Colloid and surface chemistry aren’t terms we use everyday, but they influence or comprise nearly every consumer product we use—from cosmetics to paint and medications, and even some of the food we eat. Understanding how the chemical makeup of these products impacts our bodies while also finding ways to make them efficiently was the focus of summer research conducted by ten Iona undergraduate chemistry students. Their efforts paid off.

In August, these remarkable chemistry students won top honors at National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), in San Diego, California where the international chemistry community and the largest professional chemistry society in the world convened from August 24-28, 2019 to present their research.

The conference, attended by over 15,000 chemists, graduate students, and undergraduate chemistry students, gave the Iona students an opportunity to display eight posters illustrating their research findings. All eight posters were presented in a single division, the Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, alongside graduate students, postdocs, and professionals from around the world. Two posters, from Marnie Skinner & Regan Warmoth (Biochemistry ’20) and Tavis Johnson (Chemistry ’21), won the ACS Colloid and Surface Chemistry best poster awards, given to only two undergraduate posters.

“Attending this National Meeting is just one of the many ways Iona seeks to ignite a passion for science among our students. This type of hands-on research and the opportunity to present to the best and brightest chemists in the world not only broadens the scope of our students’ experience, it also helps position them for the next chapter, whether that’s an advanced degree, medical school, or a career in the sciences,” said Dr. Sunghee Lee, who is an endowed professor at Iona College’s Department of Chemistry.

Every year, Iona Chemistry/Biochemistry students make a big splash at the ACS National Meeting. “This year, the receipt of two prestigious awards signifies the excellent scholarship demonstrated by Iona students,” notes Dr. Lee.

A committed faculty that takes an active role in student mentorship, engagement with real world internships, and opportunities to draw experience from Iona alumni in the field sets the science programs apart at Iona College. The result is compelling and dynamic research, demonstrated in the topics covered, which included the following: a study of materials used in drug delivery and their impact on our cells, the effect that over-the-counter pain relievers may have on changing our cell membranes, the safety of certain drug delivery methods, how our cells change when they come in contact with foreign molecules, the study of cell membranes and how they function, the influence caffeine has on the properties of cell membranes, a study of the impact of trans-fatty acid in foods on cells, and a study of the ions that bathe the membranes surrounding a human cell and their functions.

Subscribe