Alfred & Isabel Bader Scholars

Alfred Bader is one of the founders of Aldrich Chemical, now Sigma-Aldrich. The Baders supported Project SEED for many years and contributed to the initiation of the Summer II SEED program.

Medinat Akindele is a graduate of ­Harding Senior High School, in St. Paul. Under the guidance of Molly Kreiser at the University of Minnesota, Twin ­Cities, Akindele worked on research titled “A Study of Conversion of [¹³C₆]Indole-3-­acetyl Aspartate to [¹³C₆]Indole-3-acetic Acid in Alisa Craig Tomato.” Akindele is majoring in chemistry at UMN Twin Cities.

Aaliyah Ardoin is a graduate of Washington-Marion Magnet High School, in Lake Charles, La. At McNeese State University, in Lake Charles, Ardoin worked under the direction of Ron Darbeau on research titled “Preparation and Study of Dibenzyl(1,2-dioxoethane-1,2-diyl)biscarbamate.” Ardoin is majoring in chemistry at McNeese State University.

Maria De LaTorre graduated from East High School, in Kansas, Mo. She conducted research under the mentorship of James Durig at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. The title of her research is “Properties and Stability of a Molecule, Purification of a Sample, and Infrared Spectroscopy.” She is majoring in chemical engineering at Kansas State University, in Manhattan.

Jael Estrada is a graduate of Union City High School, in New Jersey. He completed research at Drew University, in Madison, N.J., under the guidance of Ryan Hinrichs. His research is titled “Reactive Uptake of Gaseous Terpenes at Acidic Air-Water Interfaces.” He is majoring in environmental studies and sustainability at Drew University.

Mateo Gonzalez graduated from Century High School, in Pocatello, Idaho. Under the guidance of Rene Rodriguez at Idaho State University, Pocatello, Gonzalez worked on research titled “Effect on the Sn Incorporation on the Material Properties of PECVD Deposited GeS₂ Thin Films.” He is majoring in chemistry at Idaho State University, Pocatello.

Calley Hickman is a graduate of Morris Area High School, in Minnesota. Under the guidance of Ted Pappenfus at the University of Minnesota, Morris, Hickman conducted research titled “Computational Investigation of Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) Molecules.” She is majoring in chemistry at UMN Morris.

Carlos Huang graduated from Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo, in San Juan, P.R. He conducted research on “Synthesis of the Polypropionate Chain of Mycalolide A Using an Epoxide-Based Approach” at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, under the mentorship of José A. Prieto. Huang is majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.

SangHo Jee graduated from Old Mill High School, Millersville, Md. Under the mentorship of Zhihong Nie at the University of Maryland, College Park, Jee conducted research titled “Encapsulation of Hydrophobic Dyes as Model Drugs in Hybrid Assemblies of Inorganic Nanoparticles.” Jee is majoring in biochemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Imran Khan is a graduate of Niles West High School, in Skokie, Ill. Khan conducted research at Loyola University, in Chicago, under the guidance of Rick Holz. Khan’s research is titled “Catalytically Important Residues in NHase.” Khan is majoring in integrated science at Northwestern University.

Carisa Medina-Abrajan is a graduate of East High School, in Pueblo, Colo. She conducted research at Colorado State University, Pueblo, under the mentorship of Sandra Bonetti on “The Effects of Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu) on Fungal Hydrolase Activities: Isolation and Characterization of Fungal Phosphohydrolases.” Medina-Abrajan is majoring in biochemistry at Colorado State University, Pueblo.

Camila Morocho graduated from Science Park High School, in Newark, N.J. She conducted research under the mentorship of Yaakov Saturen and Eliseo Eugenin at the Public Health Research Institute at the International Center of Public Health at Rutgers University, Newark. Her research is titled “Role of Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Accelerated Atherosclerosis in HIV-Infected Individuals.” She is majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering at New York University.

Sereena Nand is a graduate of Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, in Stockton, Calif. Under the mentorship of Roshanak Rahimian at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, she conducted research titled “Arteries Function Impaired by High Fructose and Glucose Intake.” She is majoring in biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Faith Ogbennaya graduated from Saint Vincent Academy, in Newark, N.J. She conducted research at the Public Health Research Institute at the International Center of Public Health at Rutgers University, Newark, under the mentorship of John Mavrianos. Her research is titled “Effects of Phosphorylation on Two-Component Response Regulator Protein’s Transport to the Mitochondria.” She is majoring in biochemistry at Drew University, in Madison, N.J.

Ngoc Pham is a graduate of Westbury Senior High School, in Houston. Pham conducted research at Shell Global ­Solutions, in Houston, under the mentorship of Pierre Tutunjian, Pat Killough, and Dave Denley. Pham’s research is titled “Determination of the Branching Index in Base Oils by High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.” Pham is majoring in chemistry at Houston Baptist ­University.

Nina Raymundo is a graduate of Lawrence North High School, in Indianapolis. Under the mentorship of Maria Teresa Rizzo at Methodist Research Institute, in Indianapolis, she conducted research titled “Arachidonic Acid’s Contribution to Neoplastic Cell Growth in Malignant Gliomas.” She is majoring in biochemistry at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Cristin Reno graduated from Sylvania Southview High School, in Ohio. She conducted research at the University of Toledo, in Ohio, under the guidance of ­Jianglong Zhu. Reno’s research is titled “Stereoselective Synthesis of S-linked 2-Deoxy Glycosides.” She is majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Toledo.

Jamarii Robinson is a graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science, in Columbus. Robinson conducted research under the mentorship of Douglas Masterson at the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, titled “Synthesis of Unnatural α-Methyl β-Proline Analogues.” Robinson is majoring in chemical engineering at Mississippi State University, in Starkville.

Claudia Torres graduated from Kent Place School, in Summit, N.J. She conducted research under the mentorship of Huixin He at Rutgers University, Newark. Her research is titled “The Controllable Synthesis of Fluorescent Green, Excitation-Dependent Graphene Quantum Dots.” Torres is majoring in molecular biochemistry at Yale University.

Brooklynn Trujillo is a graduate of South High School, in Denver. Under the mentorship of Matthew Cranswick at Colorado State University, Pueblo, Trujillo conducted research titled “Reaction of [W^IV(O)(mnt)₂]^2– with Strong Acids.” Trujillo is majoring in chemistry at Colorado State University.

Jade Tso graduated from Franklin High School, in Elk Grove, Calif. She conducted research at the Department of Agriculture’s Western Human Nutrition Research Center, in Davis, Calif., under the mentorship of Betty J. Burri. Tso’s research is titled “Analysis of Antioxidant Status of Plasma in Bangladesh Women in Response to β-Cryptoxanthin-Rich Tangerine and β-Carotene-Rich Sweet Potatoes.” She is majoring in chemistry at Duke University.