Chemistry instructors see many faces and have a great opportunity to help students learn chemistry and see our subject’s great beauty. But what face do we chemists expose to these students? Too often it is a narrow, skeletal, enigmatic one that does not begin to encompass the diversity of chemists whose careers are described in these career profiles. We can do a lot better.

Identifies and summarizes articles in this issue of the Journal that may be of particular interest to high school chemistry teachers.

The diverse careers of thirteen chemists are profiled.

An interview and career profile of Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist and plant molecular biologist.

An interview and career profile of Amy Sweetman, biological psychologist, lecturer, and artist.

An interview and career profile of Mae Jemison, a biomedical engineer, medical doctor, and astronaut

An interview and career profile of Jay A. Young, a chemical safety consultant.

An interview and career profile of Frankie Wood-Black, an environmental chemist.

An interview and career profile of J. Douglas Kouns, an FBI Special Agent.

An interview and career profile of David Parker, a hazardous materials administrator at a fire department.

An interview and career profile of Jim Maynard, a lecture demonstrator.

An interview and career profile of Stephen W. Wright, a medicinal chemist.

An interview and career profile of Raven Hanna, a molecular biophysicist and jewelry designer.

An interview and career profile of Eloy Rodriguez, a natural products chemist.

An interview and career profile of Alan Ehrlich, a patent attorney.

An interview and career profile of Sue Wollowitz, a pharmaceurical chemist.

A panel discussion about alternative careers in chemistry is reviewed.

In 1938, "The Chemist at Work" series, coordinated by Roy I. Grady and John W. Chittum, presented personal accounts by 24 chemists in a variety of vocations. The contributors described their work and provided insights into the necessary educational and personal qualifications. The series is very relevant to the 2007 National Chemistry Week theme, "The Many Faces of Chemistry."

The 2007 National Chemistry Week theme "The Many Faces of Chemistry" provides an excellent opportunity for those of us involved in the local sections of the ACS to reflect on whether we are successfully recruiting and engaging the next generation of chemists. This article describes one local section's attempt at improving their commitment to the undergraduate students in their section by conducting a Career Event annually for the benefit of these students.

Recent online publications are reviewed.

Much has been written about careers in chemistry and other specialized areas. A cursory Internet search reveals a vast array of Web sites and books dedicated to career profiles, career tests, and more. However, even with this enormous amount of information available, it can be difficult to convey the richness of a particular career to students, or for someone to really understand what someone does day-to-day in his or her job. Take a look at the categorization of the articles in this resource paper. You’ll notice a sea of “informational” and “book review” labels, and a lack of “demonstration” and “experiment”. The articles in this resource paper are excellent background information for educators. But, please consider them as a jumping-off point. How could you go beyond merely sharing information? How could you or a guest speaker effectively demonstrate a career? How might your students briefly experience a career? JCE would love to hear about what you’ve tried.

As has been done with past NCW themes (1), this annotated bibliography collects the best that past issues of JCE have to offer for use with this year’s National Chemistry Week. The American Chemical Society theme for 2007 is “The Many Faces of Chemistry” and focuses on the diversity of chemistry-related careers along with the diversity of people engaged in those careers. Each item has been characterized as an activity, book review, experiment, informational, or Web-based resource; several fit more than one classification. The most recent articles are listed first. An indication of the levels the article may serve are included. Articles that appeared adaptable to other levels, but not designed explicitly for those levels, are labeled “poss. h.s.” “poss. elem.”, and so forth. Since all references are to Journal articles, they appear in abbreviated form, including only year, volume, page.

This article is a statement on education by Thomas H. Lane, a candidate for President of the American Chemical Society.

This article is a statement on education by Howard M. Peters, a candidate for President of the American Chemical Society.

Safe handling of Antimony(V) chloride in the laboratory is discussed.

Safe handling of Antimony(III) oxide in the laboratory is discussed.

Awards announcements, nominations, and deadlines; courses, seminars, meetings, and opportunities; and proposal deadlines.

Mentoring for careers in chemistry is important for chemistry teachers at all levels. Nevertheless, a search of JCE Online for “career” yields relatively few references; most deal with careers generally and are directed at educators rather than students.

