BLUE HEN CHEMIST

8^th CHEM/BIOC Graduation Convocation, May 31, 2003

The Pearson Hall Auditorium proved, once again, to be the ideal venue for this annual rite-of-passage: just about the right size for the ca. 350 attendees, and nicely proximate to the Brown/Drake/DuPont Laboratory for our post-Convocation reception. A damp day failed to dampen the spirits of the 48 BA/BS, 2 MA/MS and 11 Ph.D. recipients, as well as those of their proud families and friends.

Highlighting the ceremony was the recognition of Christopher J. Eller for being one of the three graduates having a perfect 4.000 GPA in the University's Class of 2003. Indeed, Chris is the first baccalaureate degree recipient to graduate with a 4.000 GPA from our Department since 1987! [ Editor's Note : The CHEM/BIOC class of 1987 was, to put it mildly, extraordinary. Amazingly, three of its members graduated with 4.000 GPAs: Jennifer J. Johnston (BA87), current whereabouts unknown; Scott A. Rice, M.D. (BS87), currently a pediatrician in Allentown, PA; and Daniel J. Suich (BS87), currently working as a chemist with DuPont in Emeryville, CA. Adding icing to this impressive cake was Christopher M. Hadad, Ph.D. (BS87) who was separated from this rarified stratum by a single B in an Honors Colloquium!] When the University introduced its 12-point +/- grading scale in 1991, I went on record with a prediction that we would never experience a 4.000 graduate from our Department again, since it is not possible to award a grade of A+, while the A and A- grades are part of the 12-point scale. For once, I was delighted to be proved wrong. Way to go, Chris!

The featured speaker for the occasion was one of our Department's most distinguished graduates: Dr. Thomas M. Apple, (PhD82), Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. Tom was introduced by his mentor, Prof. Cecil R. Dybowski. We were pleased that Tom's wife, Anne F. Apple, D.V.M. (MA81), was able to be present, as well.

2003 B.A. CHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY EDUCATION GRADUATES
Andrea L. Edwards	Dwight L. Higgin	James D. Polunas
Michael J. Grovola	Fatima E. Labdag	James M. Wiesner
Matthew S. Haar (XCE)	Rosemary C. Lindale	Adam B. Wolff
Douglas B. Hausner	Brian T. Maduskuie
2003 B.S. BIOCHEMISTRY GRADUATES
Chad C. Alexander	Britton L. Fink	James N. Psathas
Alexander M. Bailey	Todd M. Greco a	Nicholas Renzette
Gregory R. Buckmaster	Allison M. Haug	Monica D. Rieth
Carlton L. Clark	Jessica A. Jennings	Rebecca A. Russo
Bryan J. Davis	Jessica L. Karacz	Aditya Sharma
John A. Driscoll, Jr.	Shih-Wen Lin b	Aaron C. Sigler
Kathryn A. Durant	Mali Liu	Kenneth A. Stapleford, Jr.
Christopher J. Eller a	John T. Mondick, Jr.	Benjamin A. Thuma
aHonors Degree with Distinction bHonors Degree
2003 B. S. CHEMISTRY GRADUATES
Denise A. Birk b	Laura A. Maroldo	Michael S. Soles
Andrew A. Burns a	Stephen M. Read	John J. Wasniewski III
Hae Young Regina Cho	Stacy A. Rodgen	Shawn Yeisley
Michael P. DeMartino	Valerie O. Saunders
Gabriel F. Episcopo	Christopher M. Sheehy
aHonors Degree with Distinction bHonors Degree
2003 M.S. AND M.A. GRADUATES
Thara Manangan (MA)	Marc C. Putnam (MS)

