Two High School Students Conduct Summer Chemistry Research at Huntington University

Ella Stuff (left) and Eva Lugo (right) of Concordia Lutheran High School examine liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry data during their summer research project in the chemistry department at Huntington University. The students investigated environmentally friendly methods for degrading pharmaceutical compounds and synthetic dyes.

This summer, two Concordia Lutheran High School students stepped into Huntington University's chemistry laboratories to tackle a real-world environmental challenge: finding sustainable ways to break down pharmaceutical compounds and synthetic dyes that can pollute waterways.

Eva Lugo and Ella Stuff, both rising seniors at Concordia Lutheran High School, spent two weeks conducting research in June under the mentorship of Dr. Ruth Nalliah, professor of chemistry at Huntington University. Their project explored how sunlight and environmentally friendly chemical additives can degrade common contaminants such as acetaminophen and Red 3.

Using advanced laboratory instrumentation, including liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the students discovered that sunlight combined with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide was highly effective at breaking down the target compounds. Remaining studies include investigating the toxicity of any remaining byproducts.

Lugo and Stuff earned the research opportunity through a competitive application process after being recommended by their AP chemistry teacher at Concordia Lutheran, Kyle Jane. Their interest in Huntington University's chemistry program began after visiting campus on a class field trip to learn about scientific instrumentation.

"Ella and Eva did an exceptional job as high school students learning a sophisticated instrument technique and collecting an enormous amount of data in a short period of time," Nalliah said.

The research team plans to present its findings at the Indiana Academy of Science Annual Meeting in Indianapolis next April.

"My time researching at HU has helped me grow by learning how to research," Lugo said. “I want to go into medicine and complete a lot of research, and learning how to do that has really jump-started the end of my high school education into my college education."

Stuff said the experience helped her connect classroom concepts with real-world applications.

"I loved the opportunity to work with very fancy equipment," Stuff said. "My time here helped me grow by helping me gain a better understanding of how we can use science in the real world to help out others."

The project was supported by the Professor Jack P. Barlow, Sr. Research and Artistic Creation Fund at Huntington University. The LC-MS instrument used in the study was funded through a grant from the English-Bonter-Mitchell Foundation.