08/11/2020
Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Melissa Denler, a new visiting professor who will be joining the chemistry department here at Gustavus. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota, Morris, where she was able to focus on academics. In addition, she was also able to participate in soccer and track and field. Before coming to Gustavus, she taught at St. Olaf College, teaching organic chemistry. She found that she enjoyed teaching organic chemistry through courses that she taught as she was pursuing her Ph.D. She likes teaching organic chemistry because it is the students’ first jump from general chemistry. After learning the principles of organic chemistry, they can apply it to novel reactions. Although her main focus is inorganic chemistry, she incorporates many aspects of organic synthesis, and applies inorganic chemistry into biological systems, allowing her to integrate many enjoyable aspects of chemistry into her teaching. Her research interests do just that! She creates cobalt metal complexes that she can insert to clean up chemical waste, such as dehalogenating halogenated waste.
She pursued her Ph.D at the University of Kansas and was able to gain experience in teaching. She had an epiphany while she was here; she wanted to teach sophomores at the university level, however, teaching a class of 300 students prevented her from building a one on one relationship with her students. After completing her Ph.D, she spent a year at St. Olaf and fell in love with the environment. She was able to work with them in the lab and see them in the hallway, reassuring that this strong connection with her students was more apparent at a liberal arts college. This also reminded her of her undergraduate experience.
So the real question is, “why Gustavus?” It was clear that she enjoyed the smaller environment and the strong connections she had with the students, but what stood out to her was that Gustavus has a really strong chemistry program and dedicated and resilient students. She also loves Minnesota, and with this strong combination of amazing students, program, and state, she knew Gustavus was a college she would love working at.
At Gustavus, she will be able to apply her methods of teaching. A fresh face in the chemistry department is always a plus and will provide new perspectives. Throughout any university or college, each professor has their own pedagogy. With Melissa, it is clear that she is passionate about her students and teaching. Although there are some aspects that are different from the professors at Gustavus, there are also many that are similar. When describing her pedagogy, students must “practice, practice practice.” As a big believer in practicing a lot, she provides many resources so that students are able to apply their knowledge and solidify it so they can recognize topics in novel situations. She also finds that group work is effective, as this allows students to discuss their initial thoughts and reframe them as they discuss amongst one another. Then, she can gauge the class by using notecards, and see if students are understanding the material.
Lastly, Melissa is excited to come to Gustavus. She was able to experience the track here in undergrad and loves the beautiful campus. To prospective and current students, she provides advice: “be open to new classes and different ideas! Take classes that you may not necessarily feel comfortable with.” This allowed her to have a well-rounded education and apply her knowledge to real-world situations.
