Professional Development

Professional Development

Development as a Faculty

I have developed a great deal in my teaching during the last twenty years.  I have learned new technologies and changed my assessment criteria as suitable for my current students.  Below are some new aspects to my teaching:

• Change in Teaching Strategy for Core Courses: I have noticed of late that students are paranoid of the quizzes I gave (which may be only 5% of their total grade), so instead I give them practice assignments in the same format as quizzes.  Some of these are take home assignments so students can learn at their own pace while some are in class so I can see their performance and learning.  I have realized that students find these more relaxing to learn from.

• Clicker Technology: I have used Clickers in all my courses.  Students participate a lot more with clickers and I get a chance to see how the entire class is progressing in their review of the material.

• Using Online Environment: I use Blackboard and Canvas to teach my online classes and in my face to face classes to give online assignment. In addition, I used LiveScribe pen to help me teach some difficult concepts.  From their feedback I know that they find these systems useful and help in their learning, which is reflected in their exam performance.

• Honors Course Offering: In all my institutions of work, I get involved with the Honor's College.  At Park University, I helped develop the Honors Program and then advised students in it for over 3 years.  At Palm Beach State College also I have offered General Chemistry 1 and 2, as an honors courses. 

• A Generally Relaxed Atmosphere: As I am maturing in my teaching I am becoming more confident and relaxed in the classroom.  That has made difference in how my students also behave in class.  They are also now more relaxed and feel more comfortable when speaking with me.

Participation in Chemistry Department (TOP)

• Department Chair of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science:  I have been the chair of the chemistry departments at Park University and Palm Beach State Univeristy.  In both cases I maintain the department schedule, supervise the adjunct faculty, maintain a text book list, recruit adjunct faculty, etc.

• Coordinator of Organic/General Chemistry Labs: As the coordinator of labs I maintain the schedule of the labs, help with acquiring new equipment, order supplies and coordinate with the lab manager on the improvement of experiments as necessary.  As a result of teaching these labs for so long, I have developed my own lab manuals for all these labs.

• Department Activities: As a chemistry department faculty I have actively participated in: 

  • text book selection.

  • reviewing new text books via class participation of students.

  • helping to decide in the kind of experiments to teach for general and organic chemistry labs.

•  Giving Awards in Chemistry: I have started rewarding our top students with awards from Palm Beach State College and two other organizations which give awards to the top student in General Chemistry (CRC Press Award) and Organic Chemistry (ACS Polymer Chemistry Award).

Participation in College Activities  (TOP)

I participate actively in college activities: 

• Committee Work: New faculty meetings, curriculum committee, faculty search committees, Honor's committee.

• National Chemistry Week and Math Awareness Week: Prepare presentations and demos in and out of department for chemistry awareness.

Participation in the Community (TOP)

As a resident of Kansas City, Winchester and West Palm Beach I always learn about my community.  I enjoy my professional organizations and being outdoors so I found some good organizations that offer these combinations.

• American Chemical Society: My professional organization that helped me get involved in my community in terms of professional presentations and development. I was the National Chemistry Week chair and finally the Kansas City chapter chair. I set up a number of chemistry activities for young kids in malls, zoo and local communities in Kansas City, Winchester and West Palm Beach.

• American Association of University Women: Participated in their monthly meetings as a member and then as an executive officer. Helped organize outreach activities for young girls to promote self esteem and confidence.

• Sierra Club - Loxahatchee Group: I have helped in 

  • Setting up information table at various "green" events.

  • Inner City Outings - as a volunteer to help with middle school kids' event.

• American Lung Association: Participate in their fundraising events.

• Mounts Botanical Garden: routinely help during their events.

• Dev Sanskriti University, India: (June-July 2015) Volunteered during summer at a university in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Completed few projects at the university while doing a variety of other volunteer activities on campus.

• Home Owners Association: Governor of my HOA to represent in the larger Property Owners Association (POA).