Jordan Mader, Department of Chemistry
Monday, October 9th, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Byrd Center for Legislative Studies Auditorium
What am I drinking?: Development of a novel low-cost method to remove heavy metal contaminants from water
Clean water is a luxury that is not readily available everywhere, like it is here in the United States. Arsenic is relatively abundant in the earth’s crust, yet removing it from water sources is still an issue in many places around the world, including the US. Long-term exposure of arsenic can lead to serious health issues, including cancer and even death. High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE) functionalized polystyrene foam is a possible low-cost solution to this problem. This research focuses on developing and optimizing polymer foams for effectively and efficiently removing arsenic from water.
Jordan Mader is an Assistant Professor in Chemistry at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown WV, where she teaches Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, College Chemistry, and Polymer Chemistry. Before starting work at Shepherd University in August 2012, Jordan worked for two years as a Visiting Instructor at Georgia Southern University. Current research focuses on two projects. She is studying the development and optimization of polymer foams for removal of heavy metal contaminants from water. Jordan’s other work is as a co-leader in the STEM outreach program Seeding Your Future. The Seeding Your Future Initiative is a two-fold approach to encouraging the next generation of STEM professionals. The Seeding Your Future Conference (SYFC) is one-day, hands-on event that aims to inspire middle school aged girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics when they become older. With a vast array of workshops and activities, the participants will be exposed to many scientific fields at Shepherd University. The Seeding Your Future Workshop Series (SYFWS) is a once monthly, two hour workshop for high school students that will feature more in depth exploration into different STEM areas. Jordan also serves as an Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science. She received a PhD in Chemistry in 2010 and a BS (Chemistry, 2005) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as one of the pioneer students for the 7 year BS-PhD program.