- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ghosh Named Interim Associate Dean of Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

John Hill — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:34:49 +0000

Dr. Anindya Ghosh, chair of the Department of Chemistry, has been named the interim associate dean for the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (DCSTEM) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I am pleased that Dr. Ghosh has agreed to serve in this important role in the college,” DCSTEM Dean Lawrence Whitman said. “We are fortunate to have a recognized scholar and an experienced leader in STEM as a new associate dean in DCSTEM. I look forward to working with him as the college moves forward.” In his new role, Ghosh will be valuable to DCSTEM’s overall mission and goals. His responsibilities include international agreements, pre-med student coordination, college curricular reviews, and graduation. He also serves as college safety coordinator, K12 STEM teaching coordinator, College Space/Lab coordinator, and STEM Hub supervisor. “In this position, I look forward to working with the College Dean Lawrence Whitman and all other leaders of the college and the university toward the shared mission and goal of supporting students, faculty, and staff,” Ghosh said. His research group at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock focuses on work surrounding green catalysis and synthesis. They use simple materials and renewable resources to develop various functional and smart materials and catalysts that can be used in applications such as small molecule activation, pollution remediation, renewable synthesis, sensor, biomedicine, fuel cell, and supercapacitors. His research has been supported by funding from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, private companies, the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy. After joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as an assistant professor in 2007, Ghosh was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012 and to professor in 2017. He has served as chair of the Department of Chemistry since 2019. Additionally, Ghosh has previously served as interim associate dean for research and graduate programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Kansas, and a senior research chemist at Halliburton Energy Services to develop oil-field chemicals. Ghosh obtained his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, working in designing and synthesizing environmentally benign oxidation catalysts for remediation of hazardous pollutants. He also earned his bachelor’s degree from Calcutta University in Calcutta, India, and his master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. Ghosh was the recipient of the university-wide Faculty Excellence Award in Research in 2014 and 2020 and was selected as the Professor of the Year by the Central Arkansas American Chemical Society in 2015. He is the recipient of the Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award from the American Chemical Society and the Heinz Scholarship given by the Heinz Foundation. He is also a co-recipient of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in 1999 by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, he serves as a member of the editorial board for the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences: Molecular Diagnostics and a guest editor of Vacuum Technology & Coatings.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chemistry Professors, Students Receive Honors

John Hill — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:52:27 +0000

Several professors and students from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Chemistry have been honored by the Central Arkansas American Chemical Society.�� Dr. Brian Walker, assistant professor of chemistry at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, was named the Central Arkansas Professor of the Year.�� “I was excited just to be nominated for the award because the nominations came directly from the students,” Walker said. “They took the time to write and send in the nomination for me and wrote about what I meant to them as their professor. It was nice to hear their opinions, and I was grateful to win because there are so many deserving faculty members in both our department and in Central Arkansas.” Walker was nominated for the award by the American Chemical Society student chapter at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� “Dr. Walker is an inspiring professor that is as charismatic as he is knowledgeable about his respective field; the epitome of what all professors should strive to be,” said Kajal Desai, president of American Chemical Society student chapter at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “He goes above and beyond normal class and office hours to give his personal time to ensure that students are confident in their abilities.” After completing his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Walker joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016, becoming an assistant professor in 2020. “Ever since Brian joined the department as an assistant professor, he has taken the leading role in teaching many organic chemistry courses,” said Dr. Anindya Ghosh, chair of the Department of Chemistry. “Brian is a sincere and hardworking individual who teaches organic chemistry, keeping student success in mind. The students recognized him as a great teacher, and the award is a testimony of Brian’s well-rounded teaching abilities. Brian is also doing some cutting-edge organic chemistry research. It is just the beginning for him, and a lot more success will come his way.” Walker said the secret to his teaching success is promoting inclusivity in the classroom.�� “I love the diverse student population we have at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from traditional, non-traditional, first year, and underrepresented minority students,” Walker said. “At many universities, organic chemistry has a stigma of being a ‘weed out’ class that keeps students from achieving their goals. I try to make the material relatable and understandable for students from any background so they can be successful. It’s a challenging course and requires a lot of work, but it can also be a positive turning point for their academic careers as they transition to becoming truly university students. I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing the students succeed at something they didn’t think they could do so I’m willing to put in the time to help them reach their goals.” In addition to Walker, Marian Douglas, a senior instructor emeritus for the Department of Chemistry, received the Volunteer Service Award for her tremendous contributions and service to support the Central Arkansas American Chemical Society over the years.�� Six ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chemistry students were also recognized for their contributions to American Chemical Society chapter activities and their academic achievements. They include Anthony Aloi, Nabeel Alwan, Kajal Desai, Sadie Goss, Samantha Macchi, and Tripti Shukla.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock honors Geissler, Ghosh, and Briscoe as top professors of 2020

