MultiDisciplinary
Anterior Cruciate Ligaments
By Alexis Jenkins
Alexis Jenkins definitely is very active from the start. Sports have always been her passion; growing up, you could always catch her outside at the softball field playing with her high school, tournament team, or family. This all was until she had an almost career-ending injury occur not just once but twice. Luckily, she could continue to play two years of college softball, but she always wondered why tearing your ACL, also known as your Anterior Cruciate Ligament, was such a big deal. Now years later, she is a Senior here at Millersville studying Sports Journalism. After graduation, she plans to work her way into the ESPN world to eventually become an ESPN Broadcast Journalist.
Synthesis and Reactivity of a Variety of 1-Aroyldiaziridine Derivatives
by Lauren Ostopowicz
The objective of this project is to synthesize 1-aroyldiaziridine derivatives that contain a variety of different substituents in order to study how the electronic effects of the substituents might affect the bond-breaking selectivity of the diaziridine ring. In other words, will the substituents help to direct C – N, or N – N bond breaking of the ring system. Diazirdines, a class of threemembered ring heterocycles that contain one carbon and two nitrogen atoms, are useful intermediates in the synthesis of more complex heterocyclic compounds, some of which have been utilized in the pharmaceutical industry. Although there are a number of literature studies that address the breaking of the C-N bond to form more complex heterocyclic compounds, there are no reports of N-N bond cleavage. This research project is designed to study the factors that may influence the cleavage of either bond, potentially resulting in the formation of different pharmaceutically active ingredients.
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About the Author
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Lauren Ostopowicz is a junior Chemistry major and Mathematics minor at Millersville University. She is currently working on an independent research project (“The Synthesis and Reactivity of a Variety of 1-aroyldiaziridine Derivatives”) under one of Millersville’s Organic Chemistry Professors, Dr. Steven Bonser. She is currently in the first year of the two-year project. This project will be Lauren’s senior seminar as well as her published Undergraduate Thesis. Lauren has also been selected to participate in Rutgers University’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program, completely funded by the National Science Foundation, for the summer of 2017. There, she will be working under Dr. Dismukes and conducting fundamental and applied research techniques in the areas of renewable energy production via biological and chemical systems. Her laboratory techniques and critical thinking skills, which she developed through her independent study, will be much needed for her summer research experience. After graduation, Lauren plans on attending graduate school to obtain a Master’s in Environmental Chemistry and Business Administration.