Page 2 - UMN Chemnews December 2020

DECEMBER 2020
Department of Chemistry Head
David Blank
Writer/Editor
Eileen Harvala
Designer
Julie Longo
Department of Chemistry
College of Science & Engineering University of Minnesota
Smith Hall
207 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to excellence in education, research, and public service. We strive towards these goals through world-class teaching in the classroom and labora- tory, research aimed at solving some of society’s most important human health, energy, and environmental problems, fostering an environment of safety, and embracing diversity of communities and ideas to benefit Minnesota, the nation, and the world.
This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests
to Eileen Harvala at 612-624-0831 or harva015@umn.edu.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. The University’s mission, carried out on multi- ple campuses and throughout the state, is threefold: research and discovery, teaching and learning, and outreach and public service.
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2 Chemnews December 2020
message from the Department Head
IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER. I am always amazed by the accom- plishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. My confidence in our team has never wavered. Then came a once-in-a-gener- ation test of a global pandemic, followed by
a national focus on social justice and racism accelerated by the murder of George Floyd
in Minneapolis. In the middle of the spring semester, our classes were suddenly redesigned and reenvisioned for online delivery, including our laboratory courses. Our research laborato- ries were placed into a state of hibernation. In response, our department came together like never before. We prioritized everyone’s safety, developed creative ways to deliver course content, and created new laboratory operating procedures that allowed research to move for- ward safely. Participants at every level stepped up in ways that seemed almost unimaginable, taking on additional responsibilities and providing critical emotional support to their colleagues. At a time when the circumstances felt overwhelming and relentless, the refrain from this team was “how can I help” and “we will make it work.”
The pivot, as it is locally referred to, from in-person to remote instruction really high- lighted the dedication our department has
to our students. There are multiple examples detailed in the stories in this issue. One that stands out nationally is the redesign of our general chemistry laboratories. As chemists, we know that the hands-on experience is founda- tional to laboratory instruction and learning. When COVID safety protocols required the closing of classrooms, including teaching lab- oratories, many institutions moved exclusively to video recordings of laboratory experi- ments. Our faculty and staff decided that was not enough. Within a few weeks, Professor Michelle Driessen redesigned the laborato-
ries so the students could safely do them at home. With little advance notice, Director
of Operations Chuck Tomlinson, and Senior Laboratory Coordinator Diana Mayweather, Ph.D., and her teaching lab staff somehow met the daunting challenge of assembling and distributing 2,500 fully stocked laboratory take-home kits for the fall semester. This truly exemplifies our department’s dedication to
the highest quality education we can provide whatever the circumstance might be. It was also an outstanding example of how we work as a team, with hundreds of hours of volunteer work by students, faculty, and staff from across our department assembling the kits.
It is more important than ever to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate some of our awards and accomplishments. You
will find many examples from our alumni, students, faculty, and staff throughout this edition of ChemNews. Our department is very proud to recognize the exceptional career and accomplishments of alumna Jeannette Brown, establishing a new lectureship in her honor (page 16). This year, graduate student Kang Xiong-Hang became one of the first Hmong women in the United States to earn
a doctorate in chemistry (page 15). We are also celebrating the immense contributions
of three extraordinary staff members with more than 77 years of combined service to our department, Joseph Franek, Eileen Harvala, and Victor Munsch (page 7). They have
been pillars of our department and critical
to success in all aspects of our mission. They will be missed as we wish them the very best in what comes next. As we celebrate the end of these successful careers, we also celebrate new beginnings. This summer we welcomed an exceptional new faculty member, Assistant Professor Jessica Lamb (page 13).
A year like no other...with amazing accomplishments
continued on page 19
Department Head David Blank