NDSU chemistry and biochemistry graduate student Anoklase Ayitou has been selected as an intern with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he will work under the guidance of electronics engineer Mahmooda Sultana in spring 2012.
“The internship program will not only allow me to learn the kind of research conducted at the center, but it will also expose me to realistic applications of basic research that contributes to flight missions and earth and planetary sciences,” Ayitou said.
At the flight center, Ayitou will develop the chemistry and procedures for in situ synthesis of stationary phases for microfluidic/microchannel-based chromatography systems. “I am excited to have Anoklase work with us on one of my projects because his background and expertise match very well with the project needs,” Sultana said. “I think this project will give him an opportunity to apply skills learned in the graduate program at NDSU to some real applications, such as the development of an in situ analytical tool that will be used to explore the presence of life in other planets and moons.”
Ayitou was selected for the program based on his ability to carry out cutting-edge research with unique applications. He is funded by the North Dakota Space Grant Program and the NASA Higher Education Program.
As a doctoral candidate in Sivaguru Jayaraman’s NDSU lab, Ayitou’s research covers major areas of chemistry such as organic synthesis, photochemistry, photophysics and analytical and physical chemistry. His thesis work focuses on achieving higher enantioselectivity in light-induced synthesis using molecularly chiral chromophores. “This will be an ideal opportunity for Anoklase to develop leadership skills,” Jayaraman said. “I am also very proud to have him as a graduate student in my research group.”
Ayitou previously was awarded several prestigious fellowships, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, United Negro College Fund/Merck Graduate Research Fellowship and 2011 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers-GlaxoSmithKline Graduate Award.
