Bruce D Anderson Dean, School of Graduate Studies |
Education
McDaniel College, BA, Chemistry
University of Colorado, PhD, Physical Chemistry
Teaching Interests
Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know my students and helping them to achieve their goals. My classroom is very active with very little lecture, lots of questions and answers, and working problems in class.
Over the years, I have mostly taught Physical Chemistry (a course designed for juniors and seniors), but have also taught General Chemistry (mostly rst year students). Chemistry can be challenging, but it is very satisfying to see students when the light bulb goes on and they grasp a dicult concept.
Research, Scholarship or Creative/Artistic Interests
My research interests involve using light as a way to investigate chemical problems. I have two projects that students are working on.
In one, students use fluorescence (light emitted by a molecule) to study environmental issues. For example, we can investigate how strongly pollutant molecules are bound to naturally occurring substances in soil and water. The goal is to determine how bioavailable the pollutants are if they are bound to these molecules.
My other project involves using lasers to initiate chemical reactions. The laser light is used as an energy source, but the intensity of the light can produce unique reaction conditions. I work with students to understand how take advantage of laser light to produce desired compounds.