Associate Teaching Professor
Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California, San Diego
Four‐year College
Dr. Bussey earned his Bachelors of Science with Honors in Biochemistry and Music from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison in 2004, and was selected as a charter member of the Las Vegas Valley Corps of Teach for America. From 2004‐2009, he taught high school science (primarily Biology and Chemistry) at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, Nevada and received the Distinguished Educator Award in 2009 from the Educational Services Division of the Clark County School District. During this time, he completed a Masters in Education in Secondary Science with an Emphasis in Technology in 2006. He then went on to complete his Ph.D. in Chemistry with a research focus in Chemical Education in 2013 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He joined the faculty at UC San Diego in 2014 and received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University in 2020.
Dr. Bussey’s research explores students’ understandings of non‐experiential, abstract, and/or emergent scientific phenomena and practices. Current projects focus on theoretical development and qualitative methodologies, mediation of student conceptions by external representations and technologies, and pedagogical decision‐making processes.
Dr. Bussey is an active member of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Chemical Education. His division service includes past membership on the Early Career Chemistry Education Scholars Committee. He also served as Chair and is a member of the Chemistry Education Research Committee. Dr. Bussey currently serves as a member of the Board of Publications. Other notable service to the community includes leadership roles as the 2022 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education Program Co‐Chair and the Higher Education Co‐ Chair of the Exam Development Committee for the Advanced Placement Chemistry program as well as membership on the ACS Society Committee on Education subcommittee for Supporting Excellence in Education.