Graduate Student Highlight: Margaret Gerthoffer
Each week, the Department of Chemistry highlights one graduate student who is doing great work around the department. In this installment of our highlight series, we are featuring Margaret Gerthoffer, a third year graduate student in the Elacqua group.
In the lab, Margaret studies sequence-defined polymers. She synthesizes unique polymers that are known as diamond nanothreads, which are essentially the thinnest thread of diamond. She uses solid-state chemistry principles to stack molecules in sequence-specified order, where, upon compression, the stack of molecules move closer together to polymerize into nanothreads possessing the defined order. Her work was recently featured in a paper titled “Scalable Synthesis of Crystalline One-Dimensional Carbon Nanothreads through Modest-Pressure Polymerization of Furan,” which was recently published in ACS Nano.
This week, we sat down with Margaret to get to know her, discuss her work in the lab, and more! Please enjoy our interview with Margaret Gerthoffer.
Questions: How did you get interested in chemistry?
Answer: When I was in high school, I originally had the idea of studying biology after I read an abundance of biology-related books that tackled the ethical implications of the scientific field, including Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray data with DNA, HeLa cells, CRISPR, and more. Combined with my interest in reading sci-fi/fantasy books, I was intrigued about how the written word influenced the public’s perception of science, especially due to common misinformation that leads to the denial of major scientific concepts or the emergence of scientific conspiracy theories.
As a first generation college student, I didn’t know much about declaring majors: I had a sense that I wanted to find a curriculum where I could learn science communication skills. Thus, I decided to attend a liberal arts institution (Seton Hill University), where I could pursue a science major while also having a heavy amount of curriculum focused on writing to get the best of both worlds. Although I had planned on being a biology major, I registered to be a biochemistry major to avoid taking anatomy (Calculus III in comparison didn’t sound so bad!). The major was chemistry focused with a dash of the biology courses (genetics, cell, and microbio!) that I was so interested in. As a result, I learned a lot of chemistry and realized immediately how much I loved it. I applied for a few research opportunities and finally, when I was a junior/senior in college, I probably started to think of myself as a chemist rather than as a writer.
Q: What inspires you as a scientist?
A: As a scientist, I am inspired to not just “fill in the gaps” of knowledge for the betterment of the world, but to also do my best to effectively communicate scientific progress for full societal utilization. I would also say I am inspired by other scientists in their pursuit to better the world in one form or another, including the progress in understanding the global pandemic, the development of new recyclable plastics and energy techniques, and new technological advances. Seeing my lab-mates, colleagues, and fellow scientists around the world tackle large-scale problems is a monumental inspiration and fascinating to consider where the world may be in the future.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Shaler, a community located in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. I received my undergraduate degree from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: Since I was a kid, I have always been an avid reader of sci-fi/fantasy, and I have also dabbled in writing a few stories of my own. I also love hiking, playing with my pets, and completing a variety of crafts (crocheting and painting!).
Q: What’s your dream vacation?
A: My dream vacation is to travel to a variety of National Parks , including the Grand Canyon, the Great Smoky Mountains, and visiting Hawaii’s volcanoes.
Q: If you could have dinner with anybody (living or dead), who would it be and why?
A: I would eat Thai food with my partner, Peter, as it's my favorite type of food. Eating a meal with someone you care about is also one of the simple things to enjoy in life.
Many thanks to Margaret for these thoughtful answers! Stay tuned for more graduate student highlights in the weeks to come!