Lab Notes Newsletter – September 2025

The Department kicked off the semester with standout moments—from welcoming students at orientation to celebrating Dr. Luxford’s Presidential Award.

It’s already shaping up to be an exciting year!

Department Open House Draws Record Turnout and Spreads Science

A wide-angle shot of a group of people gathered in a classroom. On the right, a large Periodic Table of the Elements chart is visible on the wall. Balloons, a table with refreshments, and a computer monitor are in the foreground, and people are standing and talking in small groups.

The Chemistry & Biochemistry Open House was a major success this August! Incoming students showed strong interest in our programs and were wowed by Dr. Craig Damin's neon and argon demonstration.

For the first time, the event was hosted in our own building, making it an especially welcoming experience. We’re grateful to the faculty, staff, and students who helped make the day possible—and to our college leadership for stopping by to show support.

New Student Welcome at the Grad Social and Orientation

A large group of diverse people, including students and faculty, are gathered on a set of outdoor concrete stairs for a group photo. They are smiling and looking at the camera, standing in rows with a brick building in the background. The semester began with our Graduate New Student Orientation on August 19, providing the perfect space for new and returning students to connect. Activities like the Common Ground Challenge and Graduate Blackout Bingo brought energy and fun to the day, while also helping students build relationships that extend beyond classrooms and labs.

The orientation wrapped up with a lunch that was more than just introductions—it gave students the chance to begin forming connections that will last well beyond their time in the department. Faculty and staff joined in as well, underscoring that all students are part of a larger community deeply invested in their growth and success.

As one returning student put it:

Don’t stress out too much about grades. The professors know that you’re here to learn, so as long as you’re there and trying, there really isn’t anything to worry about. They’re there to support you just as much as anyone else.

Ph.D. Student V.F.

Advice from one of our graduate students

With food, conversation, and a shared sense of excitement for the semester ahead, the event proved to be more than just a welcome—it was the beginning of new friendships, networks, and traditions that will carry through the academic year.

Spotlight on Excellence: Dr. Cynthia Luxford Receives Presidential Award

A person in a black dress and glasses holds a plaque with a red cover while standing next to a person in a blue suit, white shirt, and purple tie who holds an open box displaying a medal. Both are smiling and standing on a stage at an awards ceremony. We are proud to share that Dr. Cynthia Luxford has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, an honor recognizing faculty who inspire passion and curiosity in their students.

Dr. Luxford’s teaching is deeply shaped by her research in chemistry education. Through her work in the Chemistry Education Research Laboratory, she explores how students learn and apply chemical concepts, using those insights to create engaging, evidence-based learning experiences. Her innovative approaches foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of complex topics.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Luxford mentors students in her lab and contributes to national initiatives aimed at improving STEM education—demonstrating the lasting impact of research-informed teaching on student success.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Luxford on this well-deserved recognition!

Updated Website Launch Completed

After more than 10 months of planning, building, and refining, our department is proud to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website. The updated site was created with one goal in mind: to make it easier for students, faculty, and visitors to find the resources they need quickly and efficiently.

The new design features:

Streamlined navigation for accessing forms, course information, and advising resources.
Improved event listings so students and faculty never miss a seminar, deadline, or department activity.
A modern look and cleaner layout that better reflects the department’s mission and community.

This project was made possible thanks to the hard work of Eli Farias (Administrative Assistant III) and Desarae Saathoff (Administrative Assistant II), whose dedication, persistence, and attention to detail carried the redesign from start to finish. Their efforts have given the department a website that is not only functional, but also welcoming to prospective students, partners, and visitors.

We invite you to explore the new site and see the changes for yourself!

Texas State University Research Featured in Angewandte Chemie

We are thrilled to announce that groundbreaking research from Texas State University has been featured in the esteemed journal Angewandte Chemie. This publication showcases the innovative work of our own Dr. Bill Brittain, Regents Professor, and Scott Barrett, a Ph.D. student in the Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization (MSEC) Program.

