BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University student Jamie Rogers has been chosen by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to present her research on Capitol Hill at the annual Posters on the Hill session in April.
Rogers, a senior chemistry major from St. Louis, is one of 60 students from across the nation who has been invited to Washington, D.C. According to CUR, which hosts the event, Posters on the Hill allows members of Congress to gain an understanding of the importance of funding undergraduate scientific research.
“Undergraduate research can sometimes be forgotten because it is not on the vast scale of graduate schools,” said Rogers. “But quality undergraduate programs like Illinois Wesleyan are key building blocks for all students. I know this presentation is important not just for me, but for all future undergraduate students.”
Rogers will present a poster of her research on “Environmentally Friendly Organic Synthesis Using Bismuth Compounds” that will be viewed by U.S. Senators during the Posters on the Hill session. “The research is about achieving chemical reactions in a green way, using a catalyst like bismuth bromide. Catalysts make reactions go more smoothly. A green catalyst means it is better for the environment and the chemists working with them,” said Rogers, who works on the project with Illinois Wesleyan chemistry Professor Ram Mohan.