Payton Downey Wins Fugassi and Monteverde Award

Payton Downey lights up when it comes to chemistry research.

"I like understanding something I didn't before," said Downey, a graduating senior in the Department of Chemistry. "There's a lot to enjoy in this field of work, and when I see my ideas work, it's really satisfying."

Downey conducted research with Stefan Bernhard, professor of chemistry, to investigate the fluorescence of different chemical compounds.

When light is emitted, it is polarized to rotate to the left or the right. In most light sources, like lamps or computer screens, the rotation cancels out. However, certain chemicals known as chiral luminophores can polarize the light depending on the orientation of their functional groups, which are parts of any chemical that give a chemical its specialized form and function. The same molecule can affect light in different ways depending on its chiral form, where the same chemical structure exists, but the functional groups are rotated.

Downey developed machine learning techniques to investigate why this is the case. In the course of their research, they used computational models to find that the chiral molecules constantly spin around their bonds, which affect luminescence.

Downey also investigated other labs' samples using circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), a technique that shows how compounds react to light. The data from CPL can be used to learn more about a chemical's composition and orientation.

Outside of the lab, Downey was part of the Carnegie Mellon chapter of PRISM, an LGBTQ+ student organization with chapters across the country. In their first year, the organization helped them find a community, even when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented students from meeting in person. Their senior year, they served as president of the organization, hoping to give back to the group that made a large impact on their own Carnegie Mellon experience.

"Giving people a space to exist and be accepted is really important," Downey said. "The people we have reached have been impacted by having this space."

For their work, Downey was honored with the Dr. J. Paul Fugassi and Linda Monteverde Award.

"Payton is a well-respected member of their cohort in chemistry," said Karen Stump, teaching professor and the director of undergraduate studies & laboratories for chemistry. "They are highly motived to both learn and create new knowledge, and they care deeply that their work forwards efforts that literally benefits the world."

Downey graduated as part of the B.S.-M.S. program in chemistry. In fall 2024, they will attend the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, Germany to pursue their Ph.D. They said they hope the work they do will continue to shed light on questions in inorganic chemistry.

"I'm excited about learning a new language and meeting people from vastly different backgrounds," Downey said. "My studies are perfectly situated in the intersection of chemistry and physics that I have participated in. I'll be doing asymmetric topological catalysis, which combines condensed matter physics and chiral chemistry!"