Rochester Community and Technical College students Tom Yang (Rochester, MN) and Thy Duong (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), were among more than 80 students representing 17 public and private colleges in Minnesota and Wisconsin who presented original research in oral and poster sessions at the 32nd annual Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium held on April 27.
Yang presented “The Mitigation of Photoinduced DNA-Oxidation by Using Antioxidants Found in Foods Under Different Temperature Settings” and Duong presented “Polymerization of Thermal Aspartate by Green Chemistry” at the Symposium.
“Having the chance to work on organic chemistry synthesis and having my own independent project has taught me not only lab skills but also my critical thinking and troubleshooting process,” said Duong. “Moreover, my academic writing and communication skills have improved a lot through three research symposium I have attended.”
RCTC students Rebecca Seemann (Zumbro Falls, MN) and Duong presented their original research at Minnesota Undergraduate Scholars’ Posters in St. Paul in February and at the Minnesota Conference of Undergraduate Scholarly and Creative Activity in March. Their presentation was the “Implementation of Greener Labs for the Organic Chemistry Curriculum.”
“Research has provided me with the unmatched opportunity outside the classroom to explore a reaction in-depth. Also, a project in green chemistry has allowed me to take an increased awareness of environmental impact and safety and apply those concepts in the lab,” Seemann shared.
RCTC student Joseph Kinzer (Minneapolis, MN) presented his original research at Minnesota Undergraduate Scholars’ Posters in St. Paul in February on “The Impact of Homework Timing for Introductory Chemistry Students at RCTC.”
For more information about RCTC’s undergraduate research program, contact Heather Sklenicka, Ph.D. at heather.sklenicka@rctc.edu or 507-285-7502.