Differential recognition of α- and β-d-glucopyranose by enzymes was first reported more than sixty years ago and reviews of this anomeric specificity have been in the literature for some time. It is therefore surprising to see errors in current textbooks.

The aim of this book is to give the non-specialist a feel for the science and technology that underpin a truly international beverage. As such it is is a perfect combination of an interesting topic and excellent science. Almost every chemistry teacher will find examples to use in class.

This delightful book has much to offer regarding the successful teaching of science and engineering at the post-secondary level.

Moira Gunn, who has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, has written a memoir about her experiences in starting and hosting the radio program BioTech Nation, which currently airs on many Public Radio stations.

Advanced Chemistry with Vernier consists of 35 experiments, designed for AP and IB chemistry courses, that utilize a Vernier data-collection system.

This Activity uses supermarket chemicals to test samples of table salt for the presence of iodine, an essential micronutrient added as iodide ion. The presence of iodide in the salt is made apparent by the appearance of a blue color.

Two linked courses examining conservation science and art history of 17th-century Dutch painting are described. The two courses have been taught on campus and, most recently, as study-abroad courses in collaboration with the Center for European Studies, Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands. The highly interdisciplinary courses are intense, yet presuppose that students have no background in either science or art history. The courses have successfully drawn students who are science majors as well as nonmajors into the same classroom with productive outcomes. Strengths and limitations of the approaches taken are discussed and key resources from the courses are cited.

This article describes a successful interdisciplinary collaboration among chemistry, humanities and English faculty members, who utilized poetry and artistic illustration to help students learn, appreciate, and enjoy chemistry. Students taking general chemistry classes were introduced to poetry writing and museum-type poster preparation during one class period. They were then encouraged to use their imagination and creativity to brainstorm and write chemistry poems or humors on the concepts and principles covered in the chemistry classes and artistically illustrate their original work on posters. The project, 2–3 months in length, was perceived by students as effective at helping them learn chemistry and express their understanding in a fun, personal, and creative way. The instructors found students listened to the directives because many posters were witty, clever, and eye-catching. They showed fresh use of language and revealed a good understanding of chemistry. The top posters were created by a mix of A-, B-, and C-level students. The fine art work, coupled with poetry, helped chemistry come alive on campus, providing an aesthetic presentation of materials that engaged the general viewer.

In this interview Roald Hoffmann reveals aspects of his private life, from the great difficulties he experienced during World War II, to his personal beliefs. Hoffmann addresses questions about the meaning of laboratory work, teaching chemistry, representing chemical ideas, his philosophical quandaries, his poetry, and his view of atomic orbitals. Roald Hoffmann's interest and enthusiasm for research work in every branch of chemistry as well as his love for beauty and poetry emerge in this interview.

We describe a service-learning course in which college students developed hands-on chemistry laboratory activities for elementary school children. These activities were then conducted with children both in area classrooms and in our own laboratories. This course allowed our students to apply their knowledge of chemical principles while introducing young children to chemistry as an exciting discipline. Children were surveyed before and after outreach activities to gauge their attitudes about science, including their perceptions about gender and science. Other assessment included student course evaluations and impressions of participating teachers, both of which suggested that this course had a positive impact on both our own students and the participating children.

Over the past ten years, the Department of Chemistry at the University College of the Fraser Valley has sponsored an annual laboratory skills contest for local Grade 12 high-school students as part of its Chemistry Week celebrations. The organizational details of the contest, its objectives, successes, and short-comings are discussed.

Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution, created by bees, and used by human beings as a sweetener. However, honey is more than just a supersaturated sugar solution; it also contains acids, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids in varying quantities. In this article, we will briefly explore the chemical composition of honey.

Maple syrup is one of several high-sugar liquids that humans consume. However, maple syrup is more than just a concentrated sugar solution. Here, we review the chemical composition of maple syrup.

This month’s Featured Molecules includes compounds found in honey and maple syrup.

Einstein's famous equation E = mc² is derived by utilizing a thought experiment that can be easily understood by any serious student of chemistry.

