Abstract
I first fell in love with chemistry in high school, admiring the patterns in the periodic table which allowed prediction of the properties of the different elements, enjoying the challenge of balancing equations and stoichiometry, and recognizing the potential for solving societal problems with chemistry. Even before that, I had fallen in love with babies. My sister was born when I was 10 years old, and we shared a room. Her sweet smile and joy at discovering the world were irresistible.
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Acknowledgments
There were many people along the way who served as my mentors. As an undergraduate at the State University of New York, my physical chemistry professor, Dr. A.J. Yencha, provided me with the opportunity to conduct research with him. He provided invaluable advice when I applied to graduate school. My PhD dissertation advisor, Dr. Alan Myerson, was extremely understanding and supportive of my family needs. He helped me to develop a research project where much of the work could be done at home using the computer. He made sure that I had access to the resources needed in the laboratory. He was a brilliant scientist combining his responsibilities as department chair with an active research program. He was patient when experiments lead to a dead end and helped me to develop more successful approaches.
Throughout my professional life, mentors continued to play an important role. As mentioned earlier, once I became the dean of Arts and Sciences, I wrote a successful National Science Foundation $1 million STEP grant to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at my institution. My program director, Dr. Susan Hixson, provided much-needed advice on how to successfully manage a large, multidimensional grant. Through annual meetings for principal investigators, I became part of a national community dedicated to student success, sharing information and ideas. I was asked to review proposals and met Program Director Elizabeth Dorland, who purposely arranged connections within the chemical education community. Through her intentional networking, I met Dr. Rick Moog, principal investigator (PI) on several NSF grants, and was able to introduce process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) on my campus. I also met Dr. David Burns, another PI, and helped my campus join the Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) community. Both initiatives led to innovative curriculum and improved teaching.
The support and love of my husband, Harvey, and my three children made becoming “mom the chemistry professor” possible. For that I am forever grateful.
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About the Author
About the Author
Education and Professional Career
- 1977:
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BS Chemistry, summa cum laude, State University of New York at Albany (now University at Albany—SUNY), Albany, NY
- 1979:
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SM Chemical Engineering Practice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- 1989:
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PhD Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic University (now NYU Tandon School of Engineering), Brooklyn, NY
- 2012–present:
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Associate Provost, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY
- 2005–2012:
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Dean of the School of Arts and Science, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY
- 2011–2012:
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Program Director, NSF DUE
- 2003–present:
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Associate Professor: New York City College of Technology, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY
- 1998–2002:
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Assistant Professor: New York City College of Technology, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY
- 1993–1998:
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Visiting Assistant Prof., Chemical Engineering Department, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ
- 1980–1981:
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Staff Scientist, PALL Corporation, Glen Cove, NY
- 1978–1980:
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Chemical Engineer, Catalyst Research Dept., American Cyanamid, Stamford, CT
Honors and Awards (Selected)
- 2013–2015:
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Selected to serve on the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Barriers and Opportunities in Completing Two and Four Year STEM Degrees
- 2013–2014:
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Member of the American Chemical Society Committee on Technician Affairs
Pam was honored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for 5 years of service to the Project SEED program for serving as a volunteer summer research mentor for economically disadvantaged but promising high school (HS) students interested in chemistry.
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Brown, P.A.M. (2018). If at First You Don’t Succeed, Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams. In: Woznack, K., Charlebois, A., Cole, R., Marzabadi, C., Webster, G. (eds) Mom the Chemistry Professor . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78972-9_5
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