Five GCSU chemistry students to present at international conference in Portugal

Five GCSU chemistry students to present at international conference in Portugal

Five chemistry students at Georgia College & State University were accepted to present their research from August 31 to September 4 at the highly competitive International Sol-Gel Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

All five students in Dr. Catrena Lisse's research group applied, and based on previous years' success rates, Lisse says she was hoping two of them would be accepted. Instead, when the expert reviewers from all around the world conducted their blind review of submissions, every member of Lisse's lab was approved.

"I made all five aware: this is what's happening, this is the process, there's no guarantee. I was bracing them for possible rejection," said Lisse, professor of chemistry. "I've never had all of my students accepted for this conference. Ever. Not only does it validate the research I'm doing - it validates their hard work that they've put into it."

Juniors James Addis and Emily Mirth and seniors Morgan Collins, Thomas Rice and Dakota Warren were vying for presentation spots among scientists with Ph.D.s, graduate students and other sol-gel scientists from across the globe.

"It says that we're competitive on the international field," Lisse said. "At this international level, our work is acknowledged, and that is exciting."

Lisse has been involved in sol-gel chemistry, a unique area of material science, since 1993, and over her career has presented and served on panels as an expert. Once she started at Georgia College and began working with undergraduates, she says everything shifted.

"My Ph.D. is from Georgia Tech, I love Georgia Tech, but we are not Georgia Tech - we are better, in my opinion, because we give undergraduates this type of experience," Lisse said. "I was never able to do anything like this with undergraduates."

However, Lisse noted that as a smaller institution, Georgia College faces funding limitations that larger research universities typically do not. With an unexpectedly high number of students accepted to present at the conference, available travel support is insufficient to fully cover all participants.

"Our students have worked hard and earned this opportunity," Lisse said. "I hope the university can help provide the support needed so everyone can attend without having to bear the financial burden themselves."