Leslie A. Bishop, Ph.D.
Department Co-Chair, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Education
B.S., Boston College
Ph.D., Boston College

I received a B.S. in chemistry and Ph.D. in organometallic/inorganic chemistry from Boston College. Most of my research for my thesis focused on the Group IV Transition Metallocenes.

One project dealt with the reduction of these compounds by magnesium in the presence of nitrogen-containing bidentate ligands, such as 2,2'-bipyridyl and 2,2'-biquinoline. Another project involved the reduction of olefins by the Cp2MCl2/Mg system (M = Ti, Zr, Hf). It was determined that the cyclopentadienyl rings of the metallocene moiety were the single source of reduction of alkenes. Also present in the product composition were dimers of the olefin.

In the case of both of these projects, all of the reactions had to be carried out in an inert atmosphere due to the compounds' sensitivity to air and moisture. Schlenk techniques were essential in carrying out this research.

Courses Taught
I teach general chemistry and a general education course in science for non-science majors. I also have been part of a teaching team in the graduate education program in which the courses involved the natural sciences in the elementary classroom. In addition, I have been a First Year Seminar instructor/advisor.

Educational Interests
General chemistry curriculum
I am very interested in learning about different approaches to teaching general chemistry in the classroom and the laboratory. Implementation of technology is very essential in this process. My general chemistry students utilize programs such as Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Science curriculum in the elementary school classroom
The courses I taught in the graduate program of education were based on the Massachusetts Math and Science Frameworks. Hands-on activities and technology played a large part in the learning process. Students evaluated educational Web sites and CD-ROMs dealing with the topics discussed throughout the semester. They were also encouraged to carefully use the Internet as a resource for a curriculum unit and annotated bibliography.

Recently, I have been a member of a team leading a week-long math and science workshop funded by a Title II federal grant. Participants are Catholic school teachers from Boston. I taught the science portion for K1-K. I enjoy researching age-appropriate activities for this grade level, since I feel it is vital to instill in youngsters the wonder of science.

Environmental Topics
The environment is a primary focus for one of my sections of the general education course. I am always interested in finding different activities to reinforce the concepts presented in class. I also enjoy finding different thought-provoking questions to discuss. These questions address the scientific principle but also involve a social, political, or economical aspect.

I feel these types of discussion questions are essential, especially when the student population of this course includes majors of different disciplines. It is their opportunity to express their opinions and share the expertise of their fields.

Personal Interests
I have been a diehard Red Sox fan ever since I was a little girl. I also love to bake and, most importantly, I love spending whatever free time I have with my husband and our two daughters.