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Marquis Scholar Amanda Ohs ’03 is undertaking an honors thesis to research Group VI metal compounds with 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene – also known as dppf — as a ligand, a group of atoms that bridges two different metal centers together.
“My goal is to synthesize the compounds and study the electrochemistry of each,” she explains.
Ohs was inspired to pursue a thesis after completing EXCEL Scholars research on metal compounds with Chip Nataro, assistant professor of chemistry. In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students work closely with professors while earning a stipend.
Ohs is researching the effects of using the compound dppf as a ligand in an asymmetric environment.
Ohs’ research aims to address what happens to the ligand when the metals are not similar. Nataro, Ohs’ thesis adviser, says the work is analogous to a person carrying a box of pillows in one arm and a box of books in the other. She seeks to determine the effect different compounds have on the ligand represented by the person carrying the two boxes.
“Dr. Nataro is the best professor I’ve ever had,” she says. “He really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. He really goes the extra distance, and I’ve learned so much from him.
“He understands when the stress is on and he gives us advice about classes, presentations, graduate schools, and careers. I am very thankful to have such a wonderful mentor.”
Ohs plans to attend graduate school and feels her honors thesis and the EXCEL research that inspired it are good preparation for future academic endeavors.
Nataro concurs: “Amanda has more or less made the jump towards working with very little guidance, which is always the ultimate objective.”
Ohs has presented work at an American Chemical Society national meeting and may see a publication as a result of her thesis.
“I am very interested in inorganic chemistry, and I am excited to see how molecules come together and behave as compounds. I like working with metals and getting into the nitty gritty of analysis,” she says. “Inorganic chemistry is interesting because you really get to break things down and see how they react with each other.”
Ohs cites this honors thesis and her EXCEL work as two of many positive experiences during her career at Lafayette.
“Lafayette is a wonderful place for an undergraduate to prosper,” she says. “There are no graduate students around, so the professor is focused on what you are doing. Also, the Lafayette environment really encourages professors to engage students in the laboratory.”
A member of American Chemical Society, Ohs participates in peer tutoring and intramural sports. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
A National Leader in Undergraduate Research. Amanda Ohs ’03 made a presentation on her collaborative research with Chip Nataro, assistant professor of chemistry, at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.