TED PAPPENFUS
Ted Pappenfus joined the UMM Chem faculty back in the fall of 2003. At that time, he was torn between a career in industry or academia. When asked what tipped the scale towards a teaching career, Ted admits that independence was a big factor.
"Industry is competitive by nature," Ted observes. "People compete against each other to make a new method or product on the cutting edge. Academia gives the freedom to do what you want in research. And it's a better fit for me because I enjoy teaching and interacting with students."
UMM had it all for Ted; small campus, liberal arts focus, located in Minnesota and looking for an inorganic chemistry professor. "That combination doesn't come up very often," he says with a laugh.
Ted's previous focus on materials research has changed during his years in Morris. Environmental initiatives on campus such as the new wind generator built at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) encourage UMM science faculty to consider possible areas of research related to "green" technology.
"Eco-friendly chemistry makes sense," Ted notes, "Today's students are far more environmentally aware than we were. It wasn't at first an obvious fit for me but now I see it as a shift of focus using my existing skills."
When chemistry professor Nancy Carpenter secured funds from the U of MN's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE), Ted was quick to write up proposals to use those funds. One such research project involves converting wind energy to hydrogen gas, which is used to produce ammonia--an important agricultural fertilizer. A farmer who produces ammonia on site with a small wind generator creates far less negative environmental impact than purchasing commercially produced ammonia (which is harder on the ecosystem since it depletes fossil fuels).
Ted's other "green" research interests include organic solar cells that convert sunlight to electricity and environmental sensors that detect harmful chemicals in the environment.
In addition to giving students a chance to conduct research that benefits the planet, he is also committed to giving them experience working with cutting edge instrumentation in the chemistry labs. Towards that end, Ted recently applied for and received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to improve UMM's chemistry curriculum by integrating conducting polymer experiments into the labs.
The $145,000 grant allowed UMM's chemistry discipline to purchase a variety of instrumentation including a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). This instrument measures thermal properties of polymers. Lab experiments on polymers will teach students how to apply different techniques to different materials.
"A conducting polymer is a plastic that conducts electricity," Ted explains. "It's fascinating because most polymers are insulators. Conducting polymers could be used to create a flexible display--like a roll-up TV. It's a new field that gives the electronics industry a bonus because plastics are easy to produce and fabricate."
To give Gen Chem students a taste of the potential in conducting polymers, Ted has added a lab to the course which gives students the opportunity to make a conducting polymer on a piece of glass. When a voltage is applied, the polymer changes color. Imagine having windows in your home that change from clear to opaque with the flip of a switch.
"A cool experiment in Gen Chem can spur someone on to more science. The more success we have with these experiments, the more we can look at expanding our research with conducting polymers and work with other institutions," says Ted. "We are at Phase I now, with hopes to go to phase II and III of the NSF program by partnering with other institutions."
In addition to cooking up inspiring new labs for chemistry students, Ted has also worked with Joe Alia on updating the entire lab manual for UMM's General Chemistry course. He recalls that when he started at UMM four years ago, they had to pay $70 for a lab manual that was not ideal. "We used bits and pieces in a hodgepodge way and it didn't have a nice flow," he admits.
Now, the Chemistry Discipline's own lab manual of 11 experiments only costs students $6 and can be easily tailored to the needs of the instructors each year.
"I have two favorite labs that we do in Gen Chem," says Ted. "The first involves the synthesis of aspirin. Students make the drug and then analyze it for purity. In the other one, they make glow sticks. It's a way to learn to understand the chemistry that's also fun!"
JOE ALIA
Joe Alia landed in Morris thinking it would be a short-term experience. He had been hired for a temporary position and thought he'd be moving on after 2 years. But UMM worked its mojo on Joe and when the chemistry position was converted to tenure-track, he applied and was hired.
"I found I liked UMM," Joe says. "I like the idea of teaching chemistry at a liberal arts college. The liberal arts provide a broad range of ideas that are thought provoking.
"Though concepts in the arts and social science may not be related to my field, they are in keeping with contemporary ways of thinking. I can see how what I do goes with the concerns of people in other fields and see historical contexts. I don't have time to do all the things that are available here through other fields of study, but I am aware of their ideas, which can stimulate new ideas in my own research."
In his first year of teaching general chemistry at UMM, Joe inherited a set of lab experiments in a commercial lab manual. He quickly realized that he wanted to reshape the labs for gen chem--ditch some old ones, modify some and create new labs as well.
Ted Pappenfus joined in this endeavor upon his arrival to UMM and assumed responsibility for writing the chemistry discipline's new gen chem lab manual. "It's a collection of labs we've developed that work for us," Joe explains. "We can adapt and update it all the time and it saves students from paying for an expensive commercial manual."
One lab experiment that Joe modified involves learning about physical properties. He has students make their own microphychnometers to measure the density of liquids. This gives students experience in working with lab glassware and identifying an unknown liquid by its density.
Joe's own research involves the application and extension of a quantum mechanics theory that examines the structural formulas for molecules. The Lewis Structure pre-dates quantum mechanics. It diagrams the bonding between atoms of a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist in the molecule. "But it does not describe all molecular behaviors. Quantum mechanics does explain those properties," Joe says.
It might seem difficult to find ways to engage undergraduate research assistants in quantum theory but he's getting better at it all the time. "This research is not beyond the undergrad student," Joe contends. "And working with them teaches me how to present the information in a clear way. "
In fact, Joe finds it easier to work with UMM students than those at some previous institutions where he has taught. He says students here are curious, intelligent, motivated and take their work seriously.
Joe is a world traveler and has taught in many countries, including Thailand, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The skill that proved invaluable for him in those teaching environments was adaptability.
"Cultural barriers require adaptation and understanding," he notes. "For example, I discovered that students in Thailand don't participate in class because it's considered impolite to ask questions during class. Students would instead come to me during office hours to ask questions without losing face. But those homework questions often led to further discussions."
Thailand was also the place where Joe was introduced to alternative medical practices such as herbal treatments and therapeutic massage. To share what he learned about these ancient traditions, he offered his own version of UMM's First Year Seminar (FYS) course; Traditions in Medicine. As part of his preparation, Joe took a summer course in Peru on shamanism, through the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing.
"I have taken classes on Thai massage, but I wanted the FYS course to be about more than just my own experiences with traditional medicine," Joe explains. "I wanted students to explore how different peoples think about health and disease."
His class turned out to be a range of students--from enthusiasts familiar with non-western medical practices to those who found such ideas to be very off beat.
"I know these practices would have been a huge stretch for me as a freshman," he concedes. "Traditional medicine is related to spiritual beliefs, which can be a sensitive topic."
However, now that the course is developed, he hopes to be able to modify it and teach this topic again. Participating in the freshman seminar course has given Joe the opportunity to stretch as an educator.
"Lecturing is my usual teaching style so learning to run productive class discussions is my own challenge with the FYS course," he says.