The following graduating seniors received awards at our Annual Senior Recognition Banquet in April 2012:
- Ralph Joyner Positive Attitude Award - Tobias Morris
- Outstanding Senior Award - Phillip Juarez
- Outstanding Performance by an ACS Accredited Chemistry Major - Jon Ruble
- Outstanding Performance by a 34 Hour Chemistry Major - Pam Filby
- Outstanding Performance by a Pre-Professional Chemist - Huicong Xie
- Excellence In Undergraduate Research - Kevin Bell
- Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award - Justin Giessler
- Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award - Katherine Macri, Alicen Teitgen
- Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award - Alicen Teitgen
Our 2011 Fall Tea Awards Banquet was held in October. This program recognizes and awards our outstanding students and honors and remembers people who have made an impact on our lives. The awards presented included:
- The David C. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship - Audree Wilgus
- Mikal Lynn Sousa Memorial Scholarship - Tobias Morris
- Newell C. Cook Sr. and Jr. Scholarship - Phillip Juarez
- Park Wiseman Scholarship - Rachael Wisler
- Excellent Performance in General Chemistry Award - Alec Ribblett, Xianglin Wang, Anthony Begle, Hunter Gibbons, Audree Wilgus, Adam Carr, Heather Easley, Rachael Wisler, Rebecca Liston, Trent Crandall, Michael Russell, Jade Davis
Dr. Bob and Mrs. Sandy Morris have announced the establishment of the Robert and Sandy Morris Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to incoming freshmen students (starting in fall 2012) pursuing a major in the department of chemistry with an excellent academic record. It will be renewable for three years thus allowing a total of four years eligibility. A similar scholarship will be awarded in the nursing department.
About the donors: Sandra K. and Robert J. Morris both graduated from Wapahani High School in Selma, Indiana, where they met and began dating. They were married in 1985 and have two children, Chelsea Anne, and Jacob Charles.
Sandra graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Ball State University in 1984, after which time she specialized in cardiology, medical-surgical nursing, and endoscopy. Over the years, while maintaining certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Sandra was the clinical coordinator at the Amelia T. Wood Health Center at Ball State University, was a critical care nurse in a hospital burn unit, served as an oncology nurse at Carle Hospital in Champaign, IL, and was an infusion nurse at Medical Consultants in Muncie, IN.
Robert graduated cum laude from Ball State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and departmental honors. After graduation, he attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his doctorate (with honors) in inorganic chemistry in 1990. Following Illinois, Robert served as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1991, he joined the chemistry faculty at Ball State as an assistant professor and began teaching undergraduate and graduate chemistry courses. He established a research group in the area of organometallic chemistry, as well. Following promotion to full professor in 1999, Robert became the Chair of the Department of Chemistry in 2002. After serving in this role for five years, he was appointed Associate Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Ball State University.
The Chemistry Research Immersion Summer Program is currently one of the largest in the nation. During summer 2011, there were 40 students in the program. Paul Coan has served as director of the program for the last few years.
The department held the first Annual Reception for Chemistry Corporate Partners on July 15, 2008. In attendance were representatives from: Aerotek Scientific, Anderson Water Pollution Control, Dow Agro Sciences, Dynaloy, Inc., Exide, Firestone Building Products, Gilchrist & Soames, Holland Colors, Indiana State Police-Ft. Wayne, and TAWAS ICMS. Industry representatives attended an informal reception hosted by the faculty and staff of the department and then visited with more than 30 students who presented the results of their summer research at a poster session.