Faculty Profile

Molly Atkinson

Title
Assistant Professor
Department
Chemistry
College
College of Science

    

    

      


                          

            
Curriculum Vitae

            

              Click Here to View Faculty CV
            

          

        
                          

            
Education

            



  

  


  
PhD, University of Georgia, 2018. 
Major: Chemistry
Degree Specialization: Bioinorganic Chemistry, Chemistry Education Research
Dissertation Title: Assessing Undergraduate Explanation Construction and Affective Characteristics Towards Improving Success in General Chemistry
BS, Piedmont College, 2012. 
Major: Biology
BS, Piedmont College, 2012. 
Major: Chemistry





          

        
                

          
Current Scheduled Teaching*


          
CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Summer 2024 
CHEM 6940.758, Individual Research, Spring 2024 
CHEM 5880.001, Learning Theories in Chemistry Education, Spring 2024 Syllabus
CHEM 4930.001, Selected Topics in Chemistry, Spring 2024 
CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Spring 2024 
CHEM 4910.708, Special Problems, Spring 2024 


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  


    

    

      


        


          


            
Previous Scheduled Teaching*


            
                    

                    CHEM 1410.003, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.203, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 6940.758, Individual Research, Fall 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 6010.758, Seminar for Doctoral Candidates, Fall 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Fall 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Summer 10W 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 1410.005, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Spring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.251, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Spring 2023 Syllabus
                    

                    CHEM 6940.758, Individual Research, Spring 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Spring 2023 
                    

                    CHEM 1410.003, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.203, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2022 Syllabus
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Fall 2022 
                    

                    CHEM 4910.708, Special Problems, Fall 2022 
                    

                    CHEM 6950.758, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2022 
                    

                    CHEM 6940.758, Individual Research, Spring 2022 
                    

                    CHEM 5880.001, Learning Theories in Chemistry Education, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 4930.002, Selected Topics in Chemistry, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Spring 2022 
                    

                    CHEM 6950.758, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 1410.003, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.231, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 6940.758, Individual Research, Fall 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Fall 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 4910.708, Special Problems, Fall 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 4910.708, Special Problems, Summer 10W 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 4900.708, Special Problems, Spring 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 4910.708, Special Problems, Spring 2021 
                    

                    CHEM 1410.003, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.231, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    CHEM 1410.503, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    CHEM 1410.531, General Chemistry for Science Majors, Fall 2020 Syllabus

          


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  

  
  	

	

	  

		

		   
Published Publications



  

  
Published Intellectual Contributions


  
Journal Article
Collini, M. A., Miguel, K., Weber, R., Atkinson, M. B. (2024). Investigating changes in students’ attitudes towards organic chemistry: A longitudinal study. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. Advance Article. 
Collini, M. A., Rocha, L. A., Ford, J. E., Weber, R., Atkinson, M. B. (2023). Characterizing and identifying influences on undergraduates' attitudes towards organic chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 24, 723–739. 
Bodenstedt, K., Fripp, J. L., Li, S., Lu, Z., Omary, M. A., Atkinson, M. B. (2023). Luminescence Screening of Copper and Gold Mixed Ligand Complexes with S-/P-Donor Atoms: An Advanced Multiweek Research Discovery Experiment for the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education. 100(1), 289–297. 
Bodenstedt, K., Fripp, J. L., Li, S., Lu, Z., Omary, M. A., Atkinson, M. B. (2022). Luminescence Screening of Copper and Gold Mixed Ligand Complexes with S-/P-Donor Atoms: An Advanced Multiweek Research Discovery Experiment for the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education. 100(1), 289–297. American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00288
Ralph, V. R., States, N. E., Corrales, A., Nguyen, Y., Atkinson, M. B. (2022). Relevance and Equity: Should Stoichiometry be the Cornerstone of Introductory Chemistry Courses?. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 23(3), 662-685. 
Ralph, V. R., States, N. E., Corrales, A., Nguyen, Y., Atkinson, M.  (2022). Relevance and Equity: Should Stoichiometry be the Cornerstone of Introductory Chemistry Courses?. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 23, 662-685. 
Atkinson, M. B., Lowery Bretz, S.  (2021). Measuring Changes in Undergraduate Chemistry Students’ Reasoning with Reaction Coordinate Diagrams: A Longitudinal, Multi-institution Study. Journal of Chemical Education. 98(4), 1064-1076. American Chemical Society. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01419
Atkinson, M. B., Croisant, M., Lowery Bretz, S.  (2020). Investigating first-year undergraduate chemistry students’ reasoning with reaction coordinate diagrams when choosing among particulate-level reaction mechanisms. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 22, 199-213. Royal Society of Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RP00193G
Atkinson, M. B., Popova, M., Croisant, M., Lowery Bretz, S.  (2020). Development of the Reaction Coordinate Diagram Inventory: Measuring Student Thinking and Confidence. Journal of Chemical Education. 97(7), 1841-1851. American Chemical Society. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b01186
Atkinson, M. B., Krishnan, S., McNeil, L. A., Luft, J. A., Pienta, N. J. (2020). Constructing Explanations in an Active Learning Preparatory Chemistry Course. Journal of Chemical Education. 97(3), 626-634. American Chemical Society. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00901
Tang, H., Day, E. L., Atkinson, M. B., Pienta, N. J. (2018). GrpString: An R Package for Analysis of Groups of Strings. The R Journal. 10(1), 359-369. https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2018/RJ-2018-002/RJ-2018-002.pdf



	
		
		
	  

	

	

  
    
	

	

	  

		

		   
Awarded Grants



  
  
  	  
          
Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research  

 	 
	 	 
  
Grant - Research   
Atkinson, M. B. (Principal), Corrales, A. (Co-Principal), Weber, R. (Co-Principal), "Equitable or Not? Assessment of the Current Pathways to Foster Transfer from Two-to Four-Year Institutions in Chemistry," Sponsored by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Private, $74737 Funded. (December 1, 2022 – May 31, 2024).
Atkinson, M. B. (Principal), Corrales, A. (Co-Principal), Weber, R. J. (Co-Principal), "Creating equitable Pathways to STEM graduate Education," Sponsored by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Private, $75000 Funded. (December 2022 – December 2023).



	
		
		
	  

	

	

	
	

  
  
  

  	

		

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					Overall
Summative Rating		
					Challenge and
Engagement Index		
					Response Rate
					
				

			
			
				

					
					
out of 5		
					
out of 7		
					%
 of 
students responded		
					
					
				

			
		


		
    
			
  • Overall Summative Rating (median):
    
			This rating represents the combined responses of students to the four global summative items and is presented to provide an overall index of the class’s quality. Overall summative statements include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, and 1= Very poor):
				
      
					
    • The course as a whole was
      • 
					
    • The course content was
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    • The instructor’s contribution to the course was
      • 
					
    • The instructor’s effectiveness in teaching the subject matter was
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    • 
			
  • Challenge and Engagement Index:
    
			This rating combines student responses to several SPOT items relating to how academically challenging students found the course to be and how engaged they were. Challenge and Engagement Index items include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 7 = Much higher, 4 = Average, and 1 = Much lower):
				
      
					
    • Do you expect your grade in this course to be
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    • The intellectual challenge presented was
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    • The amount of effort you put into this course was
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    • The amount of effort to succeed in this course was
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    • Your involvement in course (doing assignments, attending classes, etc.) was
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