science 237 Flying Bison In the fall of 2008 nine members of The Gedanken Society science club got the chance to participate in the Southwestern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The Gedanken Society, a student affiliate chapter of the American Chemical Society, was an open-membership club to anyone interested in chemistry. The regional meeting took place in Little Rock on October 3, and allowed students to present research they worked on during the course of the semester. Three people from the club presented research in an oral presentation, and the others presented their research on posters. According to acting club president and senior Taylor Hendrixson, seven students presented their research on posters, and senior Greg Lyons won third prize for the research done in his category. Hendrixson said his own research was conducted with grant money from NASA. “My research was building a Raman spectrometer,” Hendrixson said. “This is an instrument that can be used to determine the identity of unknown chemical substances. I’m working with a high power laser in this instrument.” Hendrixson said his involvement in Gedanken and undergraduate research exposed him to many opportunities and would help him reach his goals. “I plan on attending medical school next fall,” Hendrixson said. “Research in any science-related field is vital, and I hope to be active in research while attending medical school because it allows me to learn more about things [in which] I am interested.” The club treasurer, senior and first year member Seth Coleman, said he had the opportunity to present his research on the sun as a light source. Coleman, who also planned on attending medical school, said similar techniques might be applied on the surface of Mars to determine its atmospheric components. “The idea then is to analyze the peaks and determine what compounds in our atmosphere were absorbing the sunlight,” Coleman said. “I was only able to confidently show water and oxygen so far.” Coleman said he felt the conference was a positive and successful trip for all those who participated this year. “We received some compliments concerning our posters, so I think we all left feeling we were successful overall,” Coleman said. “The trip helped me to see the dedication and hard work that is required by anyone to succeed in whatever career path they choose.” Senior Megan Bush agreed that the trip was a success and a great learning experience. Bush said she gave a presentation on the flame emission of hybrid rocket plumes. “The trip gave us an opportunity to hear talks from students and faculty members from around the state,” Bush said. “It provided an opportunity to share our research with the scientific community and gave us experience with speaking to our peers.” Bush said she enjoyed her time in the club and the failures and successes that came with research. The Gedanken Society gave members the opportunity to further their research and provide themselves with valuable experience and opportunities throughout their careers. Zach Welch Experiment Gedanken Gives Research Presentations at Conference Row 1: N. Smeal, E. Wilson (Sponsor), J. Langford, D. Stair (Sponsor). Row 2: G. Lyons, M. Goodhart, M. Bush, P. Elliot, S. Barber. Pi Kappa Delta Row 1: H. McIntosh, W. Brown, W. Castleberg. Row 2: A. Gates, D. Manes. Row 3: T. Randolf, S. Denney.
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