research summary
Structure and Properties of Ionic Glasses:
We study simple binary glasses
with a wide range of applications ranging from
lasing materials to cell batteries.
The work includes synthesizing the
glasses, which sometimes takes special
techniques such as roller quenching, done in
collaboration with colleagues at Coe College.
Once prepared, our studies for structural
determination focus on using optical experiments
such as IR, Raman, and UV-Vis.
Other studies include conductivity work
performed by Impedance Spectroscopy, elucidating
both structure of the glass and some basic
properties.
Theoretical work of the glasses is also
done from the Impedance work, using simple
dielectric modeling.
Pedagogical Work:
I am involved with projects
that will help teachers and students understand
and appreciate chemistry better.
Ways to relate chemical topics to
everyday life are helpful to students in order
to better understand and remember the material.
I also try to develop laboratory
experiments and demonstrations for students at
the elementary and middle school level.
Chemistry of Wine:
This is a new project I am just beginning, involving my personal interests with chemistry. We will study chemicals in wine, in particular, polyphenols. The idea is to understand what happens to these chemicals over time, with pH, and with oxidation, and to determine how this affects the wine’s color, taste, and smell.