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Read more about the Awards Ceremony and the winners of the Hancock Memorial Award, Breen Memorial Fellowship, and Ciba Travel in Part 1 of our Green Chemistry Student Awardees blog post.
The green chemistry community celebrated the winners of ACS GCI’s five student awards at GC&E in Atlanta, GA, during the conference’s first-ever Opening Night Awards Ceremony on June 2, 2024.
Nina McClelland Memorial Award: sponsors the participation of postdoctoral scholars from both U.S. and international institutions to attend the annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference and present their work in a talk or poster. Two $2,000 awards are provided each year.
The Nina McClelland Memorial Award winners pose on stage at GC&E with ACS GCI staff (Left to Right: Christiana Briddell (ACS GCI), Julio Terra, Thomas Auvray, David A. Laviska (ACS GCI))
Thomas Auvray
Thomas Auvray is currently a research fellow in the mechanochemistry of organometallic and inorganic materials at the University of Birmingham in the UK. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Montreal in Canada.
Thomas has extensive research experience, and during his Ph.D. studies he worked towards sustainable energy harvesting devices that he noticed contradictorily relied on metal complexes based on precious metals and were made through harsh reaction conditions. This contradiction led him to explore postdoctoral positions that would allow him to expand his skills to better combine sustainable practices and research in the context of renewable energies and the use of renewable feedstocks. He is now focusing on using mechanochemistry in the synthesis of organometallic compounds and activation of precious metals such as gold in a safer, faster, and more sustainable way. Thomas also works to establish more sustainable laboratory practices and is expanding his research to the activation of metal (hydr)oxides as a strategy to both simplify and eliminate toxic reagents in the preparation of precursors in inorganic chemistry.
Julio Terra
Julio Terra is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Originally from Brazil, he earned his B.S. in chemistry at the Federal University of Lavras and his M.S. in chemistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais before pursuing his Ph.D. in Canada at McGill University.
Having developed a strong background in catalyst design during his Ph.D., Julio is now developing catalysts for biomass conversion processes. The Luterbacher group where he works developed an aldehyde protection strategy to stabilize lignin, but under conditions that involve high temperatures (250 ºC) and precious metal catalysis (Ru/C). Julio’s research has led him to explore a process carried out at lower temperatures using abundant metals in the presence of acids. These same acids can deprotect the lignin molecules and trigger condensation side reactions. In this context, Julio is designing nanosystems with metals and acidic sites strategically placed to avoid the condensation processes. This advancement can make the use of lignin – the largest natural source of aromatic compounds – safer and more sustainable.
The Heh-Won Chang, Ph.D. Fellowship in Green Chemistry provides international recognition for outstanding graduate student contributions to advancing the goals of green chemistry. Winners receive $5,000 towards their expenses while conducting graduate research.
Left to right: Christiana Briddell (ACS GCI), Elanna Neppel (winner 2022-23), David Kenney, Georgia Douglas, and David A. Laviska (ACS GCI)
Georgia Douglas
Georgia Douglas is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Victoria in Canada, and she earned her B.S. in atmosphere and environmental chemistry at McGill University. The title of her fellowship application was “Design of a Green, Colorimetric Arsenic Senor Using Chitosan-Based Hydrogels.”
As a highly toxic heavy metal, arsenic contamination in drinking water poses major health concerns worldwide. Ultra-sensitive detection methods are required to detect arsenic down to the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization, and these kits require multiple hazardous reagents. Georgia’s research is focused on greener, easier-to-use testing methods, specifically the development of molybdate-gelled chitosan hydrogels and their use as the base of a colorimetric arsenic sensor. Her work aims to create an alternative analytical field-testing method that would be low-cost and user-friendly, allowing the kit to be used by members of marginalized communities to test their own drinking water supply. Increasing the accessibility of analytical testing for drinking water will lead to a more equitable future, helping to increase access to safe drinking water and reduce environmental racism.
David Kenney
David Kenney is currently a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he also earned his B.A. and M.S. in chemistry and chemical engineering, respectively. In addition, David holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Washington University in Missouri. The title of his award application was “From Landfill to Cement: Realizing Waste as the Future of Carbon Capture Technologies.”
David’s research is centered on reducing anthropogenic emissions from two major contributors: cement production and municipal solid waste (MSW) management. His work aims to leverage thermodynamics and kinetics to convert the organic fraction of MSW into a competitive net-negative cement alternative. The alternative pathway utilizes a low-value renewable feedstock that is both safe and rich in carbon. In addition, the alternative cement materials use naturally occurring binding polymers, offsetting the need for calcium silicate hydrate. Initial results have shown success in recovering a significant percentage of CO2, and David is motivated by a model that shows a potential offset of 650 million tons of CO2 at the national scale. In his research, David also prioritizes life cycle considerations and socio-economic impacts.
Photography by Brad Zangwill