Lloyd Bastin, PhD, Widener University

"Speaking for the Trees: An academic career focused on green chemistry and sustainability education"

This talk with highlight work done during the past twelve years in the field of green chemistry and sustainability, much of the work in collaboration with undergraduate research students. Our work has led to the creation of new laboratory experiments for the sophomore organic chemistry courses, the redesign of our sophomore organic chemistry lab to involve students in the greening and research process, and the creation of a new senior level chemistry course in green synthesis and spectroscopy. I will discuss how these pedagogical projects have evolved into fundamental research projects exploring the greener synthesis of pharmaceuticals and how the research process has been imbedded into course work to further involve undergraduate students in green chemistry research. The lecture will also reflect on how making conscious decisions to focus my teaching innovations, research projects, and academic citizenship/leadership roles on sustainability and green chemistry led to a wonderful synergy in my academic life and effected change locally and nationally. I will discuss how my focus in green chemistry became a departmental focus with the Department of Chemistry and how conversations with colleagues in other departments about sustainability led to university-level change. Finally, I will discuss how the greening of the chemistry curriculum also led to a number of faculty and student led operational changes for the department and university.