Sarah Tasker
Age: 21
Class:senior
Hometown:
Grand Rapids, MI
Major(s):
chemistry and Spanish
What do you like about chemistry? It gives me the potential to make stuff. The fact that you can take two simple chemicals and mix them together is pretty cool. And the chemistry department is such a wonderful community. There are 11 chemistry professors, and I know all of them. We hang out and have fun.
What are you working on? Optimizing conditions for the synthesis of a novel N-alkenyl pyridone. It’s interesting because it’s like solving a puzzle. You have all these ideas of how it could work, and then what you do is devise experiments to knock options out of the ring.
What’s the best thing you’ve done at Calvin? For me it was studying abroad in the Yucatan. I think it has made me more proficient at understanding people of other cultures. And I’ve made lasting friendships, both with the Calvin students and with my host family and extended host family.
After Calvin: I want to get my PhD in organic chemistry and to do research, either in academia or in industry.
Quick Fact: The Calvin Annual Fund maintains the student-faculty ratio at a low 12:1 providing opportunities for one-on-one student-faculty research and mentoring.
