The Haven Magazine Spring 2018

training they receive at LHU prepare
them for those situations and give them
the tools they need to make critical
decisions with confidence.”
students in LHU’s chemistry
program have access to
exciting technology that has
revolutionized traditional classroom
teaching and delivery methods.
Professor Kevin Range specializes in
the area of computational chemistry—a
relatively new field that expands
possibilities for research, teaching, and
learning. “Much of what students are
learning deals with electronic structure
theory. Students are using a computer
program called WebMO which
provides a web browser based interface
to state-of-the-art electronic structure
programs. This allows students to
calculate where electrons want to live
in a molecule,” says Range. He adds,
“Technology has evolved to the point
where we can solve really complex
equations in ways that didn’t used to
be possible.”
What does this mean for LHU students?
According to Range, students have
access to technologies that provide
opportunities for problem solving and
research throughout the chemistry
curriculum. So, they’re dealing with
material that students traditionally
weren’t exposed to until later in the
coursework. He says, “The software
keeps improving, and that only
increases possibilities for our students.
Every student enrolled in Principles of
Chemistry has access to the programs.
It’s really expanded the opportunities
for students to engage with complex
ideas and theories at an early stage of
their education.”
In the past, students learned this
material through two dimensional
maps. Through grant funds, Range
acquired a server students can utilize
to access these cutting-edge programs
using any device with a web browser, or
via an app on their phone. Range says
that students’ access to this technology
has made a marked difference in
learning outcomes. “Instead of looking
at two-dimensional images, which
were very limited, students can now
work with three-dimensional models.
In essence they can make whatever
molecule they want and test how that
molecule reacts to different scenarios.”
Apart from providing access to
complex ideas early in their education,
the availability of the technology helps
students connect to the material in
more direct ways.
“Through this software
students are able to
make abstract ideas more
concrete. They can see
the atoms and molecules
in ways that are more
dynamic than anything
they experience with a
textbook.
Professor Kevin Range discusses
a molecule model with students
in LHU’s chemistry program.
The ability to draw and animate a
molecule is something that’s just not
possible with 3-D models or static
images.”
Range has been at the forefront
of national efforts to integrate this
emerging technology in college
classrooms. “I’ve been at LHU since
2005,” says Range. “I was the first
computational chemist at LHU. The
University and the department had
a vision to bring this new field to
students.” Since arriving at LHU he has
led the way in integrating technology
into the chemistry curriculum and
has presented his work at national
conferences. He shares, “I realized that
LHU is pushing this type of curriculum
integration forward, and that’s
exciting for the University and for the
possibilities it provides our students.”
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY THE HAVEN SPRING 2018
11