Students

Convocation ‘25: Lindsay Weller, BSc specialization chemistry

Donna McKinnon - 6 June 2025

 

Reflecting on her academic journey, Lindsay Weller points to two people who played a significant role in her success: her father, who guided her toward an academic path aligned with her passions; and Jason Cooke, the laboratory coordinator for inorganic chemistry who mentored her throughout her program. 

Cooke’s influence was so profound, Lindsay passed it along — using what she learned to mentor other students in the program.   

“My role was to minimize stress and fear felt by the student and to demonstrate these seemingly scary techniques in a way that was simple and non-intimidating,” she says. “It was fun to be a mentor and teach the skills that I was taught working under Jason Cooke.”

Friendships were also important to Lindsay, not only for mental well-being but for shared academic experiences. In 2024, she had the opportunity to travel to Germany as part of the  DAAD RISE (Research in Science & Engineering) Germany Internship along with her two closest friends. She says that having them by her side throughout her degree and sharing that experience is something she will never forget. 

After convocation, Lindsay will be pursuing a graduate degree in chemistry at the University of Calgary. Her passion for chemistry continues. 

Congratulations Lindsay!


What program are you graduating from?

Bachelor of Science, Specialization in Chemistry. 

What led you to choose your current area of study, and why the U of A for your studies?

When I was in high school I was unsure what to do next. I felt stuck and did not know what career path I wanted to pursue. When confiding in my dad for advice, he told me to choose something that I enjoy which would guide me to a career path that I would inevitably enjoy too, no matter what it is. I was really good at chemistry in high school and enjoyed learning the material, so I went with chemistry. Years later, here I am! I am so glad I took this advice. 

What is one of your favourite memories from your time at the U of A?

I think my favourite memory at U of A was sitting in CHEM 299 (Research Opportunity Program in Chemistry) and striking up a conversation with two of my peers. I was in my second year which was my first year in person (because of COVID-19) and I had no university friends yet because I had moved from Calgary. I sat next to Patricia and Alex, who quickly became my best friends as they were both in chemistry. From this course onward, we have been close and have supported each other through the difficulty of our degrees. All three of us are highly motivated overachievers, which we bonded over. Last year we all got accepted to the DAAD RISE (Research in Science & Engineering) Germany Internship and moved to Germany for the summer. Sharing this experience with my best friends was exceptional and we were able to visit each other in different cities. Having them by my side throughout my degree and sharing that experience is my favourite memory.  

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

My favourite academic staff at the U of A is Jason Cooke, the laboratory coordinator for the inorganic chemistry department. He was my mentor and supervisor for Chem 299 and he taught me how to look at science with a sustainable mind, giving me tools to simplify complex problems and solve them easily without being intimidated. On a personal note, he inspired me to be a better leader, student and mentor to others. He takes time out of his very busy schedule to sit down and help students in any way he can. Not only this, but he puts effort into getting to know their names and experiences despite being in charge of hundreds of students. Jason is the definition of patience and I am a better person and chemist because I learned under him.

One day while conducting research under his supervision, I was extremely stressed because of my midterm schedule and assignments. I had ‘midterm brain’ which is when you are so preoccupied with other things that it makes it difficult to focus on what’s in front of you. This led me to place a plastic vial cap into the oven, which lit on fire and began smoking. I immediately broke down into tears out of stress and embarrassment. Jason let me go for a walk and get something to eat, and once I returned he handed me the melted cap in a sealed vial and told me that I’m going to look back on this moment and laugh. He shared a story where he made a similar mistake and said that you can’t learn if you do everything perfectly. I have kept the melted vial ever since and have never forgotten that lesson. That story summarizes the type of mentor he is.  

Did you take on any leadership roles while you were a student? 

I tutored another undergraduate student in the inorganic chemistry laboratories and designed simpler and less hazardous experiments to mimic the ones completed in CHEM 241 (Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry). This involved substituting hazardous chemicals for less volatile ones such as potassium chloride, and using water/ethanol based solutions. I have private demonstrations on how to carry out synthetic techniques such as reflux, operation of the schlenk line and the rotary evaporator. My role was to minimize stress and fear felt by the student and to demonstrate these seemingly scary techniques in a way that was simple and non-intimidating. It was very fun to be a mentor and teach the skills that I was taught working under Jason Cooke.

Did you face any significant obstacles or challenges during your program?

During my first year, all courses were online due to COVID-19. I had never taken any university courses, let alone online. I struggled immensely and found them difficult to navigate and focus on. Additionally, it didn’t help that they were advanced chemistry and biology courses. However, once I attended U of A in person during my second year, I made an effort to get to know my professors and attend office hours for help. My GPA sky rocketed and I have been on honour roll ever since. It was hard not to let my experience in my first year affect me since I rely heavily on academic validation. Nonetheless, being in the campus environment really comforted me and gave me the space to thrive. I also never used to ask for help, which I think is what eventually drove my success. 

What advice do you have for current and future students?

My biggest advice is to surround yourself with like-minded people. It’s going to be hard to succeed if you are always around people that don’t care about success as much. I found my peers who are also academically driven and being friends with them pushed me to want to thrive. With that being said, I think a “work-life balance” is also a necessity. Not all of your friends have to be scholars, but being able to balance your schedule to allow freedom on the weekends is important.

Thinking about getting good grades 24/7 is not healthy and mental recovery is just as important. I would always plan my studying in advance to enable this. Typically I would study extra during the week and wake up earlier so I could have the freedom to see my friends on the weekend. Looking back, this balance helped me get great grades and have memories of dancing with all my friends after a glass of wine or two and I don’t regret a thing. 

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

I am going to get a bottle of champagne, some good food and spend time with the people I love. My support system is so outstanding and I would not have been able to get through my undergraduate degree without the support of my family, friends and boyfriend. Being an overachiever, having people to bring me back to earth and tell me ‘we live on a floating rock’ really helps fix my perspective when I am spiraling during midterms or finals. I could not have maintained my sanity without these people.

What's next after graduation?

I will be beginning my MSc in Chemistry at the University of Calgary in the fall! The research I completed during my undergraduate degree made me fall in love with solving problems so I will be working with the Shimizu MOF group to tackle carbon capture and hydrogen fuel related issues.