| Students may tiptoe anxiously into a chemistry
course, but if they find Professor R. Daniel Libby waiting for
them, they can take comfort in one thing. He has dedicated
himself to removing the barriers that prevent students from enjoying their
time spent in the chemistry classroom and lab.
He once was filled with apprehension himself, as a high
school student in Waterville, Maine, running into what he
considers chemistry’s undeserved reputation as a subject
difficult to master. Some people still take a step back when he
tells them what he does for a living.
Professor Libby, now in his 11th year
at Moravian and the chair of its chemistry department, has
thought long and hard about how his field of study can be taught
effectively and, yes, with a large dose of fun. On the one hand,
he has pondered the theory of teaching well. On the other, he
has applied theories in the classroom, most notably those of the
developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. His approach favors analysis and shuns
overdosing on facts.
Professor Libby’s students are fortunate. His passion for
chemistry is infectious – a condition for which, fortunately,
there is no cure. He is a marathon researcher who savors his
laboratory hours pursuing the mysteries of his adopted enzyme.
He and his wife, also a chemist, followed a nomadic academic
existence before coming to Moravian. Professor Libby has taught
at Barnard, Skidmore, Kenyon, Oberlin, and Colby Colleges. He
earned his Bachelor of Arts from Colby College and his Ph.D.
from Penn State University.
Click here for Q&A with Dr. Libby
Downloadable
PDF version of Profile
|
