Communities of Practice

FOR THIS YEAR'S education supplement, we're borrowing a term from learning theory. "Communities of practice" refers to the learning that occurs when people who have a common interest collaborate over an extended period of time, share ideas and solutions, and build innovations. The stories in this year's supplement share the themes of collaboration and innovation.

As the green chemistry field grows, educating students in green chemistry's principles and practice becomes imperative. In the first story, I take a look at current activities in green chemistry education in some New England colleges, as well as the work of the Beyond Benign Foundation. Following is ACS Education Division Director Mary Kirchhoff's story on the recent Summer School on Sustainability & Green Chemistry.

Next, Assistant Managing Editor Linda Raber examines the current status of Ph.D. nuclear chemists and radiochemists, whose numbers have been declining for the past 30 years. Raber points readers to the handful of surviving programs at U.S. universities in these areas. Graduates of these programs will be needed more than ever if the U.S. seriously pursues nuclear power as a solution to our energy needs. People must be adequately trained in order to do the job.

Assistant Editor Faith Hayden takes a look at chemistry in small, primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). She describes how PUIs are providing students with a quality chemistry education and how more and more small PUIs are requiring professors to do research and are adjusting teaching schedules to give them time for it.

Finally, Associate Editor Linda Wang looks at academic sabbaticals, why faculty members take them, and what they've gotten out of their experiences. Although the faculty she spoke to took sabbaticals for various reasons, they all say that the experience was well worth it and benefited their careers greatly.