The Erlenmeyer Flask « Where diverse minds inspire endless innovation.

As promised in April, Focus on Ecampus is going to revisit Brian Tanis, an OSU doctoral student in the Integrative Biology program. Brian is working on some pretty interesting things!

He continues:

After graduating, I hope to remain within academia, teaching courses and conducting research. To build upon my teaching skills, I am working on completing the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching. As part of the program I chose to take “Instruments and Online Interactions in the Sciences” (CH 584) through the Chemistry Ecampus program.

I am originally from New Jersey and completed my undergraduate degrees in Biology and Ecology from Susquehanna University in PA. Following graduation, I moved to Kansas where I worked on a Master’s degree at Fort Hays State University, researching the impacts of wind energy turbines on the scavenging mammal community. Currently, I am working towards a PhD in Zoology at Oregon State University, where I am focusing on exploring the dynamic interactions between apex predators and meso-predators over the past 11,000 years. This will hopefully give us a better idea of how interactions between predators change and how that impacts the ecosystem as a whole.

I have always been interested in learning more about the patterns seen in nature and passing that information on to others. As an undergraduate, I became involved with a variety of research projects, and quickly developed a love for scientific research. As an undergraduate I also got the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant, and found it was very rewarding to help people make connections between materials and clarify difficult concepts. I decided that I would like to remain within academia and continue to try to make advances in my field, and to share those advances with as many students as possible.

I decided to take “Instruments and Online Interactions in the Sciences” because more universities and students are looking for non-traditional methods for higher education. The course offered a great opportunity to learn about how to best implement science courses, which typically rely on physical laboratories, into a virtual setting without sacrificing any of the information for students. Not only did we cover techniques and tools used within a virtual classroom, but we also covered key concepts in designing courses and the rationale behind developing assignments and activities. This type of knowledge really makes me more marketable to future employers and improves my abilities in the courses I currently teach.

As far as advice for other online students, one of the most challenging aspects of any online course is staying up to date with the material and assignments without the structure of a traditional classroom. I highly recommend that online students seriously devote a set amount of time each day to going over the course materials. Also, be sure to use the instructor and your fellow students as resources. Sometimes, an online course can make students feel isolated, but it is easy to reach out over the internet and make connections or ask for clarification. Often, your instructor and classmates will be glad to discuss the material and help out with more challenging concepts.

In the near future, I will be working on collecting and analyzing data for my dissertation, which I hope to complete in the next 3 years. After that, I will be looking for post-doctoral positions to further my teaching and research abilities, before looking for full time employment at a university or museum.

Thanks to Brian for sharing his story!

Collin Muniz was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of The Crimson Tide, but quickly moved to LA, then on to Oregon where he attended Beaverton High School. His sophomore year at Beaverton High, he took his first Chemistry class. He fondly remembers his instructor, Patrick Cripey, performing an acid-based reaction in which he dissolved a penny and decided then and there, that Chemistry was pure magic; a type of magic that he wanted to explore further.

When it came time to apply to colleges, Collin applied to many and did his due diligence in visiting each one. He said it was an easy decision to choose OSU. Upon matriculation, he was originally a Chemical Engineering major, but quickly discovered there wasn’t enough chemistry in that major, so switched to a dual degree in Chemistry and Physics. He says his first professor was also his favorite professor, Dr. May Nyman. He reports greatly enjoying the teaching methods and classes of Dr.’s Daniel Myles and Paul Blakemore as well, but Dr. Nyman was the one who really gave him his start. Shortly after starting her class, Collin went to her office hours and “prodded” her for information about her science. He said, at first, she was slow to open up, not wanting to confuse him, but his excitement for the subject was infectious and she was soon writing structures on the white board and discussing her research with him. Several weeks later, she contacted him and offered him an undergraduate research position with her lab. An opportunity he jumped on with great enthusiasm and has never looked back.

Collin plans on attending graduate school in the future, whichever graduate school, he says, will help him pursue his dreams to the best of his ability. After that, he wants to find work in a National Lab. “I want to work in the sort of environment where there’s a lot of pressure to get your final product and where you need to be very innovative to accomplish that,” Collin stated. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and studying, a fact which he says, makes him boring. We here in the Chemistry Department think that makes him a wonderful new addition to our Undergraduates of the Quarter.

OSU online Chemistry’s student Kirk Denti is currently working as an RN in an ICU, but is working toward becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Kirk tells us that our CH 140, General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, will help him to meet the prerequisite requirements of CRNA school. Kirk shares his story below–

Please share your background so we can get to know you better—how did you end up where you are on this journey?

