Science, in particular chemistry, is a field of great discoveries and opportunities and this is central in my goals for teaching. My philosophy concentrates on a retrosynthetic approach to teaching. I want the students to fully appreciate where science can lead them before teaching them how to arrive there. In order to fully engage the interest of students, I feel it is important for them to first understand what can be achieved with the principles and concepts they will learn. Once they are aware that there is a defined purpose for learning the material, my hopes are they will be more interested and more involved in the learning process. It is not only about teaching the fundamental basics of the science at hand, but also where those fundamentals are applied and used. I expect every student to walk away from my class with a new appreciation for science, as well as a knowledge base of science that will lead them beyond the classroom.

I am aware that class sizes will vary and I welcome that challenge. I am confident that my teaching philosophy can be adapted to any size class or subject. I believe it is also important for me to be able to adapt to different students needs, as not every student will become a chemistry or chemical engineering major. I believe that science is a complex subject to teach and learn and it requires the ability to distinguish between what needs to be memorized and what needs to be understood. I will help the students to make this distinction by outlining facts that should be memorized and guiding them through what needs to be understood by presenting them with the appropriate study tools. I encourage study groups and group discussions in order for the students to see how other students approach problems and integrate the positive aspects into their own approach to fully take advantage of the learning process. For graduate students, I will evaluate what they know and how they think through in-class discussions and participation. I will then help them to refine or build their skills, by offering new insights and concepts for them to absorb and utilize in their own research. I will encourage them to stay current in their knowledge of the field by presenting and discussing new journal articles, as well as using recent publications in my class discussions and examples.

My goal is for every student to enjoy science and not just learn the subject matter for tests/quizzes, but to retain the knowledge they learn. Although I am realistic that not every student will fully understand or appreciate the science, I feel it is important for them to be involved and take away as much as possible, without being intimidated. I feel that the best way to encourage learning and independent thinking is to allow the students to first understand the basics, and then present them with more in-depth material, either with a homework problem or class project, that will encourage them to apply what they have learned in a way not have thought about. I plan to always make myself available, beyond office hours, when appropriate, to offer extra help or encouragement. I do not appreciate laziness and I expect all students to push themselves to do the best they can and not rely on a grading curve. Each student will be assessed appropriately and fairly. I will rely on the student’s feedback to guide me in my teaching process, encouraging them to be open and honest with their assessment of my skills and knowledge, and my teaching style. Teaching is an evolving process, especially in the first few years and I intend to rely on my own high standards and goals as a guide, as well as student evaluations.

I am also interested in offering classes in carbohydrate-based chemistry and in sustainable small molecule synthesis. I am interested in sharing my knowledge and background with students on subjects that are not widely known, thereby allowing them to become more familiar with different branches of chemistry. It is important to have a well rounded knowledge of all areas of chemistry and I am excited by the idea of sharing that knowledge with students. I feel it is also important for students to be able to present science effectively and clearly and will encourage this by assigning topics for presentations, to allow them to demonstrate and practice their research, reporting and presentation skills.

I am motivated by the concept of sharing knowledge with other people as a mentor, but I also look forward to opportunities to discuss science and engage others in thought provoking discussions. I would like to do this by setting up small informal discussion sessions for any student interested to participate in. There is no greater reward than people pondering new concepts or ideas I have introduced to them and applying them to their own thoughts and processes.

I believe that it is important to facilitate a highly productive environment in which to do chemistry. Through the publication of manuscripts, each student will learn the importance of communicating science to their peers. I have had a very positive experience in working with undergraduate, and graduate students as well as postdoctoral associates over the past six years and feel that they have also fared well with my guidance. It is clearly evident that science is continuing to change at a very fast pace and I believe that success of young scientists for tomorrow will rely on a diverse array of skill sets.

Section II.

Which specific courses or subjects do you consider your special areas of strength?

Having been trained in Organic Chemistry/Chemical Biology, I know my strengths are in teaching courses that are defined in those areas. Having had the opportunities to teach Advanced Organic Chemistry, Chemical Synthesis Laboratory and Organic Chemistry for undergraduates has enabled me to disseminate my knowledge in those areas but has also allowed me to redefine my knowledge-base and consistently update myself with current literature. For example, I normally use Problem Sets as a method for independent learning and as a result I frequent the literature for pertinent problems that pertain to lecture material covered in class. I feel as though the Problem Sets are a true highlight for students beginning to recognize their increasing understanding of Organic Chemistry which ultimate accumulates into a high level of confidence. By adapting real- world Organic Chemistry problems, I feel as though the students begin to realize the importance of what they are learning. I normally fill their minds with the conclusion first, giving them a sense of what we want to accomplish, and then paint the picture of the entire story as we move back to the beginning only to commence a journey towards the end. The Problem Sets are the benchmark in my classes for grasping the material in an otherwise difficult subject to learn.

