Wesley Seniors Present Research on Capitol Hill

Wesley College seniors Brian Mahon and Matt McAneny stand in the chemistry lab where they conduct research. They will present the findings of their research on thioesters at the Posters on the Hill (POH) event held on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on April 13, 2011.

Wesley College seniors Brian Mahon and Matthew McAneny were selected to participate in the Posters on the Hill (POH) event held on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on April 13, 2011. The Posters on the Hill event is sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The day-long event includes the opportunity to visit with congressional representatives, senators, and other congressional staff. "The POH opportunity gives the College leverage for future federal funding initiatives," said Professor of Chemistry Dr. Malcolm D'Souza.

This is the third year that students from Wesley College will participate in the POH event. There were 700 applications submitted, and only 74 were accepted. Mahon and McAneny continue to work on several organic chemistry projects under the direction of Dr. Malcolm D'Souza. Their primary research focus concentrates on thioesters. Thioesters are a class of compounds that are essential in biochemistry during the synthesis of a variety of cellular components.

"Our studies are important as they fundamentally evaluate the bond-making and bond-breaking processes that occur when thioesters are thrown in solution," said Professor of Chemistry Dr. Malcolm D'Souza.

Mahon and McAneny are first-generation students who have participated in undergraduate research projects over the past three years. "I can't say enough about working with Dr. D'Souza as a mentor," said Senior Biology major McAneny. "Research has opened doors for me." McAneny recently learned that his research was accepted to be published in the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal that is well respected by those in the field of chemistry.

Mahon had work published as a peer-reviewed journal article, a peer-reviewed international conference article, and he recently submitted work to the refereed Chemical Sciences Journal.

For information about Posters on the Hill click here. Wesley College is Delaware's oldest private college. Contact Professor of Chemistry Dr. Malcolm D'Souza at (302) 736- 2528 for further information.