911±¬ÁÏÍø

CONTACT

Laura Anderson
Instructor, General Chemistry Lab Coordinator
BSF 316

TOOLBOX
This presentation was designed to advance the familiarity of students in General Chemistry courses with the equipment, techniques, and approaches used in the lab. Download the powerpoint here.

DESCRIPTION

This course is an introduction to the science of Chemistry from the point of view of practicing chemists! Based on the premise that science should be taught as it is practiced the lab will be a place where you, along with your group members, will have an opportunity to get familiar and confident with chemistry methods by applying them to address practical questions. You will work on several projects throughout the semester in which you will plan, experiment and evaluate your own chemical procedures and results. Each of these projects revolves around main concepts, techniques, and activities relevant to chemistry in many areas of human activities1, such as: product quality control, prediction of chemical and physical behavior of substances, among others.

You will engage in activities in and out of the laboratory that aim to help you meet the learning goals of the chemistry laboratory:2 Enhancing mastery of subject matter; developing scientific reasoning; understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work; developing practical skills; understanding the nature of science; cultivating interest in science and interest in learning science; and developing teamwork abilities.

US National Research Council (NRC) Report, Beyond the Molecular Frontier, 2003.
US National Research Council (NRC) Report, America's Lab Report.

COOPERATIVE, PROJECT-BASED, AUTHENTIC EXPERIMENTS IN THE GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY (ACE-LABS

The ACE-Labs course aims to offer an introduction to the science of chemistry from the point of view of practicing chemists. Its core idea is to facilitate students' understanding of the relevance of scientific research in modern society. For many young citizens, the very complex and rapid scientific and technological development of our society is a huge black box. Many perceive the benefits, technological gadgets, advances in medicine and materials, etc. but do not really comprehend their origin and their connection with scientific research. The ACE-Labs course aims to create research connections for the students that will bring them closer to understanding research as a social endeavor and its reach.

ACE-LABS INSTRUCTION

Project-based instruction is an instructional strategy that uses challenging tasks in the form of open-ended questions or problems that learners need to solve. The crafting of these projects is such that by working on finding their solution the learners encounter an authentic need to know and master the concepts, principles, techniques and skills associated with the subject. To better accomplish these goals, projects are extended (multi-week) and complex in nature offering learners multiple opportunities for problems solving at different levels and time for exploration and reflection. Project-based learning posits learners in a position that requires them to take charge of their learning, practice critical and creative thinking, produce arguments, collaborate and negotiate meaning and other skills that are transferable and not content-specific.

The ACE-Lab projects constitute authentic experiments. Here experimenting is understood as "trying out" guided by the desire to "find out" answers to questions or further information about an observed or theoretical phenomenon. Experimenting is similar to problem solving in that it encompasses anything that is done when faced with "not knowing what to do". These experiments strive to provide learners with a context to apply and further develop their chemical knowledge and understanding, that is, to strengthen their chemistry conceptual frameworks.

THE ROLE OF THE INSTRUCTOR

The role of the instructor is in the ACE-Labs it that of an advisor or coach. As the objective of this lab is to let students make their own decision about what to do for each project, your lab instructor is there not to provide you with the "right" answers. However, the instructor is there to provide guidance and he or she will not let you drift away or struggle indefinitely. Your instructor will make suggestions and give you ideas about your proposed experiments and work, but at any point the instructor will not give you a direct procedure on what to do and how to do it.

Also, it is important to mention that your instructor is not the only available resource for you in this lab. Your will be assigned to a group of students to work with. In your group you may find people with ideas about the projects that you should take advantage of exploring and considering, just remember to be critical of the ideas not of the people suggesting those ideas!

THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT

The ACE-labs are design to provide students with the opportunity to explore chemistry from a scientist point of view. As you might know, scientific exploration is looking into novel discoveries, experiments never done before and testing ideas never considered before. To achieve that, many scientist need to develop their own method and experiments. In the scientific exploration there is no "right or wrong" answer, only observations, trials and data collection from which conclusions arrive from. There is always room for innovation, improvement and re-design of the experiments. In the ACE-labs this will be the objective of the projects, to provide you with opportunities to discover new ideas about chemistry.

Many of the problems presented in the ACE-labs will require a team to solve them. This means you will be assigned with a group of students at the beginning of the semester to work together and tackle these problems. Research on laboratory experiences in chemistry has shown that cooperative problem-based laboratories foster and exercise skills you can carry into the rest of your life and these are essential for many work industries in almost all fields.

GEN CHEM LAB LINKS

CONTACT

Theresa Evans-Nguyen
Assistant Professor
SCA 416
813/974-9633

CONTACT

David Merkler
Professor
BSF 307
813/974-3579

CONTACT

Kenyon Daniel
Instructor
ISA 3002

CONTACT

Li-june Ming
Professor
BSF 303 (Lab: BSF 303)
813/974-2220

CONTACT

Abdul Malik
Professor
SCA 426 
(Lab: SCA 415, 440)
813-974-9688

CONTACT

Solomon 911±¬ÁÏÍøldegirma
Instructor, 
Organic Chemistry Lab Coordinator
BSF 316
813-974-6308

CONTACT

Ioannis Gelis
Assistant Professor
SCA 430
813/974-7518

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce the Academic Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, which began during the fall semester of 2005. 911±¬ÁÏÍø will have the opportunity to do research in a faculty mentor's laboratory as well as participate in scheduled events. The scheduled events may include seminars on faculty research, writing, patents and licensing, presentation skills, and graduate school. The REU Program offers a variable credit course, CHM 4970 (1, 2, or 3 credits) and a zero-credit option, IDS 4914. To receive credit, students will be required to write a short research paper as well as present a poster at an end of semester poster event.

