The Remote Supergroup for Chemistry Undergraduates (RSCU) was first implemented during the summer of 2020 with the objective to keep students engaged in high-impact practices remotely. Our weekly Zoom meetings connected chemistry students and faculty from 18 public and private primarily undergraduate institutions spanning 14 US states.
RSCU organized research seminars featuring prominent chemists from MIT, Caltech, Merck and others. In addition to research presentations, the RSCU program also included:
- Networking across institutions and fostering a scientific community
- Engage students in scientific communication opportunities
- Informing students about further educational and career opportunities
- Facilitating discussions of equity and inclusion in science.
Following the success of the group in Summer 2020, we continued the remote series in 2021 as our labs returned to in-person research activities. We found the RSCU community continued to benefit student and faculty participants, who were able to discuss their own work and hear about experiences of other scientists at PUIs. With question-and-answer sessions with researchers, career and professional school panels and dedicated moments to discuss inclusion in science, students reported feeling a higher sense of being involved in the chemistry research community and identity as a scientist.
Key Organizing Members
Erin Gray
Assistant Professor Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA The Gray Group designs new catalytic transformations for the synthesis of complex molecules. To identify novel chemical bond-forming methods, we harness the activity of transition metal catalysts and visible light, with the goal of using these reactions to label and study biomolecules.
Chantal Stieber
Associate Professor CalPoly Pomona
Pomona, California
The Stieber Lab focuses on solving problems through complementary efforts in synthetic inorganic chemistry,
spectroscopy and computational chemistry.
Caitlin McMahon
Assistant Professor University of North Carolina Asheville
Asheville, NC
The McMahon lab is situated at the interface of organic chemistry and chemical biology; using (a) carbohydrate-based inhibitors of lectin and (b) quorum sensing as approaches to study bacterial adhesion and communication systems. The goals are to use synthetic chemistry to inhibit microbial biofilm formation and decrease virulence.
Kimberly Choquette
Assistant Professor Drew University
Madison, NJ
The Choquette lab is working to develop new SmI2 and SmI2-Ni coupling reactions, bringing together organic synthesis and unique organometallic reagents.
Supporting Organizing members
The supergroup is run with additional help and organization from:
- Raul Navarro: Occidental College
- Maggie Meadows: Mercer University
- Mary Beth Daub: Furman University
- Jeff Cannon: Occidental College
- Michael Bertucci: Lafayette College
- Thomas Osberger: Cal Poly Pomona
- Nicholas Ball: Pomona College
Funding
2022- 2024 series were funded through Pfizer Undergraduate Research Endeavor (PURE) awarded to Drew University and CUR (The Council on Undergraduate Research) Chemistry Division.
2020-2021 series were funded through the W&L and CalPoly Pomona Chemistry Departments
