Chemistry Department News

Alumna Featured on Millikin's Homepage

Sarah Stopek-Hirsch ('97) is the owner and president of Sublime Promotions, a promotional merchandise company located in Chicago which she started in 2004. Read more about Sarah here.

Faculty Member Receives Award

Associate professor George Bennett was named one of the inaugural recipients of a Millikin University Research and Artistic Achievement Award. The award includes a $1,000 research stipend.

Faculty Member has Paper Published

Associate professor George Bennett's paper, "A Comparison of Green Chemistry to the Environmental Ethics of the Abrahamic Religions" was published in the March 2008 issue of Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith.

Department Awarded Pittcon Grant

The Department was awarded a 2008 Pittsburgh Conference National Memorial College Grant in the amount of $10,000. In combination with university and department funding, this grant will go toward the purchase of a new FTIR spectrophotometer with Near IR scanning capability.

Presentations at the 1st Millikin Interdisciplinary Faculty Conference

Faculty members Ed Acheson and George Bennett both gave presentations at the first annual Millikin Interdisciplinary Faculty Conference on February 16, 2008. Professor Acheson presented on his experience using the Gutenberg teaching method in his general chemistry course. Professor Bennett presented the results of his sabbatical research into the relationship between green chemistry and the environmental ethics of the Abrahamic religions.

Presentations at the 235th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society

Seniors Keith Kunz and Andy Dunn presented their research posters accepted for presentation at the 235th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. Keith worked with Dr. Ed Acheson on an HPLC method to detect progesterone in local water samples. Andy worked with Dr. Anne Rammelsberg on using gold nanoparticles to detect DNA in impure solutions. Their poster symposium was held on April 7, 2008.

Chemistry Intern Sells First Product Line

Senior chemistry major Courtney Goodwin sold the first commercial product line (two protein standards derived from soy) for EPL Bio Analytical Services in nearby Harristown during his recent internship with the company. Read about Courtney's success by clicking here.

Top Dogs

The Macon County Animal Shelter Foundation recognized both Millikin University President Doug Zemke and Dr. Anne Rammelsberg, Associate Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department, as "Top Dog Award" recipients for the large number of volunteer hours Millikin students put in at the Macon County Animal Care and Control Center and the positive impact they have on adoptions.  Plaques were given on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at the Whiskers and Tails Banquet held in lower RTUC on the university campus.

Homecoming 2007

The student chapter of the ACS brought back Dr. Stephen Hippler, M.D. ('80), currently Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois-Peoria, Director for the Center for Clinical Research for the OSF Medical Group, and Director for Wellness Services at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, for the 5th Annual ACS Alumni Lecture. Dr. Hippler's presentation was at 3:00 p.m. in 001 LTSC on Friday, October 5. The event was supported in part by a grant from the Decatur-Springfield Local Section of the ACS.

ACS Chapter wins awards

The American Chemical Society announced Student Affiliate Chapter Awards on September 19. The Millikin chapter received an Honorable Mention Chapter Award as well as a Green Chapter Award for its activities during the 2006-2007 academic year. Both awards will be presented at the spring ACS national meeting in New Orleans in April 2008.

Ron Sleeter, class of 1964, named one of first two research fellows by ADM.

Ron was named for his contributions related to high fructorse corn syrup, ethanol production, analytical methodology, and research on vegetable oils. The ADM news release can be found here.

Chemistry at Millikin is approved by the
Committee on Professional Training
of the American Chemical Society.