USAO’s associate professor of chemistry Dr. Nick Boyde was awarded a fellowship through the Department of Energy Visiting Faculty Program. This will open an educational opportunity for him as he will be at the Ames National Laboratory in Ames, Iowa from May 28 to August 2. The fellowship has provided a stipend and housing to Dr. Boyde along with access to cutting-edge technology for research in synthetic chemistry.
While at the Ames National Laboratory, Dr. Boyde will work with Dr. Frederic Perras on a project titled “Hindering Ligand Exchange through Physical Encapsulation.” This work connects to Dr. Boyde’s previous work in synthesizing and characterizing the experiment’s target precursors.
Dr. Boyde said he found this research through a trusted former colleague, who encouraged him to apply. After the inspiration, he looked into different national labs available for research and settled on applying to Ames, as their studies matched his interests greatly. After talking to Dr. Perras, they formulated a joint project to get him this opportunity.
“I’m looking forward most to learning new techniques. They’re doing things at the AMES National Lab that I didn’t even know were possible a year ago. I’ve always been interested in analysis techniques for chemistry, so I’m hoping to become well trained and further my knowledge in this field.” Dr. Boyde said.
Additionally, Dr. Boyde said he is excited to grow as a professor and to provide more knowledge to the students of USAO. He said he hopes he can bring a seminar back to further the understanding of synthetic chemistry for the campus as well. He concluded that he thinks this will be a great way for him to get back into the lab, as he has not worked on this subject in quite some time.
Bea Bourland is a third-year biology and environmental science major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
