I am interested in new materials, especially those on the interface between inorganic chemistry and biology. Some recent projects with significant student involvement have included the preparation of silica sol-gels with embedded microorganisms for use in waste treatment processes (Jerome Waldron and Dorene Zerfas, 2003-2004), synthesis of porous carbon structures from recycled acetate, and artificial bones (Rob Antecki and Crystal Kuelper, 2006-2007).

In recent summers, I have been involved in several projects with environmental applications. During the summer of 2005, Aquinas students Meghann Broderick and Melissa Conklin worked with me to characterize the water of Brewster Lake, in Barry County, Michigan. The following summer, Rob Sturm and Lianne Griffiths completed a project comparing the concentrations of lead, copper, and zinc in soils near roads and soils far away from roads. Both of these projects were funded through URGE grants by Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. For the summer of 2007, Shannon Henderson and I quantified the lead concentrations of the soils of Grand Rapids area apple orchards. Molly Soper was my research assistant during the summer of 2008 when we synthesized a series of transition metal compounds with liquid crystal properties. Both the 2007 and 2008 summer research projects were funded by the Mohler Scholarship program at Aquinas.

I also worked with Sarah Pennington (2004-2005) on her senior research project, "Moe's Mall: A Visual Aid for Teaching Stoichiometry."

Jensen EA. "Learning with POGIL in General Chemistry." Presentation at the 20th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, July 2008, Bloomington, Indiana.