Teaching Philosophy

Recognizing the importance of teaching as articulated in the University’s mission and followed closely by our department, I regularly dedicate considerable amount of my time to teaching various classes and/or associated laboratory sections. In fact, I consider teaching complementary and as an integrated component to one’s scholarly endeavors that play a central role in determining research direction. Teaching provides a golden opportunity to share knowledge with young learners, while contributing toward the university-wide effort in educating top quality scientists. My teaching responsibilities at the UM has included both undergraduate and graduate courses at all levels of chemistry (including the required Cumulative Exams for PhD and MS programs). I have taught CHY 122 (Molecular Basis for Chemical Change), CHY 242 (Principles of Quantitative Analysis and Solution Equilibria), CHY 398 (Undergraduate Research), BMM 491 (Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Research Topics), CHY 443 (Instrumental Analysis), and CHY 541 (Topics in Advanced Analytical Chemistry –three different topics for three semesters) and participated in team-teaching of the CHY 471 and CHY 472 (Advanced Integrated Laboratories) as well as the CHY 101, and CHE 598 (Microscale Bioengineering).

There are numerous teaching models and pedagogical approaches that one should select from, depending on classroom size, students' academic backgrounds and their ultimate professional goals, etc. Thence, optimizing the appropriate teaching methods to the learning styles of students is rather meritorious. Students entering the university may have divergent academic and professional goals, needs, backgrounds, and styles of learning. It is important to identify the most effective student-centered, learner-based pedagogy so as to motivate students’ individual interests. An interactive approach seems to stimulate students’ enthusiasms and connectedness to the subject the most. In this respect, I find the "seven principles for good practices in teaching"¹ a suitable guide to identify student needs and to provide a nurturing environment for active learning.

These seven principles that include active communication, teamwork in class, active learning, prompt feedback, high expectations, time management, and adjusting teaching methods to different learning styles of the students continue to serve as my guiding principles in teaching. Engaged students learn more efficiently and therefore, interactive engagement is a process that I encourage in all of my classes.

Matching teaching methods and different learning styles of the students improves information processing, learning and retention; this can be a more challenging quest with the larger classes, nevertheless. However, failure to address mismatch of teaching techniques with learning styles of the students may lead our society to lose some “potentially excellent scientists”. Traditional lecturing that covers “intuitive, verbal, deductive, reflective, and sequential” styles are helpful but additional activities are required for modern classes that often cover a wider breadth of topics. For example, the importance of genomic and proteomic analyses, molecular based medicine, environmental and advanced materials, is becoming more consequential in modern/multidisciplinary analytical courses. In my classes I have striven to use various styles and include visual, inductive, and active learning techniques. The use of computer based animations, hands-on classroom experiences and examples that demonstrate the importance of science in our daily lives help me to improve and assess the effectiveness of my teaching. I try to envisage whether students are more comfortable with visual communication or verbal communication styles. The use of periodical student evaluations and feedbacks (e.g., mid-term evaluations, “reality check” forms, and one-on-one interactions) are among the most effective approaches to gauge teaching styles and dynamically improve student/teaching performances.

(1) http://www.msu.edu/user/coddejos/seven.htm; “Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education”. Chickering, A.W., and Gamson, Z.F. (1991) New Directions for Teaching and Learning. Number 47, Fall 1991. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.

A List of Analytical/Chemistry Courses Taught:

