Allison Amonette was awarded emerita status on August 1, 2022.

Research Interests: The study of solid state structures is important to Dr. Long because it impacts the study of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry. X-ray diffraction is the fastest, easiest, and most reliable way to determine the structures of newly synthesized compounds produced by those who wish to make pharmaceuticals and bio-organic compounds. In addition, the x-ray diffraction method has always been essential to the fields of protein and carbohydrate biochemistry. Structure analysis is accomplished by collecting x-ray diffraction data, which is then analyzed by modern computer-based models to determine the molecular structure. The major emphasis of her research is crystallization of synthetic amino carboxylic acids. These structures provide information necessary in the solution of the structures of very complex biological systems which are often “solved” in pieces very closely associated with these much smaller synthetic amino acids. Her research with undergraduates contributes to a vast knowledge base that is necessary for others to solve much larger structures. She sees this work with students important because it gives them the opportunity to become familiar with an analytical tool used extensively in industry and graduate chemistry departments.