April 1, 2009 – Our Town – Delaware

Rita and Sarah Cook

Photo by Bruce Heflin

Slugging Softball Siblings Scale Scientific Summit
Sisters present at national chemistry conference

To many students, the idea of presenting at a conference with experts in their chosen field in attendance is undoubtedly a little daunting. However, this is not the case for Rita and Sarah Cook ’10.

The sisters, both chemistry majors and members of the Ohio Wesleyan softball team, attended the American Chemical Society (ACS)’s national conference in Salt Lake City last week to present projects they have been working on since last summer.

“Most of the chemistry community comes (to this conference),” Rita says. According to the ACS’s Web site, more than 10,700 scientists and exhibitors attended the event. The ACS itself is the largest scientific society in the world.

Rita says the conference includes an undergraduate program, but she and Sarah missed the undergraduate presentation because of a softball game. They presented their projects among what Rita calls the “big kids” of chemistry.

Sarah and Rita began their work at a 10-week research group program in Minnesota called Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). REU is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Rita’s project was in environmental chemistry. She studied a groundwater pollutant and its effects on water supplies. Sarah worked on synthesizing a luminescent potassium sensor, which she said can be used to measure levels of potassium in the blood to better prevent seizures and strokes.

“It was pretty awesome to be around all those professionals,” said Sarah. “I’m looking forward to doing my own research.

“This just made me realize that this is what I really want to do.”

Sarah will return to REU this summer. Rita is traveling to Toulouse, France, to do research.

– Michelle Rotuno-Johnson ’12