Lecture: 'Controlling the Chaos: Student-Designed Experiments for Smarter Sensors'

Dr. Amanda Wilmsmeyer, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will present "Controlling the Chaos: Student-Designed Experiments for Smarter Sensors." This public lecture celebrates Dr. Wilmsmeyer's appointment as the Robert W. Beart Chair in Chemistry at Augustana College. The lecture will be followed by a reception.

Dr. Wilmsmeyer’s research program examines the fundamental surface chemistry of volatile organic compound adsorption, with a focus on adsorption mechanisms, energetics, and kinetics. Her work has been published in leading journals such as The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Langmuir, and Review of Scientific Instruments, and she is a contributing author to the Atoms First General Chemistry interactive textbook. Her research has been supported by external and internal funding, including a $70,000 Petroleum Research Fund grant, the Larry P. Jones Endowed Fellowship, and multiple Augustana research awards.

In addition to her scholarly and teaching accomplishments, Dr. Wilmsmeyer has provided significant leadership to the department and the college, including service as Chair of the General Chemistry Working Group, Faculty Council Chair, Chair-elect for the department, and a long-standing member of key college committees. Her work reflects a deep commitment to academic excellence, shared governance, and student success.

The Robert W. Beart Chair in Chemistry was established by the family of the late Robert W. Beart, a 1939 Augustana graduate who majored in chemistry before earning a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Mr. Beart became a leader in intellectual property law and spent much of his professional career with Illinois Tool Works. The Beart family maintains deep, multi-generational ties to Augustana, with alumni from the classes of 1939, 1969, and 2001. This endowed chair honors Mr. Beart’s legacy while supporting outstanding faculty leadership in chemistry.