Big, diverse turnout at 2018 Undergrad Research Symposium

The 2018 ACS–St Louis Section Undergraduate Research Symposium was held Friday, November 2nd, from 2:30-5:00 p.m. in the Science Laboratory West building at Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville. Twenty-two presenters from six area universities shared work from fifteen projects. In addition to learning from each other, students had an opportunity to explain their work to a range of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. More photos from the event are available via the section’s Flickr account.

Awards were made to the following students (not all co-authors and collaborators are listed):

• 1st: Christine Campisi, mentored by Timothy Wencewicz of Washington University–St Louis, for Towards the total synthesis of the acyclic analog of tabtoxinine-β-lactam
• 2nd (tie):
  Anna L Grobelny, mentored by Ryan Groeneman of Webster University, for Solid state [2+2] cycloaddition reactions within pure and mixed co-crystals based upon dihalogenated resorcinols and 4-stilbazole
  Anusree Natraj, mentored by Johnathan Barnes of Washington University–St Louis, for Synthesis of sequence-defined redox-responsive polyviologens
• 4th: Chris Perry, mentored by Sarah Luesse of Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville, for Effect of substituted 2-furaldehyde and 2-nitrophenol components on Passerini-Smiles couplings
• Honorable Mention: Sarah Neisch, mentored by Dana Baum of Saint Louis University, for Advances in comb-branched DNA synthesis

Appreciation is extended to all the attendees and volunteers. We would also like to announce new organizers for the undergraduate research symposium for 2019: Welcome to Monica Rieth and Samira Azad!