Biochemistry Archives

Science and Friendship at Hillsdale College

A Spotlight on Matt Katz, ’17. The president of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and a frequent volunteer in the Hillsdale Hospital emergency room, Matt plans to attend medical school, inspired partly by his work at the hospital.

A Tight-Knit Team Both On and Off the Playing Field

Between being a member of the Hillsdale College women’s volleyball team, volunteering at a local women’s shelter, teaching Sunday school, and pursuing a bio-chem major and biology minor, junior Kyra Rodi doesn’t have a lot of time for Netflix. But when I asked about her experience as a student athlete, a huge smile spread across her face.

Connecting Constitution 101 With Biochemistry

As a biochemistry student looking at a very probable research career, and as a conservative against excessive government spending, Dr. Slack’s lecture raised some interesting questions for me.

Completing the Puzzle

Professor of chemistry Dr. Lee Baron loves puzzles. “I’ve always liked to problem-solve. I just found chemistry the area where I was able to problem-solve most effectively.”

Courtney Meyet

Hillsdale’s newest chemistry professor, Courtney Meyet, spent her early undergraduate years avoiding the very subject she now teaches. She even changed her major to avoid having to take organic chemistry. But thanks to enthusiastic professors who gave her unique research opportunities, she learned to love the subject while pursuing a second bachelor’s degree and went on to earn a Ph.D. in organic synthesis. In her first year of teaching at Hillsdale, she is eager to share her knowledge with science majors and non-science majors alike.

Exploring The Central Science

If you ask the Hillsdale College chemistry faculty to describe their field, you might hear them call chemistry the “central” science. “Not necessarily the best science, mind you. It just connects everything. Besides, that title just makes chemistry sound cool,” jokes Dr. Matthew Young.

Science Outside Strosacker: Biochemistry, Humanities, and the Real World

Naomi Virnelson, ’16, is not your typical science major. “I was actually interested in Hillsdale College for politics,” Naomi said. By the time she made it to college, however, Naomi found herself in an entirely different discipline: biochemistry. “

Demystifying College Science Labs

Going into college, most students have prior high school lab experience, and every Hillsdale student spends at least one semester in lab-based physics and chemistry, but neither of those examples gives a comprehensive view of what science majors do on a daily basis. Introductory lab courses tend to be “cookbook” science, where the professor hands out a pre-made procedure and the students follow the steps until they arrive at either a correct or incorrect result.

Lasers, Superconducting Magnets, and More: A Selection of Chemical Instrumentation

One of the best aspects of Hillsdale College’s chemistry program is the unparalleled access that students and faculty have to well-equipped lab facilities. Chemistry and biochemistry students regularly get the opportunity to use a wide range of chemical instrumentation. We’ve collected some of the most interesting instruments below – check them out!

Biochemistry, Polanyi, and Lewis: Encountering the Mystery of Human Life

“What do you want to communicate to the world?” “I want the world to know that science is beautiful.” Inspired by Dr. Jim Stephens’ question, Elisabeth Wynia chose the most ambitious topic of all: the mystery and beauty of life.

Spotlight: Erich Steger

Before coming to Hillsdale, Erich Steger was so shy and introverted that his mother worried about his chances of thriving at college. On top of that, Erich himself was unsure of what to expect from his Hillsdale experience. “I knew I was going to study the sciences; I didn’t have that in question,” he says. “I declared a chemistry major right away.”

Discovering Beer as a Science

Matt Drogowski’s passion for science needs no embellishment. When speaking with him, his interest in his research spills into nearly every aspect of conversation.