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A NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates Site | Directors: Dr. Caroline Schauer and Dr. Jin Wen
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Jelena Drazenovic
| What is your name? |
Jelena Drazenovic |
| What school are you currently attending? |
La Salle University, studying chemistry and biochemistry. |
| What year will you be starting in the fall? |
Senior |
| Why did you choose to attend the SENSORS program? |
It provided an interesting opportunity to familiarize myself with the field of Materials Science and Engineering, as well as to gain more experience in research, writing scientific papers, and presenting at poster sessions. Drexel’s position in University City was an added bonus due to the number of museums and historical sites that could be explored when out of the laboratory. |
| Who are you working with, and what research are you doing? |
I am working with Dr. Caroline Schauer on biopolymer thin films. The goal is to use the films to detect metals such as copper and nickel in water, and to increase selectivity so that each film will detect only one metal or a very small range of metals. Structural color is another feature of the films that is being studied. Combining the metal selectivity with color properties, a film that would be dipped into water could immediately undergo a distinct color change. This process would provide instantaneous results that can be used to treat contaminated water more quickly and efficiently. |
| What are your goals/aspirations for the future? |
After graduating from La Salle I hope to attend graduate school in the field of chemistry and/or biochemistry, although I am not yet certain about the finer details of this plan. |
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