The annual RISE Conference was held at UQAM in late August and featured two students with connections to UBC Chemistry. Teresa Howard, now in her 3rd year in Chemical Biology at UBC, spent the summer at the Université de Montreal working with Prof. Will Skene. She presented her excellent work on stimuli-responsive polymers. Another of the presenters at the conference was Usman Jamshed, a 3rd year in chemistry student at McMaster University. His talk on the nature of fluoride ions as competent donors in halogen bonding focused on his summer research as part of Pierre Kennepohl’s research group in our Department. The RISE Conference brings together a talented group of undergraduate researchers whose summer experience was made possible by the RISE Canada exchange program. All participants had a great time including a full day of research presentations, an incredible banquet dinner, and an eventful (and fun-filled) trip on the Lachine rapids. RISE Canada is a pan-Canadian research exchange program that provides opportunities for top undergraduates to perform research in Chemistry across Canada. The 2019 competition for next summer’s RISE Scholars program will be announced shortly.
