spring 2014 / 9
FACULTYNEWS
Chemistry students usuallydon’t have
trouble learning facts andfigures and
solvingproblems. But theymay struggle
withhow to frame researchquestions,
how to think about variables, andhow to
set up an experiment, says BSCProfessor
of ChemistryDr. Laura Stultz.
This observation ledher tohone
amethod that combines hands-on
exploration in the lab and in-depth
discussion to guide students through
challenges andmodel how science is
doneprofessionally. It alsohelped Stultz
earn the titleof 2013AlabamaProfessor
of theYear from theCouncil for
Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE) and theCarnegie Foundation
for theAdvancement of Teaching. She
traveled toD.C. inNovemberwhere
all of theProfessors of theYear—36
nationally—were awarded certificates.
“This is awonderful honor forme
and the college,” says Stultz, who is the
fourthBirmingham-Southernprofessor
to earn thedistinction. “I agreed tobe
nominated to giveBSC andour faculty
recognition for the typeof teachingwe
doonour campus, and I’m glad tobe
recognized—but I represent the faculty as
awhole.”
Whenworkingwith students in the
classroom and the laboratory, Stultzuses
amethod called gradualism tomove
Alabama’s Professor of the Year
Amixof service, devotion to students,
and interdisciplinary researchearn
LauraStultz teachingaward
by PatCole
them through ideas and concepts one
step at a time, buildingon their previous
knowledge. By the time they approach
graduation, they’re asking interesting,
thought-provoking researchquestions,
and learninghow to approach them
as real scientists. Theymust learn to
overcomeobstacleswhen an equation
doesn’t accuratelypredict results or if an
experiment goes awry.
“Wedesignedour experiments so
students tackle just onepart of the
project insteadof thewhole thing, then
theypool their datawith their peers
anddraw comparisons andmore global
conclusions,” Stultz says. “We’ve got to
move students away from ‘cookbook’
labs to an environmentwhere there’s
more inquiry, analysis, and student input
into thedesignof the experiment.”
Stultz, whohas taught at BSC since
1997, is admiredby students and
faculty for her teaching, research, and
commitment to service.
“Dr. Stultz is invested inher students
and genuinely cares about theirwell-
being,” says KyleHoffman, a senior
chemistrymajor fromMadison, Ala.
“You can tell that shedoesn’t view
being aprofessor as just a job, and
this is reflective inher attitude and
commitment toher students.”
BSCProvostDr.Mark Schantzpraised
Stultz for her “levelheadedness andkeen
intelligence.”
“Laurahasmade landmark
contributions toher students, to
chemistry, and toBirmingham-
Southern,” Schantz says. “Her influence
onher owndepartment’s curriculum
has beennothing short of revolutionary.
Her innovations represent the kind
of revisionneeded in all introductory
science laboratories.”
In addition toher teaching, Stultz
has servedon several elected campus
committees, served as chair of the
Department of Chemistry andPhysics
for four years, and is currently co-chair
of the FacultyAdvisoryCommittee,
BSC’s equivalent of a faculty senate. She
has long involved students inher own
cutting-edge researchon thepotential
uses ofmetals as anti-cancer drugs.
Stultzwas awarded aNational Science
Foundation grant last year alongwith
BiologyDepartment colleagueDr.
PamelaHanson to involve students in
bonafide research experiences inboth
introductory and advanced courses. She
andHanson also submitted a grant to
NSF to createworkshops for faculty
around the country to teach themhow
to integrate collaborative research and
teaching into their classes. Theyheld
their firstworkshop this pastOctober,
whichdrew some 30professors from
around the South.
Stultz also teaches a “Foreign
LanguageAcross theCurriculum” course
bienniallywithAssociateProfessor of
Library Science andLibraryDirectorDr.
Charlotte Ford. Students in the course
learn the implications of chemistry across
borderswhile improving their Spanish
skills.
AnativeofWest Virginia, Stultz
receivedher Ph.D. in chemistry from the
UniversityofNorthCarolina at Chapel
Hill.
“I lovebeing at Birmingham-Southern
andworkingwith the students,” she says.
“I am in a goodplace inmy career and
would like to continue thisworkwithmy
colleagues and students. I justwant to
share the exciting thingswe aredoing at
BSCwithmorepeople.”
