SLCC Chemistry Student Receives Prestigious National ACS Award

 

SLCC Chemistry Student, Katherine Christensen

Katherine Christensen [Stansbury High School] always knew she wanted to study medicine and become a physician. But when she was deciding between pursuing either biology or chemistry, she realized that the basis of biology is chemistry, and the way to figure out how the human body works is by knowing and understanding how chemistry works. 

“I started getting into the chemistry aspect of it and it's so much more logical to me, and it makes so much more sense in how things work,” says Katherine.

She signed up for organic chemistry taught by Professor Ron Valcarce. He introduced her to the chemistry clubs at SLCC, where she has since become the president of the Student Affiliate chapter of American Chemical Society (ACS) chemistry and pre-med clubs.

“I had originally known about the ACS organization, but I didn't know that we had any clubs here particularly under the ACS, so it was like all my worlds combining and joining together, it was really cool,” says Katherine.

ACS is one of the largest scientific organizations with members all over the world. Their vision is to improve people’s lives using chemistry. ACS student chapters are organizations for undergraduate students with an interest in the chemical sciences. There are nearly 450 active student chapters throughout the world, including the student chapter at SLCC, which is one of the most active in the country.

ACS works together with five SLCC clubs (Chemistry Club, Pre-Pharmacy Club, Pre-Medical Professions Club, Nanotechnology Club and Biotechnology Club). The program helps arrange and support student events such as field trips to local science-related businesses and academic laboratories, pre-professional workshops and outreach projects for the clubs. 

“As I slowly got more involved in these clubs I got involved in research. I'm the project lead on a research project right now, and it's just blossomed from there. I've gotten so many opportunities from my leadership roles here,” Katherine says.

One of those opportunities at SLCC is that she was selected to receive the Student Leadership Award from the ACS. Recipients of this award are selected from around the world based on their leadership skills and extracurricular activities. Katherine was the only student from a community college selected to receive this award, the only one from Utah and only one of two from the west coast. Many of the other students were from Ivy League colleges, Katherine said.

“If I had been going literally anywhere else, I might not have gotten that opportunity. But because I went here [at SLCC], I got it,” she says. Katherine credits much of her success to the faculty and other students, and for having such an active ACS chapter at SLCC. “It's just the environment here. It's incredible. It's impossible not to grow as a person here.”

The president of ACS with Katherine Christensen at the Leadership Institute in Atlanta, GA in January. 

Katherine was one of only 14 undergraduate students selected to receive this award and was able to attend the Leadership Institute in Atlanta, GA this past January. The Leadership Institute is an invitation-only conference that allows students to attend workshops and network with other student leaders from around the world, as well as ACS leaders from local sections. This award is given to only a few students each year who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and a passion for science.

Her professors saw that exceptional leadership and passion in her. “Since the Spring of 2022, I have been working with Katherine, supporting her as ACS Student Affiliate Advisor, her professor for organic chemistry, and her advisor for her undergraduate research project. During this time, I have seen tremendous growth in Katherine,” says Ron. “This is a very prestigious award, and we are all very proud of her.”

Katherine is currently conducting a research project and will publish her findings on the synthetic procedure and purification of the drug phenytoin, and on focusing on methods to improve the overall yield and cost for use in economically developing countries. She will present the result of her work at the American Chemical Society National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana this coming March. Her future plans are to transfer to either Weber or the U of U next year.

“I feel through just being so active in this [club] chapter, I have been afforded so many opportunities to actually get myself out there to network to see what I am good at,” says Katherine.