Chemistry - High School

Steve Zumdahl is the author of market-leading textbooks in introductory chemistry, general chemistry, honors-level chemistry, and high school chemistry. Recently retired from his long-time position as Director of Undergraduate Programs at the University of Illinois, he has received numerous awards for his contributions to chemical education. These include the National Catalyst Award in recognition of his contribution to chemical education, the University of Illinois Teaching Award, the UIUC Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising Award, and the School of Chemical Sciences Teaching Award (five times). He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Wheaton College (IL), and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Susan A. Zumdahl earned a B.S. and M.A. in Chemistry at California State University--Fullerton. She has taught science and mathematics at all levels, including middle school, high school, community college, and university. She is past director of the Merit Program for Emerging Scholars in Chemistry at the University of Illinois. In addition, she spearheaded the development of a sophisticated web-based electronic homework system for chemistry and is co-author on several chemistry textbooks.

Donald J. DeCoste is Associate Director of General Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign and has been teaching chemistry at the high school and college levels for 26 years. He earned his BS in Chemistry and PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign. At UIUC he has developed chemistry courses for nonscience majors, preservice secondary teachers, and preservice elementary teachers. He teaches courses in introductory chemistry and the teaching of chemistry and has received the School of Chemical Sciences Teaching Award four times. Don has led workshops for secondary teachers and graduate student teaching assistants, discussing the methods and benefits of getting students more actively involved in class. When not involved in teaching and advising, Don enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

John C. Kotz is a retired State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College at Oneonta. Educated at Washington and Lee University and Cornell University, he held National Institutes of Health postdoctoral appointments at the University of Manchester Institute for Science and Technology in England and at Indiana University. He has co-authored three textbooks in several editions: INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY & CHEMICAL REACTIVITY and THE CHEMICAL WORLD. He has also published research on inorganic chemistry and electrochemistry. Professor Kotz was a Fulbright Lecturer and Research Scholar in Portugal in 1979 and a visiting professor there in 1992, as well as a visiting professor at the Institute for Chemical Education (University of Wisconsin, 1991-1992) and at Auckland University in New Zealand (1999). He was an invited speaker on chemical education at conferences in South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil. Finally, he was a mentor for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Team for four years. He has received numerous honors, including a SUNY Chancellor's Award (1979), a National Catalyst Award for Excellence in Teaching (1992), the Estee Lectureship in Chemical Education at the University of South Dakota (1998), the Visiting Scientist Award from the Western Connecticut Section of the American Chemical Society (1999) and the first annual Distinguished Education Award from the Binghamton (New York) Section of the American Chemical Society (2001).