Invited Speakers, 3

Prof. Dr. Ingo Eilks FRSC is professor in chemistry education at the University of Bremen, Germany. His research interests encompass research-based curriculum development, Participatory Action Research, education for sustainable development, or the socio-critical and problem-oriented approach to science teaching. Other domains of research focus science teachers‘ cognition and innovations in higher chemistry education. Up to now, he published more than 500 publications in a broad range from refereed international journals, via book chapters and teacher journals, towards textbooks. Currently he is the Editor-in-Chief of Chemistry Education Research and Practice, the highest ranked chemistry education journal in the world. He received many awards for his scientific work and teaching, among them recently the 2014 STEM for Tomorrow School Award and three awards in the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development.

Norbert J. Pienta was born and raised in upstate New York where he earned a BS in chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1974. His PhD is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was awarded in 1978 for photochemical and physical organic studies. He conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh (1978-80) and at Duke University (1980) before accepting his first academic appointment at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 1980. For his work in photochemistry, photophysics and solvent effects, he was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and granted tenure in 1985. In 1989, Pienta moved back to UNC-Chapel Hill where he began his career in chemical education, primarily developing laboratory curriculum for all levels of undergraduate chemistry major. In 1999, Dr. Pienta moved to the University of Iowa, where he was tenured and promoted to full Professor, conducting research and scholarship in chemistry education. His interests include technology-based instruction and research, student problem solvent and the use of eye-tracking methods for CER. In 2009, Pienta became the 8th editor-in-chief of the Journal of Chemical Education, now co-published with ACS Journals Division. In 2012, Prof. Pienta moved to the University of Georgia to continue his research and editorial activities and to increase the success of introductory chemistry students there.

Murat Kahveci is a chemistry educator, holding dual M.S. degrees in physical chemistry and science education, and a Ph.D. in science education, awarded by Florida State University. Since 2005, he has taught various education and chemistry courses at higher education. In 2007, while holding a senior research position at University of Chicago, he got the chance of developing his skills on large-scale science education projects and writing grant proposals to leading funding agencies in the US like National Science Foundation (NSF) and Institute of Education Sciences (IES). He was appointed by the European Commission in years 2008, 2009, and 2010 as an expert for reviewing the specific calls on inquiry-based science education (IBSE) under FP7 Science-in-Society Program. He is currently working as a full-time Associate Professor of Chemistry Education at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Education.

Bob Worley, FRSC, MSc – Bob Worley is the (semi-retired) chemistry advisor for CLEAPSS (www.cleapss.org.uk) in the United Kingdom. After studying chemistry at Sheffield University, he taught students for 20 years, 16 years as Head of Department at Norwich School in the UK. And then to CLEAPSS for 24 years. At CLEAPSS, Bob provides chemical safety and advisory support for teachers, technicians and employers working in UK schools along with government officials, incluing the Health & Saftey Executive. He still continues to answer lots of practical problems in practical chemistry on the CLAPS Helpline. In carrying out these duties, Bob found that risk of injury was reduced by miniaturising experiments. However, he is now seeing other benefits, not only cost but, in classroom management, in challenging misconceptions held by students. He has improved and developed new equipments and  techniques. He has written for the Royal Chemical Society’ Education in Chemistry and the Association for Science Education (School Science Review, Association for Science Education, March 2011, 92(340)) on microscale chemistry. The UK examinations Baords are now taking up his ideas. He explains more on his website http://microchemuk.weebly.com. As one teachers said in the USA, “Gee, in a little you can see a lot!”

Prof. Dr. Ilka Parchmann is Professor for Chemistry Education at Kiel University and Head of the Department of Chemistry Education at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, IPN, in Kiel. In June 2014, she was elected as Vice President for the areas of teacher education, science outreach and higher education at Kiel University. Prof. Parchmann has a teaching degree as a secondary school teacher for chemistry and biology, and a PhD and further qualification in chemistry education. Her fields of research and development focus on teacher education programs, programs to foster young talents in science, and context-based teaching and learning in science education in regular school classes and enrichment courses at school and in out-of-school settings.
Until July 2014, she was Chair of the Division of Chemical Education of the European Association of Chemical and Molecular Sciences and Chair of the German Association for Chemistry and Physics Education (GDCP). She is the editor of two teacher journals and active in different boards of educational programs and institutions.