Empowering Women in Science

The ACS East Central Illinois Women Chemists Committee was founded in the fall of 2005 to promote the development of women in the chemical sciences. With the support of our local ACS chapter and the University of Illinois Chemistry department, we have planned events that include professional and social opportunities that benefit graduate students, faculty, staff, and undergraduates. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to join.

Featured Member - June 2008

Kathryn Kloepper, a fifth year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry in the Rienstra group, recently graduated with her Ph.D. in chemistry (specialization in Analytical Chemistry). After graduation, she will be moving to Canton, NY for a 2008-2009 appointment at St. Lawrence University as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry. Kathy's research focused on the protein alpha-synuclein. She used solid-state NMR techniques to obtain structural information on these amyloid-type fibrils, which have been implicated in such neurodegenerative diseases as Parkinson's disease. During her time at Illinois, Kathy was active in a number of departmental activities, such as the WCC (a founding member) and the analytical student- selected speaker committee. She also was involved in several outreach programs. This past year she developed an afternoon forensics program for high schoolers and assisted the undergraduate ACS student affiliates in implementing it at a local high school, Urbana High. Kathy is from Auburn, AL. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Dallas (Irving, TX) in 2003. After her appointment at St. Lawrence, she looks forward to continuing a career in undergraduate teaching and research.

Do you have a nomination for a Featured Member of the Month? Did you or another WCC member recently publish a paper, receive an award, or present at a meeting? Let us know at wcc@scs.uiuc.edu!