Related Sites

Alum Success

Rachael graduated from Novi High School in Novi, Michigan. Rachael completed their senior research project by developing a method of detecting blastomyces dermatitidis in soil using PCR. This study lays the foundation for further studying blastomyces dermatitidis in soil samples from endemic regions in northern Michigan. Rachael is a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society. Rachael recently was selected to go to MSU to train in qPCR techniques and assisted in their cow bacteroides project. Rachael plans to attend graduate school in the future to study biochemistry.

Rachael Cunningham
2010 Outstanding Graduate
Forensic Chemistry

Chemistry

Senior Projects

Undergraduate Research

Lake Superior State University students have demonstrated once again that they can be formidable competitors among their peers when it comes to research. Recently, three LSSU chemistry students received top awards in the undergraduate part of a competition that examined student research in their field.

Anna Kerr, a senior from Harrison, poses with a poster that details research she performed as part of the requirements for her bachelor's degree.

"Our students received the top awards in the undergraduate competition," said Prof. Barbara Keller Ph.D., chair of the department of chemistry and environmental science. "They really did an outstanding job and seemed to surprise the competition."

Titles of a few of the senior research projects include:

Heavy Metals Analysis of St. Marys Rivers Sediments, Emily Grenfell
Evaluating Discharge of Flowing Artesian Wells within the Munuscong Watershed, Kris Dorcy
Oxidizing Arsenite to Arsenate Using UV Light, Andrea Troschinetz
Unsupervised Classification of Satellite Date as an Aid to Natural Community Classification in Southeastern Massachusetts, Derek Martin
Gas Well Installation Effects on Forest Fragmentation Near Atlanta, Michigan, Greg Hochstetler

"The equipment available to students in our chemistry department is unparalleled in the state of Michigan. Here, undergraduate students get to use the equipment…They don't have to compete with research assistants as they would in other universities."

--Barbara Keller
Dean
College of Natural, Mathematical and Health Sciences

Student researchers collecting sediment cores on the St. Marys River.

Determining Phthalate Concentra- tions in Children’s Toys by Gas Chromato- graphy Mass Spectro- metry

Kaitlin Hykel

The majority of plastic toys produced in today’s society come from foreign countries, with China being one of the leading manufacturers. Plastic is composed of various synthetic organic compounds such as phthalates, but they can impose serious health effects especially to young children. As a result, regulations have been put in place to monitor the use of these harmful compounds. This study focuses on the extraction of phthalates from children’s toys to determine whether the concentrations are within the range of regulated phthalate use.

Share this page with your friends: