Courses Taught
Davidson College
CHE 115: Principles of Chemistry: Fall 2019, Spring 2021
Who takes this class? Natural science majors (biology, chemistry, environmental science) and students on pre-health tracks. Mostly first years and sophomores with a few junior and senior students each semester.
What is covered? The structure of the atom, bonding theories, molecular structure and function, gas laws, thermodynamics and kinetics, equilibrium, an overview of acid-base chemistry.
How is the class structured? In 2019, the class was in-person, partially flipped, and focused heavily on in-class group work. In Spring 2021, the class was completely online and flipped. Students watched videos before class and filled out skeleton notes. In-class, students worked with groups to complete practice problems and take a cooperative quiz at the end of every section.
Watch Dr. GB's pre-class lecture on the Gibbs Equation
Watch Dr. GB explain the Scientific Method
CHE 106: Dyeing to Learn Chemistry: Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021
Who takes this class? Non-natural science majors of all grade levels take this course for their natural science requirement. Many students have an interest in art, crafting, or sustainable fashion.
What is covered? The course is split into 4 blocks: atomic structure, light and color, molecular structure, and dye-fiber structure and interactions. Students learn many topics that overlap with a general chemistry course at the beginning, dive into art and physics in the 2nd, organic chemistry in the 3rd, and biochemistry in the 4th. The ultimate goal is for students to leave with an understanding of how dyes attach to the clothes they wear.
Welcome to Dyeing to Learn Chemistry!
How is the class structured? Beginning in Fall 2020, this class was taught in a flipped-classroom style, remotely. Labs were online with a mix of virtual and take-home lab kits. Students watched video lectures on their own, and once in class answered a series of real-time questions moderated by the instructor before joining breakout rooms to work through application problems.
Wake Forest University
CHM 370: Biochemistry: Macromolecules and Metabolism, Fall 2018, Spring 2019
Who takes this class? Advanced undergraduate students pursuing a chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology or biology major, as well as many pre-health students.
What is covered? This covers the foundations of biochemistry from the structure and function of proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids, an introduction to cell signaling, and basic cellular metabolism, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
How is the class structured? This class was a mix of traditional lecture format and flipped classroom activities, where students watched video lectures ahead of time and worked through collaborative problem sets during class.
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In the Spring of 2019, students read excerpts from the novel Dopesick by Beth Macy, read a journal article on the structure of the mu opioid receptor, and had small group in-class discussions about the article.
CHM 371: Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
Who takes this class? Advanced undergraduate students pursuing a chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology or biology major, as well as many pre-health students.
What is covered? This 1.5 credit hour laboratory class was a research experience for students, who isolated, purified and characterized the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from cow heart. In addition to several purification techniques, students learned how to perform a Bradford Assay, SDS-PAGE gel, and immunoblotting.
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My contribution to this course was adding the use of the LDH inhibitors, oxamate and oxalate. During the kinetics portion, students determined the method of inhibition. I designed an activity for the end of the semester where students monitored the effects of LDH inhibition by oxamate on cancer cells, using the Agilent Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer.
How is the class structured? This class meets for 4 hours weekly, and students write a laboratory report for each experiment. The final project is journal-style article where students assess the success of their purification.