Within these pages you will find information about the research projects, the faculty mentors, the guidelines, and the process for being matched with a mentor. 911±¬ÁÏÍø must be matched with a mentor before they can register for CHM 4970 or IDS 4914. The REU Program is selective and competitive; therefore, interested students should apply as soon as possible.

911±¬ÁÏÍø should see an academic advisor to understand how REU credit for CHM 4970 impacts their degree progression or major requirements.

WORKSHOPS

The Office of Undergraduate Research has many workshops to help prepare you for Undergraduate Research and ways to get involved at USF. For example, there are workshops to guide you through the process of finding a research mentor if you are unsure of how to identify the faculty member you would like to work with, as well as Academic REU workshops that aid undergraduate students with necessary skills and learning in the areas of Abstract writing, Poster preparation, and presentation guidelines for a conference.

The Office of Undergraduate Research provides workshops to guide you through the process of finding a research mentor if you are unsure of how to identify the faculty member you would like to work with. Click the to sign up.

STEPS TO GETTING INVOLVED IN REU PROGRAM

911±¬ÁÏÍø interested in working with Chemistry department faculty are required to follow the following steps:

1. Review the research areas and pages of faculty members involved in research
2. After reviewing the research areas, narrow down to 1-2 faculty members that you are interested in doing research with.
3. Email the faculty member you should include the following information:
   • Name, U#, Academic Standing (Freshmen, Sophomore, etc)
   • Major and degree (BA/BS/Non-degree) - Expected graduation date Semester/ Year
   • Chemistry Courses taking and/or completed with Grades &  Overall GPA
   • Write a short paragraph describing your research interest and motivation. REU positions are very competitive, make sure you convey your message clearly.
   • Briefly describe your research experience (enter 'none' if applicable).
   • Describe your future goals (i.e. Health professions school, Graduate School in or Chemical Sciences (e4tc.
   • It is also recommended that you include a academic reference (include title, name and email address) in case the faculty member wants to contact them.
   • Let the faculty member know how many hours you would be interested in spending in the research lab, and whether or not you would be taking CHM 4970 for 1-3 credits or utilizing the zero-credit option of IDS 4914.
4. Once matched, register online and complete the EH & S Lab & Research Safety Course
5. If accepted for REU, the faculty mentor must sign the REU permit request form for CHM 4970 for 1-3 credits or the form to utilize the zero-credit option of IDS 4914. 

911±¬ÁÏÍø who miss the deadline will only be allowed to volunteer in the lab. Please contact your advisor for more information. No late-add petitions will be supported or processed.

Undergraduate in the lab of Dr. James Leahy

"One of the best decisions I made in college was signing up for the Undergraduate Research Program (REU). I became truly passionate about the project I am working on and enjoy coming to the lab every time. Through this program, I became proficient in all the techniques I only tried once in the class labs. Also, the scientific knowledge I gained was tremendous and I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in pursuing a graduate degree in science or medicine." - Oleg Tsvyetayev

The purpose of the Peer Leading course (CHM 3941) is to prepare and support you in your efforts to become an effective peer leader for small groups of general chemistry students. You will lead the students through activities designed to improve their understanding of the chemistry topics covered in the lecture or through videos watched outside of class. Your role is not to teach or tutor these students, but rather to guide them through collaborative learning activities.

The Peer Leading course involves a review of the topics the students are learning. The students and you will be working on developing or improving skills in information processing, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, management, teamwork, and assessment.

BENEFITS

• Strengthen leadership experience
• Development of oral communication and facilitation skills
• Collaboration and teamwork skill building
• Review of chemistry concepts
• Serve as a mentor and a role model for general chemistry students
• Establish positive relationships with faculty and peers
• Enhance transferrable skills related to your personal and professional goals
• Receive undergraduate credit

CREDITS
All Biomedical Sciences Majors can use CHM 3941: Peer Leading to count towards their Tier 2 Upper-Level Chemistry, Tier 2 Upper Level Chemistry or Biology or Tier 2 Upper-Level Additional Biomedical Electives Course Requirements.

911±¬ÁÏÍø still needing clarification about eligibility can email the advisors.

For majors outside of Biomedical Sciences:
Please be sure to check with your academic advisor to determine how Peer Leading credits will count toward your degree requirements (ex. major elective, 42-hr rule, etc...).

REQUIREMENTS

All students interested in peer leading will need to have completed General Chemistry I (CHM 2045) and General Chemistry II (CHM 2046) with a grade of B or better in both courses. 911±¬ÁÏÍø currently enrolled in General Chemistry II can also apply. Interested students should complete the online application (see below).

Meaningful learning is often best obtained through acute awareness and active experience. Science in Florence offers iterations of several science-major courses. With full-immersion courses in which students investigate and experience chemistry, biochemistry, and other scientific topics and methods of every day life from the perspective of Florence, Italy.

Program Information/Courses Offered 

This new Science study abroad program stems from one of USF’s priorities to prepare global STEM graduates that are able to engage meaningfully and effectively with diverse people, places, events, challenges, and opportunities. The program currently offers two courses, Introductory Biochemistry (BCH 3053) and A Walk Across Greece (HIS 3930).

A Medicinal Chemistry-Focused Tour of Germany is unique in that it provides immersion in the science curriculum while simultaneously providing cultural experiences in Heidelberg, Germany. The dual goals of both scientific and cultural educational opportunities for our students will be accomplished by a series of Field Learning Experiences, with the USF faculty members leading the experiences.

Itinerary