RELEASED: Aug. 7, 2003

DANVILLE, KY—When forming a mental image of a scientist, one might picture Albert Einstein in a white lab coat. But how many would envision three young men in a laboratory sporting baseball caps, t-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes?

The latter image describes Mike McClintock of Corbin, Ky., Ben Privett of Nicholasville, Ky., and Craig Stinson of Indianapolis this summer. The chemistry majors, all rising juniors at Centre, are spending their summer conducting collaborative research with their professors, Dr. Preston Miles and Dr. Joe Workman.

McClintock and Dr. Miles, Walkup Professor of Chemistry at Centre, are doing research on a method to detect PPCPs (Pharmaceutical Personal Care Products) found in water. McClintock is looking for a new way to measure the levels of selected fragrance materials. McClintock said the purpose of the research is to find an alternative measurement technique to the more time-consuming, expensive and hazardous-waste-producing method already in place.

For McClintock, summer research proved to be a good experience.

"This summer has focused me more on chemistry. I really learned what research is about and I like it," he said. "Chemistry gives you a better understanding of how things work and how you can apply it to everyday situations."

Privett, Stinson and Dr. Workman, associate professor of chemistry, are working with dyes and components of dyes that are known to be cancer causing. They're trying to use a catalyst to break those components into less harmful products before they're released into the environment. The purpose of the research, according to Stinson, is to find out what the catalyst can do.

Whether or not the students' research will lead to new and valuable methodologies isn't yet known. Nonetheless, each student has been successful.

"We learned valuable lab techniques for future use, how to present our research, independent thinking and problem solving," Stinson said.

Privett added, "Research is a lot of critical thinking and thinking for yourself."

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