Exciting Students and Molecules

"I want to give students an understanding of the scientist grappling with nature," says Chemistry Professor Charles Braun, who explains that his goal is to go beyond facts to instill the idea of chemistry as a process. Clearly, students like the idea; more than 150 flock to the introductory chemistry class that he and Professor David Lemal teach. Actually engaging the students in the process is more difficult. Braun's own academic specialization is the photophysics of organic molecules, a fairly obscure topic for most undergraduates. Braun, who has been at Dartmouth since 1965, says he has grown to appredate the special relationship between the College's teachers and students, and he worries that the emphasis on teaching may be eroding. Although he notes that the tenure process continues to value teaching ability, "the institutional rewards or scholarly pursuits are more obvious than those for good teaching."

Charles Braun's research is often over the heads of his students. He worries that teaching won't be emphasized.