ÂúÃÃÊÓƵ

Thirteen College of Arts & Sciences students traveled to San Diego to present faculty-mentored research projects at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2025 Meeting & Expo. 

Accompanied by chemistry and biochemistry professors Matt Kubasik, PhD, and John Miecznikowski, PhD, the students joined more than 13,000 chemists from around the world for the four-day conference. Participating students included Samantha Erickson ’25, Joseph Trucchio ’25, Isaac Ouellette ’25, Stephanie Coulombe ’25, Kelley Ross ’25, Sarah Breslow ’26, Kiera Cunningham ’26, Maya Schauber ’26, Giovanna Kalin ’26, Abigail Dahlquist ’25, Jenna Hanson ’25, Colin Gorman ’26, and Ben Tran ’27.

“Attending ACS meetings is valuable for students because it gives them a chance to share their lab successes with a broader scientific community,” said Dr. Miecznikowski. “They also attend lectures from leading scientists and teacher-scholars, and connect with faculty they may study under in graduate school.”

Dr. Kubasik emphasized the importance of this national stage. “It’s very important for our students to place their results alongside research from institutions across the country and the world,” he said. “At the conference, they begin to see themselves as part of the larger scientific enterprise.”

Fairfield’s chemistry and biochemistry faculty actively mentor more than 25 student researchers each semester. Projects span diverse areas — from single-molecule electrical conductivity to novel peptide synthesis and the development of new metal complexes involving cobalt and copper.

Dr. Miecznikowski also attended presentations by students from institutions including the U.S. Naval Academy, St. Edward’s University, American University, Grand Valley State University, UC Irvine, Reed College, and Lafayette College. “All of the students did an excellent job — as did ours,” he said. “I was impressed by their poise and professionalism.”

This marks the 20th year that Fairfield students have attended the annual ACS Spring Meeting & Expo. This year's trip was made possible through the generous support of The Science Institute, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, the Western Connecticut Section of the American Chemical Society, Fairfield University Inspire Grants, Magis Student Funding, and the Kuck Fund from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Related Stories