Teaching

Atoms and Molecules (CHEM 181)

This entry-level general chemistry course is taught using discovery-based learning. Topics include stoichiometry, basic quantum mechanics, and molecular structure.

Equilibrium and Reactivity (CHEM 231)

The final course in the introductory chemistry sequence is designed to guide the students to scientific discoveries in the lab, and then discuss these discoveries in the lecture portion of the course. Topics include gas laws, chemical equilibria, basic thermodynamics and kinetics, acids and bases, and electrochemistry.

Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy (CHEM 335)

This course focuses on fundamental quantum mechanical models used to describe physical phenomena. Topics include classic models such as particle in a box, harmonic oscillator and rigid rotor. Special topics include band gap structure of solids and scanning tunneling microscopy.

Chemical Thermodynamics (CHEM 336)

This course focuses on the macroscopic to microscopic nature of chemical phenomena. Topics include the 0th-2nd laws, chemical potential and its role in equilibrium, and statistical mechanics. Special topics include the science behind molecular beams and how species stick to surfaces.

Putting the Science in SciFi (CHEM 199)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, science fiction writers began their work of inspiring the path of scientific invention and progress. With recent scientific advances, the distinction between science fiction and reality has blurred. In this introductory course, students will learn basic scientific concepts that will fuel class discussions and analyses on what is currently scientifically possible, and what remains in the realm of fiction. No prior background in chemistry is required or expected. Lectures will boldly go where no one has gone before 

Science in the Community (CHEM 215)

Scientific progress around the world finds itself in a moment of crisis: due to hundreds of years of exclusion, a significant portion of the world's population finds itself at the fringe of scientific fields. This course offers undergraduate students at the College of the Holy Cross with the opportunity to address this crisis, consistent with the mission of Jesuit higher education. As such, this course engages local community partners and includes a CBL component. During the course, undergraduate students will mentor elementary-school students in the Worcester community in a semester-long science fair project. This mentor-mentee relationship will be mutually beneficial. The younger students’ self-efficacy will benefit from one-on-one discussions, while the undergraduate students will become active possessors of their own scientific knowledge.