2003 Ph.D. GRADUATES
Charoenkwan Kraiya	B.Sc., Chulalongkorn University, Thailand Dissertation: Electrochemistry of Nitro Compounds	Evans
Melody D. Ludes	B.S., Rowan University Dissertation: Study of Mixed-Mode Sorption of a Dye on Heterogeneous Chromatographic Interfaces	Wirth
Kevin W. McNamara	M. Ch.E., University of Delaware B.S., Drexel University Dissertation: Alkali Metal Interaction with Nanoporous Carbon: Synthesis, Characterization and Reaction	Rheingold
Davide Miksa	B.A., Franklin and Marshall College Dissertation: The Chemistry of Organic and Inorganic Interactions at Hydrothermal Conditions	Brill
Timothy D. Neubert	M.S., University of Delaware B.S., The Pennsylvania State University Dissertation: Synthesis of (-)-Morphine	Taber
Jennifer Brosius Palenchar	B.S., Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Dissertation: Bacillus Subtilis Adenylosuccinate Lyase: I. Identification of Enzyme Active Site Residues II. Model System for Elucidating the Biochemistry of Human Adenylosuccinate Lyase Deficiency	Colman
Sonali Raje	B.Sc., University of Mumbai, India M.Sc., Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (Bombay) India Dissertation: Avian Quiescin/Sulfhydryl Oxidase: Assay Development and Characterization of the Enzyme	Thorpe
Brian D. Roos	B.A., Washington and Jefferson College Dissertation: Development of T-Jump/Raman Spectroscopy as a Complement to T-jump/FTIR Spectroscopy for the Pyrolysis in Energetic Materials	Brill
Steven L. Swann, Jr.	B.S., Saint Francis College, Pennsylvania Dissertation: Rational Molecular Design of Small Molecules Which Complement Mutations to Nuclear Hormone Receptors Associated with Genetic Diseases	Koh
Sunita Thyagarajan	B.Sc., University of Madras, India M.Sc., Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (Bombay) India Dissertation: C-H Bond Activation Using Sterically Hindered Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate Cobalt Complexes	Theopold
Janis K. Voo	B.A., Wartburg College Dissertation: Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Reactivity of Trisimidazolyl Complexes: Copper, Zinc, and Cadmium Species	Riordan

Graduate Or Professional School Bound

Denise Birk, Penn State University (Inorganic Chemistry) <silvrdrgn13@yahoo.com>; Andrew Burns, Cornell University (Materials Science) <doogburns@hotmail.com>; Bryan Davis, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (Biochemistry) <fireandforget@hotmail.com>; Michael DeMartino, Scripps Research Institute (Organic Chemistry); Kathryn Durant, University of Maryland-College Park (Environmental Policy) <kdurant@hotmail.com>; Christopher Eller, University of Virginia School of Medicine <chriseller@earthlink.net>; Gerald (Jerry) Farmer, Brigham Young University (Chemistry) <silverberg_student@hotmail.com>; Britton Fink, Pace University (Forensic Chemistry); Todd Greco, University of Pennsylvania (Neuroscience); Douglas Hausner, Temple University (Chemistry) <xdugx@yahoo.com>; Jessica Jennings, Michigan State University (Analytical/Forensic Chemistry) <jjswimgrl@aol.com>; Jessica Karacz, Scripps Research Institute (Chemistry); Shih-Wen (Wenny) Lin, University of Pennsylvania (Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics) <kaylie197@yahoo.com>; Mali Liu, Syracuse University/SUNY Upstate Medical University (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology); Laura Maroldo, Cabrini College (Master of Education) <lmaroldo@yahoo.com>; James Psathas, Penn State University (Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology); Stacy Rodgen, Boston University (Organic Chemistry) <rodge6@aol.com>; Rebecca Russo, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Animal Science); Aditya Sharma, Yale University School of Medicine; Aaron Sigler, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine; Kenneth Stapleford, University of Michigan (Cellular and Molecular Biology) <phshgrvin@aol.com>; John Wasniewski, Temple University School of Dentistry <jwjafa@aol.com>; Adam Wolff, Florida International University (Forensic Chemistry).

Headed for Industry, Etc.

Megan Koska, forensic analytical chemist, Delaware State Police Crime Laboratory; Rosemary Lindale, quality assurance documentation and training specialist, AstraZeneca, Newark <pitmama54@aol.com> <rosemary.lindale@astrazeneca.com>; Laura Maroldo, manufacturing department, Merck & Co. <lmaroldo@yahoo.com>; James Polunas, consulting engineer, Dixon Environmental <fatboyjim7@aol.com> <jpolunas@dixonenvironmental.com>; Shawn Yeisley, senior laboratory technician, DuPont.

Graduate Student Placements

Christopher Incarvito, staff crystallographer, Yale University; Charoenkwan Kraiya, post-doc, U of D College of Marine Studies, Lewes; Michael Lassman, post-doc, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC; Melody Ludes,post-doc, Thomas Jefferson University; Davide Miksa, post-doc, University of Pennsylvania; Timothy Neubert, research chemist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA; Jennifer Brosius Palenchar, post-doc with Prof. Vivian Bellofatto, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Brian Roos, research chemist, Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD; Steven Swann, section research chemist, DuPont; Bryce Tappan, post-doc, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Sunita Thyagarajan, post-doc with Prof. Ken Karlin, Johns Hopkins University; Janice Voo, research chemist, Nanoscale Materials, Inc., Manhattan, KS.