CHEMISTRY PROF INCLUDES STUDENT IN RESEARCH STUDY

For Immediate Release/09-19-06/Lorraine Pace




NEW FRONTIERS - Texas A&M University-Commerce junior chemistry major Michael Helleson of Garland recently returned from a visit, funded by the College of Arts and Sciences, to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory with Dr. Ben Jang, A&M-Commerce chemistry professor. Under Jang's supervision at Oak Ridge, Helleson had access to a $1-million transmission electron microscope (pictured) and a $3-million scanning transmission electron microscope, which they used to determine that the molecules of the catalyst they had synthesized had nano-particles that changed shape, with more defects at the atomic level. "Looking at my own sample, knowing I had synthesized it, exposed me to a whole new world," says Helleson, who met international scientists on the trip. "It really opened my eyes to all the careers that a chemistry degree holds." Jang's study is expected to improve the fundamental understanding of why plasma technology works and how it can be applied to specific catalytic processes, and should have wide applications for commercial use. The National Laboratory is managed for the United States Department of Energy and is an important facility for addressing national and global energy and environmental issues.

(A&M-Commerce photo)