Mosquitoes
As a student in the Ogden Honors College, I completed a thesis project in chemistry. My thesis centered on para-Menthane-(3,8)-diol (PMD), a compound from the lemon eucalyptus tree with mosquito repellent properties. I wanted to modify the compound slightly to increase its mosquito repellency. After synthesizing a few variations of PMD, all the compounds will be tested in live mosquito assays at the LSU Entomology department under the direction of Dr. Daniel Swale. For more information on my project, I've included a poster and an audio sample that explains the project in more detail.
My project also had a community outreach component. I distributed information about mosquito repellent plants and the different ways of using the plants effectively. Mosquito repellent plants can be a nice, safe supplement to harsher chemical repellents. In 2018, I am planning to participate in Baton Rouge's Herb Day again, distributing pamphlets and seed packets (see below).
Outreach
The second part of my project involved public outreach. My mission consisted of informing the public on various plants that can repel mosquitoes. I participated in the Baton Rouge Unit of the Herb Society of America's Herb Day. There, I distributed informational pamphlets and seed packets.
Zoe Soulier, a young artist in my hometown, designed these seed packets. Using my funding, I purchased over 700 of these seed packets to distribute in my community.
I designed this informational pamphlet to distribute as part of the outreach component of my project.
These are the pictures from the 2017 Herb Day in Baton Rouge. Photo credits go to Dr. Carol Taylor.
This was taken on October 13, 2017 during the Dean's Circle event for those who donate to LSU's College of Science. During the event, undergraduates pursuing the Distinguished Communicator distinction were able to present their research. I represented the chemistry department at LSU.
