Seven Bridgewater College undergraduate students presented at the national American Chemical Society Meeting in San Diego, Ca., in March, sharing research that could be applied to fields as diverse as solar cell production and antibiotic development.
Two students—Mackenzie Patton ’25 and Dani Fellner ’26—gave oral presentations on work they did while participating in National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates at Virginia Tech last summer. Six students presented posters on research they conducted under the mentorship of BC faculty: Annaliese Franklin ’25, Megan Huffstickler ’26, Saron Enyew ’26, Brock Zorn ’26, Ryan Perry ’26 and Fellner.
Fellner, a chemistry major from Mechanicsville, Md., presented a poster on work she did with Dr. Ellen Mitchell, Associate Professor of Chemistry, that involved synthesizing a particular type of porphyrin, an organic compound used in both medicine and industry. The porphyrin that Mitchell and Fellner worked with may be incorporated into the development of dye-sensitized solar cells, a project currently being studied by Dr. Ian McNeil, Associate Professor of Chemistry.
Huffstickler, a biology major and chemistry minor from Fredericksburg, Va., worked with Dr. Barnabas Otoo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, on a project that synthesized and then tested several beta-lactones, organic compounds derived from acids, to see if they were effective at destroying bacteria including E. coli.
“I was nervous for my poster session, but I think it went really well,” Huffstickler said of her experience at the conference. “I liked being able to talk about my research in a more conversational way, and it helped me to practice explaining my work to others in a concise manner.”
The other students presented posters on the work they did under the mentorship of Dr. Rippa Sehgal, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, and Otoo.
Facilitating more undergraduate student research and participation in academic conferences is a strategic goal across the College and is a focus of Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College. Within the Greg L. and Betty P. Coffman School of Natural Sciences, students receive support for summer research projects from The Research Experience @ Bridgewater (TREB) and the Dr. John W. Martin Summer Science Research Institute. Both TREB and Martin projects are funded by Bridgewater donors and provide a stipend and on-campus housing for participating students. Funding for student travel to academic conferences is also funded through donor contributions, including the Class of 1968 Endowed Fund for the Center for Engaged Learning and the Heisey, Neher, Ulrich Endowed Fund.
Faculty across the sciences agree that real-world experience is vital to provide undergraduates with the skills to enter the workforce or go on for advanced study.
“Undergraduate students are developing skills that they will use in industry or graduate school,” Mitchell said. “They are learning skills that are transferable to any area.”
“Presenting at a conference gives students a chance to be an expert and builds self-confidence,” said Dr. Philip Spickler, Dean of the Coffman School of Natural Sciences.
Fellner leveraged her research experience at BC to gain acceptance to the competitive Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program this summer. She will spend 10 weeks in San Diego, Ca., learning about Naval research and technology and said she hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D.
Huffstickler is spending her summer working as a veterinary assistant and working on her application to veterinary school, in hopes of pursuing a career in veterinary medicine.
– Heather S. Cole
5/19/25
