Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Chemistry Professors Receive NSF Award to Explore Lower-Energy Light

Posted on: August 25th, 2020 by nhammer

Research could lead to better-performing electronic devices, new applications

UM graduate students Austin Dorris (left) and Leigh Anna Hunt operate a spectrometer in Nathan Hammer’s laboratory in Coulter Hall. Photo by Nathan Hammer/UM Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

 

Two University of Mississippi Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry professors have received a more-than-$500,000 National Science Foundation award to further explore using lower-energy light to drive systems that will improve daily life.

With hundreds of devices working by absorbing light and then using that energy, instruments that could be improved by the professors’ research include solar cells, solar-charging batteries, night vision technologies, infrared cameras and optical telecommunications.

The two professors are Jared Delcamp, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Nathan Hammer, Margaret McLean Coulter Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“It is an honor to be entrusted with federal funding,” said Delcamp, who joined the faculty in 2013. “We’re well-suited to take on this project, and it could have very important outcomes that benefit a wide range of fields and society as a whole.

“It is exciting to think about starting the project. This is something we have been building toward since my arrival at Ole Miss seven years ago, and it is really at the heart of what we knew we wanted to study then. Incredibly, that time is finally now.”

The $550,000 award will fund interdisciplinary research at UM that will use a diverse range of chemistry fields that university faculty explore, including organic, inorganic, materials and physical chemistry.

Nathan Hammer, the Margaret McLean Coulter Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

 

“This work builds upon our recent strong collaboration the past few years and should shed much light on fundamental charge transfer processes important to developing batteries, other energy storage media and energy harvesting devices,” Hammer said.

In nature, green plants and other organisms use photosynthesis to convert lower-energy light into other energy forms. The professors hope their research will lead to a better understanding of this process to help enhance artificial systems to improve a range of devices.

“Currently, our understanding in science is limited to higher-energy light, where a lot of the energy can be wasted while achieving a functioning system,” Delcamp said.

“Our primary objective is to design organic molecules that can split charges after absorbing light at an inorganic surface. These systems are incredibly robust in many cases, and the use of organic molecules lets the system be broadly tunable with respect to the light energy used.

“We have an array of technical strategies we have proposed to accomplish this, but really it is all about using the currently unusable energies to drive important processes.”

While transforming lower-energy light into fuel is fundamental in nature, a better-designed artificial photosynthetic system could change the way we interact with the world, Delcamp said.

Jared Delcamp, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

 

“It is not outlandish to imagine a world where your car’s exhaust is as valuable as the gasoline you currently put in it,” he said. “Or, a pair of glasses could be used to make the world around us appear as visually vibrant at night as it does during the day.

“Electric bills could be dramatically lowered. Energy could become more easily stored. This work is at the center of all of these areas and could unlock much better versions of all of these things.”

Beyond the research, the team will use the award to conduct outreach activities with the general public and several student groups representing a broad population of campus. The goal of the outreach programs will be to encourage science, technology, engineering and mathematics involvement from a diverse student body.

The professors also plan to hold a yearly summer research program that will bring STEM students onto the Ole Miss campus to conduct independent research related to the award.

Delcamp and Hammer, who joined the UM faculty in 2007, have been working in this line of research together for seven years, and each professor’s exploration goes back years before they met. Both professors have received prestigious National Science Foundation Career Awards (Hammer in 2010; Delcamp in 2015), along with other funding from additional sources, including the Department of Energy and NASA.

“The National Science Foundation has made a considerable investment in their research because it recognizes the importance and significance of this work,” said Greg Tschumper, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry. “This science has the potential to make a positive impact on our daily lives.

“The funding from NSF also provides opportunities for students from Mississippi and the region to gain valuable research experience in the labs of Dr. Delcamp and Dr. Hammer.”

Titled “Photoinduced Interfacial Charge Transfers with Organic Sensitizers Using Low Energy Photons and Fundamental Physical Organic Design Concepts,” the NSF award, No. 1954922, is for three years.

Click Here for the original story on August 24, 2020 by .

