Curriculum Development in the General Chemistry Lab Program
An ongoing project in the general chemistry laboratory program is the incorporation of computer-assisted data collection/manipulation into the experiments. This involves both the designing of new experiments for the labs as well as the composition and ongoing revision of new student laboratory manuals. Computer training for the students has been an additional task necessary in the above.
Curriculum Development in the Classroom
In the classroom, whether with general, analytical, or organic chemistry, I'm continuing to use and experiment with various forms of multimedia instruction. Most prevalent among these methods are the use of online homework assignments, Powerpoint lecture presentations, internet research assignments, in-class response interfaces, as well as in-class "live" demonstrations. All these endeavors are focused on both making the classroom a more dynamic environment and on better engaging the students in the subject matter.
Academic Advising
As an academic advisor for the majors, I meet with the majors on demand and help them navigate the academic pathway to the chemistry degree. I also organize monthly meetings each semester under the heading of Chemistry Majors Discussion Group.
The goal of our department's advising is not just to provide answers to student questions but to stimulate both their interest in chemistry and their involvement in undergraduate research. The Chemistry Majors Discussion Group meetings, which started in the Fall of 2000, are used to provide introductory information about the various chemistry degrees available, to provide career/internship/grad. school information, and also to allow the majors to interact with faculty and learn about their research in a more informal setting.