Biochemistry Major Advocating for Undergraduate Research

Just one year into her college career at East Stroudsburg University, Luna Mumma has found her passion in chemistry research. From experience and mentorship to the thrill of discovery, Mumma hopes to be an advocate to other students about the benefits undergraduate research can bring.

“I have gotten so much out of doing research,” said Mumma, a rising sophomore from Willow Grove, Pa. “I think that some students perceive it as just an extension of teaching lab, an extension of what it is to keep learning in chemistry, and it is, but it’s also getting off of the path of learning because it’s the first time for most students that we don’t know where we’re going – we could find something amazing tomorrow.”

In her first semester as a biochemistry major at ESU in fall 2024, Mumma had General Chemistry I with Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Gregory Boyce, Ph.D., where Mumma’s enthusiasm immediately stood out.

“It was clear that she was really getting it, and she was helping the students around her during the practice parts of the class, which is always a really great thing to see,” Dr. Boyce said. “You could see she had a really strong interest in the science.”

Mumma took advantage of Dr. Boyce’s office hours to talk more in depth about the content in the class. Eventually, she approached him about whether she would be a good fit as an undergraduate researcher.

Dr. Boyce said Mumma proved she was up to the challenge after he gave her several reading materials on organic chemistry – a topic they hadn’t covered in class yet – and she learned it all over winter break.

“The ability of hers to be able to teach herself all that over winter break was really incredible,” he said.

Beginning in January, the two began working on research to develop a new class of catalyst based on stable cation cells. While the nature of the work might be lost on those outside of chemistry circles, Dr. Boyce said the overarching goal is a simple one.

“I would use the analogy that organic chemists are like molecular architects,” Dr. Boyce said. “We basically build molecules that have some sort of interesting properties either as potential medicine or as catalysts that can make other products be better.”

For Dr. Boyce, research like theirs is his chance to share his knowledge with up-and-coming learners – particularly one like Mumma, who one day hopes to be an educator herself.

“It’s rewarding for me because I get to mentor them but also because when they graduate, they have this experience will help them get jobs or move on to graduate school, and it also gives them broader opportunities even as an undergraduate,” Dr. Boyce said.

One of those opportunities was to present research at the American Chemistry Association’s MidAtlantic Regional Meeting at Seton Hall University in May. There, Mumma met fellow student researchers, networked with attendees and heard presentations from industry leaders and speakers, including Nobel Prize-winning chemist Morten Meldal.

She also presented a poster of her research that won second place in the conference’s undergraduate research poster contest, much to her surprise.

“I thought, ‘There are too many good posters out there for mine to be second. Are you kidding?’” Mumma recalled. “But from an effort standpoint, I did put a lot of effort into making sure that I understood everything in my poster.”

In their time working together, Dr. Boyce said he has appreciated Mumma’s professionalism and attention to detail and is confident the quality of her work will only continue to grow.

“That’s one of the wonderful things about schools like ESU,” Dr. Boyce said. “You get to interact with the students and give them a very hands-on research experience where they learn directly under me, and I directly mentor them.”

Having a mentor who is an expert in his field has been incredibly valuable to Mumma’s future, but what has been even more important is the care Dr. Boyce and other ESU faculty put into leading student researchers, she said.

“It’s clear that he’s putting in effort because he wants to, and it makes for an environment that appreciates its research and appreciates its students, and that’s something that’s so valuable,” she said. “I love ESU for that.”

Learn more about the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at ESU.

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