Highlights
Student Profile: Casey Clements
by Susan McLaughlin
Using lasers as a means of unlocking the mysteries of molecular structure offers incredible promise in the medical field. And with her strong background in physics, math, and chemistry, Casey Clements (A&S G '13) is working on this cutting edge research as part of her work as a doctoral candidate in Pitt's Department of Chemistry. In addition, her hard work and academic accomplishments have earned her a Mary E. Warga Predoctoral Fellowship, further supporting her research aspirations.
Clements’ journey to Pitt actually began while she was still attending high school south of the city. “I had a tremendous teacher for honors chemistry my sophomore year of high school,” Clements said. “He really inspired me and gave me the opportunity to participate in the Chemistry Olympics here at Pitt. From that point forward, I was interested in pursuing my academic career here.”
Currently in her second year of the Department of Chemistry’s Physical Chemistry program, under the direction of David Pratt, PhD, Clements is working on high resolution electronic spectroscopy—which involves using lasers to look at the structure of a molecule, providing insights into how it functions.
“This work has implications in biology and medicine,” Clements explains. “One project my group is working on involves the drug Naproxen, getting the molecules to a gaseous state and then looking at how the molecular structure changes upon electronic excitation. And I’m also working on laser ablation, which gets samples to a gaseous state and enables us to get to the molecules without having them decompose.”
In addition to research, Clements is also gaining experience teaching—and acting as a role model to other women considering science as a career. “I’ve worked as a teaching assistant in general chemistry, as well as honors chemistry,” Clements says. “It’s exciting to see more women entering the field, but there certainly needs to be more.”
Clements is appreciative of the career development seminars available through the department. “They really expose you to the possibilities in the field,” Clements concludes. “Because of these seminars, I’m leaning towards government research because of the wide range of options.”