Thursday Group Meetings from 5:40 PM

January 2026

• January 1st at 5:40 PM --> No Meeting

• January 8th at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• January 15th at 5:40 PM --> Jeopardy!

• January 22nd at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• January 29th at 5:40 PM --> Problem Set - Reaction Mechanism (Everyone).

February 2026

• February 5th at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• February 12th at 5:40 PM --> Problem Set - NMR Interpretation (Everyone)

• February 13th at 1 PM --> CHEMISTRY SEMINAR: "Biogeochemical processes responsible for wetland attenuation of uranium" by Prof. Daniel I. Kaplan, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia.

• February 19th at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone, Undergraduate Students — Discussion Meeting (Khoa).

• February 26th at 5:40 PM --> Chemistry Literature Club (Noah, Amanda, Khoa)

March 2026

• March 4th at 4 PM --> CHEMISTRY SEMINAR: "Title: TBD". Prof. Wang Yongmei, The University of Memphis.

• March 5th at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• March 12th at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• March 19th at 5:40 PM --> ACS Spring 2026 - Poster Presentations (Everyone; Undergraduate Students — Discussion Meeting)

• March 26th at 5:40 PM --> ACS Spring 2026 – Flash Talks: a 5-minute presentation on your favorite ACS talk + Q&A (Everyone; Undergraduate Students — Discussion Meeting).

April 2026

• April 2nd at 5:40 PM --> Preparation to the URFA Conference. Then, Research Report (Everyone, Undergraduate Students — Discussion Meeting).

• April 9th at 5:40 PM --> No Meeting

• April 16th at 5:40 PM --> Master Thesis Defense practice (Noah).

• April 23rd at 5:40 PM --> Research Report (Everyone).

• April 30th at 5:40 PM --> No Meeting

Chemistry Literature Club: Presentation Topic: Choose a paper published in the last four months that you find interesting and relevant to our research group's focus. Your presentation should last between 15 to 20 minutes. This timeframe ensures that you cover the key points concisely and leaves sufficient time for questions and discussions. Email the selected paper to all group members at least 7 days prior to your presentation.

Content Structure:

• Introduction (2-3 minutes):

  • Briefly introduce the paper's title, authors, and publication source.

  • Clearly state the paper's significance and relevance to our research group.

• Background (3-5 minutes):

  • Provide a brief background to the topic, summarizing any necessary context for the audience.

  • Highlight key concepts or theories that are essential for understanding the paper.

• Methods (2-3 minutes):

  • Discuss the methods employed in the study.

  • Highlight any innovative or unique approaches used by the authors.

• Results (4-5 minutes):

  • Present the main findings of the paper.

  • Use visuals such as graphs or figures to enhance understanding.

• Discussion (3-4 minutes):

  • Analyze the implications of the results.

  • Discuss any limitations or potential areas for future research.

  • Relate the paper's findings to our research group's interests.

Q&A Session:

• Be prepared for questions from your peers. Consider potential inquiries about the methodology, results, or broader implications of the paper.

Research Project Presentation: Begin your presentation with the background of your research project. Start with a title and introduce your scientific hypothesis. Ensure that these slides are updated with new material, avoiding the repetition of the same content. Proceed to present the new results obtained since the last Research Project Presentation. Focus on the novel research challenges you encountered and how you addressed them. Conclude your presentation by outlining plans for the continuation of your experiments. This section should logically extend from your progress slides and demonstrate how you intend to overcome experimental challenges, achieve scientific objectives, and generate novel, publishable results. Aim for a total presentation time of approximately 20 minutes. Allocate the next 10 minutes for discussion, anticipating that some questions may arise during your presentation. Be prepared for an interactive session, welcoming interruptions with general and specific questions at any point. If you run out of ideas regarding background topics, seek feedback well before your scheduled presentation. Maintain a clear separation between introduction, old results, background, new results, and future plans. Each of these sections is distinct and relates directly to your scientific hypothesis. Take note of the feedback received and make immediate corrections to your presentation. This proactive approach ensures that recurring issues are addressed promptly, enhancing the quality of your future presentations.