April 28, 2023
Teaching at Shawnee State University since 2012, Dr. Derek Jones focuses first on building a good relationship with his students in the Department of Natural Sciences.
“If a student is more comfortable talking to you then they are going to be more comfortable learning the material,” he said, noting that he likes to tell jokes and have a laid-back style as part of his teaching.
Dr. Jones’s teaching focus is on organic chemistry, pre-med studies, general chemistry, and advanced synthesis. In his classes, he emphasizes that repetition is the key, making sure that there is weekly homework and weekly quizzes to allow everything to build so by the time students get to the exam, everything is embedded by repetition. Using this method, he hopes he’s able to make chemistry less intimidating to his students.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Jones is also the advisor for the university’s Chemistry Club. In the past, he would host numerous outreach opportunities for the area’s Talented & Gifted programs as well as for students visiting campus. In his programming, he would host demonstrations about chemistry, including making ice cream with liquid nitrogen.
“One of my passions is to get kids interested in science early,” he said.
At SSU, the Chemistry program offers students three different degree tracks. The General Track prepares graduates for direct entry into the chemical workforce; the Industrial Track teaches a broad overview of chemistry while allowing for additional coursework in various science specialties; and the Pre-Pharmacy Track allows students to gain a foundation of course work in four areas of Chemistry while also meeting the common pre-requisites for pharmacy school. Research opportunities are available for all students enrolled in the program as well one-on-one work opportunities with faculty members in a dedicated research lab space.
To learn more about the Chemistry program at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/chemistry.