Megan Blauch

Background

About Megan Blauch

As a child, I had an analytical brain and enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, crossword books and learning how to use woodworking tools with my father and grandfather. Growing up, I started applying that analytical, critical thinking side of myself toward school which led me to the sciences, specifically chemistry. I desired the ability to see something that hasn’t yet been investigated and then devise and implement strategies to further understand the question at hand. I’m the type of person who thrives on problem-solving and working with instrumentation. Working in a collaborative, supportive environment where ideas can be openly explored would suit me well. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Lebanon Valley College. At Lebanon Valley, I took additional advanced courses in organic and inorganic chemistry as well as conducted a year-long research project to achieve an ACS-accredited degree. My research project focused on the efficacy of the wastewater treatment plant, local to the university, in removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and caffeine through the wastewater treatment process prior to release into surrounding waterways. I primarily used GC-MS and LC-MS-MS in my work but also gained experience with MALDI-TOF MS, NMR, AAS and UV-VIS spectroscopy throughout my time at Lebanon Valley. I also have a Master’s of Science in Chemistry from Lehigh University where I worked in a bioanalytical chemistry lab. At Lehigh, I worked with supported lipid bilayers, caveolin-1 associated vesicles and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), analyzing them via a number of analytical techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), tunable resistance pulse sensing (TRPS) and spectroscopic methods, among others. Two of my projects were collaborative with groups at Lehigh; one with another group in the chemistry department and the other with a group in the chemical and biomolecular engineering department. I also gained experience using a stereolithographic 3D printer and Fusion360 to create designs for micro- and nano-array stamps, during my time at Lehigh.