John Hill — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 13:58:20 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has selected Drs. Gary Geissler, Anindya Ghosh, and David Briscoe as the 2020 winners of the Faculty Excellence Awards.�� Geissler, professor of marketing and advertising, will receive a $10,000 award as the winner of the Bailey Teaching Award. Additionally, Ghosh, professor of chemistry, was named the UMR Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors winner, while Briscoe received the Faculty Excellence in Public Service award. They will both receive $5,000. “For more than three decades, we’ve recognized the hard work of our outstanding faculty members through the Faculty Excellence Awards,” said Chancellor Christina Drale. “It signifies the value we place on excellent teaching, research and creative activity, and service to our community. Though this has been a year filled with uncertainty, it helps us all to remember that we can be certain of the unwavering commitment of our faculty who spend every day making a difference in the lives of our students.”�� Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty for the past 31 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, Bailey Foundation, and UMR. The winners are selected by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors. “Our faculty excellence winners represent the university’s commitment to superb instruction, outstanding research, and community service,” Provost Ann Bain said. “Each of the winners has made immeasurable contributions to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community and to the lives of their students and colleagues. We thank them for their service.” In addition to the Faculty Excellence Awards, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has selected the Department of Management in the College of Business as the first university-wide winner of the new Department Student Success and Retention Awards. This award recognizes exceptional activities that involve broad, collaborative participation within academic departments or schools to support student success and improve retention at the undergraduate level. The awards are funded by gifts from Bain and Dr. Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.�� An announcement of the winners can be found at the Faculty Excellence Awards website.

Bailey Teaching Award

Dr. Gary Geissler, professor of marketing and advertising, has been selected as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Teaching award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “There are many outstanding professors and great colleagues throughout the university. To be singled out for the university teaching award is a tremendous honor that I will always treasure,” Geissler said. “I am very appreciative of the university and the award sponsors, judges, and organizers. It has been a privilege to teach and mentor so many excellent students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the past 18 years. The diversity of our students and their unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are real strengths. I attribute any personal success to my students’ successes.” A key teaching method that Geissler has used extensively throughout his career is the client-based class project. He has directed around 200 of these semester-long projects, greatly benefiting many students and well over 170 businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. “Dr. Geissler’s teaching is innovative and emphasizes experiential learning,” said Roger Dorsey, associate professor of accounting. “In particular, his use of class projects involving real-world businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies has been enormously beneficial to students. Dr. Geissler exemplifies the sort of teaching that prepares students for life and career success.” In recent years, Geissler has demonstrated his high-quality, high-involvement teaching approach by sponsoring, mentoring, and leading teams of students who won two different National Marketing Championships and finished as the top American team in a major, international competition. In the past, he led a team of students who won Taziki’s National Marketing Challenge competition. Additionally, Geissler led a team to win AT&T’s Campus Brand Challenge. The team developed and implemented an integrated marketing communications plan for AT&T. “Dr. Geissler is the most active and involved professor that I have ever had the privilege of being mentored and taught by,” said Brandi Glover, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and former student of Geissler’s who was a member of the AT&T Campus Brand Challenge National Champion Team. “There is no length that he would not go within his power in order to help a student achieve their goals and aspirations.” Most recently, a team of Geissler’s students were one of three finalists from throughout the world who competed in the Facebook Global Digital Challenge as part of P2P: Challenging Extremism, an initiative mandated by the White House National Security Council.