Chemistry Graduate Wins National Portz Scholarship for the Second Year in a Row

Posted on: August 20th, 2020 by nhammer

Genevieve Verville

A 2020 graduate of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi has been awarded a prestigious scholarship from the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Genevieve Verville, a May 2020 B.S. Chemistry graduate with minors in mathematics, biological sciences and psychology, has been named a 2020 NCHC Portz Scholar. The Montgomery, Alabama, native is one of four recipients nationwide and will present her honors thesis during the NCHC virtual conference, set for Nov. 4-8.

“I was thrilled to learn that other people outside of the University of Mississippi are interested in my research and I am excited to learn about the other Portz scholars’ research,” Verville said. “The general public would be interested in my research because the phenomenon known as the hydrophobic effect has many implications in developing new treatments for disease and in drug design and effectiveness.”

Dean Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez said Verville’s achievement reflects well on the college.

“We nominated Genevieve’s thesis over those of her 343 peers in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College given its depth and breadth,” he said. “The National Collegiate Honors Council chose three top theses, including Genevieve’s, over all the nominations submitted by the nation’s honors colleges and programs.

“Once again, our SMBHC scholars distinguish themselves not only on campus but in the nation with their scholastic commitment and pursuit of knowledge and understanding.”

The focus of Verville’s thesis was three organic molecules – called osmolytes – that are important to proteins. These molecules are trimethylamine N-oxide, known as TMAO; guanidinium; and urea.

Osmolytes play crucial roles in protecting cells against environmental stressors that can negatively affect them.

“The exact mechanisms by which TMAO stabilizes and both guanidinium and urea destabilize folded proteins and interact with each is still a mystery,” Verville said. “We used a technique called Raman spectroscopy to explore the interactions between the molecules of interest in water to better understand how they interact with each other and affect the adjacent networks of water.”

Beginning this fall, Verville plans to spend the next two years working as a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Following completion of her fellowship, she hopes to apply to doctoral programs to continue her education and research.

Nathan Hammer, the university’s Margaret McLean Coulter Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, served as adviser for Verville’s honors thesis.

“Genevieve is one of the finest honors students I have known in my 13-year tenure at Ole Miss,” said Hammer, who first met Verville when she enrolled in his lab as a freshman. “She first appeared as second author on a published paper that was featured on a journal cover in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B.”

Verville’s co-authorship on that first publication with Hammer stemmed from her taking over a project that involved studying TMAO’s interactions with urea and her making critical contributions that ensured its completion and success, Hammer said.

“At an early age, she (Verville) was operating on the level of a graduate student,” he said.

Verville’s thesis research is the basis of an upcoming article in the Journal of Raman Spectrometry on which she is first author. Hammer noted in his nomination letter for the Portz that “She developed her research plan on her own and I had complete confidence that she would succeed in seeing it through to a successful end.”

Verville said she thinks her thesis, titled “Raman Spectroscopic and Quantum Chemical Investigation of the Effects of Tri-Methylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) on Hydrated Urea, Hydrated Guanidinium, and Hydrogen Bonded Networks,” will be of interest to the other researchers because the nature of the interactions between the osmolytes continue to be debated.

The 55th annual NCHC conference was scheduled to be held in Dallas but was switched to a virtual format because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the second year in a row that a graduate from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has won this national award.  Kennedy Dickson, a 2019 Forensic Chemistry graduate, won the 2019 contest.

For more about the 2020 NHCH Portz Scholars, visit https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/portz-scholars.

Chemistry Faculty Connect Students and Industry Leaders through virtual StudyUSA program

Posted on: July 29th, 2020 by nhammer
Zoom Meeting with Delbert Hosemann
By Pam Starling News 7/23/20 (Click Here for the original story)

PHOTO: Last month, UM students (above) participated in a round-table discussion with Mississippi Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (center photo) concerning the state’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The students were taking part in numerous online forums with local, state, national, and international leaders and researchers as part of the UM StudyUSA course Chemistry 393: Science and Public Policy. 

