Month: September 2021

Chemistry Alumnus Jessica Garcia Awarded Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship

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Jessica Garcia, a 2021 graduate of the BA/MA program in Chemistry, was recently awarded a fellowship through the University of North Carolina. The Eastman Chemical Company Fellowship program is a newly established award bestowed to first year graduate students at UNC for their committed effort to enhance the departmental mission to create a diverse and inclusive community. Sponsored by the Eastman Chemical Company, Eastman Fellows receive a stipend that supports the continuation of their contributions to the Carolina Chemistry community.  Jessica is among six students who were awarded this prestigious fellowship. Join us in congratulating her on this momentous achievement!

Personick Wins Silver (and more) at USRowing Masters National Championships

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Dr. Personick & teammates

From August 12-15th, Prof. Personick competed at the USRowing Masters National Championships on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The weather was hot, but the water was flat and cold—perfect for racing and keeping cool. Her team, Riverfront Recapture, won medals in 46 events – 24 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze – a team record. After a fog delay each morning, Prof. Personick raced to win one silver medal (women’s open B four with coxswain*) and three bronze medals (women’s club A four with coxswain, mixed AA four with coxswain, and mixed B eight). She also finished fourth in the women’s open A four with coxswain and fifth in the women’s open A single sculls.

All of these finishes contributed points to Riverfront’s success in the team points competitions. The team won the men’s points trophy and finished second for club points, third for overall points (out of 112 teams), and second for the efficiency competition (points per athlete). Overall, it was a great success, and the team is now looking forward to the fall racing season!


Dr. Personick & teammates


Dr. Personick 


Medals & Hat


Dr. Personick’s team 


Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee


Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Results: https://herenow.com/results/#/races

Pictures: https://www.row2k.com/gallery/index.cfm?year=2021&category=Masters%20Nationals

* Letters indicate the average age of the crew: AA = 21-26, A = 27-35, B = 36-42

Dr. Benjamin Elling Joins the Chemistry Department

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The Chemistry Department is delighted to welcome Dr. Benjamin Elling as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. His recently renovated lab, in the space formerly occupied by Albert J. Fry, will investigate new methods to synthesize and reprocess polymers. This semester he will be teaching CHEM 373, an upper-level course on polymer chemistry.

Professor Elling received his BA in chemistry from Cornell University, where he synthesized polymers for anion exchange membranes in the lab of Geoff Coates. He then attended Stanford University, where he became the first PhD student of Yan Xia and developed methods for sequence-specific polymerization via the ring-opening metathesis of substituted cyclopropenes. Prior to his appointment at Wesleyan, Professor Elling was a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Professor Will Dichtel, where he designed new covalent adaptable networks and investigated strategies for mixed plastic compatibilization.

Here at Wesleyan, Professor Elling will combine his interests in synthetic methods development and sustainability. His lab will focus on leveraging strain energy to create polymers capable of controlled degradation, reprocessing thermosets through novel exchange chemistries, and incorporating renewable building blocks such as carbon dioxide into materials. The Chemistry Department is very pleased to have him join us.