It is a pleasure to present you with this new edition of The Element, your annual update on the activities and achievements of the students, staff and faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Laurentian University.

As you will see in this issue, your Department was quite busy this year. The creation of Cooperative programs, the introduction of a new initiative aiming to provide better academic counseling to our 1st and 2nd year students, and the recognition of the teaching excellence of one of our colleagues will help our Department to remain a destination of choice for those interested in pursuing their post-secondary education in chemistry or biochemistry.

I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this issue of The Element. On behalf of the Faculty and Staff of the Department, I thank you for your continued support and wish you the best for the summer season.

Eric Gauthier

Our very own Dr. Joy Gray-Munro is the winner of the Laurentian University 2018 Teaching Excellence Award for full-time faculty. Established in 1986, this prize aims to recognize exceptional teaching performance. As teacher for General Chemistry II, Inorganic Chemistry I and many other courses, Joy uses in-class demonstrations, interactive approaches and often provides relevant examples from pop culture to stimulate the students’ interest in the subject matter. Congratulations Joy!

The Department is proud to announce that four of its programs now include a Cooperative placement option:

- B.Sc. Specialization in Biochemistry - B.Sc. Specialization in Chemistry- B.Sc. Specialization in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chem option- B.Sc. Spécialisation en BiochimieStarting in September 2018, students in our specialization programs

will have the opportunity to gain paid, work-related experience during their studies.

Diane Gillham, the Department’s Administrative Assistant, will be leaving us for a well-deserved retirement beginning July 1st. Upon her arrival at Laurentian University in 1980, Diane worked at Student Life, Graduate Studies and the School of Translators and Interpreters before joining our

department in 2000. Congratulations Diane and enjoy your new life as a retiree!

The ElementDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Volume 13 | June 2018 | www.laurentian.ca

Message from the Chairman Teaching Excellence Award

New Coop programs !

Retirement

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Volume 13

Mathieu LecoursI began my studies in Biochemistry at Laurentian University in September 2010. One of the reasons I was

drawn to Laurentian was its small size, allowing me to know my professors and technologists, which really enhanced my learning experience. In my 4th year of undergrad, I had the privilege of doing my thesis project under the direction of Dr. Kovala at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. It was this opportunity which enabled me to be exposed to the world of academic research. I was quite intimidated at first but Dr.

Kovala was always available to help me, something I will always be truly grateful for.

Following my graduation, I decided to continue my education to the graduate level. In 2014, I started my master’s degree in Chemical Sciences at Laurentian under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Merritt. My project was done in conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and focused on developing a genetics-based approach for determining cormorant diet in Lake Nipissing. I was very fortunate to have worked on this

project, which involved both field and lab work. I would like to thank Dr. Merritt, who was always willing to lend a hand when I ran into issues but would always try to push me to find the answers on my own.

I am now completing my Pharmacy degree at the University of Waterloo and look forward to come back to Sudbury as a pharmacist. Looking back on the time I spent at Laurentian University, I consider myself to be lucky to have been surrounded by professors and technicians who were always supportive anytime I was struggling with any issue. Laurentian has helped shape me into the person that I am today, and for that I will always be thankful.

This past September, the department initiated a Mentorship program, in which each of its 1st and 2nd year students were paired with a faculty member or staff. The aim of this program was to provide students with a mentor who can answer questions, provide academic advice or help navigate the LU administrative maze. In total, 43 students and 9 faculty and staff participated in the program’s inaugural edition. Due to its success, we are glad to announce that the program will be continued for the 2018-2019 academic year.

It is with sadness that the department announces the passing of three of its retired faculty members: Drs Roy Kari, Werner Rank and Frank Smith. Our sincere condolences to the family of our colleagues.

Dr Kari Dr SmithDr Rank

Laura Masters, a recent graduate of our Biochemistry Specialization program, was part of the Voyageurs women team who won the school’s first OUA Women’s curling banner in February 2017. This was Laurentian University’s first title in curling since the 1989 men’s team and the first Voyageurs championships banner since 2002-03.

From left to right: Krysta Burns, Megan Smith, Sara Guy and Laura Masters.

Mentorship program

Our Alumni: where are they now ?

In Memoriam

Athletics Academics

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My Name is Brittany and I am currently a part time masters student in the chemical sciences program here at Laurentian University. I am working with Dr. Joy Gray-Munro and Dr. Michael Schindler on Interactions of Model Crude Oil

Components with Calcium Carbonate Surfaces. It is hoped that my research will aid in understanding which components of oil persist in the environment due to strong interactions with mineral surfaces. We hope this research would eventually aid in the remediation of oil spills along shorelines.