UMR Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry, is being honored as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The award is a great honor,” Ghosh said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me the best possible platform to work on my research and succeed in it. I am proud of my university and the Chemistry Department. It is also a success for my students. I am lucky to have some excellent undergraduate and graduate students who helped me to become a better researcher and instructor.” The primary focus of his current research is the development of novel catalysts and synthetic pathways that are strongly related to sustainable development. Using readily available reagents or renewable polymers, Ghosh and his co-researchers are developing catalysts that are highly useful in remediation of organic and biological pollutants.�� “His research efforts speak for themselves as a major contributor to developing new and novel methods that are being used in the Green Chemistry approaches to develop safer and cleaner chemical synthetic methods,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gaffney, professor emeritus of chemistry. “Dr. Ghosh’s research contributions are also leading the way to developing safer, more economic, and less environmentally impacting synthetic methods at the heart of the Green Chemistry movement, which is needed if we are to develop sustainable chemistry in the future.” Ghosh’s recent research in the area of green chemistry, catalysis, and novel material research has resulted in six peer-reviewed articles and one book chapter in 2019 alone. He brings his research directly into the classroom and actively uses green chemistry experiments in his courses.�� Ghosh enjoys giving back by mentoring young students in scientific research. He regularly hosts middle and high school students in his laboratory who are conducting research projects related to his research areas. As a major adviser, Ghosh has supervised four master’s degree students and five doctoral students. Currently, he runs a research group of five graduate students and eight undergraduate students. “I am really passionate about my research,” Ghosh said. “I believe in my work and the people who I work with, and together we make it possible. I can only excel if my students excel in their research activities and future endeavors.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ghosh authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has 21 patents with three more pending. Ghosh was part of the scientific advisory committee which wrote a successful National Science Foundation EPSCoR ASSET III proposal of $24 million for the state of Arkansas. He has been co-leading a team of 20 researchers from 10 different universities in Arkansas for this proposal to develop novel materials for pollution remediation using cellulose as the starting material.�� He is also a part of a team of researchers that recently secured $5.1 million in funding from the Department of Defense. In a collaborative effort between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ghosh’s role as a co-principal investigator is to develop novel, injectable, stimuli-sensitive polymeric materials for use in bone scaffolds.

Faculty Excellence in Public Service

Dr. David Briscoe, professor of sociology, is being honored as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Public Service award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I received this coveted award in honor of my parents, the late David and Marjorie Briscoe, who led me down the pathway to service,” Briscoe said. “Public service is so important because it offers everyone an opportunity to share some aspect of themselves with others.” Briscoe has been serving the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community for almost three decades. After earning undergraduate (‘80) and graduate (85′) degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (’93), Briscoe returned home to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where he has been teaching since 1992. “Dr. Briscoe gives his life and his all to this university and to its students,” said Dr. Krista Lewis, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. “He is very well-loved by his students and is known for his genuine interest in supporting people. It seems that hardly a week passes in which I am not contacted by students, community members, or organizations who wish to reach out just to praise the service and care that Dr. Briscoe has extended to them.” Briscoe is known to enthusiastically advocate for students with disabilities and was voted among the Best of the Best Professors three times by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student body. He serves on the National Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Selection Committee, the Diversity Council, the Athletics Committee, and the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. Briscoe is also well-known and admired in his role as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts. As a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, Briscoe became the inaugural national chairman of Learning for Life, an academic and character development program serving more than 1.7 millions students. “David Briscoe is an outstanding leader to the Quapaw Area Council and the Boy Scouts of America,” said Marcal Young, scout executive. “His leadership has inspired others to serve and help change lives in thousands of youth in our program. Dr. Briscoe has been instrumental in building a vibrant boy scouting program in Arkansas and across the nation.”

Ghosh receives Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors award for College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

