About the GSSPC
The Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC) was developed by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Chemical Education (CHED) for students to contribute to the ACS National Meeting by providing an exceptional atmosphere of learning and networking through a student organized symposium. A GSSPC comprised of 6-8 students is selected for each national ACS meeting and tasked with generating a unique symposium theme and organizing the entire event, including fundraising speaker recruitment, and logistical arrangements. Additionally, the GSSPC is charged with ensuring the continuation of the GSSPC by recruiting and mentoring a successive group of graduate students.
Past GSSPC participants can be found here.
Past GSSPC participants can be found here.
Committee Biographies
Ryan Mondschein
Committee Chair B.S. in Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University (2012) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Timothy E. Long Ryan comes from the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania and is currently in his fourth year focusing on the synthesis and characterization of high performance polymers, such as polyesters and polyetherimides for applications in advanced packaging, coatings, and electronics. As an undergraduate at Penn State, his research included the synthesis and characterization of polyphosphazenes for hard tissue engineering scaffolds and bio-adhesives under Professor Harry R. Allcock. His interests include bio-inspired polymer chemistry, biomaterials, and the relationship between biology/health and macromolecules. Ryan is a big sports fan following most Philadelphia and all Penn State sports. In his spare time he enjoys playing ice/roller hockey, visiting friends in other cities, and playing with his dog Athena. |
Lindsey Anderson
Budget & Finance Co-Chair B.S. in Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin (2013) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Robert B. Moore Lindsey comes from Houston and is currently in her fourth year working on the functionalization and characterization of engineering thermoplastics, primarily focusing on the blocky sulfonation of poly(ether ether ketone) for use in fuel cell membranes. As an undergraduate at the University of Texas, her research included the gene deletion of transcription factors in yeast and monitoring the transcriptional response of yeast to environmental stressors under Prof. Patrick J. Killion and Travis White in addition to the synthesis of novel anti-cancer and DNA-binding drugs under Prof. Sean M. Kerwin. Her interests include novel techniques to control morphological order in macromolecules and the relationship between morphology and properties. In her free time Lindsey enjoys playing golf, touring local breweries, and spending time with her family at the lake. |
Kyle Arrington
Budget & Finance Co-Chair B.S. in Biochemistry, B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, The University of Arizona (2013) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. John B. Matson Kyle hails from Phoenix, Arizona and is currently in his fourth year in the Virginia Tech Chemistry program focusing on the synthesis and characterization of novel polymers and with varying innovative topologies. As an undergraduate at Arizona, his research included the synthesis of collapsible amphiphilic block copolymers and the synthesis of well-defined CdSe-CdS nano-rods under Professor Jeffrey Pyun. His interest include bio-degradable materials, eco-friendly synthesis, and light catalyzed synthesis. Kyle loves computers and cars. He frequently takes both apart and sometimes puts them back together. |
Yifan Dong
Logistics Co-Chair B.S. in Materials Chemistry, Beijing Institute of Technology (2013) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Kevin J. Edgar Yifan is a fourth year graduate student and her research focuses on the design and modification of polysaccharide derivatives for oral drug delivery. As an undergraduate, her work with Professor Yuping Dong from Beijing Institute of Technology focused on design and synthesis of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) compounds as biological fluorescent sensors. She is very interested in polymer engineering for biomedical applications and also the structure-property relationship of biomacromolecules. In her free time, Yifan enjoys travel, music and photography. |
Justin Sirrine
Fundraising Co-Chair B.S. Materials Science & Engineering, B.S. Integrated Business & Engineering, Lehigh University (2011) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Timothy E. Long Justin grew up near Hartford, CT and is a current fourth year graduate student. He has been slowly making his way south, first to Lehigh in Bethlehem, PA, then to Wilmington, DE for two years of full-time work at DuPont in Central Research & Development, and now to Blacksburg, VA for graduate school. His research centers around the synthesis and characterization of oligomers and polymers for additive manufacturing, with a focus on tuning 3D printed construct’s engineering properties with innovative macromolecular design. While at DuPont, he focused on the development of polyamides for automotive applications and the stabilization of pigment in household paint formulations. His research interests include additive manufacturing and biomaterials. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and eating, running, hiking, and listening to/playing music (violin). |
Brittany Nichols
Fundraising Co-Chair B.A. in Chemistry, UNC Chapel Hill (2011) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Kevin J. Edgar Brittany is from Gibsonville, North Carolina and is currently in her third year focusing on the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel cationic and anionic cellulose derivatives for gene/protein delivery. Her prior research at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University focused on the organic synthesis of potential cancer chemopreventives. Her research interests include the synthesis of polyelectrolytes and strategic design of renewable biomaterials and green chemistry principles. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, sewing and traveling with friends. |
Chad Powell
Fundraising Co-Chair B.S. in Chemistry, Clemson University (2014) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. John B. Matson Chad is originally from northern Virginia, but has spent the latter half of his life in beautiful South Carolina. Chad is in his third year of graduate school and his current research focus is in the synthesis of novel small molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors for in vivo applications as well as analysis of their release mechanisms. Chad did his undergraduate research under Dr. Rhett Smith at Clemson University on the synthesis and characterization of organic photovoltaics and their oligomer analogs. In his spare time Chad enjoys going to the gym, playing sports, and playing video games. On Fall Saturdays you can always find Chad parked on the couch watching Clemson Tigers football. |
Samantha Talley
Logistics Co-Chair B.S. in Chemistry, Kansas State University (2014) Virginia Tech Advisor: Dr. Robert B. Moore Samantha is from Kansas City and is currently in her third year focusing on morphological development during sol-gel transitions facilitated by crystallization utilizing small and wide angle X-ray scattering. As an undergraduate at Kansas State, her research included immunoaffinity chromatography to isolate serpins and serpin proteases from Anopheles gambiae mosquito hemolymph toward developing more effective anti-malarial drugs and pesticides under Professor Christopher T. Culbertson. Her current research interests include sol-gel chemistry, morphology-property relationships, and small/wide angle X-ray scattering. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys playing softball, traveling to new places, and bragging about her cat named Benzene. |