Two Year Colleges – Virtual Event

Dr. Neil Bastian is a Professor of Chemistry at Salt Lake Community College where he teaches General and Organic Chemistry. He received a B.S. Degree in Chemistry from Brigham Young University in 1981 and was granted a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from MIT in 1987 in the lab of Professor William H. Orme-Johnson III. He then moved to Duke University to do post-doctoral research in metalloenzymology in the lab of Professor K.V. Rajagopalan. In 1991 he moved to the University of Utah School of Medicine as an Assistant professor of Medicine and Biochemistry where he conducted research on mammalian nitric oxide biosynthesis. In 2008 he moved to Salt Lake Community College. He has served as Chair and as a Board Member of the Two-Year College Chemistry Consortium (2YC3) and also served on the Two Year College Advisory Board (TYCAB) and the Undergraduate Programs Advisory Board (UPAB) of the ACS.

Ruchi’s career spans over 20+ years, as an accomplished innovator and technology manager in industry, along with 10 years of combined experience of supervising, mentoring, and teaching in Higher Education UG universities. Her experience from several years of working in the industry, as a Manager and Technical Leader along with 10 years of teaching at a four-year university/college setting, allows Ruchi to bring to bear the joint learnings from both academic and industrial settings for making career changes with agility and with mindfulness. Principal inventor and developer of optical fiber primary coatings that have been successfully commercialized and have provided optical fiber business with industry leading micro-bending performance along with significant cost saving. An accomplished researcher and manager with a strong track record for technology delivery, intellectual property (patents) generation, team leadership and talent development. Skilled at working in a fast-paced R&D environment that requires interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills to meet deadlines/implement actions. Experienced in leading cross-functional team for developing processes through the innovation stages, designing novel materials and processes on lab scale, continuous improvements through corrective/preventive actions and transfer technology to third-party tollers. Ruchi has been actively involved in student advising, coaching, mentoring, supervising students through the industry STEM initiatives and in the faculty role. She has been an active volunteer/leader with the American Chemical Society Corning Section since 2003.

Dr. Bernstein, also known as Doc. B. by his students, taught College Prep., Honors, and Advanced Placement Chemistry for 44 years prior to his retirement. He did his undergraduate and graduate work at The State University of New York at Buffalo. His research involved the synthesis and characterization of organo-aluminum compounds with secondary ammines. He also did post-doctorate research at Kent State University involving transition metal compounds as potential replacement for lead compounds in paints. He started his teaching career at The Hawken School, an Independent School, and enjoyed the experience so much that he spent 33 years there. He then taught for at MCDS for 13 years. Doc. B. has been active in ACS both at the local and national levels. He was the Chemistry Olympiad organizer and High School Affairs Coordinator for the Cleveland Section for over 15 years. Upon moving to Miami, he joined the South Florida Section of ACS and has been the Chair of the Section three different times. Doc. B. has also written and reviewed articles for the National Science Teachers journal as well as for some ACS publications. Doc. B. is an author or co-author of several laboratory manuals for High School Chemistry teachers and has given over 40 workshops and presentations related to the manuals.  He is currently the immediate Past President of the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT). Doc. B. was a Mentor for the Chemistry Olympiad Program (1998-2000), a member of Project SEED, is currently a member of SOCED, organizes his Local Section for National Chemistry Week, and is a Science Coach for three Elementary School Teachers. Dr. Bernstein was the ACS James Bryant Conant award winner in 2011 and was named an ACS Fellow in 2019.

Chyree Batton, Ph.D. is a native of Louisville, KY. She attended Spelman College (B.S. Chemistry) and received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry with a concentration in biomedical synthesis from Louisiana State University on her dissertation outlining “Synthetic Routes to Therapeutic Agents via Masked Functionalities: From Orthogonal Peptide Crosslink to Photothermal Cancer Prodrugs”. Dr. Batton has received 12 fellowships and scholarships totaling over $200,000 for her undergraduate and graduate research studies, most notably from NASA, Merck, and Pfizer. Dr. Batton is currently an Associate Manager in Chemistry at SC Johnson supporting the OFF! Brand for Global RD&E. In this role she oversees claim development and substantiation, new product development and building robust technology platforms.

Rochelle Lambertsen is a student at Salt Lake Community College where she is the President of the Chemistry Club and has continued education in the sciences for the last 3 years. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Education and an Emphasis in the Middle School Sciences in 2005 from Northern Arizona University. She is currently a Medical Assistant for Premier Family Medical and applies to Medical School in 2022.

Ms. Sharma is a student and Vice President of the Pre-Medical Professions Club and Vice President of the ACS Student Affiliates Chapter at Salt Lake Community College. She obtained her bachelors in English at Utah Valley University and is currently in this application cycle to medical school. She has worked on various research projects at the college, becoming lead of the Dented Brick Project which looks to separate and identify different components of alcohol. Recently, she organized a trip of 10 students to attend and present at the ACS National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. She works for the University of Utah as a phlebotomist and volunteers at the Humane Society of Utah in her free time.

Mrs. Robison is the President of the Pre-Medical Professions affiliate group of the Salt Lake Community College ACS chapter. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology with an emphasis in Microbiology from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2017. She currently works as an EMT for COVID Clinic in Salt Lake City, UT and will start classes at the University of Utah School of Medicine as a member of their MD class of 2026.

Brandi Garza is a student at South Texas College where she is President of the Chemistry Club, and the Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club at South Texas College. Previously, she was the Public Relations Chair for the Chemistry Club. She is working on an A.S. in Biology and is expected to graduate December 2021. She is hoping to pursue a career in agriculture after graduation. Brandi has been very active in helping her community by volunteering with the South Texas Literacy Coalition, which seeks to improve literacy rates in South Texas. She has also worked on various projects for the chemistry club, such as setting up social media pages, organizing and participating in demos to promote breast cancer awareness; furthermore, she has helped organize the annual toy drive to benefit Hidalgo County Precinct 3 and the Estrella House-Children’s Advocacy Centers of Hidalgo County, a safe haven for young victims of child abuse. After the Texas freeze of 2021, Brandi also organized a canned food drive to assist the residents of South Texas in getting back on their feet. Brandi hopes to continue giving back to her community after graduation by seeking a career in the local agricultural business.  

Kennadie Kusbel is an enthusiastic chemical engineering student. She received her A.S. Degree in Engineering (magna cum laude) in December of 2020 from South Texas College. She was also proudly elected President of the Chemistry Club for over two years at STC, becoming an active member of the American Chemical Society in the process. Kusbel is currently a Supplemental Instruction Leader for General Chemistry at South Texas College and is preparing to transfer to a four-year institution in Fall 2022. She enjoys practicing the drums, playing kendama, and hanging out with her cat, Chang, in her free time.