Every year students from Pacific University have the opportunity to present original research at the American Chemical Society (ACS) National Conference.
The conference includes poster sessions with undergraduate students from schools across the nation and research presentation sessions with scientists from around the world.
This year the ACS National Conference was held in New Orleans, a city known for its rich cultural diversity and history.
Nine Pacific students were able to attend and present at this year’s conference as a result of funding from the Curry Fund, which encourages students to explore the city of New Orleans and to learn about new and groundbreaking research in different chemistry fields.
Senior Krista Cave, a biology and chemistry double major who made the trip to New Orleans, said she particularly enjoyed the presentations made by scientists at the conference.
“My presentation was a little quieter than expected,” Cave said. “But it was really fun to meet the other undergraduates from different schools.”
Cave also made sure not to miss out on the experiences the city had to offer beyond the walls of the conference.
“New Orleans was an amazing experience,” Cave said. “I loved Bourbon St. and the night life and I also enjoyed Jackson Square. And eating at Cafe du Monde.”
Senior Nate Olowo, a chemistry major who also attended the conference, enjoyed the relaxed nature of the presentation portions.
“I liked the whole atmosphere of the conference,” Olowo said. “There was a large amount of undergraduates which made the conference a little less daunting.”
Olowo also enjoyed exploring New Orleans and the unique culinary tastes of restaurants.
Students who attended the conference were also able to celebrate in a New Orleans St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
“The St. Patrick’s Day parade was spectacular,” Olowo said. “I can’t imagine what Mardi Gras must be like.”
Cave said she spent her time at the conference exploring chemistry talks that focused on spirits, alcoholic and beverages. While Olowo focused his time on the computational side of the talks. His favorite talk focused on a new platform for molecular modeling.
“The platform can support bigger systems and faster computation times,” Olowo said.
The 2019 ACS National Conference will take place in Orlando.
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