B.S. Chemistry, University of Oregon, 1986 Ph.D. Biology, University of Utah, 1991. At Oregon since 2000.

Dr. Julie Haack, assistant department head, is a tenure-track senior instructor for introductory chemistry courses and a small Freshman Interest Group entitled “Chemistry of Skiing.” Haack’s courses engage students in the study of chemistry by incorporating green chemistry principles into the curriculum. Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Often referred to as a form of molecular-level pollution prevention, green chemistry relies on a set of principles that can be used to design or re-design molecules, materials and chemical transformations to be safer for human health and the environment.

The incorporation of green chemistry principles into the curriculum provides new opportunities to enhance the curriculum and engage a broad spectrum of students in the study of chemistry. The proactive approach that green chemistry takes appeals to students because many of them care deeply about their environment and are looking for a way to make a difference in society. Although many faculty and students recognize the benefits of a greener curriculum, widespread incorporation has been limited by the availability of educational materials and the scarcity of successful models for integrating green chemistry into the classroom and laboratory.

GEMs (Greener Educational Materials) for Chemists
http://greenchem.uoregon.edu/gems.html

GEMs is a living database of educational materials Haack designed to facilitate the identification, development and dissemination of laboratory exercises, lecture materials, course syllabi and multimedia content that illustrate chemical concepts important for green chemistry. Each item in the collection has an overview page that includes a summary of the item and its connection to green chemistry. The collection is searchable by a variety of parameters, including chemistry concepts, laboratory techniques, green chemistry principles, and target audience.

We believe that collaborative efforts to expand the database content are critical for successful adoption of the database as an effective resource. This project compliments efforts by the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency to make green chemistry educational materials more accessible to chemical educators. In addition, we hope that the database will catalyze the formation of a green chemistry education community not limited by traditional chemistry disciplines or institutional setting.

The design and development of the GEMs database has been a highly collaborative process involving the Green Chemistry Group in the Department of Chemistry and the Center for Educational Technologies at the University of Oregon. We gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundations Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE-0088986) and the following University of Oregon Groups; College of Arts and Sciences, the Instructional Technology Fellowship Program and the Department of Chemistry.

Education / Research Background

Haack began her own career in science at the UO, graduating with a B.S. in chemistry in 1986. She received her Ph.D. in biology at the University of Utah, followed by a postdoc in pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After returning to UO as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow in chemistry, she worked with Rick Dahlquist and Carlos Bustamante as a Howard Hughes Research Associate.

Before returning to the University as the Assistant Department Head for chemistry, Haack worked as the Director of Research for Emerald Diagnostics, a Eugene start-up company specializing in fine particle and diagnostic technology development and as the Director of Product Development and Design for Nutri-Logics, Inc., a biotech start-up company dedicated to designing nutritional supplements for cancer prevention. She was responsible for coordinating research to develop dietary supplements that could reduce an individual’s risk for cancer.

To Contact Dr. Haack:
Phone: 541-346-4604
jhaack@uoregon.edu

WEBMASTER
chem@uoregon.edu