Renee Cole, Juliette Lantz, and Suzanne Ruder to receive the 2023 James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) will present the 2023 James Flack Norris Award to:
Renée Cole
Professor of Chemistry
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Juliette Lantz
Professor of Chemistry
Drew University, Madison, New Jersey
and
Suzanne Ruder
Professor of Chemistry
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Professors Renee Cole, Juliette Lantz, Suzanne Ruder
Drs. Cole, Lantz, and Ruder are being recognized for their collaborative work on the Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM (ELIPSS) Project. As STEM education has shifted to more student-centered active learning, the ability of students and teachers to assess (and self-assess) the professional skills required for efficient teamwork, which encompasses group dynamics and individual intellectual components, was a critical unmet need. The ELIPSS Project addresses this need using a two-fold strategy; first by creating curriculum materials that allow assessment of these professional skills, and second, through the development of rubrics to help guide a STEM instructor, or a student team, to assess skills and then to actively engage in improving those skills.
Their contributions to chemistry education on the ELIPSS Project highlight how the thoughtful development of the assessment of process skills, including the development of rubrics, can or may have application at all levels; the rubrics can be used by instructors of chemistry from high school to the postsecondary level. The ELIPSS Project allows students from all STEM disciplines to self-assess their ability to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively. These process skills are crucial for the development of a workforce that is prepared, agile and in possession of the interpersonal, communication, and cognitive skills necessary to be effective team players. In addition to the ELIPSS project, all three are active participants in the Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) project. Collectively, this trio have been early implementers of POGIL in large classrooms, served on The POGIL Project steering committee, authored textbooks for POGIL (analytical and organic focused), and have led faculty workshops and seminars both in the US and internationally.
The James Flack Norris Award is the first national award for outstanding achievement in the teaching of chemistry. Established in 1950 by NESACS to honor the memory of James Flack Norris, Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a teacher of great repute the award recognizes dedicated teachers of chemistry at any level whose efforts have had a wide-ranging effect on chemical education.
For further information about the James Flack Norris Award, contact Christine A. Caputo (caputo.unh@gmail.com)
Additional details will be forthcoming on the NESACS website, www.nesacs.org.
NESACS has nearly 7000 members and fosters the advancement of chemistry and chemical engineering, the promotion of research in chemical science and industry, the improvement of the qualifications of chemists and chemical engineers through high standards of educational and professional ethics, the increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge, and the promotion of scientific interests and inquiry. More information on NESACS initiatives can be found at our website, www.nesacs.org. For press inquiries about NESACS, contact Jack Driscoll and Jennifer Maclachlan, Public Relations at pidguy@aol.com and pidgirl@gmail.com, respectively.
