2004 FPG Summer Project #00113

Last Modified: Mar 24, 2004

Name	College	Department or Division
Sujatha Krishnaswamy	Chandler-Gilbert Community College	Chemistry
Employee ID	E-mail Address	Work Phone
xxxxxxxx	sujatha.krishnaswamy@cgcmail.maricopa.edu	480 988 8109
Project
Title		Location
Frontiers in Organic Chemistry		Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Group Application
This is not a group project

Project Dates and Amounts
	Summer I view timeline details	Summer II view timeline details
Timeline Dates	Jun 21 - Jun 26, 2004	(none)
Hours	36	0
Wages	$800.28	$0.00
Registration Fees	2,195.00	0.00
Subtotals	$2,995.28	$0.00
Total Proposal Amount		$2,995.28

Details
Abstract Write a concise overview with descriptive information about your project (location, time span, etc.) not to exceed 120 words. To take advantage of spelling and word count tools, you can compose this in a blank Word document, copy the text, and paste it in below (all formatting will be reset to normal text).
“Frontiers in Organic Chemistry” is a comprehensive survey of organic chemistry presented by internationally renowned teachers and researchers in the field of organic chemistry. The workshop will be held at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA from June 21-26, 2004. This six day long workshop covers topics such as both print and web based chemical libraries, retrosynthesis, reaction mechanisms, novel organic reactions, new strategies and methods in organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, computations and molecular modeling in organic chemistry, and molecular orbital theory of reactivity. The workshop is a combination of presentations, discussions and hands on activities. It is an opportunity for scientists and educators to learn the latest developments in organic chemistry over the past five years.
Purpose Explain your purpose in depth and include relevancy and components of the project. Include a statement of goals and objectives. This is what you want to do and why.
The purpose of this project is twofold, 1) to improve my ability to rationally address problems in designing reactions, reagents, and synthetic strategies in organic chemistry; and 2) to broaden my breadth of knowledge on a variety of topics from traditional to modern organic chemistry, including computational organic chemistry. The goals I hope to attain include improving my ability to solve practical work-related problems in organic chemistry lectures and laboratories and gain additional knowledge in computer aided visualization of organic structures. By attaining the above goals, I should be able to reach the following objectives. First, I would like to introduce virtual or computer molecular modeling, a visual means of understanding abstract concepts in organic chemistry for both the one semester and the one year organic chemistry programs at CGCC. Second, I would like to develop a database that stores information on a variety of topics in organic chemistry from the most current literature. I hope to attain these goals and objectives by participating in the following activities conducted during the workshop. I will be taking part in a series of group activities specifically tailored to obtain no-nonsense, result-oriented training to improve my performance as an educator. The activities include trouble shooting problematic or inefficient organic reactions, comparing traditional and contemporary synthetic strategies, and performing molecular modeling and evaluating reliability of these models. The workshop also has activities devoted to both print and Web-based library design. Generation of a large variety of organic structures for drug design forms the basis of computational chemistry. Discussions on this current topic is scheduled for an entire day during this six day workshop. This workshop will provide me with the necessary information in Web based library design to start developing an organic chemistry database that stores information from journals, publications, and American Chemical Society meetings on important and interesting topics that are most pertinent to the one semester and one year organic chemistry programs I teach. Both students and faculty can access this database if they would like to obtain additional information on a specific topic. For example, all the latest and important developments in ring cyclization reactions will be listed in this database as references to periodicals, transactions, books and proceedings. The workshop will also provide me with opportunities to expand my knowledge of molecular modeling and computational methods for prediction of organic structures, properties and spectral data. The workshop presents the latest information in computer aided modeling as applicable to stereochemistry, a three dimensional method of viewing organic structures. With the help of the newly acquired information, I can introduce virtual molecular modeling both in the lectures and in laboratory exercises.
Professional Growth Your own professional growth is a large part of your project. Your professional growth is important to you, your students, and possibly other colleagues. How will this project affect you professionally? What skills will you learn? What environment will you be working in, and how will it influence your teaching or other responsibilities?
