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Teaching Philosophy
 Students often ask “What does it mean to earn a Ph.
D. degree….how do you know when the work is finished?”.
This is an excellent question and one which is open to many
interpretations and answers. I have long felt that the primary
functions of academic research are the creation of new science
and training of new scientists in equal measure. As a neophyte
assistant professor, I was single-mindedly focused on the former,
but with the maturation of my first classes of graduate students
I realized, quite unexpectedly, the importance and joys of
the latter.
Today, in my first discussions with prospective graduate
students, I explain my vision of the relationship between student
(apprentice) and advisor (mentor). It is my belief that students
learn best by example and guidance, and therefore, I strive
for an intense and interactive relationship with my students.
The process of evolving from a novice to an expert in scientific
research entails many dimensions and I aspire to help my students
navigate these components throughout their stay with me.
In my view, a functioning professional researcher (i.e. Ph.
D.) is a self-sufficient scientist who is capable of identifying
an interesting problem to study, can design a plan of investigation,
has the technical expertise to execute many different kinds
of experiments, can interpret their results, formulate reasonable
hypotheses, and draw sensible conclusions about the success
of the work. This individual is also capable of writing up
and orally presenting the work they have completed. To develop
these abilities, a student must first become technically proficient,
must know the chemical literature in their own research area
as well as those tangential to the project, must learn how
to decide what the results mean and develop analytical skills
to formulate working hypotheses from a large body of empirical
data. In time, the student will also learn the distinction
between truly innovative research and research that is incremental
or derivative. Finally, the student should make an original
contribution to science and be able to see opportunities for
new studies in creative directions.
The training environment in my laboratories provides students
opportunities for direct input and guidance from me in all
aspects of the development toward a Ph. D. I have a structured
program of interactions with students that ranges from casual
conversations in the laboratory to weekly meetings of research
progress within three main sub-groups, to monthly research
meetings with each individual student. In addition, our weekly
full group meetings provide the students an opportunity to
present literature topics of interest (see Group Presentations),
to do our monthly literature survey of over 30 chemical journals,
and to have Total Synthesis competitions in a team environment.
In addition, the full group meetings give me an opportunity
to present problems of reaction mechanism, synthetic methods
and target synthesis.
Students also receive extensive input from me on developing
good writing and speaking skills. I edit all required research
documents and give students the responsibility of providing
the first drafts of manuscripts. Often, I will collaborate
with students on writing reviews on the general areas of their
research topics. I also work closely with all students in their
departmental seminars, in-house presentations, and also talks
given at meetings elsewhere.
An open and interactive student/advisor relationship is essential
for the successful completion of a Ph. D. degree to be an enjoyable
and productive experience.
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