Student & Faculty Summer Scholarship Campaign- Day 4
Aug 31, 2026
Research at Florida Southern is a collaborative journey. Through the Faculty-Student Collaborative Research program, students work alongside faculty mentors to explore new ideas, gain valuable research experience and contribute to discoveries that extend across disciplines.
Dr. Ashley Braaksma with Lauren Helminiak, Kayley McDermott, and Andreea Vaida:
“Natural Feedstocks to Polymer Materials”
Funded by Hansen Science Scholars Fund and the Office of the Provost
For Dr. Ashley Braaksma, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, sustainability begins at the molecular level.
A polymer chemist, Dr. Braaksma is developing environmentally friendly plastics derived from renewable plant- and vegetable oil-based materials rather than traditional fossil fuels. Her research focuses on creating polymers that perform effectively during use while safely degrading into benign components at the end of their lifecycle.
“A key goal of our work is designing for sustainable end-of-life strategies, specifically by incorporating degradable linkages into the polymer backbone,” Dr. Braaksma said. “This targets the core issue of plastic persistence, ensuring that when these materials reach the end of their useful life, they break down into safe, benign components.”
Working with students Andreea Vaida, Lauren Helminiak, and Kayley McDermott, Dr. Braaksma’s laboratory is applying these sustainable design principles to a variety of challenges. Helminiak is developing biodegradable polymers for targeted cancer drug delivery, McDermott is designing reusable polymers capable of removing heavy metals from water to help protect wetland ecosystems and Vaida is reimagining nylon using sustainable materials for potential tissue engineering applications.
While the summer research concluded in July, each project will continue throughout the academic year as senior research.
Dr. Deborah Bromfield Lee with Andrew Zivkovic:
"Development of a Greener Inorganic and Advanced Chemistry Lab Curriculum"
Funded by Hansen Science Scholars Fund and the Office of the Provost.
Dr. Deborah Bromfield Lee, Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair, spent the summer redesigning Florida Southern’s chemistry laboratories to better reflect modern research practices while incorporating the principles of Green Chemistry.
“The major project involved a complete review and overhaul of the Inorganic Chemistry laboratory course and modified it with more modern and greener experiments,” Dr. Bromfield Lee said. “Currently, the experiments use harmful reagents and outdated methodology, and we revised or developed new experiments which will be piloted in Spring 2027.”
This comprehensive revision of the College’s Inorganic Chemistry laboratory course allowed Dr. Bromfield Lee to replace experiments that relied on hazardous reagents and outdated methodologies with safer, more environmentally responsible alternatives. The redesigned laboratory curriculum will be piloted during the Spring 2027 semester.
Dr. Bromfield Lee’s secondary project focuses on modernizing the Advanced Synthesis and Characterization course by integrating technologies such as microwave chemistry and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), giving students greater exposure to techniques commonly used in today’s research laboratories.
Working alongside student researcher Andrew Zivkovik, Dr. Bromfield Lee evaluated existing laboratory exercises, tested new experiments, and began developing instructional materials including laboratory manuals and demonstration videos to support future classroom implementation.
Dr. Ashley Braaksma with Lauren Helminiak, Kayley McDermott, and Andreea Vaida:
“Natural Feedstocks to Polymer Materials”
Funded by Hansen Science Scholars Fund and the Office of the Provost
For Dr. Ashley Braaksma, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, sustainability begins at the molecular level.
A polymer chemist, Dr. Braaksma is developing environmentally friendly plastics derived from renewable plant- and vegetable oil-based materials rather than traditional fossil fuels. Her research focuses on creating polymers that perform effectively during use while safely degrading into benign components at the end of their lifecycle.
“A key goal of our work is designing for sustainable end-of-life strategies, specifically by incorporating degradable linkages into the polymer backbone,” Dr. Braaksma said. “This targets the core issue of plastic persistence, ensuring that when these materials reach the end of their useful life, they break down into safe, benign components.”
Working with students Andreea Vaida, Lauren Helminiak, and Kayley McDermott, Dr. Braaksma’s laboratory is applying these sustainable design principles to a variety of challenges. Helminiak is developing biodegradable polymers for targeted cancer drug delivery, McDermott is designing reusable polymers capable of removing heavy metals from water to help protect wetland ecosystems and Vaida is reimagining nylon using sustainable materials for potential tissue engineering applications.
While the summer research concluded in July, each project will continue throughout the academic year as senior research.
Dr. Deborah Bromfield Lee with Andrew Zivkovic:
"Development of a Greener Inorganic and Advanced Chemistry Lab Curriculum"
Funded by Hansen Science Scholars Fund and the Office of the Provost.
Dr. Deborah Bromfield Lee, Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair, spent the summer redesigning Florida Southern’s chemistry laboratories to better reflect modern research practices while incorporating the principles of Green Chemistry.
“The major project involved a complete review and overhaul of the Inorganic Chemistry laboratory course and modified it with more modern and greener experiments,” Dr. Bromfield Lee said. “Currently, the experiments use harmful reagents and outdated methodology, and we revised or developed new experiments which will be piloted in Spring 2027.”
This comprehensive revision of the College’s Inorganic Chemistry laboratory course allowed Dr. Bromfield Lee to replace experiments that relied on hazardous reagents and outdated methodologies with safer, more environmentally responsible alternatives. The redesigned laboratory curriculum will be piloted during the Spring 2027 semester.
Dr. Bromfield Lee’s secondary project focuses on modernizing the Advanced Synthesis and Characterization course by integrating technologies such as microwave chemistry and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), giving students greater exposure to techniques commonly used in today’s research laboratories.
Working alongside student researcher Andrew Zivkovik, Dr. Bromfield Lee evaluated existing laboratory exercises, tested new experiments, and began developing instructional materials including laboratory manuals and demonstration videos to support future classroom implementation.