OXFORD, Miss. – When Washington, D.C., became a COVID-19 hotspot late this spring, University of Mississippi chemistry professor Randy Wadkins decided to reimagine how he could safely facilitate engaging conversations among students, government leaders and scientists around the world during one of the most significant time periods for both science and public policy – a worldwide pandemic.

Wadkins’ Chem 393: Science and Public Policy class was originally planned as a StudyUSA course for the university’s first summer session. Students were to spend the first few weeks in class in Oxford diving into the issues and then the next week-and-a-half in Washington and Baltimore, hearing from government and health care leaders.

“The goal of the class was to help students learn more about how society and science are intertwined, but little did I know when I proposed the class last fall how even more critical this discussion would become in just a few short months,” Wadkins said.

The class was scheduled to fly to D.C. to visit congressmen and leaders at the White House, and also visit Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Due to the outbreak, travel and on-campus classes were cancelled.

“At first, I wasn’t sure if the Zoom class would work with all of our speakers and if we could still have the same quality of discussions that we were planning in our original site visits, but it worked out better than I could have imagined,” he said.

“We would never have had the opportunity to speak with leaders from Vietnam, Australia, Mississippi and D.C. all within two weeks. Since most of the speakers were at home and social distancing, they were available and willing to speak with the students.”

During these exclusive Zoom conferences, Ole Miss students were able to hear from a variety of speakers about their institution’s or government branch’s responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

Speakers included Michael Schmoyer, from the Office of Science and Technology at the White House; Paul Roepe, co-director for infectious disease at Georgetown University Center; U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.; Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hoseman; and Lynn Spruill, Jason Shelton and Robyn Tannehill, mayors of Starkville, Tupelo and Oxford, respectively.

International speakers included Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, director of Children’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Frances Separovic, president-elect of the Biophysical Society, from Melbourne, Australia.

Faculty members who want to find out more about how to offer similar opportunities to students in an upcoming term are invited to an online information session offered by the Ole Miss StudyUSA program at 2 p.m. Thursday (July 30).

Interested parties can email studyusa@olemiss.edu to get a Zoom link.

During the session, participants will learn more about the numerous services offered by the StudyUSA office for faculty members who are interested including resources for marketing courses, Blackboard and technical support, scholarships to offset costs for students, course development support, flexible course enrollments and more.

Brittany Ferguson, a senior forensic chemistry major from Augusta, Georgia, said she originally signed up for Wadkins’ StudyUSA course because she thought the subject material was a great fit for her major, as well as for her minor in legal studies.

“I wanted to learn more about how to apply what I’m learning in the classroom into my future profession,” Ferguson said.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but when I saw the speaker lineup, I was excited to hear from these great leaders and experts from all over the world. It was a great way to compare COVID-19 stabilization and eradication tactics taken from a variety of viewpoints and regions.”

Ferguson said a speaker who particularly stood out for her was Ashani Weeraratna, chair of biochemistry and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“She talked about what problems might arise at the end of the coronavirus surge,” Ferguson said. “She also talked about her experiences as a female in a STEM career and some of the challenges she had to overcome.”

Some of Ferguson’s friends have since tested positive for coronavirus, and she feels that her participation in the class helped her to make more informed decisions about her own health.

“This was one of my more impactful classes during my time at UM, even though it was different than what I anticipated,” she said. “I feel like I now know more about the science behind this epidemic, and I can use my voice to help others.”

Jody Holland, assistant professor of public policy leadership, planned a course for May intersession that would introduce students to the emerging field of social entrepreneurship and innovation while providing an opportunity for them to learn more from leaders in this field.

His PPL 491: Leadership and Social Innovation class was slated to head to Portland, Oregon, to attend the annual Momentum Summit, a conference for mission-driven CEOs and leaders from around the country. The conference moved to an online format after the pandemic reached the U.S.

“Because the conference moved online, the access that our students had to these major leaders was unprecedented,” Holland said.

“It can be very difficult to have a one-on-one conversation with busy CEOs from national foundations and centers during a large conference, but our students had the opportunity to participate in small online break-out sessions. Leaders from were more than willing to answer their questions and participate in powerful discussions with our students.”

Students were able to build relationships and hear more in-depth discussion of problems and solutions these different organizations were experiencing, Holland said.

