Jul 31, 2005 - Claremont, Calif. - Beckman Scholar and recent graduate Whitney Duim '05 presented her research at the Seventh Annual Beckman Scholars Symposium July 28-30, 2005, in Irvine, Calif.

Her presentation, "Determinination of Biologically Relevant Lytropic Liquid Crystalline Phases in Mixtures of Water and n-Alkyl-Glucosides or n-Alkyl-Thioglucosides," was introduced by HMC Professor of Chemistry Gerald Van Hecke '61. From among the more than 50 Beckman scholars, Duim was one of ony six selected to make a presentation.

Duim's presentation immediately followed that of Peter Agree, professor of biological chemistry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2003. She shared the stage with many notable scholars, including Irwin Rose, 2004 Nobel laureate in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine.

In his introduction, Van Hecke (who co-mentored Duim with HMC Professor of Chemistry Kerry Karukstis) said, "She was a physical chemist from her sophmore year when she started research in my lab under the auspices of the department's sophomore spring semester Introduction to Research program. She has worked in my laboratory ever since that semester - of course the chain on her wrist to the lab bench helped that motivation.... Whitney has a dedication to research few in my experience have ever matched."

Duim's accomplishments at HMC are many: she was awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to Cambridge University for graduate study, the Emeriti Prize for outstanding first-year chemistry achievement, the Sly Prize for most outstanding rising junior chemistry major, the Campbell Prize for most outstanding rising senior chemistry major. She was voted membership in Sigma Xi and graduated with honors in chemistry and with high distinction.

Duim was selected from a competitive national pool to present her research work to members of congress under the auspices of the Council of Undergraduate Research's program Posters on the Hill. In addition to her stellar work as a chemist, Duim played the viola in the Claremont Chamber Orchestra and served as section lead during her senior year. Her humanities concentration was in Art History.