Biosketches of invited speakers, Institute facilitators, and ... - SENCER

Mel earned his bachelor’s of science in chemistry at DePaul University and his PhD in organic chemistry
at the University of California, Berkeley. He has taught at the College of William and Mary, the
University of Utah, and the University of Delaware during his 41-year career in higher education. He has
served as a department chair, dean, provost and acting president at the College of William and Mary and
as provost at the University of Delaware. Mel has published numerous scientific articles and book
chapters as well as written on higher education topics and chemical education. The National Science
Foundation and the Petroleum Research Fund have supported his research in the mechanisms of acidcatalyzed
and solvolysis reactions. He retains his longstanding ties with the University of Aberdeen,
Scotland as a senior research fellow, is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of
Chemistry, London, and an elected member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Society. He has served as a
member of the Board of the Medical College of Hampton Roads, Virginia and as the Chair of numerous
accreditation teams for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Middle States
Association.
Mel will deliver welcoming remarks at SSI 2010.
Patrick Schoff is a research associate for the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of
Minnesota – Duluth. He also serves as coordinator for the GLISTEN - Duluth/Superior Cluster,
organizing two and four-year colleges and universities, community-based organizations, and informal
science education venues around issues affecting Lake Superior. At SSI 2010, Pat will co-present the
concurrent session “Promoting SENCER-Based Approaches to Great Lakes Restoration.”
Additional biographical information was unavailable at the time of publication.
Amy Shachter is the associate provost for research initiatives and an associate professor of chemistry at
Santa Clara University. She received her baccalaureate at Knox College and earned her PhD in inorganic
chemistry at the University of Colorado–Boulder. Her research interests center on porphyrin synthesis.
Her work to improve undergraduate science education has been supported by the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, the National Science Foundation, and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Amy
serves as the co-director of the SENCER Center for Innovation–West and is a Senior Fellow for the
National Center for Science and Civic Engagement.
At SSI 2010, Amy will present a session on “The Basics of Community-Based Research.” She will also
co-present a session on “Integrating SENCER and Sustainability Practices on Campus” and be a panelist
on the work sessions “Pedagogy and Assessment” and “Building a Community of Practice.”
Richard D. Sheardy was born in Lake Orion, MI and received his bachelor’s of science in chemistry
education at Michigan State University. After earning his PhD in organic chemistry at University of
Florida, he had a post doctoral fellowship in biophysics at University of Rochester. He began his
academic career at the Hazleton Campus of Penn State University and then went to Seton Hall University
where he initiated his research on DNA conformation and stability. At Seton Hall, Richard mentored
sixteen PhD students. In 2006, he moved to Texas Woman’s University where he is currently professor
and chair of the department of chemistry and physics. He teaches freshman chemistry, organic chemistry
and biochemistry and continues his research focusing on the structure, stability and ligand binding
properties of DNA quadruplexes. He is on the Board of Directors for the Calorimetry Conference, is codirector
of SCI-Southwest and is a SENCER Leadership Fellow.
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