WASHINGTON, PA (April 7, 2016) – Washington & Jefferson College’s (W&J’s) chemistry department is the recipient of a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Jean Dreyfus Boissevain Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions grant, and will use the $18,500 award in part to bring esteemed chemist Cynthia Jameson to campus in April.
Jameson, a pioneer in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and emeritus professor from the University of Illinois-Chicago, will visit campus from April 10-13. She will give a free and public lecture on April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Yost Auditorium of the Howard J. Burnett Center on the W&J campus titled, “Why So Few? Unconscious Biases and How They Affect the Advancement of Women in Academia in the STEM Fields.”
“Scientific seminars are a critical way to disseminate knowledge,” said Robbie J. Iuliucci, Ph.D., an associate professor of chemistry at W&J. “The Dreyfus grant provided an incredible opportunity to bring a high-caliber speaker to campus, as well as support students. Dreyfus recognizes the challenge for small colleges to support campus visitors, and thus created the grant in part to encourage this endeavor.”
Jameson also will visit several classes during her visit to W&J and discuss physical chemistry and her work calculating NMR parameters with chemistry majors, as well as promote women in science.
In addition to funding Jameson’s lecture, the grant will support the research of two W&J chemistry students with a faculty member during the summer of 2016. Part of The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation’s mission is to recognize the importance of undergraduate education, including student-faculty research.
“Student-faculty research has long been recognized as a key component to scientific education. Dreyfus is one of the foundations that identifies this value and specifically supports the educational aspect of scientific research,” Iuliucci said.
The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation offered this highly-competitive grant nationwide. The grant is committed to the development of chemical sciences and will be an important resource to W&J’s chemistry department. Previous recipients of this grant include Harvey Mudd College, St. Olaf College and Claremont McKenna among many other top undergraduate institutions nationwide.
“As part of the scientific culture, scientists routinely apply for grants and write proposals in order to acquire resources to complete their goals. This competitive aspect improves the quality of science,” Iuliucci said.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
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