Chelsi Kwitoski gives presentation to American Physical Society

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Chelsi Kwitoski

LOCK HAVEN, PA (04/01/2011)(readMedia)-- As the world's leading physicists assembled in Dallas, Texas, March 21-25, for the 2011 meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), Lock Haven University had a major presence. One of the presenters was Ms. Chelsi M. Kwitoski , a junior majoring in Biology-Chemistry major with a concentration in pre-medicine.

As her presentation at APS 2011 March meeting, Ms. Kwitoski gave a poster presentation in her research titled "Thin Film and Free Crystallite Formation of ZnO Nanorods from Solution Under Extreme Crystallization Conditions" which focuses on research of synthesis of ZnO nanorods that may be applied in photovoltaic research. She conducted her research in the nanotechnology program under Dr. Anamika Gopal, assistant professor in the Geology and Physics Department

Dr. Gopal explained that "The electronic versatility of the ZnO material and its propensity to form rod like structures makes it an ideal candidate for directional charge transport in polymer-hybrid photovoltaic devices. The crux of this project is in honing in on a procedure for synthesis of these nanorods in a reproducible and relatively cost effective and environmentally friendly manner that should later allow for easy transition to large scale manufacturing and short product transition time from laboratory to consumer"

Ms. Kwitoski has won a prestigious Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to do biomedical research at Upstate Medical University, in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, where she will be this summer. A resident of Mechanicsburg, Pa., she is the daughter of John and Cyndie Kwitoski.

Dr. Gopal said, "Chelsi is a highly motivated and intelligent learner whose work ethic shows maturity and promise far beyond what is normally expected for someone so young and new in the field. She has the potential to make substantial contributions to the scientific community. It was a pleasure having her as a student."

Attendance at the APS March meeting typically includes more than 12,000 of the top scientists in physics and applied physics research throughout the world. The attendance always includes a few Nobel Prize winners in Physics or/and Chemistry.

Each year since 2009, LHU nanotechnology students have been presenting their research at the APS conference. The record began in 2009 with a single LHU student presenter, and in 2010 there were 6 LHU student presenters. This year, there were 9 LHU student presenters. Dr. Indrajith Senevirathne and Dr. Anamika Gopal, assistant professors of Physics, directed the trip to Dallas. Dr. Senevirathne has been taking student presenters to the APS March meetings since 2009.

Lock Haven University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 405,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.