John Hill — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:38:54 +0000

Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry, is being honored as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors award winner for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences.�� “It would be an understatement to state Dr. Ghosh has an impressive track record as a researcher,” said Peter Szwedo, a doctoral chemistry student. “The ideas, knowledge, and vision he brought to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has built a flagship chemistry research lab within our department, which has placed ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on the map.” The primary focus of his current research is the development of novel catalysts and synthetic pathways that are strongly related to sustainable development. Using readily available reagents or renewable polymers, Ghosh and his co-researchers are developing catalysts that are highly useful in remediation of organic and biological pollutants.�� “His research efforts speak for themselves as a major contributor to developing new and novel methods that are being used in the Green Chemistry approaches to develop safer and cleaner chemical synthetic methods,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gaffney, professor emeritus of chemistry. “Dr. Ghosh’s research contributions are also leading the way to developing safer, more economic, and less environmentally impacting synthetic methods at the heart of the Green Chemistry movement, which is needed if we are to develop sustainable chemistry in the future.” Ghosh’s recent research in the area of green chemistry, catalysis, and novel material research has resulted in six peer-reviewed articles and one book chapter in 2019 alone. He brings his research directly into the classroom and actively uses green chemistry experiments in his courses.�� Ghosh enjoys giving back by mentoring young students in scientific research. He regularly hosts middle and high school students in his laboratory who are conducting research projects related to his research areas. As a major adviser, Ghosh has supervised four master’s degree students and five doctoral students. Currently, he runs a research group of five graduate students and eight undergraduate students. He has mentored 30 undergraduate students for research and has served on the thesis and dissertation committees of 17 master’s degree students and 40 doctoral students. While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ghosh authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, has 21 patents with three more pending, and has been awarded more than $2 million in grant funding. Ghosh was part of the scientific advisory committee which wrote a successful National Science Foundation EPSCoR ASSET III proposal of $24 million for the state of Arkansas. He has been co-leading a team of 20 researchers from 10 different universities in Arkansas for this proposal to develop novel materials for pollution remediation using cellulose as the starting material.�� He is also a part of a team of researchers that recently secured $5.1 in funding from the Department of Defense. In a collaborative effort between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ghosh’s role as a co-principal investigator is to develop novel, injectable, stimuli-sensitive polymeric materials for use in bone scaffolds. Ghosh has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calcutta in India, a master’s degree in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University.

Central High research student from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock named Google Science Fair State Winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:10:14 +0000

A Little Rock Central High School senior who conducted research under the mentorship of a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty member has been named the Google Science Fair State Winner from Arkansas.�� Anusha Bhattacharyya, of Little Rock, earned the honor for her project, which is focused on finding an inexpensive method of removing Nitrophenols, a chemical found in pesticides, from water. She completed her project under the mentorship of Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry.�� “When I walked into Dr. Ghosh’s laboratory at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the first time in the ninth grade, I had very little idea about what I wanted to do,” Bhattacharyya said. “However, I have always had concerns about the environment and believe environmental pollution poses the greatest threat to ours and future generations.”�� Ghosh, who has been working with young student researchers for many years, said he hopes the experience will lead Bhattacharyya to further develop her science skills in college. “I have worked with close to 25 middle and high school students for their science fair research,” Ghosh said. “My goal is to provide them with great research experiences, so that some of these students are encouraged to pursue STEM-related careers. I have worked with Anusha for the last three years, and it has been great to work with such an intelligent and motivated young student.” In her science fair journey, Bhattacharyya has received many recognitions along the way. In the ninth grade, she was named a Google Science Fair Regional Finalist. She has been a finalist in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2018, Bhattacharyya won a scholarship to Arizona State University and a third place $1,000 award in the Earth and Environmental Science category for her research to find a suitable adsorbent using naturally abundant environmentally benign materials to remove nitrophenols from water in an efficient, inexpensive, and sustainable way. All of Bhattacharyya’s research projects have been geared towards solving issues related to environmental pollution. She has worked on alternative energy sources, including finding cheaper fuel cell catalysts and removal of pollutants from water. ��“��Vlog��ý Little Rock provided me my first college experience,” Bhattacharyya said. “Thank you to Dr. Ghosh for opening up his lab and giving me the opportunity to work with him and his students.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers develop new, low-cost method to create thin film electrodes for supercapacitors

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 19:32:41 +0000

Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have developed a new and inexpensive method to fabricate thin film electrode materials for supercapacitors that produce higher power at a lower cost.�� Supercapacitors are rechargeable energy storage devices that can deliver charge quickly for high power-density better than traditional batteries. They have the advantages of charging quickly and retaining their storage capacity for hundreds to thousands of recharging cycles. Supercapacitors are used in a variety of applications, including electric vehicles’ regenerative braking systems, wireless telecommunications, and high-powered lasers. “In industrial applications, we can build the thin film electrode for high-performance supercapacitors in less than one hour via a simple technique using these low-cost materials, which can significantly speed the process and lower the cost of synthesis,” said Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, who led the research team. The team, made up of students and researchers from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Arkansas, recently published their findings. Bijay Chhetri, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock biology doctoral student, and Dr. Charlette Parnell, forensic chemist at Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, are the lead authors. The article, was published in “Scientific Reports,” a publication in the “Nature” family of journals. The research includes the development of an innovative, easy method to design thin films using a cobalt metal complex and conducting polymer for use in supercapacitors. This material costs less than many competing technologies, making it a potential game-changer for a wide range of real-world applications. “Our approach to fabricate low-cost thin film electrode materials offers a feasible solution to fabricate supercapacitor devices with high power density and reduced production cost in real-world applications,” Chhetri said. The researchers believes their work can help the scientific community, even outside the domain of supercapacitor electrodes. “Our research embraces a novel method for improving the ongoing developments in this exciting field,” Parnell said. “With this supercapacitor material, we are helping pave the way toward using inexpensive catalysts and electrode materials for a more economical and benign approach. These materials provide a platform for further developing improved supercapacitors that will enhance modern technology for energy storage in automotive and railway transportation and overall power grid efficiency.” The research was completed with financial support from the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering under the National Science Foundation Grant No. IIA-1457888 and the Arkansas EPSCoR Program, ASSET III.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students use wits to beat escape room challenge

