Welcome to the Towns Chemistry Education Group!

Our research group uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate the factors that affect how students learn chemistry. We invite you to learn more about our current research projects by visiting our research page! (From left to right: (front) Ashley Versprille, Dr. Marcy Towns, Kinsey Pearson, (middle) Alena Moon, Brittland Dekorver, Michael Mack, (back) Adam Kraft, Daniel Cruz-Ramirez de Arellano, Taylor Owings.

Contact

Marcy Towns
Department of Chemistry
Purdue University
560 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2084

Email: mtowns@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-496-1574
Office: WTHR 107E

Spring Office hours: Tuesday: 10:30 - 11:30 AM; Thursday: 12:30 - 1:30 PM in WTHR 107

Chemistry Education at Purdue

Purdue University is home to a group of faculty and students studying the factors that affect how students learn chemistry and how best to teach chemistry. Our research includes:

• Faculty and student perspectives of undergraduate chemistry laboratory: Goals, the curriculum and assessment
• Authentic student experiences in the laboratory
• Visual literacy in chemistry: Complements and constraints on construction of understanding
• Discussion-based physical chemistry classrooms
• Mathematics understanding and physical chemistry
• Innovative instructional materials and methods

For more information, visit the Purdue Chemistry Division of Chemical Education website.

Where We've Been

Marcy and Michael Mack traveled to the Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education in Denver, CO (February 2013).

Ashley Versprille presented her research at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco this week (December 2012).

Marcy and Nicole attended the second TRUSE (Transforming Research in Undergraduate STEM Education) Conference, June 3-7 2012 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

Daniel and Marcy both gave talks at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego, CA May 25 - 29, 2012.

Taylor and Marcy both gave talks at the National Science Teachers Association meeting in Indianapolis, May 29 - April 1, 2012.

Marcy gave a plenary talk at the 67th Northwest Regional ACS meeting in June in Boise, Idaho titled "Faculty Goals for Undergraduate Laboratory".

Ashley, Daniel, Alena, Taylor, Michael and Dr. Towns attended the 2012 BCCE at Penn State University.