Union College students and faculty members participated in the 261st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, which is being held virtually throughout. Mary Carroll ’86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry, presented an invited oral presentation, “Aerogels! Engaging Undergraduate Students in Cross-Disciplinary Research,” in the Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry. Ann Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering, co-authored the presentation. Carroll also co-presented a talk with Laura MacManus-Spencer, associate professor of chemistry, titled "Online Analytical Chemistry Lab at Union College: Exploring Solutions and Assessing Data" in a Division of Analytical Chemistry symposium. The presentation focused on adaptations made and lessons learned when teaching this lab-intensive course during Union's online spring 2020 trimester.
Three chemistry seniors presented posters on their research in the Division of Inorganic Chemistry poster session at the conference. Chris Avanessian '21 presented a poster “Microstructural Characterization of Catalytic Copper- and Chromium-Containing Alumina Aerogels," which describes research performed in the Union College Aerogel Lab and directed by Carroll and Anderson. The posters presented by Isabella Demyan '21, on "Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Schiff Base Transition Metal Complexes," and by Jason Marmorstein '21, on "Influence of Ligand Backbone and Solvent on Product Distribution of Cu(II) Sales with Imine Based Ligands," describe projects performed under the direction of Laurie Tyler, professor of chemistry, in collaboration with Kristin Fox, the Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Physical Sciences, and Professor Joseph Tanski of Vassar College. All of these presentations remain accessible to conference attendees on-demand through April 30.
An article by D. Catherine Walker, assistant professor of psychology, and Nathalie Gullo ’21 was published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports. “Increased videoconferencing after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders increased depression and anxiety but did not impact appearance satisfaction or binge eating” is available to read here.
A book by Cigdem Cidam, associate professor of political science, was just released by Oxford University Press. A summary of “In the Street: Democratic Action, Theatricality, and Political Friendship” is available here.
A new composition by Christopher Chandler, assistant professor of music, was recently premiered by the [Switch~ Ensemble], a contemporary music group that focuses on music involving technology, during a featured concert at the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States National Conference.
