Drugs, Steroids, Polymers: Designing
New Laboratory Experiments
 

In collaboration with students and faculty colleagues and over a period of several years, Dr. Volker has developed chemistry experiments for student use.  A number of these were published in journals associated with the National Science Teachers Association and the American Chemical Society and are in use in the Shepherd laboratory program and elsewhere.

After some thoughts on designing experiments, he will talk about as many experiments as time permits, in each case presenting the general background of science into which the experiments fit.

The range of topics includes polymers used to absorb water in diapers, steroids that reduce inflammation or that identify fungi in soil, flavor chemicals isolated from plants, drugs used to reduce fever and headaches, and more. The interaction of chemistry and biology will be emphasized.