Their collaborative study, titled "A Transient Phenolate Enables Relaxation of Z-Tetra-ortho-fluoroazobenzene to the Stable State in Seconds", presents a novel hybrid molecular system that couples a trifluoroacetate (TFA) subunit with a spiropyran photoswitch. This innovative approach allows for rapid relaxation from the Z- to the E-state in azobenzene, offering significant implications for the development of responsive materials and molecular switches.

This achievement...

Not only underscores the cutting-edge research being conducted within our department, but also highlights the collaborative spirit that drives our scientific community.

We look forward to more such accomplishments from our students and professors.

Grad Blackout Bingo – First-Year Student Wins Big

Kicking off the semester with some excitement, Fatema T., a first-year MSEC student, became the first to complete our Department Blackout Bingo challenge for graduate students.

Blackout Bingo is no ordinary game—it’s designed to capture the real grad school experience. Each square on the card represents something every grad student goes through, from attending your first seminar and meeting with your advisor, to the more relatable moments like forgetting your NetID password, having coffee for dinner, or Googling five new terms during a seminar.

To win, participants had to mark off every square on the card, creating a complete “blackout.” The first three students to turn in a completed card at the department office earned a prize. Fatema was the very first to cross the finish line, proving she’s already diving headfirst into grad life.

Congratulations, Fatema, on your win!

Seminar Spotlight

This Fall 2025 semester, our department is hosting a series of fascinating seminars. From nanotechnology to bioaerosols, here's a look at some of the highlights from our guest speakers from the first couple seminars.

9/8: Dr. Yuan Lu, Insights into Pigment Cell Regulation

Dr. Yuan Lu, the Associate Director of the Institute for Molecular Life Sciences at Texas State University, presented his research on genetic interactions. In his talk, he explained how hybrid incompatibility can result from degenerative genetic interactions, which decrease the overall survival and sterility of hybrid offspring. Dr. Lu’s work provides insights into both normal and pathological pigment cell development and regulation, as well as a molecular mechanism in hybrid incompatibility.

9/15: Dr. Xingwen Yu, Advancements in Solid-State Electrolytes

Dr. Xingwen Yu, a seasoned scientist from Cabot Corporation, shared his expertise in electrochemical energy storage. His seminar, "Electrochemical Energy Storage with Solid-state Electrolytes," focused on solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) as a transformative component for next-generation energy storage. His research includes solid-state lithium-ion batteries and a new concept for a battery with a mediator-ion solid-state electrolyte.

9/22: Professor Maria King, Engineering Solutions for Bioaerosol Transmission

Professor Maria King from Texas A&M University presented her research from the Aerosol Technology Laboratory (ATL). Her team's work addresses the need for improved monitoring of public health emergencies by focusing on the collection, analysis, and tracking of hazardous bioaerosols, such as viruses and infectious bacteria. Professor King’s work provides ideas for engineering solutions to reduce the spread of pathogens and maintain sanitation in critical infrastructures like hospitals, classrooms, and meat processing facilities.

9/29: Professor Devleena Samanta, Nanotechnology for Biocatalysis

Professor Devleena Samanta from The University of Texas at Austin discussed how her lab uses nanotechnology to program biocatalysis. Her team develops nanoscale tools to sense and control biocatalytic activity. One application is creating minimally invasive platforms for the early diagnosis of diseases like cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases. Her work establishes a unified framework for sensing and regulating enzyme biocatalysis using designer nanomaterials, with applications in medicine, biotechnology, and industrial catalysis.

Missed these events? Check out the next ones!

Date	Speaker
10/6	George Parra, UT Health San Antonio
10/20	Gabriel Montaño, Northern Arizona University
10/27	Kent Zheng, UT Austin
11/3	Maria Croyle, UT Austin

Closing Remarks

These first weeks have been full of energy and momentum for the department—bringing new faces, fresh connections, and meaningful celebrations.

As you’ll see in the advice shared throughout this issue, success is about more than research and coursework—it’s also about balance, support, and community.

We look forward to sharing more stories and achievements with you in the next edition!

Desarae C Saathoff

Administrative Asst II

CHEM: 238

(512) 245-2156