Year Offered	Course
Year Offered	Days	Course #	Time	Title	Comments
Spring 2007	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 541	9:30–10:45 pm	Topics in Advanced Analytical Chemistry	Credit Hours: 3
Spring 2007		CHY 399		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Caleb Heffner - Undergraduate Research Thesis
Fall - 2006		CHY 398/399		Identification of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water Using Multidimensional GC/FT-ICR and Theoretical Calculations	Caleb Heffner - Undergraduate Research Thesis Spring 2006 – WRI and USGS Summer 2006 – to date
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Fall - 2005	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Fall - 2005	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Spring - 2005	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
	Monday & Wednesday	CHY 491	1:10-5:00 pm	Advanced Integrated Laboratory I	33% effort with Professors Alice Bruce and Carl Tripp Credit Hours: 3
		BMB 491		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Lexan Lhu
	Tuesday, Jan 25, 2005	CHE 598		Microscale Bioengineering	Lecture Contributor to Professor Paul J. Millard's Class
	Thursday, Jan 27, 2005	CHY 101		Chemistry for Everyday Living	Lecture Contributor to Dr. William G. Ellis’s Class
Fall - 2004	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 541	12:30–1:45 pm	Topics in Advanced Analytical Chemistry
Fall - 2004		BMB 491		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Lexan Lhu Title: “Multidimensional PC/GC FT-ICR analysis of complex sample mixtures”.
Summer - 2004				2003 Maine’s Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) summer research fellowship program	Undergraduate Student from the University of Maine at Machias: Emma Apatu
Spring - 2004	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Spring - 2004	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
Fall - 2003	Monday, Wednesday, & Friday	CHY 443	10:00-10:50 am	Instrumental Analysis	Credit Hours: 3
Summer 2003				2003 Maine’s Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) summer research fellowship program	Undergraduate Student from the University of Maine at Machias: Emma Apatu BRIN 2003 Annual Meeting, Student Poster Session: “Conformational Analyses of a Model Peptide (Gly5): Electrospray Ionization Ion Cyclotron Resonance Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR) and Hydrogen/ Deuterium Exchange (H/D) Reactions”
Spring - 2003	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
		HON 498/499		Undergraduate Research Thesis with HONORS	Student: Justin Bennett Title: “Improvements to PC/GC FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry Performance”
				Presentation at the 4^th North American FT-ICR Conference (April 3-6^th, 2003) funded by the Work Merit Program (at the University of Maine) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) (through NHMFL, FT-ICR Program)	Student: Justin Bennett Poster Title: “Differentiation of Selected Terpene Isomers Based on Metastable Decay and Ion-molecule Reactions”
		CHY 399		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Kentaro Nakazawa Title: “Human Exhaled Breath Analysis: Biomarker Identification with a Novel Preconcentrator Gas Chromatograph-Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer.”
Fall - 2002	Monday & Wednesday	CHY 491	1:10-5:00 pm	Advanced Integrated Laboratory I	33% effort with Professors Alice Bruce and Carl Tripp
Fall - 2002		HON 499		Undergraduate Thesis Work with Honors	Student: Justin Bennett Title: “Improvements to PC/GC FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry Performance”
Summer - 2002		CHY 242		Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Undergraduate Student: Justin Bennett. Specially offered class was instructed gratis by Dr. T. Solouki Credit Hours: 5
		CHY 242		Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory
				MERITS: Foundation for Blood Research, Summer of 2002	Student: Tristen Washburn (Skohegan High School in Maine) Title: Combined use of MIST and ESI FT-ICR MS for Fingerprinting Milk Samples: In Search of Biomarkers for Diabetes (Presentation: Augusta, ME)
				The Upward Bound Math/Science June 21 to August 2, 2002.	Student: Tut Diang (Portland High School in Maine) Introduction to Atoms and Molecules: Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Air (Presented at the University of Maine)
Spring - 2002	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	8:00 – 9:15 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
	Monday & Wednesday	CHY 492	1:10-5:00 pm	Advanced Integrated Laboratory II	33% effort with Professors Alice Bruce and Carl Trip. Credit Hours: 3
		CHY 399		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Kentaro Nakazawa Title: “Human Exhaled Breath Analysis: Biomarker Identification with a Novel Preconcentrator Gas Chromatograph-Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer.”
				Undergraduate Research Thesis.	Student: Paul Kutia
Fall - 2001	Monday, Wednesday, & Friday	CHY 443	8:00-9:15 am	Instrumental Analysis
Fall - 2001	Monday & Wednesday	CHY 491	1:10-5:00 pm	Advanced Integrated Laboratory I	33% effort with Professors Alice Bruce and Carl Trip. Credit Hours: 3
Spring - 2001	Monday, Wednesday & Friday	CHY 122	11:00 – 11:50 am	Molecular Basis Chem Change
Fall - 2000	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	9:30 – 10:45 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Fall - 2000	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
Summer - 2000				Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Mehwish Amin Summer Research 2000
Spring - 2000	Monday, Wednesday, & Friday	CHY 443	11:00-11:50 am	Instrumental Analysis	Credit Hours: 3
	Tuesday	CHY 443	1:10-5:00 pm	Instrumental Analysis	Credit Hours: 3
		CHY 398		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Hilary Johnston Title: “Complexation Reactions of Oligopeptides and Metals: A Study in Fluorescence and Mass Spectrometry The Introduction”
Fall - 1999	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	9:30 – 10:45 am	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
		CHY 398		Undergraduate Research Thesis	Student: Hilary Johnston Title: “Complexation Reactions of Oligopeptides and Metals: A Study in Fluorescence and Mass Spectrometry The Introduction”
Summer - 1999				NSF-REU (National Science Foundation Program on Research Experiences for Undergraduates) Summer Internship Program.	Student: Hillary Jonston Title: “Analysis of the Chemical Composition of Human Breath”
Summer - 1999				Summer Research	Student: Nicholas G. Lynch Undergraduate Summer Research 2000
Spring - 1999	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 541	9:30–10:45 pm	Topics in Advanced Analytical Chemistry	Credit Hours: 3
Fall - 1998	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	11:00 am – 12:15 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Lecture	Credit Hours: 5
Fall - 1998	Tuesday & Thursday	CHY 242	2:10 – 5:10 pm	Principles of Quantitative Analysis & Solution Equilibria: Laboratory	Credit Hours: 5
Spring -1998	Monday, Wednesday, & Friday	CHY 443	9:00-9:50 am	Instrumental Analysis	Credit Hours: 3
Spring -1998	Tuesday	CHY 443	10:00 am - 5:00 pm	Instrumental Analysis	Credit Hours: 3

*Graduate Research Thesis Class CHY 699 is taught every semester

**Developed lab experiments and also developed/restructured the lecture notes for all courses mentioned above