News & Events

When

Date - January 27, 2023
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

Professor
STEM Accelerator, College of Science
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
George Mason University

Talk Title: “Perpetually Curious: Stories of Research and Evolution as a Chemistry Professor”

Abstract:

I am perpetually curious. Throughout my education and career as a professor, my questions have changed and evolved. With projects spanning traditional inorganic chemistry, higher education research, history of chemistry education, and the chemistry of photography, I have learned and grown as a thinker and scholar. This presentation will describe this evolution and highlight two current research stories.

Chemistry has been taught at colleges in the United States since the late 18th century; how have the tools and concepts changed over time? Using text analysis of archived and modern sources as well as author interviews, this project explores the evolution of various topics relevant to collegiate general chemistry, such as the general definition of chemistry, the mathematical units used, and the concepts of valence and equilibrium. This presentation will compare and contrast the terms and language used in the different sources and make connections to the historical development of chemistry as a science.

Increasing the number of STEM graduates from underrepresented groups is a recognized priority; how can we support rural and diverse students from Virginia who come to Mason to pursue a STEM degree? Since 2016, the Rural and Diverse Student Scholars (RADSS) Program has supported diverse STEM students from primarily rural parts of Virginia as they pursue a bachelor’s degree at Mason. RADSS is funded by NSF S-STEM grant, which includes a knowledge building component which explores the factors relevant to admission, retention and persistence into STEM majors. This presentation will include description of and results from the mixed-methods IRB-approved research related to RADSS.