NOTE: Paper application materials as described in
the announcement are required, but candidates are welcome to submit
copies of their
information
in
electronic
form
if
they
wish. Some members of the search committee will be off campus for
portions of the fall, and having at least some parts of the applications
in electronic form will facilitate our review process. The electronic
copies are most easily handled if submitted as WORD or PDF documents
attached to
email messages addressed to Mary.Blackwell@lawrence.edu.
Dr. Blackwell is chairing the search committee for this year.
Brief Information about the department for applicants:
At the bottom of this page are several links to parts of the department's
web site that may be of interest. Applicants with specific questions
about the department that are not answered on the web site are encouraged
to contact Professor
Lokensgard (current department chair) or Professor
Blackwell (chair of the search committee).
Teaching Opportunities:
This position involves primary responsibility for the department's
courses in organic chemistry. The first of these is a two-term sophomore/junior
level course, with its associated laboratory. That course has an enrollment
near 50 (see below for information about Lawrence's three-term academic
year). Some portions of that course are commonly taught by others in
the department, especially Professor Hall,
a biochemist. There is also a one-term junior/senior
level
'advanced
organic
chemistry' course.
This course has no lab, has a typical enrollment near 10, and has
been taught at least every other year. There are also opportunities
for participation in the general chemistry courses and/or special
topics of interest, along with
tutorials (individual or small group courses)
and
for supervising
students doing independent study or research.
Research Opportunities:
It is expected that the applicant hired will establish a lively program
of research that will involve undergraduates in a meaningful way, lead
to publishable results, and attract external funding
for long-term program support. The department has ample
research laboratory space in its 6-year-old building; more information
can be obtained through links below. The department budget includes
some student research funds, and the institution's "Excellence in
Science Fund" supports some student researchers, especially in the
summer.
Lawrence's Three-term Academic Calendar:
The University runs on a three-term calendar; the schedule
for the current year is available here.
The current normal teaching load is two courses per term. In the sciences,
oversight of a laboratory section is considered the equivalent of a
half course, so a single course with two lab sections is a common load
for
a term.
Each term is approximately 10 weeks of instruction followed by a week
of final examinations. Classes typically meet for either three 70-minute
or two 110-minute sessions per week, and laboratories are 3- or 4-hour
blocks, depending on the course.Contact hours thus typically range
from 7 hours per week (two classes, no labs) to about 9.5 hours per
week (one class and two lab sections), though there are some exceptions.
Potentially Useful Links:
Chemistry
on the LU Website
Chemistry Faculty
Facilities and Instrumentation
Chemistry
Courses
Information For Students
The site is undergoing some revisions, but the links
above and the pages they open, together with the links on the left
edge of this page, will provide something of an overview of the department.
The link identified as "Chemistry on the LU Website" above
is the more formal side of the department's web presence, and is primarily
directed to outside audiences and people interested in catalog content,
etc. The links on the left border of this page lead to more activities-oriented
information directed more intentionally toward current or prospective
students.