{"id":38,"date":"2023-10-20T01:02:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T01:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/?page_id=38"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:19:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:19:48","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>June &#8211; Dr. Morgenstern awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor effective in August<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May &#8211; Gracie Thomas and Hayden Braun joined group as undergraduate and graduate researchers, respectively<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/acsomega.6c00837?ref=article_openPDF\">ACS Omega<\/a> collaborative paper with Dr. Owens (UCCS Chemistry) on electrospray ionization microdroplet reactions of tetramine published by Jon and Jacob<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; Nathan presented an undergraduate research seminar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; Nick received an undergraduate research academy (URA) award<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; Nick and James presented at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum (CSURF)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/acs.jpcb.5c07407?ref=article_openPDF\">J. Phys. Chem. B<\/a> collaborative paper with Dr. Ashkarran (UCCS Physics) on charge transfer through peptides published with Jen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>February &#8211; Dr. Morgenstern gave a seminar at CU Denver<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>February &#8211; Nathan accepted into PhD program at CSU Fort Collins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>January &#8211; James Mulcahey, Raul Venzor, and Nick Brancieri joined group as undergraduate researchers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-220\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.777555391692124;width:710px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/06\/ICCB-2025-Collective-Photo-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>December &#8211; Katie and Nathan presented posters at Mountain Lion Research Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>November &#8211; Hunter defended his master&#8217;s thesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>October &#8211; Katie, Hunter, Nathan, and Dr. Morgenstern presented at the regional ACS meeting in Albuquerque, NM <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>October &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11224-025-02656-7\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11224-025-02656-7\">Structural Chemistry<\/a> paper on the effects of electric fields on gradient path curvatures by Niko published<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August &#8211; Dr. Morgenstern presented at the International Conference on Chemical Bonding in Kauai<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>July &#8211; Dr. Morgenstern presented at the ChemEd conference in Golden, CO<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>June &#8211; Jen defended their master&#8217;s thesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; Katie presented a poster at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum (CSURF)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April &#8211; Nathan received an undergraduate research academy (URA) award<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>January &#8211; Nathan Maruska joined group as undergraduate researcher<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-1024x746.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-174 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-1024x746.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-768x559.jpg 768w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-1536x1119.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/ABQ_regionalACS_2025-2048x1491.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UCCS researchers at the Rocky Mountain Regional ACS meeting in Albuquerque, October 2025<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>December &#8211; Jacob, Katie, and Jen presented posters at Mountain Lion Research Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August &#8211; Jon defended his master&#8217;s thesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August &#8211; Jon, Jen, and Niko presented posters at the ACS conference in Denver<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May \u2013 Jacob Cook joined group as undergraduate researcher<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April \u2013 Hunter received UCCS Graduate Student Research Fellowship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April \u2013 Dr. Morgenstern received funding from the Committee on Research and Creative Works (CRCW) to study how electric fields can reposition critical points for catalysis <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April \u2013 Hunter and Niko presented posters at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum (CSURF)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>January \u2013 Katie Ly joined group as undergraduate researcher<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:30% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/imagejpeg_2001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-160 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/imagejpeg_2001.jpg 768w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/imagejpeg_2001-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jon Gertner successfully defending his MSc thesis in August 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>November &#8211; Jen presented Intro to Project seminar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>November \u2013 Jon presented Departmental Plan to Finish seminar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>September \u2013&nbsp;Hunter Redmon joined group as undergraduate researcher<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August \u2013 Student presentations at Departmental Summer Symposium by Jon, Jen, and Niko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>July \u2013&nbsp;Logan defended his master&#8217;s thesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>June &#8211; Logan and Dr. Morgenstern presented at the CSC Conference in Vancouver<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>June \u2013&nbsp;Jen began master&#8217;s work on drug design for Human African Trypanosomiasis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May \u2013&nbsp;Niko received Undergraduate Research Academy (URA) award<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acs.jpca.3c01757\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acs.jpca.3c01757\">J. Phys. Chem. B<\/a> paper on effect of electric fields on charge density by Logan and Megan published<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April \u2013 Jon received UCCS Graduate Student Research Fellowship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>January \u2013 Niko Hughes joined group as undergraduate researcher<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:53% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/PostSummerSymposium2023.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UCCS Chemistry and Biochemistry students at the 2023 Departmental Summer Research Symposium. Morgenstern group members include Jen Burrows, Niko Hughes, Jon Gertner, and Logan Epperson<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/sternlab-image-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Celebrating Logan Epperson's successful master's defense in summer 2023\" class=\"wp-image-10\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3333416105882645;width:626px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/sternlab-image-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/sternlab-image-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/sternlab-image-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/09\/sternlab-image.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Celebrating Logan Epperson&#8217;s successful master&#8217;s defense in summer 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2026 2025 UCCS researchers at the Rocky Mountain Regional ACS meeting in Albuquerque, October 2025 2024 Jon Gertner successfully defending his MSc thesis in August 2024 2023 UCCS Chemistry and Biochemistry students at the 2023 Departmental Summer Research Symposium. Morgenstern group members include Jen Burrows, Niko Hughes, Jon Gertner, and Logan Epperson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-38","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":230,"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions\/230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.uccs.edu\/morgensternlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}