"I am passionate about teaching and equally committed to identifying ways to help my students succeed. Now retired from active college teaching, I aspire to keep that passion alive by tutoring students in the wonders of organic chemistry, be it in helping them learn to think critically about and enjoy the subject, tackle homework problems, study for exams, etc., while identifying their strengths and potential weaknesses. As the first person in my family to attend college, I was inspired by a great teacher, namely my organic chemistry professor at Luther College. I earned B.A. degrees, with honors, in both chemistry and mathematics from Luther and eventually a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Oregon.

In all, I have 42.5 years of successful experience teaching challenging organic chemistry courses, primarily, but not exclusively, to traditional college students (i.e., those aged 18–22). Most of my organic chemistry teaching experience has been at Lewis & Clark College (37 yrs), where I was a finalist for "Teacher of the Year," but I have also taught the subject at Reed College (2.5 yrs), the University of Notre Dame (2 yrs), and Boston University (1 yr).

The final 40 years of my organic chemistry teaching was distinguished by holding unique, weekly, and compulsory 1-hour "conferences" in which students worked individually and in small groups at the blackboard on a common problem they had not encountered before. These sessions invariably involved significant tutoring and should serve as valuable experience that I can pass on to you as your tutor. In general, my organic chemistry students found me enthusiastic, highly prepared, accessible, a strong motivator, and able to answer virtually all their questions.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. The experiences I gained in working with and meeting the individual needs of students representing a wide range of skill sets in my conferences, should serve me well in providing an individualized learning experience for you." less...