The six day lecture and demonstration series, hosted by American Chemical Society, will be attended by world renowned experts, educators and chemists from various institutions. This workshop is a great opportunity for me to meet and exchange my views and opinions with peers. I will be provided with opportunities to discuss teaching strategies and consult pioneers in organic chemistry. I will learn new and emerging advances in organic reactions, reagents, theories and techniques in organic chemistry. I will be exposed to both traditional and contemporary organic chemistry, and this will greatly improve my ability to approach a problem in organic synthesis. I will gain insights into the new strategies by which complex molecules are assembled. I will be introduced to emerging strategies in molecule synthesis, for example, cascade techniques that are employed to produce compounds of high complexity. I will develop skills to trouble shoot inefficient reactions and reactions that proceed with poor yield. I will also obtain information on new applications in molecular orbital theory, the basis of many concepts in organic chemistry. I will also be introduced to the latest chemical tools for studying reactions. Stereochemistry is an integral part of organic chemistry. This workshop will also focus on modeling reactions involving stereoselective reagents and catalysts. All of the above skills not only contribute to my own professional growth but will also help me in designing a database that will store references and information for both students and other organic chemistry faculty. A particular skill that will be gained by attending this workshop is a teaching method that combines plastic (physical models) and computerized models (virtual). Gaining knowledge in modeling and computational methods will help me define abstract concepts more clearly. This skill will enable me to understand chemistry at both levels, two dimensional and spatial. This workshop stresses modeling in all aspects of chemistry. As a science educator, gaining knowledge in this area will help me visualize ideas and processes, explain theories, phenomena and rules. Having a knowledge of molecular modeling will help me provide simulation and graphics that animate my lectures. These animations will help me build dynamic mental models and make my presentations more effective in classrooms. This in turn, will help me foster a meaningful learning environment. The powerful capability of molecular models opened the way to advanced research in chemistry, resulting, among other things, in winning the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1988. Being aware of the latest developments of this technique is definitely important to my professional growth as an educator. The workshop will expand my knowledge of contemporary organic chemistry, not usually provided in great detail in organic chemistry texts.
Benefits
Select the primary area of benefit:	Benefits to your colleagues or department
What benefit is this project to the group checked above? What new information, ideas, attitudes, skills, appreciation, etc. will you bring back?
The primary benefit will be to my colleagues and the chemistry department both at CGCC and other colleges in the district. This workshop presents new and evolving developments from literature, both in organic chemical theory and synthesis. After returning from the workshop, I’ll embark on putting together a database that contains references to current literature that relates to topics covered in CHM230, CHM235 and CHM236. The database can be used in a variety of ways to benefit faculty. It will serve as a reference source of additional information on various topics and also serve as a place to research information for new and exciting laboratory experiments, reactions and reagents. The database will be available on the CGCC chemistry division’s website for perusal. A chemistry database of this nature is not currently available in this district. Attending this workshop will provide me with enough information to build a database. A database of this nature can be put together using Microsoft Access and I have the necessary skills to use and apply this software application. It is hoped that educators can take advantage of such a computerized environment (database) to enrich their knowledge of the current trends in organic chemistry. Understanding spatial structure and orientation has always been a source of difficulty for organic chemistry students. Although use of plastic molecular models such as ball and stick models has been widespread in the chemistry community, computer models provide speed and flexibility and a broader range of application. Computer models will eliminate problems associated with superficial visualization of molecules. Instructors can spend more time on the analysis of models such as bond angles, bond lengths and spatial structure and less time on construction. The combination of physical plastic models and virtual computerized modeling will provide a meaningful learning environment in classrooms. I would implement these ideas in my own classroom, would share the knowledge with other faculty, and encourage them to utilize this technique to alleviate difficulties students have with model perception. It is hoped that the use of these computerized models will help chemistry faculty make predictions of reaction outcomes, guide laboratory investigations, explain outcomes and facilitate and promote discussions in lectures and labs.