An undergrad creating new chemicals to better humans environmental output

Walking around Dunbar Hall I was looking to pull aside a student to interview. Luckily, chemistry student Timothy Burns was available for me to talk to.

Q: To begin, whereare you from?

A: Im from Hudson, Wisconsin.

Q: If youre fromWisconsin, what made you choose NDSU?

A: I choose NDSU because it had a lot of affordable opportunitiesas a research land grant university. I thought it seemed like a great fit.

Q: Whats your major?

A: Im a chemistry major.

Q: Oh nice, are youinvolved in anything on campus?

A: Im the vice president of the Chemistry Club.

Q: What does it mean to be the vice president of the Chemistry Club?

A: It means that I have the opportunity to give back to the chemistry department. I help to organize and inform chemistry and biochemistry students about professional opportunities to help them with their career goals.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an NDSU student? And in your own words, what does it mean to be a Bison?

A: I enjoy the community, I like that NDSU is a small(er) campus.I also like that the chemistry department is small, so I can make more valuableconnections with other students and my professors.

To be a Bison is to be a leader. To contribute to the community and campus. A Bison is hardworking and driven and doesnt back away from a challenge.

Q: I love that. What is something specific the Chemistry Club does to help students?

A: The Chemistry Club funds student trips to the annual American Chemistry Society Conference (or ACSC), a conference for students to learn more about chemistry research. As well as to showcase their own research.

Q: That sounds cool,have you been to the annual American Chemistry Society Conference?

A: No, but I am going this year at the end of March. I will be doing a poster presentation about my undergraduate research that Ive been working on for nine months.

Q: What is yourresearch?

A: Developing new chemicals that can be used to makedifferent plastics and coating materials. In making new compounds we couldreplace the current compounds, making plastic that is better for theenvironment.

Thank you, Timothy, for your time.

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