“When these CEOs learned that students were a part of the discussions, they really took on mentoring roles,” he said. “They shared with students more about how they working through the process at the beginning of COVID-19.

“Having face-to-face access to speakers at a large conference was a big win for this class.”

This new morphing of the StudyUSA program will bring numerous opportunities for students and faculty members in the coming months, said Laura Antonow, director of college programs in the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education.

“I’m really optimistic about this model,” she said. “I think virtual StudyUSA can be an important component of the program regardless of the COVID situation.”

By Pam Starling

Department Welcomes Prof. Eden Tanner

Posted on: July 27th, 2020 by nhammer

Dr. Eden Tanner will join the Department in July, 2020

Dr. Eden Tanner joined the University of Mississippi Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry on July 1st.  Dr. Tanner received her Bachelor of Advanced Science from The University of New South Wales, Australia in 2012 and he Doctor of Philosophy in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom in 2016 under the direction of Prof. Richard G. Compton.  She then served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University working with Prof. Samir Mitragotri in the School of Engineering and Applied Science before joining the faculty at UM.  Her group will use a physical chemistry toolkit to solve biomedical and bioengineering problems, particularly using ionic liquids and nanomaterials.

The Tanner lab will seek to solve outstanding bioengineering research questions using a chemistry framework, where an understanding of the molecular interactions within the delivery system allows the development of predictive frameworks and task-specific solvent design.  Ionic liquids, consisting of a bulky, asymmetric cation and an anion, have attracted significant interest in a broad range of applications, including catalysis and energy applications, due to their favorable properties, including non-volatility, recyclability, and their inherent tuneability whereby the anion and cation can be altered to change the physicochemical properties of the material.  By synthesizing the ionic liquids with biocompatible or bioinspired starting materials, they can be employed in biological contexts. Because changing the structure of the ionic components results in changes to their their biologically relevant properties, including interactions with bio-interfaces, biomolecules and pharmaceutical ingredients, they can be tuned to solve a variety of problems.  Nanoparticles have been touted as ideal drug delivery systems due to their ability to deliver drugs in a more effective, safe, and specific way compared to traditional therapeutics, particularly in the context of administering chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, to treat cancer. However, the vast majority of nanoparticle technologies do not progress clinically as they face a number of currently insurmountable challenges, which result in <5 % arriving to the intended destination.

RESEARCH GROUP WEBSITE

http://edentanner.com

 

BS Chemistry Graduate Named Intern of the Year at UMMC

Posted on: July 8th, 2020 by nhammer

Dr. Peyton Reeves Treutel (B.S. Chemistry, 2015)

Dr. Peyton Reeves Treutel (B.S. Chemistry 2015) was recently recognized at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as the Intern of the Year.  Peyton was an Honors student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.  Her research involved the Raman Spectroscopic and Computational Study of the Effects of Halogen Bonding on Pyrimidine Containing Systems with Profs. Hammer, Watkins, and Tschumper.

Click here to return to the main Chemistry News page.

 

Congratulations to Faculty With Recent Cover Articles!

Posted on: July 8th, 2020 by nhammer

Congratulations to our Faculty Members who have had their research recently featured on Journal Covers.

Delcamp Group

 

Fortenberry Group

 

Delcamp and Hammer Groups

 

Delcamp, Hammer, and Tschumper Groups

 

Delcamp Group

 

Fortenberry Group

 

Tschumper Group

 

Equity and Inclusion in the Chemical Sciences Requires Actions not Just Words

Posted on: July 2nd, 2020 by nhammer

The following joint Editorial by Melanie S. Sanford (University of Michigan Department of Chemistry) was recently published in ACS Central Science (DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00784) and The Journal of the American Chemical Society (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c06482) and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The chronic effects of institutionalized racism in America have been laid bare in recent weeks by murders caught on film as well as by the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and LatinX people. Against this backdrop, last week Angewandte Chemie published (and then removed) an article entitled, “‘Organic synthesis—Where now?’ is 30 years old. A reflection on the current state of affairs”. It has been heartening to see the near unanimity of the chemistry community in condemning the archaic views about diversity, inclusion, and mentoring as well as the xenophobia expressed in this paper. This condemnation included a statement by Angewandte that “the values expressed in this piece do not reflect our values of fairness, trustworthiness, and social awareness”, denunciations from chemical societies around the world, the resignation of a large portion of the journal’s international advisory board, and an outpouring of criticism on social media.

