BEAVER, Pa. -- When Fin Heron arrived at Penn State Beaver as a first-year student in 2023, he knew he wanted to do chemistry research.
Now, just a few semesters later, the Montgomery County native and chemical engineering major has collaborated with two chemistry professors -- Penn State Beaver Professor Michael Hay and Penn State Brandywine Professor Kurt Kistler -- on research that led to the synthesis of a new compound. Heron and Kistler recently presented their research at the American Chemical Society meeting in Washington, D.C.
"What we do at the campuses is we train the next generation of scientists and engineers," Hay said.
Heron said he enrolled at Penn State Beaver for its affordability and accessibility. But he didn't realize how much he would get out of being in a small campus environment -- especially the access to professors.
That access paid off almost immediately. During new student orientation, Heron connected with Hay and made it clear he was eager to do research.
"I've been recruiting undergrads for research since 1999," Hay said. "Every year, I look for my top student in 'Chem 110.' Fin stood out."
At the time, however, Hay was busy working on a chemistry curriculum project with his colleague Kistler and wasn't planning to mentor a new student. But Heron's persistence changed that.
"He kept following up," Hay said. "I mentioned him to Dr. Kistler, and we started talking about how we might make it work."
Together, the trio launched a research project focused on a class of molecules known as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), which are used as simplified models of zeolites -- a type of mineral used as a catalyst to initiate and accelerate chemical reactions and used in designing materials. The POSS molecules have a similar structure to zeolites but can be more easily adjusted for specific experiments or to better understand how the atomic or molecular properties may impact a particular reaction.
Within just a semester, Heron and Hay had synthesized a new POSS compound.
"It was the last week of the semester, during finals, and we were still trying to get it to crystallize," Heron recalled. "We had failed enough times to know what didn't work. We were kind of throwing stuff at it. Then, at 11:59 p.m., we got it."
That moment proved to be the breakthrough. The team ran infrared spectroscopy tests and performed X-ray diffraction experiments to confirm the structure, a definitive step in identifying new compounds.
"He made a brand-new compound in under a year," Hay said. "That's before we even started working with Dr. Kistler on the computational side."
Heron transferred to University Park in the spring 2025 semester and began collaborating with Kistler on quantum chemical modeling of the compound. Though he had taken chemistry labs before, Heron said the computational chemistry work with Kistler "was a completely foreign realm for me."
Using high-level calculations, they simulated the molecule's behavior, analyzing vibrations to see how the compound is "jiggling" and building a foundation for understanding how the new molecule might act as a catalyst, Kistler said.
"This work not only helps us understand it better, but it also raises the likelihood of others understanding it better," Heron said. "In the future our end goal is to prove this can be used in catalysis to aid a reaction to completion."
That hands-on, dual-experience -- both in the lab and in computation -- is what makes the project unique, especially for an undergraduate student, Kistler said.
"It's extremely unusual for a student to work on both synthesis and theoretical chemistry at this level," Kistler said. "Fin is doing work most undergrads won't touch until grad school. He's gaining tools and skills across multiple disciplines, and it's setting him up for success in a wide range of chemical problems."
This summer, Heron participated in the Multi-Campus Research Experience for Undergraduates, a competitive Penn State initiative that supports undergraduates conducting original research. Hay said the funding for the program is provided by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates.
"The program is very prestigious and competitive," Hay said.
Throughout the summer, Heron joined weekly large-group Zoom sessions, along with smaller breakout groups, where he presented literature reports, learned to write abstracts and deepened his understanding of research methods. He also spent a week at University Park with fellow change-of-campus students.
"I really got a sense of what a future in research looks like," Heron said. "I'm developing skills that apply directly to what I want to. I want to earn a doctorate and work in industry."
In addition to presenting their work, Kistler said there is at least one paper in progress, and Heron will be the first author listed.
"Fin is a pretty amazing student," Kistler said. "[He's] more like a graduate student in his progress and dedication to everything. It's impressive."
Kistler said it's important to note that Heron has made "considerable progress beyond vibrational analysis," and they reported additional theoretical electronic structure properties that are important for understanding catalysis at the American Chemical Society meeting.
The work also has created the template for a "pipeline" for studying other similar compounds being synthesized in Hay's lab, Kistler said.
And while part of the project is winding down, it's far from over. Heron said he hopes to continue investigating whether the new compound can be used as a catalyst and plans to carry his work forward alongside his coursework.