Student Activities – Department of Chemistry
Chemistry Club
The Benedictine College Chemistry & Biochemistry Club (the “Chem Club”) is a student chapter of the American Chemical Society. The student members get together to share their interest in chemistry with each other and the local community and have a whole lot of fun! For more information, contact Dr. Blaustein, faculty advisor.
Discovery Day
Discovery Day is a day in April devoted to showcasing research and performance projects of Benedictine College students. Many of our chemistry students actively participate in the Discovery Program. Below is a list of chemistry/biochemistry projects that were presented during Discovery Day in recent years.
Discovery Day 2019
| Title | Student Researchers |
| Helping Farmers and Astronauts: A Study on Manipulating Iron Concentration in Soil to Allow Better Crop Growth in Adverse Conditions and Enhance Crop Quality | Elizabeth Ciskanik |
| Genera Index of Native Bees of the Benedictine Bottoms and Investigation of Neonicotinoid Insecticides | Rori Richardson, Katherine Boord, Katherine McLaughlin |
| Magic Metals: Harnessing the Shape Shifting Power of Nitinol | Conrad Hoover |
Discovery Day 2018
| Title | Student Researchers |
| A Computational Investigation of the Properties of N-Rich Salts of 2-Methyl-5-Nitraminotetrazole | Joseph Barnes |
| Burnable Disc/ Alternative Fuel Source | Matthew Branch, William Giesen, Michael Baltuska, George Emrich, Isaac Meyer, Joseph Marak, Karina Scheller |
| Exploration of Nickel Complexes for the Catalytic Production of Acetaldehyde From Ethanol | Michael Salemi, John Waters, Natalie Smaron |
Discovery Day 2017
| Title | Student Researchers |
| Development of an Enzymatically Coupled Chromogenic Bile Salt Hydrolase Assay | Rachel Hernandez, Karol Arensberg |
| Preliminary Investigations Into Phosphorescent Chromophores in Organic Photovoltaic Cells | Anastasia Kastl, Joshua Caasi, Michael Salemi |
| Renewable Polymers | Jacob Martin, Matthew Corbett |
| An Interactive Demonstration of How Nanoparticles Behave in a Liquid | Andrew Miller |
| Progress Towards an All-natural Disinfectant to Reduce Foodborne Illnesses | Nathaniel Stacy, Fiona Fitzgerald |