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Daniel Callen
Daniel Callen
About Me
I am a very enthusiastic, driven, positive, and encouraging person. I want to see anyone and everyone succeed in Organic Chemistry. It is an area of science that is deemed as a "weed out" class and I want to do everything I can to change that stigma. It is no doubt a challenging class, but it can be learned and understood by everyone if taught with finesse and the right attitude.
Education
I have a dual Bachelors degree in Chemistry and German from my undergraduate university, a Masters in Organic chemistry from Florida State, and will soon obtain my PhD in Organic Chemistry from Florida State. Over the past 5 years, I was in a complex molecule synthesis research lab (Frederich Lab). My primary research focus was using photochemistry to make complex organic chemical transformations and further elaborating this chemistry to target a potential cancer drug. In these 5 years, I have learned many hands-on techniques and skills, training skills, interpersonal skills, scientific communication/presentation skills, data interpretation, and the ability to view science as a collective, ever-growing community that is essential for societal advancements. Along with research, I have spent much of my time teaching Organic Chemistry as a teaching assistant at FSU.
Teaching Experience
I have been a TA for Organic Chemistry I & II recitations, and/or Organic Chemistry Lab ever semester/summer since I started the graduate program at FSU in Fall 2017. Of the three, I have taught organic II the most, followed by organic I, then lab. Organic chemistry is notorious for being a challenging class and is commonly referred to as a "weed-out" class, and I have high aspirations to remove that stigma from academia over the course of my professional career. I really enjoy helping students understand complex material by breaking it down into simple digestible information and strategically building up to help them establish an understanding of the bigger picture. I have received Graduate Teaching Excellence Awards for teaching Organic Chemistry in 2018-2019, and 2021 from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at FSU. I also received 18 nominations for the university wide Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in 2020-2021 for teaching Organic Chemistry. And I have 200+ hand-written or electronically submitted TA evaluations from my former students that I would be more than happy to share as well. I have a very high drive for teaching Organic Chemistry and am very excited to continue teaching and integrate new and innovative ideas to improve the overall quality of education for this subject.
Interests
I love exploring, hiking, kayaking, going on adventures, and having fun. I longboard, play guitar, play soccer, do art, make knives, do wood-working, make things, speak fluent German, and just enjoy life with a positive mindset. Organic Chemistry also falls into my hobbies and I am very passionate about it and I truly think it can be made into a positive learning experience.
I love teaching and explaining science at every level!
Subjects
Language
German
Science
Organic Chemistry
Technology and Computer Science
Powerpoint