However, from my perspective it is hard not to feel that some of the same people who are loudly condemning this piece are (at best) not doing enough to combat these systemic problems and (at worst) actively contributing to them. I encourage everyone in the field who has disavowed the views expressed in this article to ask themselves what they are actively doing to address them. Understand that nearly every one of your colleagues who is also a member of an underrepresented group (women, BIPOC) has been told at some point in their career that they only received a position, fellowship, award, or invitation because of their minority status. Maybe you have even said or thought something like this yourself. Or heard someone else say it without speaking up.

At this stage, words and condemnation are not enough. Actions are needed. If you recognize that a more diverse workforce enhances the field of chemistry, here are some examples of things that you can actually do:

1. Actively promote and advocate for women and underrepresented minority students, faculty, and co-workers. Consider this a priority in the same way that you consider it a priority to advocate for yourself and your close friends. For example:

Attend their talks and posters at scientific meetings and actively engage with their science. Talk to them about their scientific work, ask questions, and discuss their results.

Let them know if you liked their recent paper or presentation. An enthusiastic e-mail or phone call can have a tremendous impact at all career stages.

Nominate their work for coverage in press (e.g., for journal highlights, C&E News, Chemistry World, etc.). Women and researchers from underrepresented minority groups are frequently overlooked in press coverage of scientific work. If you see a great talk or read a great paper, let the press know in the same way that you would for your own work.

Nominate them for awards. Do not just assume that they have already been nominated by someone else. Even if they have, your endorsement and support is still meaningful.

Amplify their voices. When they make a point or ask an insightful question in a meeting, explicitly give them credit and repeat their message.

2. Lead by example. If you truly value diversity, work even harder to make sure that your team reflects your values. If you are a faculty member, use seminar visits and conferences to meet and actively recruit talented and diverse scientists to your group and as future faculty colleagues. Follow up and encourage the people that you meet to join your team or department. Proactively advocate within your department for hiring a diverse cohort of graduate students and faculty recruits.

3. Hiring a diverse team/set of colleagues is not enough. Active support and mentoring are crucial for the success of all scientists! Too often, I have heard other professors say that formal mentoring is a waste of time and that truly talented scientists will be successful without it. Scientists from majority groups take for granted the extensive mentorship that they receive from their colleagues just by being “part of the club”. Formal, informal, and meaningful mentoring for everyone is crucial for leveling the playing field and maximizing the success of all of the scientists in your group and department as well as in the chemistry community at large.

4. Speak up when you see or hear discriminatory words/actions or when you hear implicit biases coming into a discussion. Do not rely on members of underrepresented groups to raise these concerns. If they do, listen, support them and amplify their voices.

5. Educate yourself and your co-workers on the scientific literature that shows how systemic and insidious bias is in science. Some valuable resources on both explicit and implicit bias can be found here: https://advance.umich.edu/stride-readings/. Use these data to refute claims that science is purely a meritocracy, that the playing field is inherently equal for everyone, and that scientists are being hired/promoted solely on their merits.

6. For scientific editors (including those of us at ACS publications like the Journal of the American Chemical Society and ACS Central Science): realize that you often play a critical role in propagating inequities in science. Do not be complacent because your journal was not the one that published this specific piece. Carefully consider your procedures and processes with the following questions in mind:

What papers are being triaged, reviewed, and accepted in your journal? For example, what is the representation of women and underrepresented minority authors and reviewers at each stage? In many cases, these data will reveal that your journal and process is not as objective and unbiased as you think. Be transparent about these data and consider ways to fix any inequities that are revealed.

