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Chemistry Majors Elected to Phi Beta Kappa

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Spring 2023 elections to Wesleyan’s Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa have been announced, and it is with great pleasure that we recognize
Kelly Ann Fenton-Samuels and Minh Chau Rachel Nguyen.
To be elected, a student must first have been nominated by the department of their major. The student also must have demonstrated curricular breadth by having met the General Education Expectations and must have achieved a GPA of 93 or above.

The emblem contains the three Greek letters “Phi,” “Beta,” and “Kappa,” which are the initials of the Greek motto, Philosophia Biou Kybernetes, or “the love of wisdom is the guide of life.”

Kelly Ann Fenton-Samuels, 2023
Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences

Minh Chau Rachel Nguyen, 2023
Chemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

Induction will take place on May 27, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel

Prof. Giselle Reyes Highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN)

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Professor Reyes’ team at Pfizer was recently awarded the ACS Award for Team Innovation. In reflecting on her scientific hero, Giselle recalls Al Fry and his impact on her life and career.

Giselle P. Reyes


Current position: Scientist, Pfizer
Education: BA and MA, chemistry, Wesleyan
University
Reyes on her scientific hero: “My scientific hero is my principal investigator from Wesleyan, Albert J. Fry. I discovered my passion for research and desire to pursue a career in industry while working in his lab. He inspired me to face challenges life throws at me with humor, grit, and grace. He was my biggest advocate in the beginning of my career, and I would not be the scientist or person that I am today without him.”

Prof. Giselle Reyes Wins ACS 2023 National Award

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Professor Giselle Reye’s team at Pfizer has been named the 2023 recipient of a 2023 American Chemical Society Award. Recipients will be honored at the awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in conjunction with the ACS Spring 2023 meeting in Indianapolis. 

ACS Award for Team Innovation, sponsored by ACS Corporation Associates, Sean O. Bowser, Adam R. Brown, Nga Do, Shane Eisenbeis, Aran K. Hubbell, Ruizhi “Richard” Li, Matthew M. Marchewka, Ryan S. O’Neill, Giselle P. Reyes, Frank Riley, Philipp Roosen, John F. Sagal, Omar A. Salman, Karen Sutherland, Qi “Tony” Yan, Ming Zeng, Pfizer

Professor Giselle Reyes

Please join us in congratulating Professor Reyes on this momentous achievement!

https://cen.acs.org/people/awards/ACS-2023-National-Award-winners/100/i32

Endowed Chair Appointment

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It is our pleasure to announce that, in recognition of his career achievements, Dr. Michael Calter has been appointed to the endowed Beach Professorship of Chemistry, established in 1880.

Headshot of Dr. Michael Calter wearing a blue shirt in his office.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Calter!

Michael A. Calter received his BS from University of Vermont and his PhD from Harvard University. His work is in synthetic organic chemistry, for which he has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research has been published in the top organic chemistry journals, and he serves as referee, reviewer, and panel member for several journals and funding agencies including Journal of the American Chemical Society and Journal of Organic Chemistry. He has consistently achieved teaching excellence in the sophomore-level organic chemistry sequence and he received the 2015 Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

Commencement 2022

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Graduates toss their caps into the air at the 190th Commencement

Twenty four degrees in Chemistry were awarded on May 22nd at the 190th Commencement. Join us in congratulating our new alumni!

Ph.D.
Andrea Gar Ting Lee
Sean Patrick McDarby
Jozafina Milicaj

M.A.
Giana Marie Argento
Akossiwa Brynn Assignon
Lucan Dresden Mani

B.A.
Colleen Michelle Carrigan
Oliver Cho
Anissa Tamilla Findley
Anna Pienza Friedman
Corin Louise Grady
Caitlin Eileen Grant
Mitchell Reuben Green
Sterre Nadine Hesseling
Nadiya Jaunbocus
Dylan Robert Judd
Mia Sunae Kim
Julia Lynnn Slamin Lanfear
Nabiha Syed
Dylan Robert Sylvester
Sally Landon Mossman Tepper
Mohammed Arfat Ullah
Annika Bo Velez
Sophie May Wazlowski

Class of 2020 In-Person Commencement

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Graduates from the Class of 2020 finally convened for an in-person commencement celebration on Sunday, June 5th. These alumni reunited after being separated at the end of their Wesleyan careers due to the global pandemic. Join us in celebrating the Class of 2020!

