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Using Deliberation in the
Chemistry Classroom to Discuss the Complex Socio-Scientific Issue of Water
Quality
Friday
November 4, 2022, at 1100 Pacific = 1200 Mountain = 100pm Central = 200pm
Eastern
Archived
materials here
Presenters:
Reni Joseph, Ph. D. Professor of Chemistry, St. Louis
Community College, St. Louis, MO
Laura M. Wysocki, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Chair of Chemistry, Wabash
College
Abstract: As we prepare
students to be tomorrow’s scientists, there is a natural focus on technical
knowledge, but scientists are also experts involved in addressing
multi-disciplinary socio-scientific issues in
society. Deliberative pedagogy emphasizes this important role
through the facilitated discussion of social issues with a technical
component. We will describe a module in general chemistry about
environmental contaminants that encourages students to listen to diverse
perspectives, recognize underlying values of different approaches to a
problem, weigh tradeoffs, and engage in inclusive decision-making about how
we should address water quality in our society.
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The Dragonfly Mercury Project: Assessing Mercury Risk
to Ecosystem Health Across the U.S.
Friday October 21, 2022, at 1100 Pacific = 1200 Mountain
= 100pm Central = 200pm Eastern
Presenters:
Collin Eagles-Smith (Supervisory Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological
Survey)
Colleen Flanagan Pritz
(Ecologist, National Park Service – Air Resources Division)
Abstract: The Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) is a
nationwide program that pairs scientific efforts to understand mercury
pollution risks with public engagement and education. Mercury is a toxic
contaminant that threatens human and wildlife health. Dragonfly larvae
serve as indicators of mercury contamination in fish and aquatic food webs.
Since 2009, over 6,000 citizen scientists and community volunteers have
helped collect dragonfly larvae from more than 140 national parks and
protected lands for mercury analysis. The DMP has emerged as a critically
unique study that connects people to parks, promotes scientific literacy,
and provides high-quality data on mercury contamination and risk to
resource managers and policymakers.
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Friday October 2nd
What’s in the Water? Screening for Trace Organic
Contaminants in U.S. National Parks
Presenters:
Sarah Elliott, Hydrologist, USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Dave VanderMeulen, Aquatic Ecologist, NPS Great
Lakes & Monitoring Network
Abstract: The
National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPS I&M)
conducts regular water quality monitoring and biomonitoring as part of its
Vital Signs program to assess current conditions and detect long-term
trends. Baseline data related to the presence of trace organic contaminants
(TrOCs) in national park waters was identified as
a gap in the vital signs program. Therefore, in collaboration with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, NPS I&M and park staff sampled 270
surface water sites across 47 national parks over a 10-yr period to assess
the presence and concentrations of TrOCs. Samples
were characterized for up to 400 TrOCs including
waste indicators (comprising a variety of contaminants), pharmaceuticals,
personal care products, and pesticides. A total of 156 TrOCs
were detected at least once, but only 4 were detected in ≥20% of
samples. Some TrOCs were present at
concentrations that may be harmful to aquatic biota. Results from this
monitoring effort fill important knowledge gaps and can be used to inform
future monitoring efforts within the parks.
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Friday September 23nd
The Chemistry of Glass
Archived materials here
Presenter:
Nate Stephenson, PhD. Scientist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey.
Abstract: During
my four decades as a place-based scientist in Sequoia and Kings Canyon
national parks, I’ve watched climate change effects go from distant
abstraction -- which we largely ignored -- to acute threats to the very
resources the parks were formed to protect. Changes have been sudden rather than
gradual, and unexpected rather than anticipated by models or experts. More broadly, rapid environmental
changes are forcing tectonic shifts in the missions of national parks and
other protected areas, and in the research
agendas needed to support them. I
offer a “from-the-trenches” assessment of these extraordinary ongoing
changes.
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Friday March 22nd
From distant abstraction to urgent reality: Watching climate change reshape an iconic
national park
Archived materials here
Presenter:
Charlene Smith, PhD, Corporate Fellow, Corning Incorporated
Abstract: Glass is
part of our lives. The windows that
protect us from the elements while letting us enjoy natural light; the
smart phone screens that we trust won’t shatter; the optical fiber that
transmits our data; the baking dishes that we use to make dinner; the
screens on our large format TVs – these are all made of glass, engineered
with specific compositions for each particular
application. In this talk
we’ll discuss glass composition and what compositions are used for
different applications. We’ll also
discuss chemical trends of different glass components and how these trends
affect glass properties.
