About the Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC)
The Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC) was developed by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Chemical Education (CHED) for students to contribute to the ACS National Meeting by providing an exceptional atmosphere of learning and networking through a student organized symposium. A GSSPC has been chosen for every ACS national conference since 2005. Each GSSPC is composed of 6-8 students responsible for every aspect of their symposium, including selecting a topic, recruiting speakers, raising funds, and all logistics. More information about the GSSPC can be found here.
LSU GSSPC Committee Members
Judith De Mel
B.S. (Honors) in Chemistry-University of Colombo, Sri Lanka-2014
Current Advisor: Gerald Schneider
Judith De Mel is a 3rd-year graduate student studying self-assembly of model lipid membranes and their interactions with nanoparticles with Prof. Gerald Schneider. In her undergraduate studies, she investigated extraction and stability of natural food colorants and earned a background in multiple disciplines such as chemical biology and plant biotechnology in addition to chemistry. Judith loves interdisciplinary science and finds the Schneider Lab the perfect niche for her work. She was recently one of the only two graduate student members that served on the committee of “LSU Strategic Plan 2025 – a long-term strategic initiative taken by LSU. She is the outgoing recording secretary for NOBCChE – LSU (National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) and the present memberships and activities coordinator for Iota Sigma Pi – Chlorine (National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry-Louisiana Chapter). In her leisure hours she likes to dance her heart out! She is also a licensed Zumba fitness instructor.
B.S. (Honors) in Chemistry-University of Colombo, Sri Lanka-2014
Current Advisor: Gerald Schneider
Judith De Mel is a 3rd-year graduate student studying self-assembly of model lipid membranes and their interactions with nanoparticles with Prof. Gerald Schneider. In her undergraduate studies, she investigated extraction and stability of natural food colorants and earned a background in multiple disciplines such as chemical biology and plant biotechnology in addition to chemistry. Judith loves interdisciplinary science and finds the Schneider Lab the perfect niche for her work. She was recently one of the only two graduate student members that served on the committee of “LSU Strategic Plan 2025 – a long-term strategic initiative taken by LSU. She is the outgoing recording secretary for NOBCChE – LSU (National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) and the present memberships and activities coordinator for Iota Sigma Pi – Chlorine (National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry-Louisiana Chapter). In her leisure hours she likes to dance her heart out! She is also a licensed Zumba fitness instructor.
Ashley Fulton
B. S. in Chemistry-Xavier University of Louisiana-2011
Current Advisor: Justin R. Ragains
After receiving her bachelor of science in 2011 Ashley decided to take a few years off. She began her graduate studies in Organic Chemistry at Louisiana State University in 2015 as a NSF/LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Fellow. She joined Prof. Justin Ragains group in spring 2016 and is now working on methodology for alpha-selectivity for glycosylation. In this project she has been able to hone her problem solving skills and her knowledge in carbohydrate chemistry has grown immensely. Two of Ashley’s main passions are outreach and mentoring. She is able to immerse herself in outreach as President of the LSU chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE); an organization with a commitment to outreach. As President she plans service events that introduce science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to the underserved population in the Baton Rouge area. NOBCChE is also an organization dedicated to the professional development of young chemists; as such she plans and executes monthly meetings tailored to the progression of chemist’s career and future. None of these events can be executed without money. She has implemented innovative measures to raise money for the organization. The second passion, mentoring, is cultivated in the lab where she has mentored several undergraduate students in the Ragains lab. Ashley is also an avid baker and DIY enthusiast. She enjoys making special treats for her friends in the LSU Chemistry Department.
B. S. in Chemistry-Xavier University of Louisiana-2011
Current Advisor: Justin R. Ragains
After receiving her bachelor of science in 2011 Ashley decided to take a few years off. She began her graduate studies in Organic Chemistry at Louisiana State University in 2015 as a NSF/LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Fellow. She joined Prof. Justin Ragains group in spring 2016 and is now working on methodology for alpha-selectivity for glycosylation. In this project she has been able to hone her problem solving skills and her knowledge in carbohydrate chemistry has grown immensely. Two of Ashley’s main passions are outreach and mentoring. She is able to immerse herself in outreach as President of the LSU chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE); an organization with a commitment to outreach. As President she plans service events that introduce science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to the underserved population in the Baton Rouge area. NOBCChE is also an organization dedicated to the professional development of young chemists; as such she plans and executes monthly meetings tailored to the progression of chemist’s career and future. None of these events can be executed without money. She has implemented innovative measures to raise money for the organization. The second passion, mentoring, is cultivated in the lab where she has mentored several undergraduate students in the Ragains lab. Ashley is also an avid baker and DIY enthusiast. She enjoys making special treats for her friends in the LSU Chemistry Department.