This article describes the use of limits in topics that are usually covered in a high school advanced placement chemistry course or a first-year college chemistry course. Such an approach supplements the interpretation of the graph of an equation since it is usually easier to evaluate the limit of a function than to generate its graph. In addition, the evaluation of the limit of an equation provides another viewpoint, which may solidify students' comprehension of concepts in the form of an equation.

Redox reactions can be conveniently discussed in terms of the relative strengths of the oxidant, the reductant, and their conjugates; a conjugate chart is a most convenient and useful way of doing this. A similar chart for acids and bases is proposed, which can be applied in the same manner.

This paper discusses the use of oral examinations to assess student understanding in a general chemistry course and in an advanced inorganic chemistry course. Examination design, administration, and grading are explored, as well as the benefits to both instructors and students. Students react positively to the oral examination format and generally perform at a higher level than on written examinations over the same material. The oral examination format is discussed in terms of the interactive compensatory model of learning.

Using simple materials found in any high school or college laboratory, an electrochemical method of determining Avogadro's number is presented. Once set up, the measurement can be completed in about 5 minutes.

The combustion of hydrogen in air is quite complex with at least 28 mechanistic steps and twelve reaction species. Most of the species involved are radicals (having unpaired electrons) in nature. Among the various species generated, a few are stable, including hydrogen peroxide. In a normal hydrogen flame, the hydrogen peroxide goes on to further oxidation resulting in water. In this classroom demonstration, a hydrogen flame is played across the face of an ice cube and the combustion is quenched in an incomplete state. The solution that results contains aqueous hydrogen peroxide that can be tested with two simple chemical tests.

This article presents the development of a carbon dioxide fountain. The advantages of the carbon dioxide fountain are that it is odorless and uses consumer chemicals. This experiment also is a nice visual experiment that allows students to see evidence of a gaseous reagent being consumed when a pressure sensor is available.

A laboratory experiment is presented in which the freezing point depression is analyzed using milk as solution. The nature of milk as a mixture of different solutes makes it a suitable probe to learn about colligative properties. The first part of the experiment illustrates the analytical use of freezing point measurements to control milk quality, regarding adulteration by addition of water and lactic fermentation. The second part deals with molecular weight determination from freezing point depression data, using powdered milk as solute. The effective molar masses of whole milk and skim milk are determined and compared.

A new, fast and effective colorimetric analysis of the artificial sweetener aspartame is presented for application in undergraduate laboratory courses. This new method incorporates the use of a modified biuret reagent for selective detection and analysis of aspartame in aqueous solutions. The modified reagent is less caustic than the traditional biuret reagent, which allows it to be used in an effective and simple assay of artificial tabletop sweeteners. Sample preparation is readily accomplished in three steps: (i) addition of the analyte to a 10.00 mL volumetric flask, (ii) addition of modified biuret reagent, and (iii) dilution with water. The modified biuret reagent consists of 60 mmol copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate dissolved into a solution containing 210 mmol potassium sodium tartrate and 500 mmol sodium carbonate. Spectroscopic analysis in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (629 nm) allows for use of inexpensive and readily available laboratory instrumentation. The entire experiment may be completed in about two hours, giving the instructor ample time for discussion of artificial sweeteners, the Beer–Lambert Law, and coordination chemistry, when applied during a typical three hour laboratory period.

The nitration of six benzene derivatives having a range of substituents that differ in electronic effects were followed by GC–MS analyses of the crude reaction mixtures and adapted for the second-year organic laboratory. Students pool their results and identify the products by analyzing the mass spectral data of the isomers and by comparing them to the GC–MS analysis of authentic samples. Students determine which substituents predominantly direct nitration to the ortho- or para- and to the meta positions. This simple discovery-oriented experiment illustrates and reinforces the lecture material and provides students with first-hand knowledge of how textbook conclusions are determined in a laboratory situation.

An experiment is described that allows students to experimentally determine an empirical formula for silver sulfide. At elevated temperatures, silver sulfide reacts in air to form silver, silver sulfate, and sulfur dioxide. At higher temperatures (∼960 °C) silver sulfate decomposes to produce metallic silver.