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Friday April 15th
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Birds of a Feather
Session (DEI BoF)
Moderators:
Akiko
Nakamura, Gulf Coast State College (FL)
Carol
Stallworth, Hillsborough Community College (FL)
Ken
Friedrich, Portland Community College (OR)
Monica Marie Arroyo, Pontificia Universidad Católica
de Puerto Rico
Abstract: Interested
in DEI or have some interesting DEI experiences to share? Come to the DEI BoF! We will have a short panel discussion followed by
moderated conversations about what faculty such as yourself have done,
would like to do, and wish they knew. There is something here for everyone.
Looking forward to sharing and hearing your ideas and experiences!
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Friday March 25th
Students' Understandings of Multiple Representations in
Chemistry
Archived materials here
Presenter:
Stacey Lowery Bretz, Ph.D.
Title:
Special Assistant to the Provost for Academic Initiatives, University
Distinguished Professor
Affiliation:
Miami University
Abstract: Learning
in STEM courses requires students to become fluent in the symbolic language
of the particular discipline. Developing
expertise, however, requires that students move beyond manipulating symbols
to creating explanations using particulate models of matter for
observations in the laboratory. Failure to accurately interpret and connect
these multiple representations of matter creates challenges for students
when learning. Our research group designs measurement tools to advance our
understanding of how students understand and interpret representations for
a variety of core concepts. Findings regarding students’ reasoning with
multiple representations and the implications for assessment will be
presented using examples from multiple chemistry courses.
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Friday February 18th
Toxicology for Chemists: Integrating Toxicology
Principles into Higher Education Chemistry Courses
Archived materials here
Presenter:
Nimrat Obhi, PhD
Title:
Program Manager
Affiliation:
Higher Education at Beyond Benign
Abstract:
A current key sustainability challenge is that scientists are not trained
how to address hazards when designing chemical products. Specifically,
chemists lack training in toxicology: what makes a molecule hazardous to
human health and the environment? To address this knowledge gap, Beyond
Benign – a non-profit dedicated to universal green chemistry education –
has designed and released an open-access Toxicology for Chemists
curriculum. The curriculum has been developed by a group of key experts and
contains lectures, supplementary material, and additional resources to
allow educators and current and future scientists to understand and
practice chemistry that is safe and responsible for society. In this talk I
will provide an overview of the curriculum, how the course modules can be
used, and the support that Beyond Benign can provide to educators who want
to implement elements into their courses.
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Friday February 11th
The Effect of Multiple Assessment Opportunities on Student
Achievement in a Large General Chemistry Course
Archived materials here
Presenter: Jill K.
Robinson, PhD
Title:
Teaching Professor
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Indiana University
Abstract:
Mastery-based grading involves assessing student mastery of a defined set of
learning objectives. Students have multiple attempts to demonstrate
understanding of an objective and are not penalized for failing on earlier
attempts. A mastery grading system
was piloted in a small general chemistry course at Indiana University and resulted
in a remarkable increase in student achievement. However, it would be too complicated and
time consuming to implement a similar grading scheme in a very large
class. Instead, multiple assessment
opportunities and collaborative, post assessment exercises were used in a
large general chemistry course with 700 students. The practical implementation of
additional assessments, outcomes of student achievement, and lessons
learned will be discussed.
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Friday February 4th
Climate Justice in Undergraduate STEM Teaching:
Incorporating Civic Engagement (C-JUSTICE)
Archived materials here
Presenter: Sonya Remington
Doucette, PhD
Professional
title: Senior Association Professor of Chemistry and Earth & Space
Sciences
Affiliation:
Bellevue College (WA)
Abstract: This presentation will
provide an overview of a climate justice faculty professional development
(PD) curriculum that incorporates community and civic engagement across the
STEM curriculum. The faculty PD curriculum was developed at Bellevue College
(BC) by Dr. Sonya Remington Doucette in 2018 and adopted by North Seattle
College (NSC) under the leadership of Dr. Heather Price in 2019, forming a
collaboration between the institutions that led to a successful NSF IUSE
grant that is currently underway. BC and NSC are community colleges located
in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. This presentation will
describe the faculty PD curriculum and the goals of C-JUSTICE NSF IUSE project, and will include preliminary findings of the IUSE
evaluation of the project.
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Friday January 28th
How to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion &
Respect in the Chemistry Classroom
Archived materials here
Presenter: Akiko Nakamura,
PhD
Professional
title: Associate Professor of Chemistry
Affiliation:
Gulf Coast State College
Abstract: With changes in the
nation’s demographic profile, it is important to identify approaches to
foster appreciation for diversity, equity, inclusion
and respect (DEIR) into the chemistry classroom.
Join me to learn about DEIR
activities encouraging awareness of diversity and understand implicit bias in order for science and engineering education to broaden
perspectives and become more inclusive.
What you will learn:
• The
importance of DEIR.
• How
to incorporate DEIR activities in chemistry education.
• Students’
feedback on effective activities that promote the importance of DEIR and
social awareness.
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