FLC Chemistry

Jo Ostlund (Biochemistry 24') is already using our new stopped-flow spectrometer independently (you won't find many undergraduates who can say that!). This instrument will be used to measure rapid reaction kinetics for both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Here, Jo is measuring NADPH binding kinetics on a millisecond timescale. The addition of this instrument was possible due to a National Institutes of Health equipment grant awarded to Dr. McFarlane. Yay! More data!

Four biochemistry majors who just finished their first year had the opportunity to visit the lab of Dr. Cathy Drennan at MIT this week. They are Jordan Dejesus, Isabel Bustillos, Madison Eckard and Milo Chavez. The students were accompanied by Dr. McFarlane and used robotic crystal screening tools in Dr. Drennan’s lab to identify new crystallization conditions for proteins under study at Fort Lewis College. The students also toured state-of-the-art cryoelectron microscopy and materials chemistry labs and have gotten to see a bit of the Boston area. Thanks to Dr. Tim Swager from MIT Chemistry and Dr. Collins for helping arrange this collaboration.

Cooper Wiens (Biochemistry 21’) has been accepted to CU Anschutz School of Medicine. He’ll begin his studies in August. Cooper was excited to be accepted to CU's rural medicine program as he hopes to return to the Western Slope in the future to establish his medical practice. Way to go Cooper!

Thanks to Dr. Joslynn Lee and her Department of Energy Environmental Justice Grant funding, we have a new Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) in the instrument lab!

Congratulations to the class of 2024 Graduates. We are so proud of you!!

The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department students and faculty celebrated the end of the semester with a bike ride on Spur Line!

Marissa Zamora (FLC Chemistry Class of 2024) is heading to the University of Minnesota this fall to pursue a PhD in chemistry with a focus on analytical and physical chemistry! We are so proud of you Marissa!

WOW. Well done, students! Your posters and presentations at the FLC Undergraduate Research Symposium yesterday were phenomenal. Special shout out to the FLC Research Scholar Award winners: Jack Demmert, Anna McCabe, and Sully Barnett!

Evan Gowdy (FLC Chemistry Class of 2024) has accepted a position in the PhD program at the University of New Mexico starting this fall! Congrats Evan!

George Piepgras is graduating with his B.S. in Chemistry next week and heading off this Fall to the University of Oregon to start his PhD journey in inorganic chemistry. Congratulations George! We are excited to see your chemistry adventure continue!!

Congratulations to all of the 2024 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Awardees and Scholarship recipients!

Congratulations to Dr. Jeff McFarlane for earning the Fort Lewis College Featured Scholar Award!

Don't miss the Fort Lewis College Science Open House this Saturday 4/6 from 1-4pm! Dr. Michael Grubb will be performing live Chemistry shows about the Magic of Metals at 1, 2 and 3pm in Chemistry Hall 130, and there will be interactive science activities in Sitter Family Hall, Berndt Hall, Chemistry Hall, and more!

What a delight to reconnect with FLC Chemistry Alum Rob Herman (Class of 2019) and hear about his current PhD research at LSU! Dr. Aimee Morris shared some wonderful memories of his time working in her research group at FLC.

George Piepgras (‘24) presented his summer research conducted at University of Oregon with Dr. Amanda Cook at the ACS National Conference in New Orleans, LA. His poster titled “Converting Terminal Carboxylic Acids to Internal Alkenes Using Orthogonal Tandem Catalysis” was presented in the Division of Catalysis Science & Technology.

Don't miss our Chemistry and Biochemistry senior thesis presentations on April 4th and 11th at 1pm in Chemistry Hall 130!

Evan Gowdy (‘24) and Kenny Drbohlav (‘25) presented their research with Dr. Kenny Miller at the ACS National Conference in New Orleans, LA. Their poster titled “Synthesis and evaluation of single electron donors and acceptors for use in sunlight mediated water splitting reactions” was presented in the Division of Energy and Fuels.

Jack Demmert (‘24) presented his research with Dr. Joslynn Lee at the ASBMB Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. Their poster titled “Method development for the study of FeoB in Iron-Oxidizing Acidophiles from Acid Mine Drainage Sites in Southwest Colorado” was presented in the Undergraduate Poster Competition. Jack’s travel and research was supported by the UAF-BLaST funding.

Robert Herman (FLC Chem 2019) is a current PhD candidate at Louisiana State University in the Lee Group working on the Synthesis and Applications of Carbon Nanohoops. He will be presenting a seminar on his research on Thursday, March 28th at 1:00pm in Chem Hall 130. Don't miss it!

Huge thanks to everyone who volunteered to judge and provide tours to kiddos at this year's San Juan Basin Regional Science Fair. What a fantastic day!

Creativity shines at San Juan Basin Science Fair as it returns to Fort Lewis College after 20-year hiatus DURANGO— Dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, Yisrael “Izzy” Lamb, an assistant professor of Chemistry at Fort Lewis College, guided a group of middle students as they dripped water beads mixed with alginate and a fluorescent dye into a stirring solution of calcium chloride. Under blue light,...

Congratulations to Ryan Yazzie (FLC Biochemistry 24') for his admission to Northern Arizona University's Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates (NAU RaMP) program! You rock! (Photo: Ryan at his previous research position at the Biosphere 2 research facility)

Meredith Satre (Biochemistry 22’) recently started her first job as an ICU nurse after completing her BSN from Texas Tech University this past December. Way to go, Meredith!

A new science podcast just dropped! Dr. Lamb was featured in the Bringing Chemistry to Life podcast produced by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The most recent episode is entitled "Shining a photochemical light on undergraduate research". Check it out wherever you get your podcasts!

Check out Dr. Joslynn Lee's upcoming SACNAS webinar at 4pm MST on Wed Jan 31st!

Mass spectrometry is a chemical analysis method that has changed the world as we know it. How can we be sure that our water is safe to drink and our air is safe to breathe? How can we perform more precise surgeries? How did we discover the age of the Earth? Mass Spectrometry, that’s how! In this talk, Dr. Callie Cole, Associate Professor of Chemistry, will explore the many aspects of Mass Spectrometry from its serendipitous historical breakthroughs to its modern applications, weaving in her own research and personal experiences with this analysis technique along the way.

Join us for an engaging talk, snacks, drinks, and great conversation! Students at all levels, staff, faculty, and community members are welcome!

Wed Jan 31st at 4:30pm, Mainstage of the FLC Theatre

Six students from Dr. Lamb’s analytical chemistry course put together an exhibit in the Center of Southwest Studies library based on research they conducted this semester. The research focused on chemical aspects of native natural dyes and the process of applying those colors to wool. Students began their project by replicating a traditional recipe, then chose aspects to investigate using chemical analysis methods. Come check out the exhibit! Special thanks to Amy Cao and Gretchen Gray for facilitating this collaboration and constructing the exhibit.

Congratulations to Savannah Jones (Biochemistry 25’) who gave her first poster presentation at a national meeting. She presented her work in Dr. McFarlane’s lab at the Enzymes Mechanisms Conference in Naples Florida. Savannah is studying the enzyme carboxyspermidine decarboxylase, a potential antibiotic/anticancer target.

We were so impressed with all of the amazing projects presented at the undergraduate research symposium last evening. Fantastic work students and mentors!