons, going to dinner with friends, and reading just for fun. I hope everyone will take the time to read this article and that it may influence those who are not taking any time for themselves to find the motivation to rest, recharge, and be well.
Take care,
Jackie Bortiatynski