Long story, but I used to be a Respiratory Therapist up until 2 1/2 years ago. I have worked in Vancouver, Canada for about 5 years and about 12 years in Texas. I have always appreciated the role of the CRNA, as some of what they do, professionally, blends into what we did as RTs (airway and ventilator management). I left the bedside in 2007 and went to work for a disease management company, and it was there that a coworker had applied to RN school and got in. This inspired me to move forward and apply for RN school myself. My thoughts were simply that time is going to pass, so why not study while it happens and accomplish something at the same time. I started RN school in 2009 and finished in 2011 and have been working as an RN in an ICU for 2 1/2 years.

What inspired you to choose the career path you are working towards?

In my Respiratory Therapy program in Canada, we had to take an anesthesia class. Canada has an anesthesia profession, similar to CRNA, designed for RTs to go into, and this particular class gave me a taste of it. I really enjoyed it and really enjoyed my O.R. rotations. At the time, I wanted to be an RT, but that class held a spot in my mind. When I came to the States and learned about the CRNA profession and how much more involved it was than what was offered in Canada, I knew I had to pursue it. And besides, the pay is pretty good too!

How will your OSU online classes help you to accomplish your career goals?

Organic and Biochemistry are prerequisites for some CRNA programs (one or the other, not both) and this class, Chem 140, fits nicely into my plans. Without it, I would have to have taken one year of General Chemistry and then Organic Chemistry. With this class, I don’t have to do that, and I can do it from home…can’t beat that. (Be sure to check with any professional program you are targeting to be sure they will accept the class you plan to take).

Do you have any advice for other online students?

Be sure that you discipline yourself to stay focused and on target with study objectives and don’t fall behind. If you can get a study partner, that would help, so that you can push and support one another. It’s very easy to let a day here and there slide by without studying.

What is next for you?

My next step is to apply at a few CRNA programs around the nation and hope for the best. I don’t know where I will end up, but I don’t really mind as long as I get accepted somewhere.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like being with my wife and kids–just hanging out with them. I also enjoy playing my acoustic guitar, which I find relaxing. I am married and have been for 25 years; we have 6 children, aged 15 to 23.

Alec Kagele was born in Roseburg, Oregon and had never taken a Chemistry class until coming to OSU. He bounced around various Engineering and Science degrees before landing in his first Chemistry class and fell in love. Alec took General Chemistry from Margie Haak; long before she developed the flip classroom environment. He was not as enamored with Organic Chemistry until he took the final term of the sequence from Dr. Chris Beaudry.

This course led him to doing Undergraduate Research, also in Dr. Beaudry’s lab. He has been working there for nearly a year. In addition to his coursework and an additional part time job at Woodstock’s Pizza, he works in the Mole Hole, a tutoring center for General Chemistry students and TA’s for Paula Weiss who teaches the 12X level General Chemistry. Alec is an incredibly busy student.

While he’s still not completely set on his plans for the future, he’s leaning towards a Master’s degree and a job in industry. We’re proud to have students like Alec Kagele in the Department of Chemistry.

Name: Claudia S. Maier

Area of Study / Position Title: Chemistry, Professor

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): Chemistry is what makes life possible; every movement, every interaction and communication, every thought, every cure, every biomolecules comes down ultimately to atoms and bonds, i.e. chemistry.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? As a chemist I find it fascinating to reveal the molecular players – the critical biomolecules and the chemical signatures – that are associated with the response of a biological system to diverse stimuli, exposure, chronic diseases and aging. We use mass spectrometry, a very sensitive analytical technique, to detect and identify the players. Knowing the players will in turn open avenues for designing therapies and promoting health.

One thing you truly love about your job? Love the interaction with my students in the classroom and in the lab; there is nothing more rewarding if a student shows you what she/he developed or discovered and then starts to create her/his own story.

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. Love the smell of horse poop

Name: Mike Lerner

Area of Study / Position Title: Inorganic/Materials Chemistry, Professor

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): It was some courses I took in my first year at college. Freshman majors didn’t take general chemistry, instead I had one term each of biochemistry and crystallography. I was fascinated and a bit mystified, and they got me hooked into chemistry.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? I’m looking into new intercalation chemistry reactions, and also at the preparation of new nanocomposites materials. These are interesting lately because they are the electrodes used in lithium-ion and related batteries.

One thing you truly love about your job? One thing I love is discussing results from ongoing research projects. Getting results from new experiments means finding out unknown things about nature, and it really feels like being an explorer.

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. I worked for Stanley Kaplan (the man himself) for several years during college.

Instruments and Online Interactions in the Sciences (CH 584) is one of the newer online classes offered by the Oregon State University Chemistry Department. This month, we will get to know several of the students who have taken CH 584 in order to advance their education and career goals–

Daniel Sasse took CH 584 in order to complete his certificate of eligibility to teach high school chemistry. He says—

I have a teaching certificate in biology and general science, and ended up working a temporary position as a high school chemistry teacher for 10 months. After seeing how hard it is to find openings in the subjects which I am currently certified, I decided to finish my certification in chemistry to open myself to new opportunities. (Soon, I will be)…looking for teaching positions for the coming school year.

