Biography of Professor Deb Simon
I’m originally from the Seattle area, graduating from Issaquah
High (1968) and taking my National Merit scholarship to Whitman
College. I met my future husband, Dick Simon (also a Chemistry major),
on the first day of General Chemistry lab, which happens to be the
class I now teach. After graduation, I worked at Boeing as a quality
control chemist on the aluminum production lines. For the next decade
I worked in medical research at the University of Chicago. While
there, I became a professional calligrapher and was on the board
of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective. In my free time, I studied
astronomy at the Adler Planetarium.
Curriculum Vitae 733 Bryant Avenue, Walla Walla WA 99362 Employment: -Whitman College 1995 - present -Lecturer of Chemistry, CHEM135 & 136 (General Chemistry Lab I & II,) CHEM 102 (Chemistry of Art) -Lecturer of Education, EDUC 325 (Math and Science Methods) (2001-2005) -Walla Walla School District #140 1990-1998 -Teacher, Explorer Program, (Talented and Gifted Education) -Calligrapher 1978-1990, Artist and Teacher (private commissions & classes) -University of Chicago 1973-1979, Medical Research Technician (Cardiology, Hepatology, Oncology) -Boeing Company 1972-1973, Chemical Engineer (Quality Control, Commercial Airplane and Missile Divisions) Publications: "The Making of a Solution: A Simple but Poorly Understood Concept in General Chemistry," The Chemical Educator , Vol. 7, No. 4. 2002. "Hairy Cell Leukemia: Evidence for the Existence of a Spectrum of Functional Characteristics", British Journal of Haematology , 1978, 38, 161. "Lack of Correlation Between Immunologic Markers and Cell Surface Ultrastructure in the Leukemic Phase of Lymphoproliferative Diseases", Scanning Electron Microscopy , 1977 / Vol. II. "Hairy Cell Leukemia: Similarity of Cell Surface Characteristics from Multiple Sites in Three Patients," Scanning Electron Microscopy , 1977 / Vol. II. Presentations / Activities: -Whitman College Science Outreach 1995 - present -Science Club Advisor -Outreach activities involving college students and elementary students -Workshop presenter for 100 5 th graders and teachers -Chemistry laboratory activities -Expanding Your Horizons & Great Explorations (Math and Science Conference for Girls 5 th - 8 th grade) 1988 - present -Workshop presenter "Water's Wonderful Skin", "Food to Dye For" -Eastern Washington University 1995 -Lecturer, Middle School Institute "Designing Interdisciplinary Units" -WAETAG State Conference 1995 -Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted -Conference coordinator & presenter "Designing Middle School Curriculum" -WAETAG State Conference 1994: Presenter: "Science Snacks: an Interdisciplinary Unit" -WAETAG State Conference 1993: Presenter: "The Mathematics of Beauty: the Fibonacci Series" -Origami Workshops 2002-2003 -Workshop presenter, Whitman College Employee Enrichment Day Recognition: -WAETAG State Conference 1994 -Conference Award: Excellence in Presentation -Washington Council on Economic Education 1993 -Coach of regional winning team "The Stock Market Game" -Phi Delta Kappa 1995 -National Merit Scholar 1968 Education: -NSF Workshop Millersville University 2004 -Chemistry of Art (week-long workshop for professors of undergraduate chemistry) -Advanced Certificate 1995 -Graduate courses for advanced certificate -Seattle Pacific University, DePaul University, Heritage Institute Antioch University -Washington State Teaching Certification -Endorsements: K-8 Elementary Education, 4-12 Chemistry -Whitman College 1992 -Other post-BA courses: Eastern Washington University, University of Chicago, Chicago Oriental Institute, -Adler Planetarium, Chicago Calligraphy Collective -BA, Chemistry: Whitman College 1972 High School: Issaquah High School 1968 Personal Statement: I've always been both a scientist and an artist. I went to Whitman College in 1968 as a National Merit Scholar, and majored in chemistry. After graduation, I worked at Boeing as a quality control chemical engineer on the aluminum production lines, where there were only two women in a plant of thousands. While my husband was in medical school, I was a medical research technician in outstanding cardiology, hematology and oncology research labs at the University of Chicago. It was just before HIV was discovered and our viral oncology lab was working on retroviruses. In addition to the wet chemistry lab work, I ran transmission and scanning electron microscopes and the then "new" technology of gel electrophoresis looking for immunological markers on T and B cells in hairy cell leukemia. Being at the University of Chicago for a nearly a decade was a wonderful opportunity and I took many classes in astronomy, calligraphy, Middle Kingdom Egyptian (hieroglyphs), graphic design, and bookbinding. I was on the board of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective and worked as a freelance calligrapher, specializing in private commissions of Celtic illumination and hand bound books. We moved back to Walla Walla, and I continued as a calligrapher and as one of the artists in the Artists-in-the-Schools Program. In the early 1990's, I went back to college to get a teaching certificate. I completed my second degree from Whitman 20 years after my first. I taught the gifted education program for the Walla Walla School district for many years, doing graduate work in gifted education for an Advanced Certificate. I was active in WAETAG (Washington Educators of the Talented and Gifted), coordinating and presenting at conferences on integrating science and math into other curricular content areas. I've continued my connection with the public schools by involving my Whitman undergraduate students in many science outreach programs. Teaching at Whitman is the best thing I've ever done. I'm the director of the General Chemistry lab course (150 students per semester), and teach four of the seven sections. During the time I've been director, I've re-written all of the laboratory experiences and developed many completely original ones. I've also turned the class into an exercise in "green" chemistry. For five years I also taught "Science and Math Methods" in the Education department. Although this was an exciting and challenging course, Whitman no longer offers a teaching certificate and it has been phased out. My current focus of interest is the Chemistry of Art course I've just developed. It's direct outgrowth of my lifelong interest in both chemistry and art, and is very rewarding. My goal is to bridge the worlds of academia and the "real world" - to engage my students in the connections between chemistry and art, maybe even chemistry and everything. |