Graduates toss their caps into the air at the 188th Commencement

Ph.D.
Melissa Elizabeth King
Yoana Throssell

B.A.

Anik Macy Bernstein
Yin-Tung Chen
Daniel JongHwa Chung
Calvin Robert Coffey
Joshua Crane
May Do
Alexandra Nicole Goss
Liam Nathan Isaacs
Alexander James Kapphahn
Miranda Lillie Nestor
Dillon James Noone
Josephine Margaret Russ
Anastasia C. Saar
Iman Iqbal Sigman
Rochelle Barrie Spencer
Katherine Hanson Sundberg
Sydney Maya Taylor-Klaus
Aryan K. Vavila
Claire Jing Jing Wang
Sonja Maria Welch
Jaina Sarris Wollowitz

Rewatch the 2020 Commencement

 

Chemistry Majors Elected to Phi Beta Kappa

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Spring 2022 elections to Wesleyan’s Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa have been announced, and it is with great pleasure that we recognize

Dylan Robert Judd and Mia Sunae Kim.

To be elected, a student must first have been nominated by the department of their major. The student also must have demonstrated curricular breadth by having met the General Education Expectations and must have achieved a GPA of 93 or above.

The emblem contains the three Greek letters “Phi,” “Beta,” and “Kappa,” which are the initials of the Greek motto, Philosophia Biou Kybernetes, or “the love of wisdom is the guide of life.”


Dylan Robert Judd, 2022
Chemistry, Environmental Sciences


Mia Sunae Kim, 2022
Chemistry

Induction will take place on May 21, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel.

PhD Celebration – Dr. Sean McDarby & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj

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The Chemistry Department gathered at the beginning of the month to celebrate two of our graduate students who completed their PhD defenses this semester – Dr. Sean McDarby and Dr. Jozafina Milicaj.


Boston Cream Cake for Sean McDarby


Dr. Michelle Personick delivers a few remarks


Dr. Jozafina Milicaj pops a bottle of champagne 


Dr. Jozafina Milicaj & Dr. Sean McDarby


Dr. Erika Taylor & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj 


Tiramisu Cake for Jozafina Milicaj


Dr. Erika Taylor & Dr. Jozafina Milicaj 

Sean McDarby Receives PhD

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Dr. Sean McDarby

Dr. Sean McDarby recently defended his Ph.D and thesis entitled, “Synthesis and Measurement of Noble Metal Nanoparticles with Well Defined Shapes by Electrochemical and Electroless Approaches.” Sean started at Wesleyan University in 2015 after completing his BS in Chemistry at Southern Connecticut State University where he conducted research under Dr. Gerald Lesley. His undergraduate research focused on the synthesis of novel MOF precursors involving the manipulation of air-free inorganic pathways. Upon starting at Wesleyan University, Sean joined the research lab of Dr. Michelle Personick and began a project to develop a new method to electrochemically synthesize shaped noble metal nanoparticles. The project was quickly successful, and the method was transitioned into a cyclical tool to create shaped nanoparticles by collecting electrochemical data about any particle growth reaction and translate that to either an electrochemical or colloidal approach. Further work involved the creation of novel shaped nanoparticles, mostly with palladium in both systems. Having completed his degree at Wesleyan, Sean will be starting his career as a federal contractor for Universities Space Research Association at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio where he is joining the Microgravity Sciences division and is focusing on the production and applications of boron nitride for space and aeronautics.