Students, faculty attend chemistry conference

By Anna Huffman ‘17

A group of Bradley graduate chemistry students shared research and networked with professionals at the annual PITTCON conference, which is the leading international analytical chemistry conference.

Students Lauren Duvall, Lauren Jacobsen, Ethan Roberts and Donald Schorr and Dr. Edward Remsen represented Bradley at the early-March event in Atlanta, Georgia.

“The conference is a great opportunity to network with other analytical chemists, find out what new analytical instruments are coming on the market and learn about new methods of analysis,” Remsen said.

Remsen was most impressed with research presented at PITTCON that indicated future innovation in forensic analysis, terrorist threat detection, and food analysis. For Remsen’s students, the conference gave them the opportunity to present their research and network with vendors and scientists in the analytical chemistry field.

“The science community is so much larger than academia,” Duval said. “Industries and businesses play a huge role in employing scientists who have great ideas for improving products and methods.”

As three of the four Bradley attendees will graduate in May, the week was a relevant way for them to prepare for the job search.

“Speaking to the vendors at the exposition was enlightening and informative,” Roberts said. “We were able to learn about the latest instrumentation in our field, learn about job opportunities, and discuss how employment in chemistry in the industrial setting is different than academia.”

The team also learned about potential innovative technologies like reducing static electricity in the nation’s power supply and the coal-based carcinogens in hookah smoke.  

Roberts researched and presented findings on fungal chemistry, Duvall presented research on the stability of protein drugs, and Jacobsen presented her research on silica particle analysis.

“I also think that it is important to keep this tradition of attending PITTCON each year alive for future graduate students,” Jacobsen said. “This type of opportunity cannot be substituted and has much to offer those graduate students nearing graduation.”