Nationally, as the chemical community aspires to become more diverse, it is essential to make students of all races, ethnicities, gender expressions, and physical abilities feel welcomed and represented in the introductory courses in the field. One way to accomplish this goal is to present examples of scientists who are not traditionally included…

As a member of the team that created elements 104 and 105 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, James Andrew Harris [1932-2000] was the first African American credited in the discovery of an element. This factoid has been posted on social media, used in a quiz game, and repeated on numerous Web sites. The story (if any context is offered at all) is…

The biographical stories of scientists and engineers, particularly those from historically excluded groups, have been integrated into the curriculum for a materials science course. The goal is to help students connect and relate to the scientific content, while opening the door to conversations about social justice in the virtual classroom. We…

How often do students get to delve deeper into the lives of the scientists that are typically mentioned in a general chemistry class? Most of the time, the scientist's name is mentioned, and then their scientific contribution becomes the main topic of discussion. A Scientist Report writing assignment has been used in a General Chemistry I course…

Oscillating chemical reactions in the homogeneous phase have been studied intensively only since the mid-1960s, but they were known since 1920, having as forerunners the chemist William C. Bray and an "atypical" chemist Alfred J. Lotka. This contribution is the result of a careful reading of their literature and patient research into…

This interview provides glimpses of Joseph J. Lagowski and his life from the time he played with a Gilbert chemistry set, to his tenure at The University of Texas at Austin. His initial interest in chemistry was further nurtured and developed thanks to an excellent high school teacher. In the interview, Lagowski discusses his research in…

This article records an interview with the chemist Lord Todd, who talks about his career, his views on the education of scientists, the changes in the approach to chemistry, and the future of chemistry. (DT)

The article reports some contributions to physical-organic chemistry made by James Bryant Conant. Several chemical mechanisms which he postulated are shown to be true. (CP)

Provides highlights of women's contributions and discoveries in chemistry. Includes a chart that summarizes the awards and contributions to chemistry of 18 female scientists. (19 references) (DDR)

Describes how to incorporate scientific biographies or autobiographies into a college level organic chemistry course to increase student learning. Includes 28 references. (YDS)

A brief description on the work and life of the great physicist scientist Albert Einstein is presented. The photoelectric paper written by him in 1905 led him to the study of fluctuations in the energy density of radiation and from there to the incomplete nature of the equipartition theorem of classical mechanics, which failed to account for…

His contributions to heat and thermodynamics are discussed. He is given little recognition for his works, yet he did make significant contributions to physics. (DF)

The sequence of events preceding the actual discovery of oxygen is reviewed; the circumstances surrounding the discovery and isolation of oxygen by Priestley are examined; and the experiments he carried out are described largely in his own words, taken from his books and papers. (DT)

A presentation of the "Father of Organic Chemistry" whose fame rests on three aspects: (1) his original research; (2) his teaching ability and the legacy he left his gifted pupils; and (3) his interest and efforts in teaching to the layman. (DF)

Outlines the life of A. G. Vernon Harcourt, a founder of chemical kinetics, contributor to the purification of coal gas from sulfur compounds, inventor of the percentage chloroform inhaler, friend to Lewis Carroll, and instructor to the Prince of Wales. (CS)