This course is the first semester of General Chemistry and will serve as an introduction to fundamental chemical principles.

Topics to be covered include

• Composition of Matter,
• Calculations and Dimensional Analysis,
• Chemical Nomenclature,
• Solution Chemistry,
• Thermochemistry,
• Gases,
• Atomic Structure,
• Basic Bonding, and
• Molecular Geometry.

Textbook: Chemistry: The Central Science
Brown, LeMay, and Bursten, 10th edition, Prentice Hall Pub., 2006.

Calculator: A scientific calculator is required. An inexpensive scientific calculator with scientific notation, square root, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions can be purchased for less than $20, and will be sufficient for the needs of this course.

Syllabus (PDF)

Physical chemistry has been a passion of mine ever since my first undergraduate thermodynamics course. Physical chemistry gracefully connects the fundamental physical descriptions of matter with the everyday properties of matter that we know and love. I teach courses in quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, as well as introductory general chemistry. I also advise chemistry majors interested in pursuing graduate school.

My current research interests are related to phenomena that occur at surfaces. We primarily use simulation techniques such as molecular dynamics and Density Functional Theory to understand surface structure and properties on the atomic scale.

I began teaching at Randolph College thinking that I would only be here a year. But when the opportunity arose to make the temporary position permanent, it wasn’t hard to make a decision. Randolph is a completely different world than I was accustomed to from my educational background at large state universities, and I really liked the personal feel of the college. The red brick campus began to feel like home almost immediately.

Environmental chemistry is my favorite course to teach because it brings together all of the material learned in introductory courses and places it in the context of important national and global issues. Smog, ozone depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, alternative fuels, and ground water contamination are all issues of tremendous current importance, and are also all issues that cannot be understood without understanding the chemistry of the species and processes involved. Although many of these issues represent great concerns, they also provide great opportunities for future creative chemists to make meaningful improvements to people’s lives.