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:11:40 +0000

A group of chemistry students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock found out that book smarts alone were not enough to overcome an escape room final project.�� Inspired to build teamwork amongst his students and to make class more exciting, Dr. Anindya Ghosh devised a unique escape room group project to challenge the students in his Intro to Inorganic Chemistry class. “I was inspired by Dr. Kedar Jambhekar, radiologist and diagnostic radiology residency director at ��Vlog��ýMS, who recently did this for his residents to encourage teamwork,” Ghosh said. “I think that homework needs to be fun to help teach the students. No one has ever done this in the Chemistry Department. I hope that the students learn teamwork. This helps them to think outside the box and to think critically.” Students in the class include Cecilia Cayll, Samantha Crosby, Robert Hill, Akeia Joyner, Arsalan Karimi, Caroline Kornelsen, Thuy Le, Tyler Maxwell, Victoria Mchargue, November Palmer, David Standridge, and Caleb Stein. The class divided into groups of four, and each group was responsible for creating puzzles involving chemistry lessons from class. The groups also had to use images from popular culture to give the teams additional clues. One group determined their number was eight after noticing that their clues contained a picture of a brown recluse spider with eight legs and a picture of a piano player whose hand spanned eight keys. “You would have to be a musician to figure it out, and I’m glad I am,” said Akeia Joyner, a senior chemistry major. A second group figured out their number was five after having an image from the movie “The Fifth Element,” an image from a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Additionally, one of the answers to their chemistry problems was Boron, which has an Atomic Number of five on the periodic table.

Chemistry students Akeia Joyner and Victoria Mchargue had to solve a series of science problems to get clues to unlock their classroom door during an escape room challenge. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

“I think this is fun,” said Cecilia Cayll, a junior chemistry major. “It’s better than sitting in the classroom listening to a lecture or taking an exam.” Each group needed to come up with one number as their answer. The combination of the numbers from all four groups would provide the answer to escaping the room. Even after all four groups worked together to escape the room, Ghosh put one more roadblock in the road to victory. The combination needed to open the chain that locked the classroom door only used three numbers, so students were also tasked with figuring out which number was left out and what order to put the remaining three numbers. It turns out that the most difficult part of the escape room challenge was putting the correct combination into the lock. Fellow classmates commented that it was “hilarious” to watch their classmates unsuccessfully try to figure out the combination. “We’re book smart, not street smart,” Cayll said. Students finally reached the correct combination, before the end of the class period, after they realized the lock was backward, and they had been inputting the combinations the wrong way. “It was freaking awesome!” Victoria Mchargue, a senior chemistry major, said. “If every homework problem could be like this, where we have to find a way to get out of the room, it would be a lot of fun.” In the upper right photo, chemistry students (L to R) Arsalan Karimi, Victoria Mchargue, and Caleb Stein celebrate their victory in escaping from their chemistry classroom after solving a series of puzzles. Photo by Benjamin Krain.��

Central High School student mentored by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors wins more than $60k for outstanding research

