What I am doing now:

I just began my graduate school career this August at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I am currently taking Advanced Physical Chemistry and Advanced Inorganic Chemistry along with a cross-listed course in Biochemistry, made up of both undergraduate and graduate students. As a graduate student there are two ways of receiving funding: (1) research assistantships and (2) teaching assistantships. Currently I am teaching four undergraduate general chemistry recitations. It is a learning experience - I am realizing how much I was taught in my general chemistry that had relevance to upper level chemistry courses that I completed in my undergraduate years at the University of South Dakota.

A little background:

I have lived many places across the U.S. and spent a couple years in Kenya Africa, too. My father has his Ph.D. in Animal Husbandry and my mother is a Fourth grade school teacher. You might say, I have the "moving thing" down pat now! I spent 7 years of my growing up years in Mundelein, IL - a suburb if Chicago. In the middle of my high school years, my family moved to Rapid City, SD. In high school I was the JV Swim Team Captain and I played the flute in symphonic band. I always have enjoyed school (I was one of the ones who received the award for perfect attendance in grade school). When moving is a huge part of your life, your family becomes the only constant. So, we are all very close. My mom is one of my best friends; my dad is the one I go to for advice; my sister and I have our times of disagreement but love each other very much; my HUGE little brother rocks at almost any sport he comes in contact with; and my littlest brother is a whiz at music in the areas of voice, saxophone, and probably anything else.

I love to travel. I have visited most areas of the United States. I have traveled through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Guatemala, Mexico, and Africa. If I ever had one wish to choose to come true it would be to have a year to travel around the world and visit all the places I have not seen yet. My next two destinations are Costa Rica and Australia.

 

So, how did I end up at UNL?

I started research in my undergraduate within the area of electrochemistry. I worked with Dr. Royce Engstrom and we were researching the control of enzymatic reactions through use of electrochemistry. (I have included my undergraduate research abstract at the end of this page for those of you who are interested.) Through the three years I worked with Dr. Engstrom, I traveled and attended many research conventions and I loved it! Research was something I found that I did enjoy, so I decided to pursue graduate school along side medical school. Then after making a few life decisions, I decided research was something that I could do my whole life and still offer support to a family unit of my own. The graduate program at UNL has a lot to offer, and I am glad that I chose it over other top graduate programs. (And the Parkhurst research group is top notch!)

Future Plans:

I plan to finish my Ph.D. and then start working in a medical school as a professor and lead summer excursions into the third world countries to offer medical help. If you have any questions or contacts, please email me at jwhitti1@bigred.unl.edu. I would love to hear from you and I hope to see you within Hamilton Hall, if you are a prospective student or faculty.

Undergraduate Research Abstract:
University of South Dakota, 2/23/2000

My research is conducted in Dr. Royce Engstrom's laboratory at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion - Main Campus, studying the spatial control of biochemical reactions. I am the primary researcher on this project, which started in the summer of 1998. The objective is to control the rate of a biological reaction using a microelectrode to create a favorable reaction microenvironment. This research has relevance to tissue repair and replacement in small domains, control of microorganism growth and behavior, and design of sensors for clinically important molecules. Enzymatic reactions have a pH-dependence and can be controlled by generating hydroxide at a microelectrode, thereby creating an optimal pH domain in which the reaction proceeds. The electrode can control the reaction by generation of hydroxide through the reduction of water. Microelectrode control was imaged using fluorescence microscopy in two chemical systems: the simple deprotonation of the acid-base indicator, fluorescein; and the alcohol dehydrogenase mediated redox reaction of the ethanol and NAD+. In both systems the pH was raised in the vicinity of the microelectrode tip from the bulk value of less than 6 to a value of 9. Fluorescence observed in the fluorescein systems showed the sphere of influence of the microelectrode, while fluorescence of NADH showed that the microelectrode did create a microenvironment favorable to the enzymatic reaction. (This research was supported by NSF and the University of South Dakota.)