Chemistry Professor Renee Cole wins ACS Visiting Scientist Award for work in chemistry education

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Renee Cole
Renee Cole

University of Iowa Associate Professor Renee Cole has received the Western Connecticut Section of the American Chemical Society Visiting Scientist Award, recognizing her work in chemistry education.

Cole is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. She researches how students learn chemistry, how that guides the design of instructional materials and teaching strategies, and the impact of those teaching strategies on student learning and attitudes.

As the recipient of the Visiting Scientist Award, Cole was invited to speak at the awards dinner, and also met with students and teachers at local high schools to discuss careers and future study in the field of chemistry.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.