Pratibha Varma-Nelson Ph.D.

Professor, Chemistry
Executive Director, Center for Teaching & Learning
Primary Appointment: Executive Director, Center for Teaching & Learning

Professional Affiliations

Program Director, National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education, 2006-2008
Founding Chair, New Member Committee, Division of Chemical Education, American Chemical Society, 2002-2006
Member, External Advisory Board, Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)
National Dissemination Project, 2003-2006
Member, 2002-present, Long Range Planning Committee, Division of CHED, American Chemical Society
Member, Advisory Board, International Gordon Research Conference on Science
Education and Visualization held at Mount Holyoke College, CT. August 5-10, 2001
Member, National Visiting Committee, NSF funded, Molecular Science Project, UCLA, Chemistry, 1996-2000

Editorial

Member, Advisory Board, Chemical & Engineering News, 2007-2010
Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2006-present

Current Research

Since 1995 I have been involved in the development, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of the Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model of teaching in Organic Chemistry and the GOB courses. I have also studied the effect on professional lives of undergraduate students that serve as peer leaders. I am currently interested in studying the effectiveness of exporting pedagogies developed in chemistry such as PLTL to the humanities. In addition I am interested in developing and evaluating the effectiveness of Peer-Led Team Learning workshops for online courses for national and international audiences and studying the differences in the discourse that takes

Select Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles

L. Gafney and P. Varma-Nelson "Evaluating Peer-Led Team Learning: A Study of Long-Term Effects on Former Workshop Leaders" Journal of Chemical Education 2007, 84, 535-539.

P. Varma-Nelson "Peer-Led Team Learning" Metropolitan Universities Journal: STEM Innovation and Dissemination: Improving Teaching and Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics 2006, 17, 19-29.

G. Weaver, D. Wink, P. Varma-Nelson, F. Lytle, R. Morris, W. Fornes, C. Russell and W. J. Boone "Developing a New Model to Provide First and Second-Year Undergraduates with Chemistry Research Experience: Early Findings of the Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education (CASPiE)" The Chemical Educator 2006, 11, 1-5.

G. C. Weaver, P. Varma-Nelson, D. Wink, R. Morris and F. Lytle "Experiencing Research in a First or Second Year Science Course - Preliminary Results and Reflections on the Goals and Progress of the Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education (CASPiE)" The Chemical Educator 2005, 11, 125-129.

Books and Manuals

J. Kampmeier, P. Varma-Nelson, C. Wamser and D. Wedegaertner Peer-Led Team Learning: Organic Chemistry, 2nd Ed.; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2006.

P. Varma-Nelson and A. E. Dreyfuss The Peer-Led Team Learning Dissemination Manual, 2001. [URL: http://www.pltl.org/ ; under Dissemination Materials].

P. Varma-Nelson and M. S. Cracolice Peer-Led Team Learning: General, Organic, and Biochemistry; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2001.

J. A. Kampmeier, P. Varma-Nelson and D. K. Wedegaertner Peer-Led Team Learning: Organic Chemistry; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2001.

D. K. Gosser, M. S. Cracolice, J. A. Kampmeier, V. Roth, V. Strozak and P. Varma- Nelson Peer-Led Team Learning: A Guidebook; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2001.

P. Varma-Nelson and R. Van Lanen Laboratory Manual: Small Scale Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Experiments; Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL, 2001.

Chapters

J. A. Kampmeier and P. Varma-Nelson "Peer-Led Team Learning: Organic Chemistry" In The Chemists' Guide to Effective Teaching Vol. II, M. M. Cooper, T. Greenbowe and N. Pienta, Eds.; Prentice Hall Publishing: Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2007.

P. Varma-Nelson and D. Gosser "Dissemination of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) and Formation of a National Network Embracing a Common Pedagogy" In Teaching Inclusively: Diversity and Faculty Development, M. Ouellet, Ed.; New Forums Press: Stillwater, OK; 2005, pp. 503-518.

P. Varma-Nelson, M. Cracolice and D. Gosser, D. "Peer-Led Team Learning: A Student-Faculty Partnership for Transforming the Learning Environment" In Invention and Impact: Building Excellence in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, Proceedings of an April 2004 Conference Cosponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs (EHR) -Retrieved May 21, 2007 [URL: http://www.aaas.org/publications/books_reports/CCLI/]

P. Varma-Nelson and B. Coppola "Team Learning" In The Chemists' Guide to Effective Teaching; M. M. Cooper, T. Greenbowe and N. Pienta, Eds.; Prentice Hall Publishing: Upper Saddle River, NJ; 2005.

J. L. Sarquis, L. J. Dixon, D. K. Gosser, J. A. Kampmeier, V. Roth, V. S. Strozak and P. Varma-Nelson "The Workshop Project: Peer-Led Team Learning in Chemistry" In Student-Assisted Teaching: A Guide to Faculty Student Teamwork; J. E. Miller, J. E. Groccia and M. S. Miller, Eds.; Anker Publishing Company: Bolton, MA; 2001, pp. 150 -155.

J. A. Kampmeier and P. Varma-Nelson "Institutionalizing The Workshops" In Peer-Led Team Learning: A Guidebook; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ; 2001.

Awards & Honors

James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Chemistry, 2008
Project Kaleidoscope Delegate to the People's Republic of China, 2005
Teacher /Scholar Award, Saint Xavier University School of Arts and Sciences, 2002
American Chemical Society delegate to Havana, Cuba, 1998
Nominated for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education - US Professor of the Year Program, 2004 and 1998