Teaching

My teaching spans the organic chemistry curriculum from introductory undergraduate courses and laboratories to advanced graduate-level topics, providing students with a continuous pathway to develop as independent thinkers and problem solvers. Whether in a sophomore organic lecture, an upper-level mechanisms course, or a graduate course on chemical development and scale-up, my goal is the same: to move beyond memorization and help students actively engage with chemistry as a way of thinking.

I believe that students learn best by working through problems, discussing ideas, and applying concepts in meaningful ways. In my courses, this means interactive lectures, collaborative problem-solving, and opportunities to practice and refine skills with immediate feedback. Laboratory courses and research experiences further reinforce this approach, allowing students to connect theory to practice while building confidence in their abilities.

The courses listed below reflect this philosophy and the breadth of my teaching, ranging from foundational organic chemistry lectures and labs to specialized graduate courses in reaction mechanisms, drug interactions, and chemical process development. Each course is designed not only to build knowledge, but to develop the critical thinking and independence that students need for success in graduate school, pharmaceutical industry, and beyond.

CHMO-420: Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Last taught in: Fall 2025

Next offereing: Fall 2027

The course will explore a litany of named organic reactions with an emphasis on the reaction mechanisms and use that understanding of the reaction mechanisms to predict the reactivity of substrates in organic chemical reactions. Learning curved arrow mechanisms as an approach to develop an understanding of elementary transition state theory, free energy relationships, acid/base chemistry, electronic interactions, steric interactions, and orbital interactions will create a robust understanding of organic reactions. The goal of the course is to generate a knowledge base fundamental to predict organic chemical reactions and improve as an experimentalist.

CHMO-621: Drug Development and Scale-up

Last taught in: 

Next offereing: Fall 2026 

An investigative approach to chemical process and development for scaling up chemical synthesis. The course will provide a step-by-step guide for a practical understanding on how to scale-up reactions in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. A breakdown of the fundamental route optimization to develop a robust procedure (i.e. reagent and solvent selection). Guidelines to predict possible hazards, implementing a scale-up route, and troubleshooting processes are to be discussed and evaluated using real world examples.

CHMO-636: Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds

Last taught in: Fall 2024

Next offereing: Fall 2026

This course covers the theory and application of proton, carbon-13, and correlation nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and mass spectrometry for organic structure determination.

CHMO-637: Advanced Organic Chemistry

Last taught in: Spring 2026

Next offereing: Spring 2028

This course will revisit many of the reactions covered in the first year of organic chemistry with an emphasis on stereochemical control. Students will be introduced to the technique of retrosynthesis. The course will introduce more reactions with an emphasis on current topics from the literature. Students will hone their skills in writing electron pushing mechanisms and the use of protecting groups while practicing the art of designing synthetic strategies for making natural products. 

CHMO-640: Mechanisms of Drug Interactions

Last taught in: Spring 2025

Next offereing: Spring 2027

Drugs are naturally occurring or synthetic substances that upon exposure to a living organism form complexes with biological targets.  These complexes result in a characteristic pharmacological effect which alter physiological functions or counteract environmental insults.  The goal of this course is to systematically study drug discovery, lead optimization, drug-receptor interactions, and bioavailability.  Historically important drug classes and their mechanism of action will receive special consideration.