Earlham College
Earlham is a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Through our core chemistry curriculum, which is approved by the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training, students build an understanding of matter and energy at the molecular and sub-atomic levels. This knowledge can be applied to many pressing issues, including sustainability. Furthermore, the chemistry major emphasizes undergraduate student research and faculty-student collaboration, and we are especially committed to supporting environmental and green chemistry related research projects. Finally, many students outside of the major engage with our department as part of their general education requirements, so we aim to make sustainability and green chemistry approachable in our curriculum for all levels.
Chemistry Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Green Chemistry stand-alone course, Embedded Toxicology in existing course(s), Faculty Research, Student Research, Green Chemistry is physically being taught in Stanley Hall, the home of our department,, which has a earned LEED silver certification Collaborative research with undergraduates has been employed to develop teaching labs with more benign solvents (Kalani and Mark – Alkylation of Saccharin) Collaborative research with undergraduates has also studied aquatic photodegradation of personal care products and pharmaceuticals Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology is a course offered as upper-level elective every other year We implemented a glove recycling program in our general chemistry teaching lab.
n/a
Broadening the scope of glove recycling and broadening recycling efforts to include other consumables.
One seminar each semester devoted to green chemistry topics
Incorporate the Principles of Green Chemistry into the General Chemistry curriculum. This process may involve introducing these concepts in lecture, redesigning existing labs to be more environmentally friendly, and/or designing new labs (and using Beyond Benign resources) to include a laboratory experiment that is specifically focused on sustainability.
Review all laboratory experiments with an eye towards reducing environmental impacts
Environmental Chemistry: A global perspective, Gary W. vanLoon and Stephen J. Duffy
Environmental Toxicology, Kees van Gestel (open source)
Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith
ACS Journal of Chemical Education