Newton's cooling curve was chosen for the four-part laboratory inquiry into conditions affecting temperature change. The relationship between time and temperature is not foreseen by the average high school student before the first session. However, during several activities students examine the classic relationship, T = A exp^-Ct + B and explore the physical conditions that influence the three constants.

In this laboratory experiment, general chemistry students measure the heating curves for three different systems: (i) 500 g of room-temperature water heated by a small desk lamp, (ii) 500 g of an ice–water mixture warmed by conduction with room-temperature surroundings, and (iii) 500 g of an ice–water mixture heated by a small desk lamp and by conduction with room-temperature surroundings. The students verify that heat is consumed in the melting of ice, with no increase in temperature until all the ice has melted. The fundamental calorimetric principles demonstrated by the lab results are then directly connected to the topic of global warming, and a more precise terminology—one that distinguishes between global heat retention and global warming—is developed to help students better assess and understand the experimental evidence associated with global warming.

This article describes a novel, hands-on method to qualitatively determine the extent of microbial activity in topsoil using ordinary blank paper. Appropriate and scalable for the high school and college level, these experiments expose students to some of the challenges facing environmental researchers and also contribute to curriculum development of soil topics for environmental education. Through experimentation, students discover that paper containing high amounts of starch can be used to determine the degree of microbial activity in topsoil. After the application of soil solution eluent to paper, the paper is allowed to dry. Students react the paper with a KI + I₂ solution, and a deep blue coloration results that diminishes over time. Using the principles of complementary color combinations and a simple, handmade, cadmium sulfide–light emitting diode (CdS–LED) reflection photometer, the color can be measured and the extent of microbial activity established.

In this laboratory experiment, students take environmental samples at various locations around the college campuses, take geospatial coordinates with a global position systems (GPS) unit, and map their results on a geo-referenced campus map with geographical information systems (GIS) software. Nitrogen dioxide air pollution sampling is used as an example, although other environmental studies could be mapped as well. In addition, students compare their results to those observed by governmental agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency. By studying spatial differences in pollutant concentrations, both indoors and out, and comparing their data to that observed by governmental agencies, students can begin to understand variability and the geospatial relationships in environmental sampling.

There is a misconception among undergraduate students that global warming is caused by holes in the ozone layer. In this study, we evaluated the presence of this and other misconceptions surrounding atmospheric chemistry that are responsible for the entanglement of the greenhouse effect and the ozone hole in students' conceptual frameworks. We then designed a series of computer-based online data-analysis exercises to address this shortcoming and measured the effectiveness of these instructional materials in a first-year general chemistry class. Based on pre- and post-activity assessments, students demonstrated a moderate improvement in their conceptual understanding from the online exercises alone, and student performance was greatly enhanced when the online exercises were supported with both lecture and small-group discussion activities. The integration of individual online learning and data analysis with these more traditional methods of instruction allowed students to address their prior misconceptions and ultimately construct a more scientifically accurate understanding of atmospheric environmental chemistry.

This paper describes a project undertaken as an interdisciplinary effort among four science departments, two disabilities services offices, and special education personnel to investigate the use and success of assistive technology devices as well as other equipment modifications in an attempt to transform science laboratories into environments where students with disabilities can function independently. The methods were developed and tested for entry-level science courses in chemistry, biology, geology, and physics, and could also be applied to other disciplines. Students with a wide variety of physical or visual disabilities were recruited to perform lab skills typically used in science experiments. Equipment evaluated ranged from high-end computerized magnification systems to glassware easily modified by the lab instructor. Because chemistry labs present significantly more safety issues than the other science disciplines, special attention was given to how students were able to perform tasks without endangering themselves or others. Results of the project emphasize the importance of identifying each student's type and degree of disability in order to effectively determine the equipment requirements.

