Dr. Burt Hollandsworth, a chemistry instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, and Blayne Griffin, a member of ASMSA’s Class of 2021, recently published a research article in an international academic journal.
Hollandsworth and Griffin are among the co-authors of an article included in the current issue of Polyhedron, an international journal for research in inorganic chemistry. It publishes original, fundamental, experimental and theoretical work that focuses on the areas of inorganic chemistry.
The paper shares findings of research about the synthesis of highly-colored iron coordination complexes with interesting magnetic properties that are of interest as sensors for small molecules, Hollandsworth said. Visit https://asmsa.me/bhpaper23 to read the paper.
Griffin and Hollandsworth are set to have a second paper published in December in Mendelleev Communications, another chemistry journal.
Hollandsworth is in his second year as an ASMSA faculty member. He previously served as a chemistry instructor at Lyon College in Batesville. It was there that Griffin, who is in his final year of study at the college, served as a member of Hollandsworth’s research team. The two met while Griffin was a senior at ASMSA.
“I met Blayne when I judged his work in the 2021 regional science fair at ASMSA,” Hollandsworth said. “I was impressed with his research on carbon quantum dots and recruited him to join my research group at Lyon.”
Griffin began working on the research team in the summer between graduating from ASMSA and officially matriculating at Lyon.
“It is very rare for a student to join an undergraduate research lab so early in their career,” Hollandsworth said. “However, I knew Blayne had the research background to succeed due to ASMSA’s capstone program. I’m very proud of what he was able to accomplish in such a short time.”
Griffin credited his ASMSA experience as the basis for the work that led to his first publication.
“When I got to ASMSA, I barely had any real science experience, but I did have a love for learning,” Griffin said. “At ASMSA, the Physical Science Capstone course coordinated by Dr. (Brian) Monson as well as the other advanced science courses gave me hands-on experience in the lab.
“My capstone project taught me how to properly collect data and handle chemical equipment. Presenting my work at the regional science fair opened up this unexpected research opportunity. I believe it was this experience that culminated in my first publication.”
Hollandsworth has continued his research projects at ASMSA with a new group of Physical Science Capstone students.
“ASMSA students are highly talented and can handle the challenge of research conducted at a university. I am excited to continue my work with ASMSA students and hopefully make an early impact on their science careers,” Hollandsworth said.