Prior to beginning my masters, I graduated from Laurentian University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in science with a major in chemistry with the pharmaceutical option. I grew up in the Sudbury area and chose Laurentian as it offered small class sizes and has a great reputation in the community. I quickly learned that Laurentian offered many opportunities. As I aspire to one day become a pharmacist, the B.Sc. in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry option gave me the background I need in order to succeed in Pharmacy School.

My time at Laurentian, specifically as a student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department, has been a wonderful experience. The professors and technologists in the department provide students with outstanding science education. They also provide many opportunities to apply what has been learned in laboratory and real-world applications. In addition, the members of the department provide a very approachable, encouraging, supportive and passionate community which helps students succeed and achieve their goals.

My name is Mitchell Slobodian. I am in my 2nd year studying a specialization in Biochemistry. In high school, I was interested in genetics, proteins and the chemistry of the millions of reactions that happen inside our bodies. What started out as a casual interest for me quickly turned into a realization that I should turn my interests into a degree. Aside from my passion for Biochemistry, I have many hobbies, including trail running and cross-country skiing.

Laurentian University allows me to seamlessly combine all of my passions and interests in one amazing location. Since Laurentian is a smaller university, I have been able to get a much more personalized learning experience due to the smaller classrooms and friendly atmosphere. The small labs have been an absolute blast even if there are some very lengthy lab reports!

The Nordic Ski Team at Laurentian has allowed me to continue my sport at a competitive level. Having a vast trail system for running, biking, and skiing only steps from my residence has allowed me to keep doing what I love to do without having to figure out transportation out of the city.

UndergraduateMitchell Slobodian

graduateBrittany Duhamel

Years ago, several endowed funds were created with monies donated by alumni of the department as well as retired faculty and staff. The accrued interest is used every year to provide bursaries and scholarships to our students. At its annual awards ceremony, held on March 29, 2018, the department handed over $11,000 in scholarships and bursaries to 25 undergraduate and graduate students registered in our Chemistry and Biochemistry programmes.

Student Profile

Awards

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Volume 13

The paper entitled The Rapid Synthesis of Organic Compounds in Microwave Ovens, authored by our colleagues Drs Richard Gedye, Frank Smith and Ken Westaway, was ranked among the 100 best papers published by the Canadian Journal of Chemistry (1988, 66 [1]: 17-26).

To all our graduates in the MSc in Chemical Sciences and their supervisor(s):

Alamir, Ahmad (J. Watterson)Aldarini, Nohaia (V. Appanna)Aldarini, Wafa Saeed S. (J. Gray-Munro & J. Shepherd)Campbell, Courtney (J. Watterson)Harrison, Jessica (G. Arteca)Lecours, Mathieu (T. Merritt)Lo, Soet (S. Siemann)Mahboob, Said Sharif (J. Shepherd)Mispel-Beyer, Kyle (C. Lannér & A. Parissenti)

To Alexandrine Martel who was awarded the 2017 Goodman School of Mines – Best Master’s thesis award M.Sc. Chemical Sciences (mining focus) ($1,000).

To Jessica Harrison and Dr G. Arteca who presented a poster at the Chemical Biophysics Symposium (Toronto, May 2017), and also an oral communication at the CIC/CSC meeting (Toronto, June 2017)

To Melanie Racine who attended “the 5th World Congress on Hydrogen Sulfide in Biology and Medicine” (Toronto, May 31-June 2)

To Sungwon Han (a graduate of the B.Sc. in Biochemistry and M.Sc. in Chemical Sciences) is now a practicing doctor in Sudbury.

To Paul Guérin for being part of a group of seventeen runners (Nickel City Runners) who participated in the 31st annual 24-hrs / 277km Cabot Trail Relay Race in Cape-Breton, Nova-Scotia. During his 14.7km circuit, Paul ran MacKenzie Mountain: a 6.2 km stretch with an elevation gain of 385m.

To Kerry Yang, grade 8 student at Lo Ellen Park Secondary School, who won the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry award at the

2018 Sudbury Regional Science Fair. Kerry went on to attend the Canada Wide Science Fair, where she won the Challenge Award – Health, and the gold medal for the Excellence Award.

To our graduate in the PhD programs and and their supervisor(s):In the Boréal Ecology program,

Emmanuel Appiah-Hagan (N. Belzile and Y. Chen)

In the Biomolecular Sciences program,

Abusneina, Abdelmuhsen (E. Gauthier)Alhawasi, Azar (V. Appanna)Chewchuck, Simon (A. Parissenti)Edwardson, Derek (T. Kovala & A. Parissenti)

During the convocation ceremony of May 30, 2018, a Posthumous M.Sc. degree in Chemical Science was awarded to Scott Hume. Scott completed his graduate studies under the supervision of Dr. Jeffrey Shepherd.

Paul Guérin

Support your Department

Departmental website

100 years of CSC

Congratulations

Posthumous M.Sc. degree