WCUCC 2012 a success for U of A, students

Over 65 undergraduate students presented their research to peers and professors at the Western Canadian Undergraduate Chemistry Conference (WCUCC) earlier this month. The event, hosted by the U of A Chemistry Students' Association, was held at the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) at the U of A from May 3 to 5.

The WCUCC, held annually, is an opportunity for students from across western Canada to meet, collaborate and share their research. Each year, the conference features presentations, posters and special events, such as a campus treasure hunt, live music, and much more.

More than a dozen U of a students took part, highlighted by Chemistry students Katie Mitran and Janelle Smiley-Wiens. Mitran received the Best Overall Presentation Award while Smiley-Wiens took home the award for Best Poster Presentation.

Mitran, a fourth year student from Rimbey, Alberta, gave an oral presentation on point-of-care diagnostics, a big focus of her undergraduate research. Working closely with Dr. Julianne Gibbs-Davis, she's working on developing an accurate and affordable method for diagnosing tuberculosis.

Her research is motivated by the belief that she could directly improve the wellbeing of others, especially in developing nations.

 

Smiley-Wiens created a poster to present her research. As a member of Dr. Michael Serpe's research group, she's focused her efforts on solvent exchange mechanisms in microgel polymers. Her findings could help in point-of-care diagnostics used to detect a variety of diseases such as malaria. She'll join Dr. Eric Rivard's lab next year to continue her research experience and complete her undergraduate degree.

For more information on the conference and research in the department, visit the links below:

• Western Canadian Undergraduate Chemistry Conference 20122
• Gibbs-Davis Group
• Serpe Group
• Rivard Group