Media Release

For Immediate Release

October 16, 2006

Taking it One Ion at a Time

We are living in an age when the world is transfixed with notions of created substances being returned to the natural world, in a word – biodegradable.

For fourth year honours chemistry student Darrell Dean, this quest has taken on new meaning.

Dean, a native of Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia, recently travelled down under to the island continent of Australia to pursue his research passion. What he did there will likely impact him for the rest of his academic and professional life.

“I was performing research with ionic liquids. Specifically, I was looking at a new class of ionic liquids that have been show to be biodegradable by a number of methods. I worked on both the synthesis and applications of these ionic liquids,” says Dean.

Ionic liquids are substances that consist in the main of ions that are in turn made up of an atom or a group of atoms. Dean’s odyssey from rural Nova Scotia to Australia has been made possible by the work he was able to initiate at Saint Mary’s University in 2004. The catalyst was a NSERC USRA (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Undergraduate Summer Research Award) that helped give wings to Dean’s exploration.

Dean sees this particular experience as informing his final year inquiry, “The research has been a groundwork for my honours thesis that I am writing this year.”

Exposing oneself to new questions in new surroundings was very formative for the SMU student, “Being able to work with a new group of people, in a different lab, with a different supervisor allowed me to really understand what it is like doing research.”

Dr. Rob Singer, who is a professor of Chemistry at Saint Mary’s, was key to helping Dean actualize his down under ambitions.

“He [Dr. Singer] has basically given me this opportunity, and set up the relationship that I now have with Professor Peter Scammells, my research supervisor at Monash University. Peter was instrumental in my success in Australia and Dr. Singer allowed me to get there and helped me find funding for the trip.”

Dean credits his Australian sojourn with having an ongoing impact on his career.

“The ramifications of this experience will be felt for the rest of my life and especially over the next few months while applying for grad schools and graduate scholarships," he says. "It also allowed me to remove myself from the ordinary situation that I had been used to for the past few years, and see what I am planning to do for the rest of my life in a completely different light. This experience will also be great on my resume after I finish my PhD and am looking at academic positions.”

The realm of Green chemistry has a new practitioner - Saint Mary’s University honours student Darrell Dean.

Saint Mary's University is known for its community outreach projects, both in Canada and around the world. Saint Mary's, founded in 1802, is home to one of Canada's leading business schools, a Science Faculty widely known for its cutting-edge research, a comprehensive and innovative Arts Faculty and a vibrant Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

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For More Information:

Paul Fitzgerald
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: paul.fitzgerald@smu.ca
www.smu.ca