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Faculty Interviews

Interview with Dharshi Bopegedera

Recent Teaching History
Introduction to Natural Science; Winter - Spring 2001
Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry; Winter - Spring 2001; Fall 1999
Light and Undergraduate Research in Chemistry; 1998-99
Matter and Motion; 1997-1998
Undergraduate Research in Chemistry; Fall 1997-Winter 1998
Atoms, Molecules and Research
Foundations of Natural Science
Eastern Philosophy
Ayurveda Medicine
Laboratory Science

Recent and Current Areas of Interest

Infrared spectroscopy, diversity in sciences among faculty and students.

Are there particular authors/artists/thinkers whose work you interested and which you often ask students to examine?

All chemistry and spectroscopy books, also G. Herzberg and Peter Atkins.

Are there specific areas of interest or issues you want to work with students on in the current year?

Undergraduate research in spectroscopy
Specific Skills, Competence, Techniques:

Chemical instrumentation, technical writing, quantitative skills.

What are key qualities you look for in student work?

Well disciplined, hard-working and promptness. What matters to me most is that a student is willing to work hard even if he/she does not have the required background.

What techniques do you use to assess their work?

Exams, lab work, reports, oral presentations, poster presentations, papers, homework.

How do you help students assess their work?

Test scores, grading papers, one-on-one feedback on oral and poster presentations, evaluations.

Teaching Style:
How would you characterize yourself as a teacher?

I am very honest with students. I tell them when they are doing well and also when they are doing poorly so they can make decisions based on honest feedback.
I am excited about what I teach. I won&'t teach something I'm not interested in. I do a lot of career counseling with students, and am interested in their well-being beyond their undergraduate career. I also enjoy keeping students current on scientific knowledge and preparing them to face the job market. I like getting students involved in doing science because this gets them excited about learning science.

What types of students tend to do well with you?

Those who are willing to work hard - that is the key. I've had students who were weak in background but did well because they worked hard. Also students who are well motivated and prepared.

What types of students have a hard time with you?

Those who don't want to work, are not here to learn and are completely unprepared.

What do your student evaluations say about the way you come across to students?

That I'm enthusiastic, demanding, have high expectations, am knowledgeable, organized and that students appreciated my career counseling.

Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
What qualities do you look for in a student who comes to you for work in a contract?

The ability to work independently, self-disciplined so that I don't have to be after them all the time, and preparedness to do the contract.

What information do you want to see when a person comes to look for a contract?

For a science contract, recommendations from a previous faculty member. For Ayurveda medicine, philosophy or writing contract, I want to see a sample of writing and get a recommendation from a previous faculty member.

Interviewer: Char Simons

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Last Updated: March 15, 2007