Addressing the Millennial Student in Undergraduate Chemistry

Millennials lead highly structured and scheduled lives where they are pushed to achieve academic and professional successes and serve the greater good of the community. Advances in technology have created 24/7 connectivity, constant multitasking, and short attention spans. However, the reliance of many educators on conventional teaching methods has failed to engage this generation. What innovative strategies are being explored to highlight millennial tendencies to thrive on technology and juggle assignments? How do we reach millennial students in deep conversations while promoting critical thinking?Addressing the Millennial Student in Undergraduate Chemistry explores inventive pedagogies in chemistry classrooms that build upon the millennial students' strengths and interests. With contributions from veteran educators, this volume promises to be a valuable resource for college professors and high school science teachers.

Dr. Christopher R. Dockery is the Assistant Department Chair, Director of the Master of Science in Chemical Sciences, and Associate Professor of Chemistry at Kennesaw State University. He has established a diverse forensic analytical research group where he has supervised 42 undergraduates and one graduate student in research. His interests cover a broad range of topics in forensic and analytical chemistry that have produced numerous publications and presentations at national and regional meetings, many with student co-authors. His projects have included an analysis of drugs of abuse, forensic analysis of dyed textile fibers, and the development of novel teaching experiments in addition to his primary research on the analysis of gunshot residues by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. He routinely teaches Peer Leading in Chemistry and has supervised PLTL for general chemistry 1 and 2.

Dr. Gretchen E. Potts is the Director of Integrated Studies and UC Foundation Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For the last 12 years, she has led an active research program supervising 21 students on diverse projects. Her research interests include forensic chemistry, environmental analytical chemistry, and bioremediation. She has given presentations on her research at the Pittsburgh Conference and National ACS. She has also presented workshops on flipping the classroom to UTC faculty, as she commonly "flips" her general chemistry and instrumental lab classrooms. She recently represented UTC at AAC&U's 2014 Summer Institute on High Impact Practices and Student Success.