Harvey Mudd Junior Max Schernikau ’27 Wins ACS Poster Award

Harvey Mudd College junior Max Schernikau ’27 earned an Outstanding Student Poster Award this spring from the American Chemical Society Division (ACS) of Physical Chemistry for his research on carbon dioxide reduction.

Schernikau’s poster, “Carbodicarbenes as hydride donor catalysts in the reduction of CO₂,” highlights ongoing work exploring the catalytic potential of carbones, zerovalent carbon compounds that can drive the multi-stage conversion of carbon dioxide into useful products such as N-methylamines.

His research, which he presented at the 2026 ACS Spring Meeting, focuses on the reaction mechanisms that enable carbones, distinct from carbenes, to function as hydride donor catalysts in carbon dioxide reduction pathways. Understanding these mechanisms contributes to broader efforts to develop more efficient catalytic systems for chemical synthesis and carbon utilization.

The award was presented during the Division of Physical Chemistry poster session, where Schernikau’s project was recognized for its scientific rigor and clarity of presentation.

“For Max to be recognized for his exemplary research during the physical chemistry division poster session at the ACS Meeting is a testament to his hard work and wonderfully highlights the high caliber of undergraduate research we do here at Harvey Mudd,” said chemistry professor Maduka Ogba.

The ACS Spring Meeting is a national conference featuring research across chemistry disciplines and keynote sessions from leading scientists in the field.