黑料网

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 27, 2026

Like many college students, 黑料网 senior Lilianna Kocai and junior Genevieve Insalaca have spent their summer surrounded by a buzzing cohort of friends 鈥� without leaving campus.

The two students have spent the summer synthesizing fluorescent compounds and running computer-assisted simulations in the laboratory of KSU Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry Carl Saint-Louis. Their work is part of an innovative program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that involves computer-assisted programming as another method of experimentation.

In 2025, Saint-Louis joined the NSF鈥檚 (C-CAS), an effort that supports computational science and data-driven chemistry, and Kocai and Insalaca are the first undergraduates to conduct research as part of KSU鈥檚 involvement in the program. The C-CAS lets researchers rely on modeling experiments in a virtual environment to get better insights on novel properties, a task that requires a lot of computing power. The accompanying Data Chemist Network enables access to collaborations and supercomputers that can make these predictions, and that access makes Kennesaw State unique among R2 institutions.

Kocai and Insalaca described the lab as a hub of activity, with around 10 students working on different projects. They took a break recently to talk about the energy in the lab as well as their specific projects.

Q: Lilianna, you鈥檝e spent a couple of years in this research group, and now you鈥檙e spending the summer in the lab. What keeps you coming back?

LK: I'm very passionate about organic chemistry. It鈥檚 how I got my start in research and I never wanted to try another type of chemistry, because I got so invested in organic chemistry. I like that I started doing something as a freshman and now, I'm improving it and trying to make it better. The trust Dr. Saint-Louis puts into us to continue doing what we're doing is amazing.

Q: How has the computer assisted aspect changed what you work on?

LK: Dr. Saint-Louis runs a computer simulation before we start synthesizing a compound to make sure the experiment might work. We鈥檙e asking, based on the numbers, is it worth synthesizing this compound or is it just going to fail? Now we have that step of being able to say with some assurance that this compound that I'm trying to synthesize is going to work.

Dr. Saint-Louis joined C-CAS about six months ago, so we're still pretty new to the center. But I got to see the C-CAS in May, when I went to the University of Notre Dame for the yearly site visit. I saw a lot of the center and what they're doing there, which was very interesting. As a student researcher, I got out of my comfort zone and got to see other things being done with our compounds in applications, which is really cool.

Q: Your experience likely differs from a student鈥檚 typical summer plans. How does it feel to have an alternate summer plan?

LK: I'm enjoying the time in the lab and am just trying to get as much done as I can. We find ourselves staying a little longer most days. Typically we would work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but a lot of times we look at the clock and we're like, 鈥渙h, it's already 6:30 p.m.鈥� Time goes by so fast in the lab that we enjoy the time while we're here.

Working in the lab for a summer sounds scary in the beginning. But now I'm here, and my coworkers are amazing. We're all friends in the lab. It feels like a big hangout every day and we all do chemistry together.

Q: Genevieve, what does your academic path look like, and how does the Saint-Louis lab fit in with what you want to do?

GI: I have a dual major in chemistry and . In my General Chemistry 1 class, my lab instructor recommended chemistry majors should do research. He listed a bunch of names and then after my lecture, I talked with him and asked if I could have the contact information for those people. I looked at all their websites and Dr. Saint-Louis had the most interesting research topic. I emailed him and he asked to meet with me, so I came in for a meeting, and we talked for a little bit. He gave me a tour of the lab, and then he offered me a lab position in October of last year.

At this point, I would like to be a forensic toxicologist, and that's why I added chemistry, because I thought it would give me an edge as a criminal justice major.

Q: What project are you working on this summer?

GI:  Lilianna and I are working on fluorescent materials. We're using similar structures for our compounds, but I'm working with a different type of compound.  I鈥檓 trying to incorporate the boron nitrogen bonds from the compound PBNH onto polyethylene to make it easier to functionalize and modify. By incorporating PBNH onto commercial polyethylene, like milk jugs and plastic bottles, it'll be able to fluoresce and we'll be able to tell it apart from different compounds and make it easier for waste collection services to tell it apart.

Q: What big lesson, science or otherwise, have you taken away from your experience so far?

GI: I think the biggest takeaway from my KSU experience is being really involved. If I didn't get involved, I might have graduated with a criminal justice degree and not known what I really wanted to do. Taking that leap and adding chemistry classes and meeting everybody in the chemistry department has been really helpful. I don't think I would have gotten this position in this lab without doing that. If you're outgoing and you talk with everybody, that gets you far. Being involved in campus life is important.

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos provided and by Darnell Wilburn

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 黑料网 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.