Nichole E. M. Kaufman
B.A. in Chemistry-Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-2009
M.S. in Chemistry-Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-2016
Current Advisor: M. Graça H. Vicente
Nichole comes from St. Louis and is currently in her second year working on the synthesis of near-IR BODIPY bioconjugates that selectively target cell surface receptors under the tutelage of Prof. M. Graça H. Vicente. She then investigates their photophysical properties and evaluates these conjugates both in vitro and in vivo to determine their toxicity and specificity for colorectal cancer (CRC)-targeting. During her undergraduate career, Nichole conducted research on corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels. After earning her undergraduate degree Nichole worked in the pharmaceutical sector for five years during which she was engaged in quality assurance, quality control and research and development. As Master’s student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, her research involved the expression and spectroscopic and calorimetric characterization of Dual oxidase and NADPH oxidase 5 under Prof. Chin-Chuan Wei. In her spare time Nichole enjoys hot yoga, cooking Turkish food and binge-watching Netflix with her husband, Jarrett, and two cats, Harper and Cheever.
B.A. in Chemistry-Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-2009
M.S. in Chemistry-Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-2016
Current Advisor: M. Graça H. Vicente
Nichole comes from St. Louis and is currently in her second year working on the synthesis of near-IR BODIPY bioconjugates that selectively target cell surface receptors under the tutelage of Prof. M. Graça H. Vicente. She then investigates their photophysical properties and evaluates these conjugates both in vitro and in vivo to determine their toxicity and specificity for colorectal cancer (CRC)-targeting. During her undergraduate career, Nichole conducted research on corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels. After earning her undergraduate degree Nichole worked in the pharmaceutical sector for five years during which she was engaged in quality assurance, quality control and research and development. As Master’s student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, her research involved the expression and spectroscopic and calorimetric characterization of Dual oxidase and NADPH oxidase 5 under Prof. Chin-Chuan Wei. In her spare time Nichole enjoys hot yoga, cooking Turkish food and binge-watching Netflix with her husband, Jarrett, and two cats, Harper and Cheever.
Peter Kei
B.S. in Chemistry-Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA-2014
Current Advisor: Evgueni E. Nesterov
Peter uses controlled chain-growth Kumada and Suzuki-Miyaura polymerization reactions to study the structure-property relationship of conjugated polymer self-assemblies. In addition to being lightweight, flexible and economically efficient, semiconducting conjugated polymers interact strongly with UV and visible light. Because of these properties, they are utilized in organic electronic devices such as organic solar cells, organic light emitting diodes, sensors and thin film field effect transistors. Peter graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2014 from Bridgewater State University where he investigated titanium catalyzed asymmetric hydroamination reactions with Professor Stephen Waratuke. He is now a 4th year graduate student in Professor Evgueni Nesterov’s research group at LSU. Peter is also a proud Tiger Tenor, which is the premier all male a-cappella organization here at LSU!
B.S. in Chemistry-Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA-2014
Current Advisor: Evgueni E. Nesterov
Peter uses controlled chain-growth Kumada and Suzuki-Miyaura polymerization reactions to study the structure-property relationship of conjugated polymer self-assemblies. In addition to being lightweight, flexible and economically efficient, semiconducting conjugated polymers interact strongly with UV and visible light. Because of these properties, they are utilized in organic electronic devices such as organic solar cells, organic light emitting diodes, sensors and thin film field effect transistors. Peter graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2014 from Bridgewater State University where he investigated titanium catalyzed asymmetric hydroamination reactions with Professor Stephen Waratuke. He is now a 4th year graduate student in Professor Evgueni Nesterov’s research group at LSU. Peter is also a proud Tiger Tenor, which is the premier all male a-cappella organization here at LSU!
Joshua A. Lutz
B.A. in Psychology-Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge-2010
B.S. in Chemistry-Louisiana State University in Shreveport-2014
Current Advisor: Carol M. Taylor
Joshua Lutz ended his first stint at LSU in 2010 with a degree in psychology. After spending time volunteering at Windsor Laurelwood Center for Behavioral Medicine, he decided to change gears and pursue an education in chemistry. In late 2014 he graduated from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and joined the chemistry graduate program at LSU in Baton Rouge as a Board of Regents Fellow. He researches the synthesis of peptide natural products under Dr. Carol M. Taylor. The work focuses on post-translationally modified peptides that are difficult or impractical to synthesize via solid phase methods. This work affords the opportunity to learn many different reactions, characterize unique compounds, and manipulate the reactivity of highly functionalized molecules. Joshua relishes the opportunity to sharpen his synthetic organic chemistry skills in a challenging field, and hopes to one day put those skills and his previous degree to work in chemical neuroscience research. In his copious free time he enjoys singing and playing music, and can often be found running the lake-side track around the campus of LSU.
B.A. in Psychology-Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge-2010
B.S. in Chemistry-Louisiana State University in Shreveport-2014
Current Advisor: Carol M. Taylor
Joshua Lutz ended his first stint at LSU in 2010 with a degree in psychology. After spending time volunteering at Windsor Laurelwood Center for Behavioral Medicine, he decided to change gears and pursue an education in chemistry. In late 2014 he graduated from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and joined the chemistry graduate program at LSU in Baton Rouge as a Board of Regents Fellow. He researches the synthesis of peptide natural products under Dr. Carol M. Taylor. The work focuses on post-translationally modified peptides that are difficult or impractical to synthesize via solid phase methods. This work affords the opportunity to learn many different reactions, characterize unique compounds, and manipulate the reactivity of highly functionalized molecules. Joshua relishes the opportunity to sharpen his synthetic organic chemistry skills in a challenging field, and hopes to one day put those skills and his previous degree to work in chemical neuroscience research. In his copious free time he enjoys singing and playing music, and can often be found running the lake-side track around the campus of LSU.
