University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 30, May 8

                                   
              Student chemists continue excellent record
     
     The University served as host to the 61st
Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention on April 26,
with 15 colleges and universities participating.
     In the recorded history of the convention from 1949-
1997, the University has garnered 63 awards, the most of any
institution and five more than second place Franklin and
Marshall College, according to John L. Burmeister, Alumni
Distinguished Professor Chemistry and Biochemistry. Several
UD students continued the tradition and won prizes and
particpated in the planning of the event.
     Amy Mach, who plans to attend graduate school at
Georgetown University, won first place in biochemistry for
her presentation, "Effects of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in
Riboflavin-Deficient Chicken Embryos." Her mentors were
Harold White and Virginia Abrams.
     Laura Jane Swanson, who will attend graduate school at
Indiana University, won second place in inorganic chemistry
for her presentation, "The Determination of Riboflavin
Binding Protein Phosphorylation." Her mentors also were
White and Abrams.
     Frank Cochran, who is scheduled to attend graduate
school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, won
second place in inorganic chemistry for his presentation,
"The Synthesis and Characterization of Mixed Cobalt/Group 5
Clusters." His mentor is Arnold Rheingold.
     John Geremia, who plans to attend graduate school at
Princeton University, won second place awards in both
organic and physical chemistry-the first student to receive
two awards at one meeting, according Burmeister.
     Geremia's organic chemistry presentation was "Methods
for Computer Perceived Reagent Selection," an independent
project. His physical chemistry presentation was
"Elucidating the Structure of Polymyxin B," with mentors
Mahendra Jain and Martha Bruch.
     Students Andrew Charnik, Keith Hornberger and Gregory
Gorski also made presentations. Hornberger and Swanson co-
chaired the Organizing Committee for the convention.
     Financial support for the convention was provided by
the Delaware section of the American Chemistry Society, the
DuPont Co., DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co., W. L. Gore &
Associates Inc., Hercules Inc., McNeil Consumer Products
Co., the Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Science,
the Undergraduate Research Program, the UD Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry.