NEWS

Undergraduate chemistry students get a unique opportunity for hands-on research with the gift of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The equipment comes courtesy of Dr. Candace Hanberry Rausch ’79 and her uncle, Charlie Arnsdorff.

“You’ve got to keep current. Small doesn’t mean we’re going to have a lesser program,” said Rausch. “It means you’re going to get more hands-on experience. Touch it yourself. Feel it. Understand it. Students are going to get a better education for going to a smaller school as long as we have the same things available.”

Rausch knows first-hand how having the right tools and training can prepare a student for the future. The second of three generations of Newberry College alumni, her time as a chemistry major, studying under Dr. Conrad Park ’41 (1919 – 2010), trained her well and launched her down a successful career path in dentistry. She received a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Medical College of Georgia and opened a private practice with her husband in Stone Mountain, where they both continue to work full-time. Their daughter, Diana Rausch ’19, graduated with a degree in chemistry and is following in her parents’ footsteps, attending the Dental College of Georgia in Augusta.

By the time Diana was a student, though, much of the science department’s equipment was outdated and needed to be replaced. Rausch was approached by a former member of the Institutional Advancement staff about making a gift to the College. She felt strongly about investing in science equipment for students. One of the items on the department’s wish list was a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, or NMR. She talked with her Uncle Charlie and they decided this was the perfect way to support the department and its students. Even though he didn’t graduate from Newberry College, Arnsdorff had become a friend of the College through his love of his family.

“A nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer uses the magnetic field to be able to identify organic compounds,” said Dr. Peter Foster, assistant professor of chemistry. “It can be used to distinguish one compound from another. It'll be used in a lot of student research, as well as it's an important part of several different classes here at the College, such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and instrumental analysis.”

It took time, but the spectrometer was purchased and installed in 2022. What really makes this equipment unique is that undergraduate students are getting hands-on experience using this machine. According to Foster, that isn’t always the case.

“A lot of larger institutions might have a machine like this but a lot of times, that is restricted to graduate students and to professors to be able to use this. This is a unique opportunity for students to get hands-on experience using sophisticated equipment,” he said. “Also, the NMR runs its mechanics very similar to an MRI machine. So, this is not just a preparation for careers in chemistry, this also applies to a lot of medical pursuits.”

Thanks to the generosity of Rausch and Arnsdorff, the Newberry College chemistry department now has a great tool to give students a competitive advantage.

To make a gift to the Newberry Fund, which supports scholarships, innovative programs, and College operations, visit newberry.edu/give or call 803.321.5363. You can also designate your gift to an area or program of your choice. Thank you for your continued support of Newberry College and its students.

Top: (Left to right) Dr. Bret Clark, Dr. Candace Hanberry Rausch ’79, Dr. Peter Foster, Charlie Arnsdorff, and Dr. Steve Lambert.

This article originally appeared in the spring 2023 issue of Dimensions, the magazine for alumni and friends of Newberry College. Access the digital version here.