Chemistry students are working hard to make a name for Iona College in scientific research.

As a small liberal arts college, Iona is at a disadvantage when seeking recognition for its research efforts.

But while it may be easy to write off a school with such a small science program, the chemistry department has been working hard, logging countless hours in the lab.

Their most recent successes came by attending the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) 248th national meeting in San Francisco this past August.

Five members of Project Symphony, a soft materials research group under the guidance of Sunghee Lee, the Board of Trustees Endowed Professor in Science, traveled across the country to present their research formally to other chemistry students, academics, and professionals.

However, for Project Symphony, named for the unique harmony apparent among all the projects undertaken by the lab, presenting at the national level is not a new occurrence.

The group has been a constant presence at ACS meetings, which often garner over 15,000 attendees, for over eight years.

Senior Omoakhe Tisor has already presented at three ACS national meetings, including the most recent in San Francisco, and argues that doing research at Iona as opposed to a larger, and perhaps more well known, institution is an advantage.

“I am able to work closely with faculty and peers in a small and tight-knit research group,” said Tisor. “I use exactly what I learn in the classroom and bring it to the real world.”

New group member, sophomore Sue Ellen Evangelista, spent the summer in the lab learning the ropes.

“Research at Iona fosters independence in undergraduate students,” said Evangelista. “Having the freedom to work on and choose a project is liberating and allows students to be truly motivated in their research.”

Members of Project Symphony, all undergraduates, possess a high sense of ownership in their projects.

Junior P.J. Milianta presented advances in the group’s research on the construction of a biomimetic lipid bilayer using the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) model at the ACS national meeting in San Francisco.

Milianta, along with other group members, was published in the ACS journal Langmuir in December 2013, adding to the rich publication list already established by Lee and Project Symphony.

“The long months I have spent working have allowed me to present my research and even publish scientific literature,” said Milianta. “The best thing about it? There is no need to compete with graduate students for these wonderful opportunities.”

While the act of presenting to a national audience is daunting, the fact that Project Symphony members are immersed in their research throughout the year allows members to become extremely comfortable with their research.

They are excited to present their original research as a new story in the enormous book already established of surface and colloid chemistry.

By presenting at events such as the ACS national meeting in San Francisco and publishing articles in high impact chemistry journals, members of Project Symphony are looking to change the dialogue about the college’s research program.

Instead of dull questions of location and existence, they hope to be asked, “Oh, Iona College? What new chemistry is going on there?”