Finding the Right Chemistry

Walking into a lab at Utah State University, teens encountered beakers filled with their favorite summer sodas. But which was which? Sure, Mountain Dew, with its Day-Glo chartreuse hue, was easy to spot but the others … Pepsi? Root beer? Diet Coke?

“Okay, we’re talking about density today,” said Lisa Berreau, associate dean for the College of Science and associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “It’s a property of liquids, folks.”

 

The young scientists, participants in USU’s second annual High School Summer Internship in Chemistry and Biochemistry held on campus July 21-23, proceeded to hone their analytical chemistry skills. Armed with pipettes and bulbs they meticulously measured the density of each substance and recorded their results.

 

“When you’re doing experiments, you don’t know the outcome,” Berreau told the group. “You have to assess the data. These liquids have different densities. Why?”

 

Though a simple experiment, the soft drink analysis sparked a lively discussion and reminded the students that seeking answers often leads to more questions.

 

“So you’ve come up with a hypothesis,” Berreau said. “How do you develop an experiment to test it?”

 

The morning’s experiment was just a warm-up for an array of projects the nine interns, all students at Cache Valley high schools, pursued during the three-day gathering. Organized by USU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the internship matches teens with faculty mentors to experience cutting-edge research. Participants stayed in USU’s Living and Learning Center and enjoyed evening activities led by undergraduate chemistry mentors.

 

“Our participants are at an age where they’re sorting out interests and deciding what they’d like to study in college,” said Alvan Hengge, professor and coordinator of the event. “We want to show them that science is experienced differently when you get to participate in lab research rather than just listening to a lecture.”

 

“I really like working the lab and getting a chance to work with university researchers,” said Hayden Griffiths, an InTech Collegiate High School student who participated in the inaugural internship program in 2007.

 

With Berreau and graduate student mentor James Danford, Griffiths explored metal-containing biomolecules important in understanding human health and disease.

 

In faculty mentor Sean Johnson’s lab, Logan High School student Thiel Lehman learned about techniques used to visualize protein structure. InTech students Ellie Edwards and Mahli Olson, with guidance from professor Alex Boldyrev and doctoral student Alina Sergeeva, used theoretical methods to test whether or not new combinations of atoms could form a stable molecule.

 

At the conclusion of the internship, participants presented their research projects to family and friends.

 

“Science isn’t just about sitting and learning about previous generations of scientists,” Hengge said. “It’s about the thrill of discovery and learning about science through your own experiences. That’s the excitement and the side of science we want to share with students.”

 

 

Contact: Alvan Hengge (435) 797-3442, [alvan.hengge@usu.edu]
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto (435) 797-3517, [maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu]