Senior chemistry major conducts research in Austria

Cassandra Shaffer of Sharpsville, Pa., a senior chemistry major at Youngstown State University, participated in the Syracuse University International Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Technical University of Graz, Austria, this past summer.

The REU is funded by the National Science Foundation, and Shaffer was one of only eight students selected nationally to travel to Austria. In Austria, Shaffer conducted research focusing on the synthesis of monomers for ring-opening metathesis reactions.

A graduate of Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Pa., Shaffer is a member of both the Dean’s and President’s Lists at YSU and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. She’s also part of the Honors College at YSU and has served as a tutor at the Center for Student Progress.

Earlier this year, Shaffer obtained certification from the ACS Inorganic Division of the Department of Chemistry. She also gained membership into Phi Kappa Phi. Shaffer received the Dr. Eugene Scudder Organic Chemistry Scholarship and the CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award. She has presented at YSU’s QUEST research forum, and she was part of the Meritorious Team that presented at the International Math Contest in Modeling MCM-COMAP.