Personal Information:
 
 

• Family:

David--husband of 20 years
Joshua--13 years
Hannah--11 years
Rebekah--7 years
Leah--6 years

• Hobbies:

cross-stitch, hardanger, and knitting 
Braves baseball
science education K through college

• Research Interests:

Organic chemistry reaction mechanisms and kinetics
Science Education and Pedagogy

• Worst Lab Accident:

My lab partner and I did not secure Tygon tubing to the condenser with wire.  The experiment had to run overnight and about 9 PM the tube popped off and sprayed water around the lab for several hours before it was found. The water soaked everything in the lab bench, ate the wax off the floor and flooded the computer room directly below our lab! We did a lot of apologizing and mopping the next morning.

•  Favorite Chemical Compounds:

Ethyl Acetate, a common organic solvent! There is nothing like running an experiment with the aroma of "Juicy Fruit" chewing gum filling the room.

Lithium Aluminum Hydride, a reducing agent! It is strong enough to break just about any multiple bond, easily changes one organic functional group into another, react violently for the careless chemist, requires special handling techniques and is stored at low temperatures. Using it combines interesting techniques, the thrill of danger and the joy of making a new compound.

• What I would be if I were not a Chemist:

I think I'd still be a teacher but maybe a math teacher or even an elementary school teacher.  If I was independently wealthy, I'd stay home and play with the kids.