Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Degrees
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Hartwick College
Master of Science, Organic Chemistry, University of Northern
Colorado
Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Education, University of Northern
Colorado
Office: Aquinas Hall, MST 250-J
Office hours: M/W/F 1-2 pm or by
appointment
Phone: 845-569-3555
Email: jodie.wasacz@msmc.edu
Courses, Spring 2013
CHEM 2020- Organic Chemistry II (Lecture and Lab)
CHEM 1060- Introductory Chemistry II (Lecture)
BIO/CHEM 4900- Natural Sciences Seminar IV
Bio
Teaching
Prior to coming to Mount Saint Mary College, Professor Wasacz
was a visiting assistant professor at Manhattan College.
While there, she taught Chemistry for non-science majors and
General Chemistry lectures as well as Organic Chemistry (I and II)
laboratories. During graduate school, Professor Wasacz co-taught a
myriad of chemistry courses, including Chemistry for non-science
majors, General Chemistry (I and II lecture), and Organic Chemistry
(I and II lecture). Additionally, she has taught the laboratories
for General Chemistry (I and II) and Organic Chemistry (I and
II).
Currently at Mount Saint Mary College, she is teaching Intro
Chemistry for nursing majors and Organic Chemistry lecture and
laboratory.
Despite a diverse teaching background, her passion for teaching
lies in Organic Chemistry. Professor Wasacz has taught Organic
Chemistry for the past few years now and has come to enjoy the
subject as well as the challenge of teaching the subject to
students. She tries to pass on her own excitement and interest for
chemistry to my students.
Research
Professor Wasacz's research background can be divided into two
parts: Organic Chemistry and Chemical Education. Her Organic
Chemistry research interests lie in the field of solar energy. She
has done structural characterization on various dendrimers for
their potential use in organic photovoltaic cells. For this
project, she worked closely with the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. Future research interests
would be the investigation or other phenyl-cored compounds for use
in photovoltaic devices.
Her Chemical Education research interests include investigating
potential factors that could contribute to student success in
organic chemistry, chemistry in general, and science in general.
These factors could include students' preconceptions about a
course, prior experiences, and other potential factors that may
affect student success in chemistry and, more specifically, organic
chemistry. In addition, she's interested in exploring the
predictability of organic chemistry students' grades.
Extracurricular
In her spare time, Professor Wasacz enjoys various sports,
hiking, kayaking, swimming, snowboarding, music, and art.