We are a relatively small lab. Collaboration is a vital strategy to stay competitive with significantly larger chemistry labs at top-ranked research universities. At the moment, we have several established collaborations described in the research section. I am interested in developing more fruitful research partnerships with colleagues across disciplines. Please contact me at mroyzen@albany.edu to discuss.
Our lab has been hosting local high school teachers as part of the Questar Research Institute’s summer internships. Local high school teachers and students are encouraged to contact me for possible summer research opportunities, which are open as space and time allows. In addition, our lab regularly involves undergraduate students in summer research. Students who already completed the Organic Chemistry I and II courses, and who are willing to spend at least 20 hours per week doing hands-on research, are encouraged to contact me at mroyzen@albany.edu.
Carl Sagan said that “science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” In my courses, from Organic Chemistry (ACHM 220&221) to Chemistry of Sex, Drugs, and Sports (ACHM 101), I challenge students to engage with the science, to understand their work beyond rote memorization. All of my exams are designed to test problem solving skills and rarely contain multiple choice questions; students are encouraged to prepare a “cheat sheet” from a variety of information sources, including the textbook, internet research, classroom notes, discussions with study groups, etc., to be used in solving exam questions.