In 1918, the global influenza pandemic struck millions of families, killing a jaw-dropping 3 percent of the world’s population at the time. Scientists since devised a treatment to stop the flu infection from spreading within the body. With the recent emergence of a particularly virulent strain of avian influenza, H5N1, and the rise of the highly transmissible but somewhat less virulent pandemic H1N1 “swine flu” in 2009, many fear a repeat of this serious and lethal world health crisis. The common drugs used for treatment of influenza are far from perfect, and they sometimes act in unexpected ways on the molecular level. Working with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adam Van Wynsberghe, Erica Losito ’12 and Jeremy Adelman ’13 are taking a closer look at exactly what happens when the virus and the drug interact, in two different ways.

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Tom Nevers '10 and his senior thesis advisor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Camille Jones, have published an article titled "Temperature-dependent distortions of the host structure of propylene oxide clathrate hydrate," published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (published in the March 11 print issue and Feb. 17 online). The article is a result of a detailed structural study they performed of clathrate hydrate, an arrangement of atoms and molecules in an ice-like compound. More ...

Associate Professor of Chemistry Myriam Cotten served on a panel at the 2010 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference in Anaheim, Calif. in April. The panel was part of a session titled “The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Career Spectrum.” More ...

Hamilton College's highest awards for teaching were presented on May 7 to three faculty members. Douglas Weldon, the Stone Professor of Psychology and director of the Neuroscience Program, was awarded the Samuel & Helen Lang Prize for Excellence in Teaching; Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nicole Snyder received the Class of 1963 Excellence in Teaching Award; and Associate Professor of Africana Studies Angel David Nieves was honored with the John R. Hatch Excellence in Teaching Award. More ...

Nine Hamilton students attended the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society held March 21-25 in San Francisco. The theme of the meeting was “Chemistry for a Sustainable World.” Also during the meeting Hamilton students and chemistry faculty attended an award symposium in honor of Edward “Ted” Taylor ’46, who received the Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry. More ...

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nicole L. Snyder presented research at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco in March. Her talk was titled “Synthesis of carbohydrate-porphyrins conjugates via palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling approach.”
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Two Hamilton seniors, Phillip Milner and Tom Morrell, have been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Milner is a chemistry/math double major who will be starting a Ph.D. program in chemistry in the fall, at an institution yet to be determined. Morrell is a chemistry major who will begin a Ph.D. program in chemistry at Princeton in the fall. More ...

Taylor Adams ’11 and Deborah Barany ’11 have been named Barry M. Goldwater Scholars for the 2010-11 academic year. They are among 278 scholars from across the U.S. to receive the Goldwater, the premier national undergraduate award in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Kevin Graepel ’11 received honorable mention. More ...

Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Bradley Wile attended the 239th American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco on March 21-25 and presented a poster describing research conducted by Hamilton student Alexander Wood '12 (summer research) and alumna Kathryn Manning '09 (senior thesis). The poster, titled "Progress Toward the Synthesis of New Redox-active Phosphino(iminopyridine) Ligands," was well-received and prompted several useful and productive discussions. More ...

Tom Morrell '10 recently published an article, “Atmospheric Implications for Formation of Clusters of Ammonium and 1−10 Water Molecules,” in the Journal of Physical Chemistry A. His co-author was George Shields, former Hamilton College chemistry professor and currently dean of the College of Science & Technology at Armstrong Atlantic State University. More ...