Amy Jenne

My Ph.D. research focused on examining metabolic changes (changes to the low molecular weight components in a living system) in Daphnia magna (water fleas) using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). In this work I created a variety of new techniques to help examine small changes while overcoming the current sensitivity limitations in NMR. Overall, the work informs us about how the chemicals we are exposed to in the water impact our critical systems. However, through my graduate studies I also engaged with pedagogical research on a variety of topics including creating more accessible laboratory experiments and hardware for students with disabilities, helping develop students metacognitive practices and study strategies, and engaging in community-engaged learning in the undergraduate chemistry classroom. I even combined my research and pedagogical interests to create a new analytical low-field NMR experiment.

I am excited to be joining the department and I would like to continue to develop community-engaged learning practices in the undergraduate classroom, specifically in an analytical setting. My hope is to expand student’s understanding of how chemistry can be used outside the classroom by partnering with community groups who will challenge students to solve content-related problems.