1999 IOTA SIGMA PI UNDERGRADUATE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHEMISTRY

Nicole R. Brinkmann, College of Wooster

Her nominator, Dr. Virginia Pett, wrote that it was a pleasure to have a student as enthusiastic as Nicole in her classes. Her leadership abilities are evident, both in the laboratory and the classroom. She organizes other students to work on group projects and asks good questions to get the group moving. In addition to her academic achievements, Nicole was a laboratory assistant in the Physical Chemistry I Lab. She arrived in lab each week fully prepared. She asked students good questions and enabled them to figure out for themselves how to proceed. In addition, Nicole took full responsibility for helping the students with a Differential Scanning Calorimeter. Nicole also took part in several extracurricular activities, including the marching and symphonic bands, as well as the Wooster Christian Fellowship. She also served as Treasurer in the Women In Science group. The College of Wooster has recognized Nicole's academic ability and scientific potential by awarding her several scholarships, including the College Scholar Award and the Arthur Holly Compton Scholar Award. The Chemistry Department also awarded her a four year Dow Scholarship. Nicole's undergraduate research is in computational chemistry. She works with Dr. Henry Schaefer at the University of Georgia and in less than a three months' period she completed a research project that was accepted for publication in a peer review journal. Dr. Schaefer commented that " Nicole demonstrated the ability to assimilate information that is typically reserved for graduate level courses." Nicole has been accepted to the University of Georgia to work in the center for Computational Quantum Chemistry under Dr. Schaefer in pursuit of a Ph.D. Nicole's award was presented to her by Dr. Virginia Pett at the May 13, 1999 meeting of the Local Section of American Chemical Society.

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