Kris Brower '08 aids chemists with a website and database
Completing a senior thesis is a big achievement for any Haverford senior. But Kris Brower '08 took things a little farther. Six months after graduation, his thesis project is finding a life beyond campus.
Brower worked with Chemistry Professor Rob Scarrow to develop ChemSink.com, a database which allows visitors to check the success or failure of specific chemical reactions. Using a subset of a preexisting database called pubchem, ChemSink calculates reactions that theoretically could occur. Brower says he wanted to put the information online for the benefit of the chemistry community. While other chemical reaction databases often cost money, Chemsink is free.
“I was unsure if the Haverford chemistry department would allow me to pursue this project, since it was such a departure from the norm for a thesis,” says Brower, who praises Scarrow for providing crucial support.“[He] helped me along and gave me great advice.”
Says Scarrow of his former student, "He's very dedicated to the idea of open source software and he wanted to work on something none of us were working on."
Scarrow acknowledges the unique nature of Brower's project, which was different, he says, from most theses, which usually relate to a professor's area of expertise. Brower's idea for a chemical database did not fall under any professor's main field of study. Still, Scarrow was excited by the project and admired Brower's ambition, and he was able to steer his student in directions that helped his research.
Now, with the website and database running, chemists can share information about chemical reactions that more traditional literature may not include. With this exchange, the users also contribute to the database's well of information.
Looking back on the thesis process, Brower reflects,“I learned a lot about where chemistry is going online and tech-wise. The project has given me something I can continue in my free time in the future.” While the program is not yet fully completed, Brower hopes that it will soon allow users to enter in their own chemical reactions.
Brower currently lives in New York and works for Fandome.com, a sports website where fans can catch the latest news, videos and blogs of their favorite teams. (www.fandome.com). For more information on ChemSink, go to www.chemsink.com.
