News and Events

2016

November

Casey Massena successfully defends his Original Research Proposal.

September

Asia and Casey present to MREDI legislators

Asia Riel and Casey Massena present their research to the state legislators who approved Montana's first large-scale research initiative. Asia has been developing a selective arsenate sensor to help address inadequate water quality monitoring. Casey has developed technology that selectively encapsulates iodide to streamline iodide recovery in northern Montana.

August

Jake Fromm loading a column

Jake Fromm, hailing from the Black Hills of South Dakota, joins the Berryman Lab.


Jiyu Sun and Eric John join the the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.


James presenting his poster

James May presents his work at the 2016 SD EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of South Dakota and is awarded first place. He has participated in an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) working under Dr. Haoran Sun in his Fluorinated Materials Group. James' research has focused on the synthesis of new perfluoroalkylated aromatic molecules, having applications as n-type organic semiconductor materials.


Casey Massena receives the Besancon Scholarship with an award amount of $20,000.

July

Casey holds a model of a triple helciate

Casey Massena, Nick Wageling, Daniel Decato, Enrique Martin Rodriguez, and Ari Rose make the front cover of Angewandte Chemie International Edition with their development of the first halogen bonding triple helciate to encapsulate iodide.


June

Curtis and Johnny hard at work in the lab

Curtis Williamson (left) from Heart Butte, MT (Blackfeet Reservation) and Johnny Bowers (right), a native Missoulian high school student, join the Berryman Lab for the summer. Curtis is the recipient of a competitive NSF scholarship and Johnny an ACS grant. They are working alongside Asia Riel and Daniel Decato to synthesize and study pyridine-N-oxide halogen bonding synthons. Their work will contribute to the field of rational crystal engineering, which has applications in drug delivery among others.


The lab move

The Berryman Lab moves from the basement to the first floor of the Chemistry Building.

May

Royce Engstrom loading a crystal sample

UM President Royce Engstrom visits the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Small Molecule X-ray Diffraction Facility to celebrate recent departmental successes.



The Berryman Lab receives multiple departmental student awards. Asia Riel—the Lola Walsh Anacker Scholarship. Dan Decato and Casey Massena—the Stanley R. Ames Scholarship. Evan McManigal—the General Chemistry Achievement Award. Morly Jessop—the Louis F. Kinney Award. Chris Grubb—the Richard H. Jesse Memorial Scholarship.

April

Asia and Nick teach children about the magic of chemical reactions

The Berryman Lab kicks off spring with hosting spectrUM science camp. Asia and Nick demonstrate the magic and fun of chemical reactions.


Asia Riel receives an honorary Bertha Morton Scholarship. Bertha Morton was a Montana native who left a large part of her estate to the UM Foundation because she desired to help serious students obtain an education at this institution. Bertha Morton fellowships and scholarships have subsequently been among the univeristy's most prestigious awards for graduate students.

February

Orion teaching kids

Assistant Professor Orion Berryman has received the National Science Foundation's most presigious award for junior faculty. The Faculty Early Career Development award, also known as a CAREER grant, is given annually to junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.

With CAREER support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) program of the NSF division of Chemistry, Professor Berryman is designing molecules that match the size and electronics of sulfur compounds. These new materials are being used to accelerate reactions involving sulfur and other polarizable molecules.

Additionally, this research is being used to inspire children to study STEM. To reach a broad underrepresented audience, 3D printing is being used to teach new chemical characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction.



January - Casey Massena passes his divisional exam.