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 16:46:28 +0000

When most people think of tea and molasses, their thoughts don’t stray any further than the kitchen.�� Meghana Bollimpalli, a Central High School student who was mentored by two chemistry professors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, saw the potential to create a less-expensive renewable energy source that has earned her more than $60,000 in scholarships and prize money from science fair competitions. Meghana Bollimpalli, 17, of Little Rock, worked from October 2017 to March 2018 with chemistry professors Dr. Tito Viswanathan and Dr. Noureen Siraj on her high school research project to turn renewable waste materials like molasses and used tea leaves into electrodes for supercapacitors. Siraj, who mentored four high school students during the 2017-18 school year, said Bollimpalli was a talented and inquisitive student with a gift for chemistry. “The good thing about Meghana is she is always very interested,” Siraj said. “When a high school student comes in my lab, I want to make sure they don’t work as a technician without understanding the science behind the experiments. I push them to think creatively about the science. I push them to think a little bit deeper.” ��Ǳ��貹��’s novel, low-cost approach for synthesizing materials could greatly cut the production and energy costs of making electrodes for supercapacitors, which are used as energy sources in electronic devices including cars and medical equipment. She found that combining common substances like tea and molasses with nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing salts in a commercial microwave formed a powder that could be used as a coating for electrode-like materials, giving them similar properties of more expensive metals like platinum. “There is an increase in the demand for energy due to the alarming rate at which we are using our nonrenewable resources and the increase in population worldwide,” Bollimpalli said. “To address this demand, we need to find an environmentally and economically feasible way to store our energy. Supercapacitors are devices that address this demand due to their great properties such as portability, long cycle lifetime, and high energy density. But the problem is, in order for a supercapacitor to actually work, it needs a great electrode.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock chemistry professors Dr. Noureen Siraj (left) and Dr. Tito Viswanathan (right) mentored Central High School student Meghana Bollimpalli (center) on her project to create carbon-based electrodes for supercapacitors. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Electrodes in today’s market are usually made from expensive metals like platinum, gold, and palladium and can cost thousands of dollars. To address this problem, Bollimpalli created carbon-based electrodes for under $1 using renewable waste products such as tea powder and ��molasses. She won a total of $58,000 in in May at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winners, taking home $50,000 as one of the top three presenters at the event, which attracted student researchers from 75 countries. She also won $5,000 for the Best of Category award in chemistry and $3,000 for a first-place finish in the chemistry category. So far, ��Ǳ��貹��’s project has won more than a dozen awards at six competitions in three states, winning about $61,000 in scholarship and prize money. She most recently was a Gold Medal recipient at the Genius Olympiad in Oswego, New York, in June. In March, she won a $1,500 scholarship as one of the top two award winners at the State Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Russellville. At the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair in Conway, she won four awards, including the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Quest Award, which landed her a summer internship with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. “I am very thankful for everyone who helped me with this project. Science is not an individual project. You have to have a collaboration and have the perspectives of many people,” Bollimpalli said. “Dr. Tito and Dr. Siraj were patient in answering all my questions and proofreading my paper and exploring ideas and concepts with me. Dr. Siraj has a way to telling you things that make it stick.”

The best place to do research

Bollimpalli has been conducting research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with the help of mentors since she was a freshman. She first worked with Dr. Shawn Bourdo in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences to create bioplastic samples to address the amount of plastic waste in the ocean. She synthesized bioplastic materials that could be used to create fast-acting biodegradable plastic shopping bags. “Regular plastics take hundreds of years to degrade, but the bioplastic samples I synthesized biodegraded in a week after you threw them away,” she said. In 2017, Bollimpalli worked with Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry. They used waste carbon dioxide to produce an eco-friendly, less-expensive cyclic carbonates, which are used in lithium ion batteries and pharmaceutical products like lipstick. “I want to continue doing research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because I have had great mentors and research opportunities here,” Bollimpalli said. “I love the professors and mentors and labs. I’d like to work again with Dr. Tito and Dr. Siraj, and I definitely want to stick within the chemistry department. I am lucky to be one of the few, the professors are willing to mentor. It was a great opportunity to learn so much and to meet all of the people at the international competitions. Getting all of this knowledge before I go to college is going to really give me a step up in college.” The Chemistry Department faculty at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highly active in research as evidenced by funded research grants, publications, and patents. At the undergraduate level, faculty in the Chemistry Department mentored 15 Undergraduate Research Signature Experience awardees, all of whom presented at the 2018 Student Research and Creative Works Showcase and some at the Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ghosh Named Interim Associate Dean of Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Chemistry Professors, Students Receive Honors

����Vlog��ý Little Rock honors Geissler, Ghosh, and Briscoe as top professors of 2020

Ghosh receives Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors award for College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

Central High research student from ����Vlog��ý Little Rock named Google Science Fair State Winner

����Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers develop new, low-cost method to create thin film electrodes for supercapacitors

����Vlog��ý Little Rock students use wits to beat escape room challenge