Brian Coppola
Encyclopedia
Brian P. Coppola is a chemistry
professor at the University of Michigan
.
Raised in Methuen, Massachusetts
, and Derry, New Hampshire
, Coppola is the eldest of four children of Frank and Shirley Coppola. He graduated from Pinkerton Academy
in 1974. In 1978, he received a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire
, then was awarded a Ph.D.
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1984, having carried out research under the supervision of Barry M. Trost. In 1982, he joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He was hired at the University of Michigan
in 1986 as a Visiting Assistant Professor, and then as a Lecturer (1987). In 1996-1997, his tenure case established a new policy within the UM College of Literature, Science and the Arts: that faculty positions within the College might be based on discipline-centered teaching and learning, that is, the interdisciplinary combination of the discipline and the learning sciences. The details of his case, and that of three other individuals with comparable career paths, is the basis of the book Balancing Acts by Mary Taylor Huber. Coppola was appointed as Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in 2001, and became a Full Professor of Chemistry in 2001-2002. At present he is the Associate Chair of the chemistry department at Michigan (2002-date).
In 2007, Coppola, along with Joseph Krajcik (Michigan State University, School of Education), co-founded the University of Michigan IDEA Institute (Instructional Development & Educational Assessment).
As of 2011 his research interests were listed as, "mechanism and synthetic applications of dipolar cycloaddition reactions and in chemistry curriculum design, implementation, assessment, and evaluation." He is an Associate Editor for The Journal for Research in Science Teaching, and on the editorial boards for The Chemical Educator, International Journal of Science Education, and The Journal of College Science Teaching.
(2) Coppola, B. P. “Structure and Reactivity at the University of Michigan” In J. Ryan, T. Clark, & A. Collier (eds.). Assessment in the Disciplines (vol 5): Assessment in Chemistry. Tallahassee, FL: Association for Institutional Research, 2010; pp. 175-199.
(3) Coppola, B. P. “Advancing STEM teaching and learning with research teams” In Baldwin, R., Ed. “Improving the Climate for Undergraduate Teaching and Learning in STEM Fields” New Directions in Teaching and Learning (No. 117) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2009; pp. 33-44.
(4) Coppola, B. P. “The Most Beautiful Theories…” Journal of Chemical Education 2007, 84, 1902-1911.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
professor at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Raised in Methuen, Massachusetts
Methuen, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
, and Derry, New Hampshire
Derry, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...
, Coppola is the eldest of four children of Frank and Shirley Coppola. He graduated from Pinkerton Academy
Pinkerton Academy
Pinkerton Academy is a secondary school in Derry, New Hampshire. It is the largest independent academy in the United States, serving roughly 3,600 students as the high school for the communities of Derry, Hampstead, Chester and sometimes Auburn...
in 1974. In 1978, he received a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
, then was awarded a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1984, having carried out research under the supervision of Barry M. Trost. In 1982, he joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He was hired at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1986 as a Visiting Assistant Professor, and then as a Lecturer (1987). In 1996-1997, his tenure case established a new policy within the UM College of Literature, Science and the Arts: that faculty positions within the College might be based on discipline-centered teaching and learning, that is, the interdisciplinary combination of the discipline and the learning sciences. The details of his case, and that of three other individuals with comparable career paths, is the basis of the book Balancing Acts by Mary Taylor Huber. Coppola was appointed as Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in 2001, and became a Full Professor of Chemistry in 2001-2002. At present he is the Associate Chair of the chemistry department at Michigan (2002-date).
In 2007, Coppola, along with Joseph Krajcik (Michigan State University, School of Education), co-founded the University of Michigan IDEA Institute (Instructional Development & Educational Assessment).
As of 2011 his research interests were listed as, "mechanism and synthetic applications of dipolar cycloaddition reactions and in chemistry curriculum design, implementation, assessment, and evaluation." He is an Associate Editor for The Journal for Research in Science Teaching, and on the editorial boards for The Chemical Educator, International Journal of Science Education, and The Journal of College Science Teaching.
Awards and honors
- Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching, University of Michigan, 1994.
- Undergraduate Computational Science Education Award, United States Department of Energy, 1996.
- Amoco Foundation Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, 1999.
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2002.
- Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Chemistry, 2001.
- NSTA Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award, 2003.
- Society for College Science Teachers (SCST)/Kendall-Hunt Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award, 2004/5.
- CASE/Carnegie State of Michigan Professor of the Year, 2004.
- James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry, 2006.
- CASE/Carnegie United States National Professor of the Year (doctoral), 2009.
- Pinkerton Academy Alumni Hall of Fame, 2011.
- Robert Foster Cherry Award (finalist), 2011.
Selected recent publications
(1) Coppola, B. P. “Making Your Case: Ten Questions for Departments and Individuals Building an Argument for Work in Discipline-Centered Education” International Journal on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2011, 5. http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl.(2) Coppola, B. P. “Structure and Reactivity at the University of Michigan” In J. Ryan, T. Clark, & A. Collier (eds.). Assessment in the Disciplines (vol 5): Assessment in Chemistry. Tallahassee, FL: Association for Institutional Research, 2010; pp. 175-199.
(3) Coppola, B. P. “Advancing STEM teaching and learning with research teams” In Baldwin, R., Ed. “Improving the Climate for Undergraduate Teaching and Learning in STEM Fields” New Directions in Teaching and Learning (No. 117) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2009; pp. 33-44.
(4) Coppola, B. P. “The Most Beautiful Theories…” Journal of Chemical Education 2007, 84, 1902-1911.