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Spotlight on Dr. Tom Wenzel
by Jaimie Leopold
Thomas Wenzel, Bates College Charles A. Dana Professor of Chemistry, received an early career grant from RCSA in 1982, to develop a method that uses lanthanide ions as fluorescent probes in chromatographic detections. This fall Wenzel, an analytical chemist, received the prestigious RCSA-sponsored American Chemical Society's 25th Annual Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution.
In his research he looks at phenomenon of chirality, or "the handedness" of molecules. When two molecules are mirror images of each other there can be significant implications in processes such as developing pharmaceuticals. A "right-handed" molecule of a certain chemical might have beneficial properties, but its "left - handed" counterpart might be toxic. A tragic example of this toxicity was the impact of thalidomide on pregnant women in the 1950s and '60s.
Wenzel's research with NMR spectroscopy has contributed to the understanding of chiral compounds.
One application for this research occurs in a sensitive method developed for detecting vapors absorbed from explosive devices. Wenzel has received more than $2 million dollars in grants from many funders, including NSF, and he has had many partners in this work. Currently he collaborates with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. And he also dedicates at least 20 percent of his time to conducting research at Bates College, where, he says, he considers his undergraduate students to be collaborative partners.
Wenzel maintains it's vital to have an active summer research program to promote scholarly excellence as well as excellence in teaching science.
In his years at Bates he has gradually evolved his teaching technique:
"It took me a while to realize that I was teaching science the way I had learned science, and that I had never experienced research when I was an undergraduate. I only knew to how lecture."
Over his first few years of teaching, however, he found himself observing how students learn. "I saw that the biggest thing was involving students in the lab. The context of conducting research in the lab resulted in deeper understanding and better recollection of the objectives for the course."
Wenzel, who is a passionate advocate for undergraduate research opportunities and served as the president of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) in 1996-1997, argues that conducting research is essential in the PUI environment. "It enables faculty to stay connected to the community of their peers, and it empowers students working together to solve problems, conduct investigations and share knowledge and opinions."
Reflecting on receiving the 2010 ACS Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution, he noted in an interview for his college newsletter, Bates Views, that the award is doubly gratifying because it honors his direct contribution to chemistry and his ongoing research, as well as the ripple effect created by inspiring students to pursue careers in science.