Lecturers
My research interests lie primarily in the field of chemical education, however, I am very interested in merging the frontiers of cutting-edge research into the undergraduate classroom as much as possible. In general, I focus upon problem solving skills and methods to promote improvements in problem solving in general and organic chemistry.
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My current interest is in the development of organic chemistry labs that give students the opportunity to explore chemistry while reinforcing and building upon concepts that are learned in lecture classes. I believe that labs should bring chemistry to life, and they should afford an opportunity for students to have fun and experience a taste of scientific discovery.
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A well-prepared and enthusiastic teacher has the ability to inspire and motivate student learning, however excellent teaching requires training, feedback, reflection, and support. Therefore one of my major interests is to continue developing and maintain an effective Teaching Assistant training program for the graduate and undergraduate TA’s within our department.
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My research interests include chemical mechanisms of biological processes and using these mechanisms to teach fundamental organic chemistry in the classroom, laboratory, and online. We continue to provide students a rigorous study of chemical bonding, reactivity, and synthesis, but are working to incorporate more examples from nature that specifically illustrate salient organic chemistry reactions and mechanisms. We are developing integrative organic chemistry lecture-laboratories to optimize student understanding, performance, and appreciation for chemistry.
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