The Spring 2008 Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee

 

Answering the call to become more involved in the ACS as graduate students, Kirsten Griffins assembled the seven members of the 2008 Spring GSSPC team in late 2006.   The team met weekly to come up with a theme, invite speakers, raise funds, and take care of the many administrative tasks involved in planning a symposium.  The team evenutally secured sponsorship from the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry division of the ACS along with a cosponsorship from the Division of Chemical Education, and Energy and the Environment, and most recently has been honored with a designation as a Presidential Event of the ACS.

 

 

 

 

 

Kirsten Griffiths grew up all over the US, including stays in New Hampshire, Virginia, Texas, and Arizona.  She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Clarkson University in Postdam, New York.  She is currently in her 4th year as a graduate student in the research group of Fraser Stoddart and is working to synthesize molecular Borromean Rings via hydrogen bonding interactions.  Her interests include politics (both national and within the University), travel to exotic places, scrapbooking, and photography.  

 

 

 

Kaushik Patel was born in Leicester, England and raised in Manchester, England. After completing high school, he moved to the US in 1998 to begin his study in chemistry. After obtaining his B.Sc. from Mercer University, Macon, GA, he began graduate work in 2002 at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN on the synthesis of liquid crystalline compounds. He transferred to UCLA in the summer of 2004 and began researching switchable molecules and has been trying to incorporate them into the biological arena. He is currently a third year student and his hobbies include german cars, computers, gadgets, dogs and traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

Originally from Corvallis, Oregon, Sarah Angelos moved to California after high school to attend college at Santa Clara University. After graduating from SCU in 2004 with a B.S. in Chemistry, I continued moving south and am currently in my 3rd year in graduate school at UCLA working under Dr. Jeff Zink.  My research is mainly focused on the synthesis and study of functional mesostructured materials prepared by sol-gel techniques.  In addition to research, I have enjoyed other aspects of my life at UCLA including working as a teaching assistant, leading workshops for general chemistry students, and helping to organize and host an international conference on sol-gel chemistry.  Outside of school I really enjoy sports, especially soccer, tennis and football, reading, wine, and spending time with friends and family.

 

 

 

Khin K. Chin is from San Gabriel, California and received his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2002, during which he did research on the photophysical properties of Hypericin under the guidance of Professor Christopher S. Foote.  He is currently in his fourth year of graduate study at UCLA under the direction of Professor Miguel A. Garcia-Garibay where he is studying the photophysics of novel fullerene derivatives and solid state nanocrystalline systems

 

 

 

Chris Kolodziej is originally from Danbury, CT and received his B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College in 2004.  He then moved to UCLA and is currently studying as an NSF:IGERT Fellow under the direction of Prof. Heather Maynard researching the development of functional surfaces for patterning biomolecules.  Chris also heads the Magnetic Fluids experiment as a part of the CNSI Nanoscience Outreach program.  When not working, he can often be found on the beach, hiking in the mountains, or otherwise spending time with friends.

 

 

 

Robert Kojima is a non-traditional student who began his undergraduate education in the community college system and went on to earn his B.S. in Chemistry from San Diego State University.  He is heavily involved in his local community outside of the lab, working as a volunteer in several capacities raising funds for non-profit organizations.  Currently he is in his third year researching the use of catalysis and sensors with nanoform conducting polymer - metal composites with Dr. Richard B. Kaner.

 

 

 

Bo Wang grew up in Baoji, China and earned his B.S. in chemistry from Peking University. After graduation in 2004, he flew over 8,000 miles to Ann Arbor, MI and started his graduate study in metal organic frameworks synthesis and applications as alternative energy storage materials at University of Michigan with Dr. Omar M. Yaghi. On March 2006, with a M.S. in material chemistry, he drove more than 2,300 miles with all colleagues in Dr. Yaghi’s group to LA and resumed his research in UCLA since then. He was an intern in Marketing Research Department of P & G for several months and served as a Consulting Assistants Intern in GHD group in Beijing. He also devotes himself to serving the communities. He was the former president of Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) in Michigan and the founder of Michigan Chinese Union. Now he serves as a vice president in CSSA at UCLA and hosts the “Bruin Talk” symposium for CSSA.