Our next Focus student is Brian Tanis, an OSU doctoral student in Integrative Biology. Brian decided to take this class because—

… more universities and students are looking for non-traditional methods for higher education. The course offered a great opportunity to learn about how to best implement science courses, which typically rely on physical laboratories, into a virtual setting without sacrificing any of the information for students. Not only did we cover techniques and tools used within a virtual classroom, but we also covered key concepts in designing courses and the rationale behind developing assignments and activities. This type of knowledge really makes me more marketable to future employers and improves my abilities in the courses I currently teach.

Joann McQuaid, a high school biology teacher with 26 years of experience, took CH 584 in order to qualify as a “highly qualified teacher” in chemistry in her home state of California. She continues—

I have been teaching/education since I graduated college in 1989. I wanted to have two subjects to teach due to the change in the new next gen science standards.

(Taking CH 584) helped me in several ways: I am a single working mom that is taking care of two elderly parents and a teenager in her home. I did not have time to go to classes at night or during the summer. OSU online classes gave me the opportunity to continue to work and take care of my family. My generation wasn’t raised with computers in the classroom however I feel fairly proficient using computer and it was a great fit for me. The learning curve was not challenging and there was always someone to help in less than 24 hours if you needed it. OSU chemistry classes and the CH 584 class were organized in their delivery, syllabus and schedules.

Thank you to these three students for sharing their stories. Watch for a future “Focus on Ecampus” with more information about Brian’s interesting graduate studies.

Name: Wei Kong

Area of Study / Position Title: Professor in Physical Chemistry

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): Not much interest in chemistry initially, particularly O chem. Only wanted to do laser spectroscopy because of the mathematics involved.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? Develop a new technique to determine structures of macromolecules, and along the way, understanding fundamental properties of related physical processes.

One thing you truly love about your job? The freedom to imagine

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. I do not like and cannot stand watching any games on baseball or golf.

Congratulations to our Winter 2015 Chemistry Honor Roll Students!!

Albrecht, Amy
Allen, Marshall
Angle, Austin
Aponso, Savinda
Best, Scott
Brucks, Corinne
Cayton, Jared
Chen, Kathryn
Chitwood, Abigail
Cobb, Tora
Coporan, Sergiu
Covey, Lauren
Davis, Lissa
Del Savio, Jacob
Delgado, Mark
Domen, Andrea
Downey, Gillian
Duong, Amanda
Durfee, Brandice
Erickson, Blake
Focht, Darlene
Fong, Eaton
Hergert, John
Hinds Cook, Althea
Jolley, Maria
Kim, Joeun
Kinser, Reid
Klaus, Laura
Lew, Cassandra
Liu-May, Rachel
Malone, Alexandra
Marzi, Chiara
Nguyen, Dang
Oldfield, Mathew
Palmiter, James
Pham, Thu
Potter, Kristin
Prater, Philip
Putnam, Rex
Raleigh, Nathan
Ruark, Collin
Samhan, Ashraf
Sandwisch, Jason
Schacher, Aimee
Shear, Trevor
Stout, Kenneth
Toporkova, Yekaterina
Turner, Jake
Walker, Mesa
Yu, Yan
Zhang, Tianqi
Zuk, Alexander

Name: Sarah Burton

Area of Study / Position Title: Graduate Coordinator

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): While chemistry is an interesting field, I lean toward the soft sciences. This is why I’m the Graduate Coordinator, and not a chemist. If you want a sympathetic ear or a fellowship researched, I’m your girl. If you hand me dangerous chemical compounds, I’ll likely mistake them for a tasty beverage or a delightful snack.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? I work behind the scenes for graduate students, processing their paperwork, collecting application information, setting up recruitment events. Beyond that, I sit at the front desk, granting requests and solving problems, like a benign mob boss who must operate within the bounds of the law. Completely within the bounds of the law.

One thing you truly love about your job? Operating within the bounds of the law.

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. There are no strange factoids about me. I am completely normal. If you look beneath the surface, you will not find anything out of the ordinary.

The Erlenmeyer Flask

Where diverse minds inspire endless innovation.

Focus on ECampus – Brian Tanis cont.

Undergraduate of the Quarter – Winter 2015 – Collin Muniz

Focus on ECampus – Kirk Denti

Undergraduate of the Quarter – Winter 2015 – Alec Kagele

Who Am I? Wednesday – Claudia Maier

Who Am I? Wednesday – Mike Lerner

Focus on ECampus: CH 584 Students

Who Am I? Wednesday – Wei Kong

Winter 2015 Honor Roll Students

Who Am I? Wednesday – Sarah Burton

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