91短视频

The third-floor lab of Garnett-Lambert Professor of Chemistry John Thoburn has been teeming with activity this summer: five 91短视频 students, two students from Hermitage High School, and a teacher from Richmond Community High School, all conducting chemistry research as a team.

Their work is a version of a Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) that supports faculty-mentored research across campus each summer. However, the collaboration in Dr. Thoburn鈥檚 lab is funded with additional funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF)鈥檚 Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) initiative, which supports research opportunities at predominantly undergraduate institutions like Randolph-Macon College.

The team of researchers鈥� work on supramolecular chemistry (and one computational project), is, of course, a significant focus, but the inclusion of high school students and teachers helps fulfill an additional pillar of the RUI program: to make an impact on society. For this group, that impact is bolstering the future of the scientist community.

鈥淪chools like Randolph-Macon College feed into a larger system,鈥� Thoburn said. 鈥淥ur students, after they graduate, will go off and get their doctorate or master’s degree in chemistry. The idea is to prepare the next generation of scientists through this grant.鈥�

The connection to extend this experience to high school students first came through Hannah Dise 鈥�12. After working in Thoburn鈥檚 lab as a chemistry major and education minor, Dise went on to teach chemistry at Richmond Community High School; her students from underserved backgrounds were the first to participate in this research opportunity. Dr. Nabila Haddadine, a chemistry teacher at RCHS, was part of the group researching with Thoburn both this summer and last.

The two high school student participants are paired with undergraduate researchers like Isaac Kwong 鈥�27, who is on a pre-med track. This summer, alongside Hermitage High School senior Duncan Helms, he is working on building a supramolecular tetrahedron cage.

These molecules are empty and container-like. A greater understanding of their basic properties, which lies at the heart of the lab鈥檚 research this summer, could potentially lead to medical applications. Their structure could be used to carry drugs through the body and release them when they reach a target tissue.

Working in a formal lab with sophisticated equipment, like taking nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, is an exciting opportunity for Helms, beyond what he鈥檚 been able to experience in high school classes. The experience is at another level for Kwong as well, advancing past lab exercises from his first year of college classes.

鈥淟ast year, we received set procedures and would go one-by-one,鈥� Kwong explained. 鈥淣ow we have to figure out the procedure for ourselves, we have to look through different articles and figure out one that works. And there鈥檚 always some sort of screw to be thrown into the plans, like if we鈥檙e not in the exact same conditions as some of the literature.鈥�

That frustration鈥攁nd the problem-solving to get around it鈥攊s a crucial part of the chemistry process, according to Thoburn.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e really in the driver鈥檚 seat,鈥� Thoburn said of the students. 鈥淓ach of them has had things not go well, and all of them experienced moments of absolute joy when things all of a sudden click.鈥�

For several weeks, Kwong and Helms were trying to replace two hydrogen atoms on a carbon benzene ring with iodine atoms.

鈥淚t took longer than expected, and we went through multiple procedures, then we finally got one and it gave us 99% purity,鈥� Kwong said with visible satisfaction. 鈥淲e were really happy with that.鈥�

The undergraduates, having taken advanced chemistry courses, take the lead on running the experiments and designing procedures. But the high schoolers still get involved preparing samples and gain valuable perspective as they prepare for AP Chemistry and courses in college.

鈥淚 do a lot of observing, but it鈥檚 very helpful because I can see how you鈥檙e supposed to think about a procedure like this and how a typical day would go in a lab environment,鈥� Helms said. Plus, having a summer on 91短视频鈥檚 campus is fun too. 鈥淚 like just being on a college campus,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�

An extra pair of hands in the lab certainly helps, but for the students completing SURF projects, the collaboration with high schoolers has even more of a positive benefit on their development as chemists.

鈥淎ny teacher will tell you the best way to learn anything is to teach it,鈥� Thoburn said. 鈥淲ith these undergraduates, I think they get a deeper understanding of their project by teaching high school students.鈥