Forty-eight new secondary science teachers participated in a study that required a listing, discussion, and application of criteria to rank three chemistry laboratory procedures. The three similar lab procedures involved synthesis of a compound from its elements. The top criteria noted by teachers focused on procedural issues (i.e., timeliness, clarity, simplicity), followed closely by conceptual value, and finally a concern for materials and safety. Critique of the three procedures by the author involved similar criteria but produced different results. The author's ranking of the syntheses was opposite to the ranking made by the majority of the teachers. Reasons for this difference might include new teachers' (i) views of procedures as being prescribed structures not amenable to being changed to meet their needs, (ii) not perceiving the importance that motivation can play in managing students and enabling them to learn, and (iii) not systematizing their decision-making process.

A new, integrated laboratory curriculum was recently developed at the U.S. Naval Academy in response to the 1999 ACS Committee on Professional Training guidelines that required inclusion of biochemistry and a stronger emphasis on student research. To meet these ACS requirements and to introduce more student choice in the major, we embarked on a complete redesign of the laboratory program, reducing eleven credit hours of traditional laboratory courses into a cohesive, eight-credit, four-semester sequence of integrated laboratory courses covering the core areas of chemistry. These courses are designed along broader themes with many experiments simultaneously exploring concepts from two or more subdisciplines of chemistry. Although the integrated laboratory concept has been applied at other institutions, this curriculum is unique in its design and scope. The program begins in the sophomore year and is completed in the junior year, allowing students to pursue research and advanced courses in their senior year. The integrated laboratory concept offers many attractive benefits, although there are potential difficulties: several of these are discussed as well. This paper may assist faculty contemplating a similarly comprehensive curricular change to carefully weigh the factors neccessary to determine the feasibility and sustainability of such a program in their own unique educational environment.

Chemistry Is in the News (CIITN) is an innovative project aimed at enhancing higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) via connecting university-level chemistry to everyday life and real-world issues. The CIITN project and its related Web tools were presented in a workshop to illustrate their conceptual framework, educational potential, and contribution to chemical education. In this paper we report on the results of a formative, evaluation case-study concerning the extent to which the goals of the CIITN workshop were attained. Accordingly, we have examined chemistry instructors' (the workshop participants) perceptions of the project, educational objectives, and ongoing teaching–assessment strategies, before and after the workshop. Although the participants showed no change in their educational objectives during the short-term workshop, an interesting induced shift was found concerning their perception of "collaboration" in teaching and learning. Our findings indicate that the chemistry instructors became more open to the idea of sharing professional pedagogical knowledge with fellow instructors, as well as encouraging teamwork and peer review among their students.

By the end of their high school studies, students should be able to understand macroscopic and sub-microscopic conceptualization of acid–base behavior and the relationship between these conceptual models. The aim of this article is to ascertain whether grade-12 students have sufficient background knowledge to explain the properties of acids, bases, and salts from their constituent ions or molecules. In addition, this research seeks to discern if certain learning difficulties are due to this lack of knowledge. Two concept maps are used for evaluation including the conceptual and procedural knowledge of acid–base behavior of substances. The diagnostic instrument consists of five questionnaires and two interviews. This study reveals that grade-12 students lack some of the necessary knowledge and skills to understand the acid–base behavior of substances. This could explain why students cannot differentiate between an ionic and non-ionic substance and that they associate the existence of H or OH in the formula with acid or basic reaction, respectively, without differentiating between atoms and ions. Students do not understand the different types of particles or the meaning of the subscript or superscript in a polyatomic ion formula. They do not differentiate between the ion and atom of an element and consequently find it difficult to interpret the properties of substances such as solution in water and electrical conductivity.

The year 2006 is the 125th anniversary of a chemical reaction, the discovery of which by Mikhail Kucherov had a profound effect on the development of industrial chemistry in the 19–20th centuries. This was the hydration of alkynes catalyzed by mercury ions that made possible industrial production of acetaldehyde from acetylene. Historical circumstances of this discovery and subsequent events are discussed.

A customized safety video was created for the laboratory component of a general chemistry course. The video incorporated information specific to laboratory experiments and equipment, as well as policies unique to the institution. Clips from popular film and television series were used to capture and sustain the attention of the audience while reinforcing relevant safety directives. Given the ready accessibility of multimedia resources and software, this approach can be adapted at any school to produce a customized safety video.