Please join the Department of Chemistry in Pritzker Science Center, room 111, at 11:25 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, for a lecture by Dr. Natasha Banke titled “What’s This? Common Questions and How to Solve Them.”
As a former research professor and current a technical director for an ink company, Dr. Banke has seen many different and often confusing questions. She would like to say she has seen it all, but that likely isn’t the truth. As a director of an analytical chemistry lab for an ink company, she receives project requests that encompass routine, everyday work to complex analysis requiring new method development. As an analytical chemist and now Lab Director, she works with customers and R&D chemists to educate them on analytical instrumentation and tests available to aid product development. Her motto is help me help you—meaning the more information she has, the better she can answer your question or meet your needs.
Her presentation will cover the following most asked questions that evolve into Analytical Project Requests:
- What’s This? — A baggie with black specs and dirt shows up for analysis, with the request of “What is this, it came off of a press?”
- It Smells — Why does this printed material smell?
- It Sticks — When printed material sticks together or adhesion problems are encountered
- The Kitchen Sink — When a customer or chemists requests every analytical test possible
- Can You Do This? — When you are asked to do something outside of any normal everyday questions
- Is It Compliant? — When you are asked to determine if an ink or food package will be fit for use in the marketplace
Dr. Banke will take you stepwise through each question, how she and her team tackle each project. She will discuss balancing ease of project, time required for completion with when to say no and decline a request. She will also discuss how a company works to ensure products are fit for use and meet regulatory requirements.
This will be an application driven discussion and provide insight on the inner workings of an industrial analytical chemistry lab. So, join Dr. Natasha Banke navigates the most asked questions and how to solve them at INX International Ink Company.