Lori Allen

Teaching Interests

I enjoy teaching beginning chemistry, but in many ways, my real passion is analytical chemistry. For beginning chemistry, I enjoy the conversations that occur when students challenge me to explain concepts in different ways because it pushes me to think and rethink how I present information. Analytical chemistry is supreme because it is the discipline that ensures that the numbers are good. Analytical chemistry and instrumentation is a blend of math, chemistry, and physics.

Research Interests

One area of research involves method development and validation for cannabinoids in plants, extracts, concentrates, foods, and consumer care products. A second area involves methods that speciate elements in natural samples. An example of this is the determination of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) in water and beverages.

Consulting Interests

As part of my involvement with the SCJ Integrated Science Laboratory, I consult with various faculty and area companies on short term projects. This work is mostly carried out by undergraduates who I supervise. Prior to this, I consulted (pro bono) with an NGO in Cambodia on drinking water testing.

Selected Publications

2025: Contrasting Perfluoroctanoic Acid Removal by Calcite Before and After Heat Treatment, Environments (15 pp.)

2024: Comparison and Contrast of Calcite vs. Dolomite after Heat Treatment to Enhance Toluidine Blue Removal from Water, Crystals (13 pp.)

2024: Heat Treatment of Calcite to Enhance Its Removal of Color Dye Alizarin Red S, Crystals (14 pp.)

2022: Sorption of acridine orange on non-swelling and swelling clay minerals, Crystals (118 pp.)

1997: Methods for the Determination of Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Tin in Sucrose, Corn Syrups, and High-Fructose Corn Syrups by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (162-165 pp.)