Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Chemistry Seminar
Boekelheide Lecture Series

Professor Neil Garg, University of California, Los Angeles
Hosted by Mike Haley

Transforming Organic Chemistry Education Through Community and Innovation

Organic chemistry courses have a bad reputation, despite having a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. Organic chemistry has remained a notorious “weed-out” class for decades – striking fear in the hearts of students – and has long been viewed as a gatekeeper course for those interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

In this presentation, Professor Garg will examine the underlying philosophies and practices through which he transformed organic chemistry into one of the most popular classes on the UCLA campus.  He will also discuss efforts to promote organic chemistry education on a global scale through chemistry-themed music videos, educational websites, interactive games, and children’s books. The lessons described in this lecture, focusing on the importance of community and innovation in education, are broadly applicable well beyond the subject of organic chemistry.