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Current Activities

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My activities and interests include improving the quality of education in the large freshman chemistry courses. As Director of the First-Year Chemistry Programs, I am responsible each semester for managing a lecture and laboratory program that involves over 3,000 students, 60 graduate students and faculty members, stockroom personnel and office staff. This involves a variety of planning, record keeping, guiding, and overseeing. In my lectures of up to 300 students per section, I strive to increase the students' understanding of the molecular world. I continue to experiment with technology and interactive teaching methods. I have written several books at the freshman chemistry level that were designed to help others in their teaching and to assist student learning.

I am also very much involved in improving science learning at all levels. Through outreach activities (workshops, institutes, meetings, etc.) I have worked with elementary, secondary, college, and adult education. I am an "ICE" affiliate (University of Wisconsin) and a "Teaching Science with TOYS" affiliate (Miami, Ohio). I have been recognized for my National Chemistry Week activities. John Hogg and I have organized an active Van program.

Each summer for the past 17 years, I have hosted an AP Chemistry Teachers' Workshop and for the past 12 years I have directed programs designed to improve the teaching of physical science (now known in Texas as ?integrated physics and chemistry? ? IPC). Resource materials developed in our IPC workshops are currently being used as models for other state funded teacher training programs.

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Selected Publications

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Vickie Williamson, Jason Huffman, Larry Peck. "Testing Students' Use of the Particulate Theory", J. Chem. Ed., 81-6, 891-896 (2004)

L. Peck and V. Williamson. Experiences in chemistry II - Inquiry and Skill Building, 2nd ed., 194 pages, Hayden McNeil Publishing, Inc., Plymouth, MI (2004)

L. Peck and V. Williamson. Experiences in chemistry I - Inquiry and Skill Building, 2nd ed., 188 pages, Hayden McNeil Publishing, Inc., Plymouth, MI (2004)

K. Whitten, R. Davis, L. Peck and G. Stanley. A Qualitative Analysis Supplement, 7th ed., 125 pages, Brooks/Cole - Thomson Learning, Philadelphia, PA (2004)

K. Whitten, R. Davis, L. Peck and G. Stanley. General Chemistry, 7th ed., 1132 pages, Brooks/Cole - Thomson Learning, Philadelphia, PA (2004)