Course Spotlight: CHEM 111 First-year Research Initiative (FRI)
The Department of Chemistry has contributed to the Eberly College of Science’s First-year Research Initiative (FRI) for undergraduates by creating an intended majors-only section of CHEM 111, an introductory general chemistry laboratory course that complements the lecture course CHEM 110, with the hope to inspire incoming students to get involved with research opportunities and actively participate in the scientific community at Penn State.
The FRI section of CHEM 111 was first developed and piloted five years ago by Kate Masters, teaching professor and assistant head for undergraduate engagement in chemistry, and has since been adapted and run the last two years by Angela Bischof, director of general chemistry labs. Students of all experience levels are provided with the skills needed to design, execute, and analyze their own experiments while working with peers to solve problems with chemistry through project-based experiments in a small course setting. Bischof has further developed the course to get students involved in cutting-edge nanoparticle synthesis and characterization. To learn more about CHEM 111 (FRI), we asked Dr. Bischof and students who have previously taken the course to share their experiences.
The Instructor Perspective
Q. As director of the general chemistry labs, why do you think research experience for undergrads is so important?
Bischof: Research experiences are where students really get to grow as scientists. When students join a research group, the mentoring and open-ended learning experiences can change their entire perspective and their trajectory as scientists.
Q. In what ways does CHEM 111 FRI differ from regular sections of CHEM 111?
Bischof: The regular sections of CHEM 111 follow a more traditional path with prescribed procedures and a set schedule. In CHEM 111 FRI, we split the course into two phases: an “apprentice phase” where students follow given procedures on a set schedule to learn more about how to do the types of experiments they’ll need to do, and a “research phase” where students get to choose which plant extract they want to use, find literature procedures to follow, and manage their own schedules to meet the goals we set. In the FRI section, we also teach them how to read scientific literature, develop a testable hypothesis, and write a scientific report.
Q. How are students in this course being mentored to not only learn how to do real research but also find areas of research that interest them most?
Bischof: The exploration of research interest areas in this course is done through informal conversations with the students in lab and office hours. I try to bring them back to the research unit that Dr. Sykes and Dr. Bortiatynski cover in PSU 016 (first-year seminar) for more information.
Q. What are some real-world applications of concepts students are learning in this course?
Bischof: Students use gold nanoparticles as catalysts in the reduction of common dyes after discussing the environmental impacts of dyes in wastewater. Students also explore green chemistry concepts when selecting plant extracts to use as reducing agents in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. In Fall 2022, students explored orange, clove, aloe, and pumpkin extracts. In Fall 2023, students explored using cacao, coffee, mint, blueberries, succulents, and kale extracts.
Q. Why should incoming students become involved in CHEM 111 (FRI), especially those who may not have any prior experience or interest in lab work?
Bischof: We want to give students scaffolded research experience so that they have the confidence to join a research group early in their academic career. For some students, a course-based research experience may also be the only way they can participate in research. I want to make sure our chemistry students who have other obligations (work, caregiving, etc...) get the chance to engage in research experience through their required coursework. However, the FRI version is not required for all chemistry majors. We have a different section for chemistry majors that blends the traditional CHEM 111 experience with a smaller research project for chemistry majors who are not ready to dive into research yet.
Q. What are your overall goals for the chemistry undergraduate lab experience? Do you have plans to further develop and evolve FRI or other general chemistry lab courses?
Bischof: My goals at the general chemistry level are to help our students gain the skills that will help them make the transition from high school to a more rigorous college experience. Long term, I’d like to work with faculty in our department to formalize a pathway from the FRI course to research groups. I’m also looking at which aspects of the FRI course could be embedded in the large-enrollment regular sections in small ways to give all students some exposure to research principles.
The Student Perspective
Q: As an incoming first-year undergraduate student, what was your overall experience participating in CHEM 111 (FRI)?
“CHEM 111 (FRI) was an eye-opening opportunity. It exposed me to the world of research and cultivated new passions in doing so. Dr. Bischof helped us build foundational skills that will transfer to future research experience!” - Giosue Pagan
“I would tell a prospective chemistry major that taking CHEM 111 (FRI) is a great way to be introduced to research. It gave me hands on experience, improved my technical writing, and made me feel much more prepared to join a lab as an undergraduate researcher.” - Rachel Swank
“This class is the steppingstone for chemistry majors who start to take a step forward as professional chemists. It allows students to think outside the box and conduct research on their interests with the help of professionals. I recommend this course to potential chemistry majors who hope to learn more about research skills such as utilizing Excel to organize data, who love to get hands-on with experiments, and who want to build close relationships with faculty members.” - Hyeon Bang
“Taking this class was a beneficial experience. I gained confidence in the lab due to the increased independence but was still able to rely on instructors and my lab partner for support. I am also more familiar with various lab techniques and the overall research process.” - Alex Litak