Chemistry News and Events
First Annual Cape Breton University RACE Reaches Finish Line
Cape Breton University’s Research Awareness in Chemistry Education (RACE) program concludes its final rotation during National Chemistry Week, October 18-25. RACE is an innovative five week program to expose first year science students to chemistry research conducted at CBU. Over the course of the program, each week teams of two or three students performed experiments under the supervision of a CBU professor. The experiments were conducted in various fields of chemistry research including analytical chemistry, computational chemistry, petrochemistry, physical chemistry and synthetic chemistry.
The unique program offers first year students hands on experience comparable to graduate studies. The students operated state-of-the-art research equipment such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, infrared spectrometer and high-performance computers. This program highlights the exceptional research education undergraduate students receive at CBU. In the summer of 2008, a total of 24 undergraduate students worked full-time as research assistants with six professors in the Department of Chemistry. It is expected that some of the RACErs will build upon their experiences in 2009 as new members in these diverse chemistry research groups.
“The RACE program provides an excellent opportunity to first year science students at CBU to experience chemistry research rather than reading about it in a textbook,” says Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel, RACE program coordinator and chemistry professor at CBU. “The RACE program raises awareness of the chemistry research and helps to convey the exciting research we are conducting here in Cape Breton.”
“I cannot put a value on the hands on experience I received over the last five weeks,” says Mary Tait, a first year science student at CBU. “The RACE program would be beneficial to any student who participates. I think this program will set me apart especially since the projects were directly applicable to my first year chemistry courses. It has been an awesome experience!”
CBU faculty members involved in the program were Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel, Dr. Dale Keefe, Dr. Jaime Martell, Dr. Adango Miadonye and Dr. Paula Michalik.
New scholarships to honor retiring faculty members
Dr. David Sneddon joined Cape Breton University on July 1, 1976. An associate professor, Sneddon obtained his PhD in organic chemistry from Glasgow University. Also an associate professor, Dr. Paula Michalik, who has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Dalhousie University, joined CBU on August 2, 1982.
“During their careers at CBU, both Dr. Michalik and Dr. Sneddon have served the university in many capacities ranging from numerous departmental committees, department chair and members of Academic Council and the Board of Governors,” says Dale Keefe, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Spectroscopy and chair of the award fundraising committee.
“Despite their enormous service contributions to the University, they have always maintained teaching as their top priority and strived to ensure that their students receive the best education possible. It is through their guidance and direction that the Department of Chemistry has developed into a strong academic leader. This scholarship, while reflecting our past, also looks to our future and in particular the future successes of our students.”
Two scholarships will be awarded each year - one to a student majoring in chemistry entering 3rd year and one to a student majoring in chemistry entering 4th year. Individuals wishing to donate to the scholarship can contact Dr. Dale Keefe (dale_keefe@cbu.ca) or Crystal Aboud-Mahar (crystal_aboud-mahar@cbu.ca)
High School Teacher PD Day a Resounding Success
The Department of Chemistry hosted a 1-day professional development day for chemistry high-school teachers on February 3rd 2009. The course organizers, Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel and Dr. Dale Keefe, introduced five local high-school teachers to modern spectroscopic methods and computational models.
In a small group setting, the participants learned to analyze and operate new, state-of-the-art research equipment such as 400 MHz NMR spectrometer, FT-IR spectrometer and FT-Raman spectrometer in a hands-on fashion. The participating teachers were Laura Curry (Memorial High School), Bruce Dalzell (Sydney Academy), Ron MacIntosh (Glace Bay High School), Kelly MacNeil (Breton Education Centre)and Jennifer Moss (Riverview Rural High School).
