The cyclical nature of academia means that the time of change is upon us. This is the season where some may be looking for a position, some may find a new position, and some may even lose a position.

Just a reminder that some big IONiC VIPEr events are coming up in the next month or so.

The Philly ACS has been cancelled. We are looking into alternative options for doing virtual presentations.

Who among us hasn't filled up one to two (or more) pages with a teaching philosophy statement???

Whether for job, tenure, promotion, or award applications, preparing a teaching philosophy statement is a time honored tradition in academia. Buzz words are incorporated, descriptions of what we and our students are doing are included, and each statement is tailored in some way to the application guidelines.

But what if there were extreme contraints on the statement?

What if you had to capture the essence of your approach to teaching?

While graduation is a few months away, many of us are beginning to think about end of year student recognitions. The website to nominate your students for the 2020 ACS DIC Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry is now open: http://www.ionicviper.org/dicaward

Are you planning to attend the 2020 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education this summer? Consider presenting in the "Advancing Teaching in Inorganic Chemistry" symposium!

Faculty who have developed new laboratory experiences or classroom activities are welcome to submit and presenters may elect to share fully developed or pilot exercises. Inquiry and/or research-based activities are particularly welcome. Submissions related to teaching innovations at the undergraduate and/or graduate level are welcome. 

Do you wish your students would read and remember more of your syllabus? Would you like to learn about the students in your classes before the first day? A few semesters ago, a colleague introduced me to the concept of the “Interactive Syllabus”, a web-based survey delivery of syllabus content to your students prior to the first day of classes. The template is customizable and designed to be engaging, informative, and easy for students to use.

In the 1980s, actor Billy Dee Williams made his debut as the fictional character Lando Calrissian in the films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and the Return of the Jedi (1983). Williams’ portrayal as Calrissian was certainly a significant milestone for an African American actor with a prominent role in the highly successful films created by George Lucas. The Calrissian character also appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018 and was portrayed by actor Danny Glover.

During the past few years I have been thinking about the way that students record laboratory information.

We are excited to announce that our next IONiC/VIPEr summer workshop will be deep in the heart of Texas! This workshop will be held at the University of Texas – Arlington in Arlington, TX, from June 1-4, 2020.