Alfred University Professor Chemistry John D’Angelo recently had a paper published in the Journal of Chemical Education, “Project Time! A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience, a CURE for the Traditional Organic Lab.”
Alfred University Professor Chemistry John D’Angelo recently had a paper published in the Journal of Chemical Education, “Project Time! A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience, a CURE for the Traditional Organic Lab.”
The paper reviews recent efforts to enliven student lab work in D’Angelo’s organic chemistry class using course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). It is one of several papers D’Angelo has published exploring pedagogies related to chemistry. A separate paper, published also in the Journal of Chemical Education,” describes an “easy-to-use” method of creating spreadsheets for the production of math-based chemistry test questions. In 2020, D’Angelo published an article called 'Choose Your Own Labventure,' which described how she used interactive, click-through stories—similar to Choose Your Own Adventure books—to teach organic chemistry labs online during the pandemic.
In 'Project Time!', D’Angelo explains how she guides students in creating their own organic chemistry labs to explore reactions they’re personally interested in. The method differs from traditional organic chemistry labs in which students conduct lab work that trains them in laboratory techniques and/or the use of laboratory equipment. In a CURE classroom, D’Angelo says, students are given “free rein” regarding their group projects, watched over, coached and mentored by the chemistry educator.
“In truth, such an approach will lead to more productivity and a more approximate graduate school experience,” D’Angelo writes.
D’Angelo also recently completed volume three of his ongoing series Synthetic Organic Chemistry and the Nobel Prize. The series is an examination of the Nobel Prize in general and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in particular. Volume Three examines the work of three Nobel chemistry prizes and their related laureates: K. Barry Sharpless, William Knowles, and Ryoji Noyori (2001); Yves Chauvin, Robert Grubbs and Richard Schrock (2005); and Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, and Akira Suzuki (2010).
D'Angelo is currently writing a fourth volume for the series, which is published by CRC Press.