Christopher Sumner
B.S. in Chemistry-Shorter University, Rome GA-2012
Current Advisor: Robin McCarley
Chris is a third year graduate student in the research group of Dr. Robin McCarley where he creates fluorescent carbon dots to function as surrogates for black carbon. Originally from Blakely, GA, a small rural community, Chris always had an interest in using environmental chemistry to solve problems within the type of community he was from. Upon graduating from Shorter University in 2012 Chris applied his chemistry to solve real life problems as the lab manager for Lewis Chemical Company in for one year. After working in industry for a year, Chris realized he wanted more human contact and to directly influence the next generation of chemists, so he taught high school Chemistry and Physics for two years before joining the LSU Chemistry family in 2015. As President of the LSU Chemistry Graduate Student Council, Chris continues to be involved in bettering the life of graduate and undergraduate chemistry students through organizing social events as well as community service events in the surrounding community. Additionally, Chris is a NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the McCarley Lab, and continues to use his science to study environmental problems, such as the health effects of black carbon, produced from the combustion of carbon sources in the environment. During his free time, Chris enjoys playing racquetball and tennis with fellow chemistry grad students, participating in intramural sports as part of the LSU Chemistry team, and relaxing outdoors while reading a good book alongside his wife Caitlin, and their two dogs Thea and Cade.
B.S. in Chemistry-Shorter University, Rome GA-2012
Current Advisor: Robin McCarley
Chris is a third year graduate student in the research group of Dr. Robin McCarley where he creates fluorescent carbon dots to function as surrogates for black carbon. Originally from Blakely, GA, a small rural community, Chris always had an interest in using environmental chemistry to solve problems within the type of community he was from. Upon graduating from Shorter University in 2012 Chris applied his chemistry to solve real life problems as the lab manager for Lewis Chemical Company in for one year. After working in industry for a year, Chris realized he wanted more human contact and to directly influence the next generation of chemists, so he taught high school Chemistry and Physics for two years before joining the LSU Chemistry family in 2015. As President of the LSU Chemistry Graduate Student Council, Chris continues to be involved in bettering the life of graduate and undergraduate chemistry students through organizing social events as well as community service events in the surrounding community. Additionally, Chris is a NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the McCarley Lab, and continues to use his science to study environmental problems, such as the health effects of black carbon, produced from the combustion of carbon sources in the environment. During his free time, Chris enjoys playing racquetball and tennis with fellow chemistry grad students, participating in intramural sports as part of the LSU Chemistry team, and relaxing outdoors while reading a good book alongside his wife Caitlin, and their two dogs Thea and Cade.
Tia K. Vargas-Myers
B.S. in Chemistry-University of West Florida-2014
Current Advisor: Isiah M. Warner
Tia is a Huel Perkin’s Fellow Doctoral Candidate studying Analytical Chemistry in Professor Isiah M. Warner’s research group. Her research focuses on the development of novel photosensitizing and energy relay dyes for use in dye-sensitized solar cells in order to increase solar conversion efficiency. The research performed in the Warner group involves the use of a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS) for a variety of applications; for example, use as OLEDs and sensors, and as stimuli responsive drug delivery nanomaterials for cancer therapeutics. As an undergraduate, Tia performed undergraduate research building and calibrating a matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometer while simultaneously working as a research and development chemist for Pall Corporation. It was in this environment where she learned to work efficiently under strict time and quality constraints, and how to develop working relationships with people of diverse backgrounds. Working in the Warner group has provided Tia with not only a problem solving approach to providing answers for important questions in chemistry, but also with the ability to organize local symposia, cultivate collaborations outside of Louisiana State University, and mentor both undergraduate and local high school students in their pursuit to learn chemistry. In her free time, Tia enjoys traveling, camping, reading, and paddle boarding.
B.S. in Chemistry-University of West Florida-2014
Current Advisor: Isiah M. Warner
Tia is a Huel Perkin’s Fellow Doctoral Candidate studying Analytical Chemistry in Professor Isiah M. Warner’s research group. Her research focuses on the development of novel photosensitizing and energy relay dyes for use in dye-sensitized solar cells in order to increase solar conversion efficiency. The research performed in the Warner group involves the use of a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS) for a variety of applications; for example, use as OLEDs and sensors, and as stimuli responsive drug delivery nanomaterials for cancer therapeutics. As an undergraduate, Tia performed undergraduate research building and calibrating a matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometer while simultaneously working as a research and development chemist for Pall Corporation. It was in this environment where she learned to work efficiently under strict time and quality constraints, and how to develop working relationships with people of diverse backgrounds. Working in the Warner group has provided Tia with not only a problem solving approach to providing answers for important questions in chemistry, but also with the ability to organize local symposia, cultivate collaborations outside of Louisiana State University, and mentor both undergraduate and local high school students in their pursuit to learn chemistry. In her free time, Tia enjoys traveling, camping, reading, and paddle boarding.