Summer still has several weeks to go unless you’re a Reed prof whose job it is
to teach a large course like o-chem on Aug 31 and you’ve got to get
READY. Here are some items to help returning students (if you want to know what I did for MY summer vacation, skip to the next page):
- O-chem (201) students: go to the Chem 201-202 home page for news and instructions (there’s also a link on this page under Courses). The 201-202 site will be updated many times in August so keep checking back.
- Transfer courses:
I am no longer the Chem dept chair so I will not be signing credit
transfer requests (see below for one important exception). If you want to transfer
a “foreign” chemistry course, see our new dept chair, Ron McClard, but
first read the Transfer Credit instructions (there’s also a link on this page under Visitors). The exception: if you want to transfer geology course credit, come see me (and please read the Transfer Credit instructions). - Chem seniors looking for thesis projects:come
see me. I have two types of projects to offer you this year: lab experiments directed at the
synthesis and study of new Fe-TAML oxidation catalysts, and
small-molecule computational experiments that can be directed at any
topic of mutual interest. Project descriptions will eventually be posted in the Research zone (there’s also a link on this page under Visitors). - Green science project: the Project entered a dormant phase last spring, but its ready to be rebooted this fall with a new band of student volunteers. Want to get
involved? Read the latest post [posted 8/30/09] on the Green Science blog to see what I have in mind (and send me your comments, supportive or otherwise)
Oh, and here’s what I did for my summer vacation:
- home maintenance – new water heater installed; cleaned garage (basement & attic – you’d better watch out because you could be next); pulled weeds and cut back berries for a solid week in Manzanita
- car maintenance – after neighbors crashed into my big white van in two separate accidents, I bought a spanking new 2010 Prius (sadly, I couldn’t take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program)
- lab maintenance – my three research assistants spent over a week getting everything sorted out (and then re-sorted after water started dripping through the ceiling and we had to move lots of equipment)
- research – worked with three paid assistants (Elizabeth Ogden, Matt Milton, Ian MacDonald) on synthesis of Fe-TAML oxidation catalysts, and with one volunteer (Ian McCullogh) on density functional investigation of competing sigmatropic rearrangement/electrocyclic ring closure reactions
- culture – read some good books; watched several good movies; saw four terrific plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (The Servant of Two Masters, The Music Man, All’s Well That Ends Well, Don Quixote); saw an amazing performance of Mike Daisey‘s latest creation (The Last Cargo Cult); along with my daughter, I attended the July and August First Thursday gallery openings; along with my wife, I attended the Andrew Wyeth: Remembrance exhibit at the Seattle Art museum
- sports – did as much tai chi and biking as my crummy ankle would allow, then gave up and resumed swimming for exercise (up to 20 lengths and counting); along with my daughter, I watched Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona smack around the Seattle Sounders from the south end zone of Qwest Field (Barca 4 – Sounders 0)
- meditation – attended several sessions of Zen Center of Portland‘s month-long intensive; attended Zen Community of Oregon‘s regular Tuesday nite sessions
- technology – replaced my home page (work in progress); replaced my laptop and desktop computers (oy, I hate new computers, but I can’t live without them)
