Kurt Seidman (e-mail)
Chair of the Chemistry Department and Professor of Chemistry
B.S., Washington and Lee University; M.S., University of South Carolina; Ph.D., Colorado State University

Kurt Seidman expects his students to contribute and to work hard.

"I have very high standards, and I impose them in class," he says. "The students are going to get their money's worth. They are going to get as much education in my class as I can give them."

Seidman believes the College's long-time reputation comes from its rigorous academic program.

"When I was at W&L, their students seemed intimidated by the students here," he says. "The academic reputation was what impressed me the most about this school."

Seidman, who teaches physical chemistry, general chemistry and advanced courses in physical chemistry, has taught at Mercer University in Georgia and Clemson University. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi.

His research fields include the application of molecular orbital theory and lasers to chemistry.

Seidman is passionate about baseball, and can often be found supporting his favorites: the Orioles, Phillies and Dodgers - but never the Yankees.

William Bare (e-mail)
Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.S., Chemistry, Florida State University; Ph.D., University of Virginia

I began teaching at Randolph College thinking that I would only be here a year. But when the opportunity arose to make the temporary position permanent, it wasn’t hard to make a decision. Randolph is a completely different world than I was accustomed to from my educational background at large state universities, and I really liked the personal feel to the college. The red brick campus began to feel like home almost immediately.

I knew early on that I wanted to go into teaching. As an undergraduate at Florida State University, I tutored chemistry students and worked as a teaching assistant. The challenge of finding ways to make the complex understandable and the satisfaction of seeing someone finally “get it” were and continue to be my motivation. My teaching philosophy is focused on understanding the concepts which underlie chemical phenomena. Of course, most chemistry courses have a large quantitative component, but for me it is just as important for students to explain why something happens as it is to calculate the result. In my classes, students will spend much of their time analyzing diagrams, graphs and chemical demos and not just performing calculations.

Of the courses I teach (General, Analytical, Environmental, and Inorganic Chemistry), the Environmental course is my favorite because it brings together all of the material learned in introductory courses and places it in the context of important national global issues. Smog, ozone depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, alternative fuels, and ground water contamination are all issues of tremendous current importance, and are also all issues that cannot be understood without understanding the chemistry of the species and processes involved. Although many of these issues represent great concerns, they also provide great opportunities.

As the United States contemplates its dependence on foreign oil, there has been an explosive increase in research related to industrial production of alternative fuels. Well trained chemists will be essential in developing these technologies. Chemists will also be at the forefront in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cleaning up polluted rivers and streams, and in the development of greener alternatives to current industrial practices. Truly, this is a time in which chemists can expect many new challenges and many exciting opportunities.

For the last several years, my research with students has focused on remediation of lead-contaminated soil. Lynchburg, with its many stately and historic homes, has many areas in which lead from paint on older houses has contaminated the surrounding soil. This lead contamination is a serious health hazard, particularly for children. My students have conducted research on the migration of lead in soil and on novel strategies for remediation of lead in contaminated sites. Most notably, my students have investigated phytoremediation, which is the use of plants to remove lead from the soil. This is a new technology, but is one that is rapidly gaining recognition as a cost effective and environmentally friendly remediation strategy.

When not in the classroom or lab, you can find me tending the garden, cooking, or cheering for the ‘Noles with my wife Sally and son Jack.

Ann Fabirkiewicz (e-mail)
Professor of Chemistry
B.S., University of Michigan; Ph.D., University of Tennessee

I knew I wanted to be an organic chemist in high school and that I wanted to teach it at the college level when I was a sophomore at the University of Michigan, so I'm pretty sure I've found my dream job! I also get to teach Biochemistry, a course in nutrition and Topics in Organic Chemistry. My current research interests involve the study of various techniques to quantify antioxidants in the lab, and the investigation of tyrosinase enzyme kinetics.

I advise students interested in the health professions and really enjoy helping students both sort out their interests in the many fields available and help them work through the admissions prerequisites and required paperwork.

When I'm not at my office, my husband and I can often be found on the sidelines of my son's Little League or basketball games. My hobbies are reading, sewing and crocheting.

William Mattson (e-mail)
Professor of Chemistry
B.S., University of Virginia; M.S., American University; Ph.D., University of Virginia

My passion is teaching. I am one of the richest people on the planet in that I get paid for doing something I thoroughly enjoy.

In all of my classes, I expect my students to work hard and to strive for excellence.

Accomplishments are not measured in how many details are memorized or in how many processes are mastered. What is important is that a true, quality understanding is achieved, such that the student both sees the world with different eyes and can deal with the challenges in her future.

To improve my ability to communicate an understanding of chemistry, I have spent the previous nine summers teaching general chemistry at the University of Virginia.

A memorable piece of student feedback: "I took the chemistry test. I didn't know the answers to all of the questions, but what I did not know I could figure out. I made a perfect 800."

In addition to teaching general, analytical, and instrumental chemistry and to working both on and off campus with students on research projects, I offer a popular course in creative and critical problem solving. The students greatly improve their abilities to think and to solve problems. A memorable piece of student feedback came from a student after a summer: "After I was working on my job for two weeks everyone was calling me MacGyver because I was so good at problem solving."

I have been an American Chemical Society tour speaker, evidently one of a half dozen in the state of Virginia and at last check the only one in the state from a liberal arts college. The topic, "Creative Problem Solving in Research"

It is very important to me that my students like me, but what is most important is that, 10 years into their futures, they are grateful for what they have learned.

Amanda Wentzel (e-mail)
Laboratory Technician
B.S., Illinois State University

As a laboratory technician my job entails everything from laboratory safety, hazardous waste, laboratory preparation, chemical ordering and inventory, and instrument maintenance to helping with the Summer Research Program. I also enjoy supervising student workers who help with these duties.

When I'm not busy at work I relax with my husband, Ed, two dogs, cat and parrot. I also enjoy gardening, fostering humane society kittens, motorcycling and restoring our 1978 Mustangs.