Chemistry Major Helps Develop New Molecule
Kaybriana Spalding ’20 was invited to be part of a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at Clemson University’s Department of Chemistry. She worked with Dr. Sourav Saha, a specialist in organic synthesis and materials chemistry to create a new molecule which could be implemented into a supramolecule. Kaybriana said, “These Supramolecules can be used for a number of things, including catalysts and electrochemical sensors. In the future, the molecule I created will hopefully be implemented into a solar cell.”
Converse prepared me in many ways for my summer of research
“Converse prepared me in many ways for my summer of research,” Kaybriana continued. “Dr. Jennifer Hawk helped teach me all the aspects that go into research, so it put me ahead of some of the other undergrads. Converse also prepared me through the different chemistry courses I’ve taken, and the critical thinking skills I obtained through them. Since Converse is a Liberal Arts college, I ended up having a different way of thinking than other people in the lab who did not have that privilege. My research professor and graduate student I worked with told me how I surprised them with my skills and thought process.”
Image: Kaybriana won first place in the chemistry category at a recent poster symposium.