March Speaker (See the March 2010 Newsletter for more detail)

When: Monday, March 15, 2010

Venue: 548 Hamilton Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Campus

Time: 6:30 pm

Biographical Sketch: Tracy P. Hamilton is the Associate Professor in Department of Chemistry at University of Alabama. He received his B.S. Degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1980. After two years of graduate study and one year in a consulting laboratory, he worked with Peter Pulay in quantum chemistry at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1987. He then enjoyed a four-year stint doing further research in quantum chemistry with Henry F. Schaefer III at the University of Georgia. Dr. Hamilton joined the Department of Chemistry at UAB in 1991. Dr. Hamilton is also a member of the Center for Free Radical Biology. Dr. Hamilton’s research involves the development of theoretical methods to study chemical systems by quantum mechanics, with an emphasis on techniques for studying larger molecules. His research also includes the application of these methods to chemical systems. Dr. Hamilton did not drink coffee until after he obtained a faculty position at UAB. He expanded his personal interest in home made beverages to include coffee roasting in 2006.

Speaker: Dr. Ramon Barnes
When: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Venue: Ockinga Conference Center, UNK Campus

Environmental forensics is a new subject area relating to courtroom or litigation proceedings and the fact basis for mediated or negotiated transactions involving environmental matters. Environmental forensic investigations often deal with historical release of contaminants and attempt to establish who caused the contamination, when and how the contamination occurred, how extensive the contamination was, what levels of contamination exposure existed, and how valid the test results were. Plasma spectrochemical analysis has been applied to a large variety of environmental and forensic materials to identify and quantify their elemental concentrations, isotopic compositions, and metal compound forms. Specifically, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission (ICP-AES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) provide powerful elemental analysis tools for air monitoring, biota analysis, soil and sediment analysis, radionuclide determinations, and water and ecological monitoring. The features of plasma spectrochemistry will be described, and ICP analyses of environmental and forensic materials will be reviewed with emphasis on chemometric data interpretation for source identification. The unique applications of laser ablation (LA-ICP-MS) for microsamples and especially crime scene samples will be demonstrated. Elemental speciation with combined separation and ICP-MS tools also will be introduced.

For questions and RSVP (by November 4), contact:

Mike Mosher, mosherm@unk.edu (308) 865-8385 or

Scott Darveau, darveausa@unk.edu (308) 865-8491.

Coagulation of milk, removal of whey, and ripening are all required when making cheese, and chemistry is involved every step of the way. This non-technical talk describes the procedure from raw milk to final product, and illustrates the differences between cheese types, including the development of the many flavors in cheese.

Venue: 152 Lied Math and Science Building, Doane College

Time: 5:45 pm refreshments, 6:00 pm talk

This interactive workshop will ask important questions such as: Are you a Driver, an Expressive, an Amiable or an Analytical? What behavior style do you prefer? Do you tend to be more people or task oriented? More tell or ask assertive? What do you do when backed into a corner? While there’s no right or wrong to these questions, in today’s team based work environment, if you know how you come across and can assess how others prefer to interact, you and the team have a higher chance of achieving your goals. Find out about yourself and how to maximize your interactions with others to help ensure personal and project success!