Education related materials and efforts

 

Effort 8. GK-12 Program.

More information coming soon.

 

Effort 7. Putting Organic Chemistry in Context.

Instead of disparate lab experiments with largely predictable outcomes, our majors are now performing authentic science in the second semester laboratory in a module format (a herbicide module, a mosquito olfaction module). These efforts represent our preliminary efforts that we hope are ultimately supported by a CCLI-grant from NSF. The students are shown designing the initial plantings of corn and cucumbers (our model of a broadleaf weed) in the greenhouses made available through the cooperation of the Department of Horticulture and Sharon Banister.

In the lab, simazine and other novel herbicides were prepared and then assayed for activity. Elaine Lange from the Technology Commercialization Center will address the class on the preparation of invention disclosures and the patent process.

We have started the preparation of chemotracts and repellants for mosquitoes which will be tested in an olfactometer built by an NSF REU student, Katie Vance (LSU) in the summer of 2005. The students will prepare analogs (West Nile season runs late this year, 2005) of the attractant oct-1-en-3-ol that have higher vapor pressures using Grignard chemistry, acylation, and enzymatic resolution.  DEET is also being prepared.

 

 

Effort 6.  Creating educational materials.

I am pleased to be working with John McMurry on the new edition of his Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry due for release in 2006.

 

Effort 5. Improving science education in Hearne, Texas.

With support of many offices at Texas A&M, we have started working with the Hearne Independent School District through Robert Wilson, Hearne ISD.  On September 13th, the entire 8th grade (100 students) arrived on campus and learned about Aggie traditions, what it takes to get to college (not money), what goes on at a research university, what the Corps of Cadets means, and the work associated with being a student athlete.   Dr. Simanek is very grateful to the assistance of Eric Watson (TAMU-Admissions), Roy Lopez (TAMU-Aide), the Corps of Cadets, MSC Hospitality, the Fighting Texas Aggie Soccer Team and Coach G. Guerrieri, and faculty from departments across campus:  Janie Schielack (Mathematics), Bruce Herbert (Geosciences), Ray Carroll (Statistics), Jairo Sinova (Physics), Susan Golden (Biology) and Tim Scott in the College of Science.

Photos from September 13th:  A)  Eric Watson (Admissions) describes what it takes to get into college.  B) Roy Lopez (Aide) gives away a football autographed by Coach Fran.  C)  The finer points of eating pizza w/o ranch are explained to Dr. Simanek.  D) the Aggie soccer team talks about the schedule of a student athlete.  E)  One group learns that pennies given to Sul Ross turn into better grades.

 

Effort 4. Improving science education for undergraduates at Texas A&M.

Energies to revitalize Chemistry 222, a survey course for agricultural sciences majors have been recognized with the 2005 "Distinguished Achievement College-Level Award from The Association of Former Students."   Chemistry 222 has evolved from a watered down version of organic chemistry to a practical survey of the impacts of organic and biological chemistry on our lives; from ouzo to petrochemicals, from genetically engineered plants to LSD.  I am particularly proud of this excerpt from a student's nominating letter:   CHEM 222 with Dr. Simanek was my first exposure to a new age of teaching, and I like what I saw.  Dr. Simanek is a brilliant young teacher who seems driven to draw students into the world of chemistry he obviously loves, and show how chemistry shapes their lives, for better or worse.  Dr. Simanek captures and holds the attention of his MTV saturated audience with a dazzling mixture of Power Point images, prodigious board work, and a rapid fire narration that only the most severely expressed case of Attention Deficit Disorder could dismiss.  He brings game!

Effort 3. A new course in environmental chemistry.

Co-taught by: Simanek, Miller and North (members of the NSF-CTL team)
The development of a course that couples research in the PIs lab to contemporary issues in environmental chemistry including remediation (Simanek), the use of renewable resources (Miller) and air quality and pollution (North) is now an annual offering populated heavily by Chemical Engineers.

Inspired by involvement with the N.S.F. Center for Teaching and Learning

The remediation unit (Simanek) focuses on the creation/discovery of engineered microorganisms and acts as a primer in recombinant DNA technology and biochemistry. Topics which are largely foreign to the clientele (third and fourth year chemical engineering undergraduates) whose previous exposure to biology was in high school.

 

Effort 2. A new organic lab exploring nucleophilic aromatic substitution through the reactions of triazine trichloride with amines yields a widely used herbicide.

Investigator: Susan Hatfield
Manuscript in Preparation: Laboratory Chemistry in Context: The Synthesis of TriazineHerbicides. Hatfield, S. E.; Harding, K. E.; Hildreth, R. A. Simanek, E. E. J. Chem. Educ.

Inspired by involvement with the N.S.F. Center for Teaching and Learning

A new laboratory exercise currently being performed by 1000 students each year at Texas A&M relies on nucleophilic aromatic substitution to make the triazine herbicide simazine. Cyanuric chloride and ethylamine (4 eq) are dispensed volumetrically. On mixing in ice and warming to room temperature over an hour , the herbicide is produced and is purified by precipitation. Recrystallization conditions are also provided. Surveys suggest that this laboratory is the most meaningful/memorable exercise of the course.

The impact that having these students perform authentic and interdisciplinary science is now being investigated.  Our chemistry majors laboratory is preparing novel herbicides and probing their efficacy.

 

Effort 1. Dendrimers can be used to highlight sophomore organic reactions as applied to materials science

Investigator: Sergio O. Gonzalez
Manuscript: Dendrimers. Branching Out of Polymer Chemistry. Gonzalez, S.O.; Simanek, E.E. J. Chem. Ed. 2002, 79, 1222-1231.

This article highlights how fundamental transformations taught in sophomore organic courses can be applied to the creation of new materials. Mechanistic detail is provided.