It has been said by many a student, that Organic Chemistry is the most difficult course to master on any campus. However, once mastered, it can have a profound effect on one’s life. First and foremost, in understanding Organic Chemistry, a sense of pride and confidence ensues which ultimately transcends into a fearless attitude when it comes to learning. That statement may be true with other “hard” or even all courses taught on campus as well, but I would argue that no other subject can be as impactful as Organic Chemistry. For example, in lecture we learn how to create carbon-carbon, carbon-oxygen and carbon-hydrogen bonds which are the basis for the creation of life as we scientists know it. Although we do not know how these bonds synergize into actual life, we can and have, as scientists, synthesized some awesome things, such as catalytic proteins from de nouveau and pharmaceutical compounds that have changed the world in many ways. For example, chemist, Carl Djerassi (’52 – 57’) invented the “pill” that essentially altered our entire prospective on life. Now that is awesome!

Having noted all of that above, in the end I do feel confident to teach any course provided that I be given ample time for preparation. With that being said, however, I’d always prefer to teach Organic Chemistry because it is what I chose to specialize in and it is truly exciting to come to work knowing that each and every day I can learn something new that I can potentially incorporate into my lectures. Organic Chemistry excites me!

Section III.

What do you consider your three most significant contributions to teaching?

a) Use of Tools in Teaching

It is well understood, that in current times, the educational landscape has changed and continues to move in various directions. Committees around the nation have formed to answer the mandated questions posed by Bush’s “No child left behind” policy. One thing is certain and will remain an ever growing cornerstone for the future of education in the US and other nations and that is the advent of computers and the world wide web (www). Whereas sometime ago when I started as an assistant professor, not a single student asked about e-books, however, in my current classes it had become an option of choice. Whereas in years past, student organizations would work to photocopy and disseminate (for a small fee) previous exams for a particular course, now professors/lecturers post this material on Blackboard®. Blackboard®, in fact, has become one of my electronic tools that I use on a regular basis for all my courses. It has become an instrument for electronic connection between my class and myself and when used appropriately connects students to students. I initiated E-office hours with Blackboard® utilizing a “chat” box mechanism that worked extremely well. In fact, towards the end of one of my chemistry courses students were unknowingly using the mechanism in a group learning fashion, something that I express as being extremely important in one’s learning process. For example, in the beginning and with the onset of E-office hours, I led most, if not all, of the discussion but as the students became increasingly more knowledgeable with the material, they were answering other student’s questions and then verifying their answers with me. What started out to be an E-office hour session of 2-3 students, turned into an ever increasing number of participants with the high reaching 23. I noted the sessions to be successful because of various reasons including common fears around peers (judging), scheduling conflicts with work or other related responsibilities outside the class room and directionality in the E-office hour chat session. Providing the students with another opportunity to have their questions asked without feeling rushed or anxious in front of peers or professors was well worth the minimal effort it took. Aside from that, I used www links in chat to direct students to the answers but more importantly I knew I was providing them the tool-set to become independent learners and giving them new resources by using the www. I rationalized that my time constraints in lecture would never have allowed the students to find various other reputable and reliable resources such as the ones I provided. On top of that, these new learning tools could be accessed directly from the computer in which they were working on.

I felt and still strongly feel that although there is a plethora of information regarding Organic Chemistry, having access to www resources and the tools to disseminate knowledge to others is the way of the future in my field and in teaching the material. Students do not learn material like we used to learn it and insomuch as they are spending on a quality of education they deserve every opportunity to know about various resources available on the www. I do understand, however, that not everything on the www, regarding information, has been validated and verified but from what I have directed my students to access, I can honestly state that the material, although not free from error, is just and well described as that in the textbooks. I envision the day when Organic Chemistry can be taught in an entirely electronic format, although proponents of “old

school” Organic Chemistry would argue that students must learn how to draw proper structures. From what I have been witnessing in the advancement of electronic software (Java Soft and others) having students draw structures using online drawing tools would allow them to advance quicker and rather than spend time on hand illustrations, utilize powerful software that will instruct as well as make the student more efficient in learning the material to advance ideas of the future.

b)  Mentorship in Research

Aside from my course teaching responsibilities, I run an active research group that pursues a number of different areas of active research. A few established areas of research are described on the research page.