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| REACCh Research Experiences Achieved through Collaborations in Chemistry
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Project Descriptions: |
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University Links |
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The goal of the REACCh program is to initiate and support a year-round undergraduate research community at |
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| San Antonio College (SAC), a two-year college with a strongly diverse student population. Research projects will be | ||||||||||
| developed by collaboration between SAC and Texas State faculty. Graduate students from Texas State will be trained to | ||||||||||
| supervise undergraduate research at SAC as they complete their own research projects alongside the undergraduates. | ||||||||||
| Research themes include determining the enzymatic mechanism of C-S bond cleavage, synthesizing and characterizing boron- | ||||||||||
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Online Services |
containing polymers for specialty materials applications and synthesizing surface-modified clay platelets. The project seeks to | |||||||||
| strengthen the research infrastructure at the community college, increase two-year college students access to research | ||||||||||
| experiences and increase the quality of interactions between the two campuses. | ||||||||||
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Dr. Linette Watkins | |||||||||
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Project 1: |
Sulfur chemistry (biochemistry) | |||||||||
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The goal of Project 1 is to understand the mechanism by which enzymes can remove sulfur from |
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| petroleum products. The presence of sulfur in petroleum promotes the formation of acid rain when the | ||||||||||
| petroleum is used as fuel. By understanding the mechanism of enzymes that can remove the sulfur, it will be | ||||||||||
| possible to design ways to make cleaner burning fuel. Students working on this project will learn how to | ||||||||||
| measure enzyme activity and how to characterize enzymes with altered activities and specificities. | Back to Top | |||||||||
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Dr. Chad Booth
Dr. Debra Feakes
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Project 2: |
Boron chemistry (inorganic, polymer, materials) |
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The goal of Project 2 is to develop new polymeric materials which incorporate the element Boron (B) |
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| into the actual backbone of the polymer. Boron is known to capture thermal neutrons (radiation) and, as such, | ||||||||||
| this material should have the ability to be used in applications where radiation shielding is required. Students | ||||||||||
| working on this project will synthesize and characterize the polymers to determine optical clarity, molecular | ||||||||||
| weight, decomposition temperature, and mechanical properties. In addition, students will carry out radiation | ||||||||||
| testing to determine their effectiveness as radiation shields. | Back to Top | |||||||||
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Dr. Beall | |||||||||
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Project 3: |
Silicon chemistry (polymer, materials) |
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The goal of Project 3 is to make clay-containing compounds that have enhanced properties. Polymer/clay |
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nanocomposites have begun to revolutionize the polymer industry in diverse applications from food packaging to | |||||||||
| automotive parts. The key to producing good nanocomposites is the surface treatment utilized on the | ||||||||||
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nanoparticles. In our research group we have pioneered new methods of surface treatment that are yielding | |||||||||
| remarkable results. Students choosing to work on this project will produce new surface treated nanoparticles | ||||||||||
| for use in polymer nanocomposites. The students will do the surface treatment and also participate in the | ||||||||||
| characterization of the nanoparticles and nanocomposites made with them. | Back to Top | |||||||||
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Now Accepting Applications for the Spring Semester! |
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| Application Deadline: | December 1, 2006 Download Spring Application | |||||||||
| Selection Interviews: | December 4, 2006 | |||||||||
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This Discovery Corps Senior Fellowship is supported by the Division of Chemistry and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities. The Discovery Corps Fellowship Program is a pilot program seeking new postdoctoral and professional development models that combine research expertise with professional service. Discovery Corps Fellows leverage their research expertise |
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through projects that address areas of national need. Their projects enhance research capacity and infrastructure and contribute to workforce development and job creation. The Discovery Corps Program supports both Postdoctoral Fellows and Senior Fellows. |
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The SAC REACCh Program is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CHE-0610228 |
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