Who is appealing your editorial decisions, and how are you deciding whether to reconsider their manuscripts? In my own Associate Editor office at JACS, senior white male authors are among the most aggressive in appealing negative decisions. This has the potential to play a significant role in whose papers ultimately receive reconsideration and/or appear in a journal.

What articles are you recommending for press coverage? How do you choose which articles to highlight? Are specific authors (or demographics) disproportionately represented in press coverage from your journal?

This list is meant to provide a starting point for all of us as we work to support and promote the careers of diverse members of our community. I know that there are many other good ideas, and I welcome an open and continuing discussion of these moving forward. Again, actions not just words are required to tackle systemic inequities, and we all can and should be doing more. Now is the time to channel this Global outrage to ensure that the chemical sciences benefit from the contributions, talents, and creativity of all humans.

Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS.

Confronting Racism in Chemistry Journals

Posted on: June 26th, 2020 by nhammer

Confronting racism in chemistry journals

Despite good intentions, our community has not done enough to provide an environment for Black chemists to thrive.

In this editorial, ACS Publications’ editors-in-chief and deputy editors acknowledge the deleterious impacts that racism and discrimination have had on scientists from underrepresented communities, especially Black chemists.

Learn about their commitment to taking action towards positive change across all ACS Publications journals, and share your own ideas on how we can do better.

We must examine our roles in enabling entrenched inequalities…and take action.

Read the Editorial

Two Chemistry Professors Receive College of Liberal Arts Research Awards

Posted on: June 1st, 2020 by nhammer

 

Jonah Jurss, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

 

 

This year two Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty members were awarded research awards by the College of Liberal Arts.

The Dr. Mike L. Edmonds New Scholar Research Award is presented annually to untenured, tenure-track professorial rank faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts who are within six years of their initial tenure-track academic appointment and who have demonstrated exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement.  This year’s recipient for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics is Dr. Jonah Jurss.  Candidates must be untenured when nominated. Depending on the quality of the pool of nominees, up to four awards will be available, with one each chosen from the areas of (1) Natural Sciences and Mathematics, (2) Social Sciences, (3) Humanities, and (4) Fine and Performing Arts. The ideal recipients must have significantly enhanced the scholarly reputation of the College and University through exceptional contributions to their disciplines. Individuals may only receive this award one time, but recipients will retain their eligibility for the College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement, which is normally awarded to post-tenure, senior faculty. Each recipient receives a $1,000 cash prize and medal to be presented at the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in May.  Previous Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry recipients include Dr. Davita Watkins (2018) and Dr. Jared Delcamp (2017).

 

 

Amal Dass, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

The Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D. Senior Professor Research Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement is presented annually to tenured faculty members in the College in recognition of sustained exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement at the national/international level while serving as a faculty member at the University of Mississippi. This year’s recipient for the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Mathematics is Dr. Amal Dass.  Depending on the quality of the pool of nominees, two awards will be given, with one each chosen from the areas of (1) Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Mathematics and (2) Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts. The ideal recipients will have achieved scholarly recognition and influence well beyond the University of Mississippi community. Recipients of the award are not eligible to receive the award again. Each recipient is recognized with a $2,000 cash prize and a medal, which will be presented at the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in May. Awardees are invited to be members of the platform party during this ceremony. Previous recipients includes Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty member Dr. Nathan Hammer (2018).

 

Senior Biochemistry Major Honored by the Columns Society

Posted on: May 11th, 2020 by nhammer
Jay Fritts

Jay Fritts

University of Mississippi students have been honored as part of their affiliation with the Columns Society to recognize their commitment to serving the institution.

Members of the Columns Society serve as the official hosts and hostesses for the university, and each year, awards are presented to those members who show exceptional faithfulness and service.

“These students have gone above and beyond their roles in serving the University of Mississippi, and I’m delighted to be able to honor them with these awards,” said Natasha Jeter, assistant vice chancellor for wellness and student success.

This year’s recipient of the Christine Wallace Award  is senior biochemistry major Jay Fritts. This award is named in honor of Christine Wallace, former director of university and public events, in acknowledgement of her tireless service to Ole Miss.  The award is given to the member who served the most hours during the year.