News and Announcements pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
The Journal of Chemical Education Welcomes Two New Precollege Associate Editors Norbert J. Pienta* Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1294, United States ABSTRACT: This News and Announcements piece provides a brief introduction to two new precollege associate editors. KEYWORDS: High School/Introductory Chemistry
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s noted in a recent editorial,1 the Journal of Chemical Education gratefully acknowledges the efforts over many years of precollege associate editors Erica Jacobsen2 and Laura Slocum,3 who finished their terms with JCE in December 2011. Both Erica and Laura have met many high school and middle school teachers at workshops and conferences around the country; based on some of these interactions, Erica has written a commentary particularly encouraging precollege educators to take the next step toward becoming a JCE author.4 An October 2011 call for a new precollege associate editor5 resulted in the selection of Greg Rushton and Deanna Cullen. Both will have an editorial in a future issue of the Journal of Chemical Education to introduce themselves and offer a preview of their own activities as JCE precollege associate editors. This announcement welcomes and briefly introduces Greg and Deanna. Greg and Deanna emerged among the candidates as educators who have excellent credentials, work diligently, and have great ideas relating to JCE and precollege chemistry education. However, they were selected to lead a team, not be the team. To attain, maintain, and sustain a high degree of relevance to the precollege community, we need many excellent team members to contribute. In the coming issues, as you hear from Greg and Deanna, we hope that you will respond with your thoughts and ideas about how JCE might better meet your needs as a professional chemical educator.
as chemical educators, and have an accessible publication that is directed solely at its needs, interests, and aspirations.” Look for his editorial in the May 2012 issue of the Journal.
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INTRODUCING DEANNA CULLEN If you attended a recent BCCE or ChemEd conference, perhaps you encountered Deanna Cullen, either as a presenter or active participant. A science teacher for 21 years, Deanna currently teaches chemistry and advanced placement chemistry at a public high school in Whitehall, Michigan. She has served as an advisor for Science Olympiad teams and other student organizations; she’s also been a leader in her school and district, emphasizing the use of technology, and working with teachers and administrators to improve science education at multiple levels for students in her community. Deanna continues to learn and study, obtaining an M.Ed. degree in educational technology, as well as pursuing further training in teaching inquiry-based science. This latest experience prompted her to write and submit an article that was published in the Journal in November 2011.9 For Deanna, participating in the inquiry-based science teaching professional development program resulted in positive changes in her classroom and beyond, as she notes “[W]e use the data collected through that research to evaluate our curriculum. The Target Inquiry Program has strengthened my knowledge of science standards and assessment tools and improved my assessment and evaluation techniques. I have won several classroom grants using research data collected from my students.” Look for an editorial from Deanna in the May 2012 issue of the Journal.
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INTRODUCING GREG RUSHTON As a former high school teacher and now as a Ph.D. physical organic chemist who also directs the Master of Arts in Teaching Science Program at Kennesaw State University, Greg Rushton strives to improve science education. He first encountered the Journal while teaching high school chemistry in Columbia, South Carolina; since then Greg has deepened his connection to chemical education with two articles published in the Journal,6,7 and engaged participation in the activities and discussions of the chemical education community. In a recent article, he examined the effects of an inquiry-oriented professional development model on the beliefs and practices of a chemistry teacher group in South Carolina.8 Greg works daily to recruit, prepare, and retain secondary school chemistry teachers. As part of these efforts, he also hopes to realize an even larger project, “a vision for a robust community of precollege professionals who embrace and develop an identity © 2012 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected].
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REFERENCES
(1) Pienta, N. J. Marking Journal Transitions in a Digital World. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1591−1592, DOI: 10.1021/ed2006746. (2) Jacobsen, E. K. Enjoying the Ride. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1593−1594, DOI: 10.1021/ed200662n. (3) Slocum, L. E. Saying Goodbye, yet Staying Engaged in the Community. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1595−1596, DOI: 10.1021/ ed200663y.
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Journal of Chemical Education
News and Announcements
(4) Jacobsen, E. K. Become a Journal of Chemical Education Author. J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89 (1), 2−3; DOI: 10.1021/ed200714e. (Note that this, along with the entire January 2012 issue is available online free of charge to nonsubscribers as a sample issue.) (5) Holmes, J. L. Call for Precollege Associate Editor, Journal of Chemical Education. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88 (10), 1351−1351, DOI: 10.1021/ed200526j. (6) Rushton, G. T.; Furmanski, B.; Shimizu, K. D. Plastic Antibodies: Molecular Recognition with Imprinted Polymers. An Introductory Polymer Chemistry Laboratory Investigation. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82 (9), 1374−1377. (7) Rushton, G. T.; Burns, W. G.; Lavin, J. M.; Chong, Y. S.; Pellechia, P.; Shimizu, K. D. Determination of the Rotational Barrier for Kinetically Stable Conformational Isomers via NMR and 2D TLC. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (9), 1499−1501. (8) Rushton, G. T.; Lotter, C.; Singer, J. Chemistry Teachers’ Emerging Expertise in Inquiry Teaching: The Effect of a Professional Development Model on Beliefs and Practice. J. Sci. Teach. Educ. 2011, 22 (1), 23−52. (9) Cullen, D. M.; Pentecost, T. C. A Model Approach to the Electrochemical Cell: An Inquiry Activity. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88 (11), 1562−1564, DOI: 10.1021/ed101146u.
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