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Clark Landis is an Associate Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Wisconsin. According to title (Big Kahuna) he is the leader of the Topic-Oriented Approach Development Team, but in fact he mostly responds to the directives of Tom, Mary, and Dave. Although he is a novice to the curriculum reform arena, he desperately hopes that his love of teaching, industrial experience, broad research interests, and access to extremely talented graduate students will keep this effort afloat. When he is not teaching or developing curriculum reform materials, he responds to the directives of his research group whose interests include the design, synthesis, and mechanisms of novel asymmetric catalysts, characterization of the three-dimensional structures of small peptides and transition metal complexes in solution via NMR methods, the development of molecular mechanics methods that span the periodic table, and application of valence bond principles to understanding molecular shapes. When he is not working he responds to the directives of his twenty-something month old son, Sam. |
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Tom Cleveland is a fourth year graduate student formally in inorganic chemistry at the University of Wisconsin. He received his degree from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. The "Big Kahuna" (see above) is his research advisor as well as his T.O.A.D. leader. You can see the T.O.A.D. work at this web site, but will have to go to the chemical journals to find his other works which deal with valence bond theory and the development of molecular mechanics methods. The light at the end of the graduate school tunnel is approaching which means thinking about what's on the other side of the tunnel. In an ideal world this would involve teaching at an institution geared more towards undergraduate education. When not in the chemistry building, Tom can be found at the gym playing racquetball and lifting weights and has advanced to the fourth round of his current racquetball tournament. |
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Mary J. Cloninger graduated from Texas Christian University in 1991 with a B.S. degree in chemistry. She is currently a dissertator in her fourth year of graduate study in the organic chemistry division at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. Mary's research, under the direction of Professor H. W. Whitlock, focuses on the synthesis and study of synthetic receptor molecules (host-guest chemistry). Mary was a teaching assistant for six semesters during which time she taught general chemistry, organic lab, and introductory organic classes. She received the Chemistry Department Outstanding TA Award (1992), the Chemistry Department TA Mentor Award (1992), and the UW Letters and Science Teaching Fellow Award (1995). Mary's main contribution to the curriculum project has been the assimilation of information and the composition of text. Ultimately, Mary's career goal is to remain in academia as an organic professor. |
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David Pollock received his undergraduate chemistry degree from Grinnell College in 1993. He is a second year graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also conducting research under the Big Kahuna (see above). His current research project involves the use of NMR data in the elucidation of multiple solution conformations. David enjoys teaching, and is somewhat notorious for his Letterman-style "stupid teaching assistant tricks" which he performs for his students on a regular basis. David would like to remain involved with curriculum reform efforts, and ultimately hopes to pursue a teaching career at an undergraduate institution. When not involved with chemistry he enjoys volleyball, juggling, and bicycling. |