Mission: The Fund grants for teachers at two- and four-year colleges or universities that do not have any advanced degree programs in the chemical sciences.
Vision: To provide support for faculty in small programs and who are somewhat isolated from others in their discipline. Eligible activities include professional development activities such as workshops related to enhancement of teaching skills that take the applicant away from his/her home institution. The professional development activities cannot be virtual. Due dates: January 1; April 1; September 1 of each year.
We awarded two fund grants during this time which were used in summer 2025. One funded grant from Fall 2024 was also used in summer 2025.
Dr. Wayne Hung, Assistant Professor at Southern Oregon University, has been awarded a grant to attend the ACS New Faculty Workshop in July 2025. This workshop is designed to equip faculty in the early years of their tenure-track or fixed-term appointments with essential skills for academic success, including strategies for effective teaching, research, and service.
Dr. Denise Femia, Associate Professor of Chemistry at La Salle University, has been awarded a grant to attend the 2025 Playposium, a June workshop focused on game-based active learning and playful pedagogy. This unique professional development opportunity emphasizes innovative, student-centered approaches to engagement in the chemistry classroom.
Dr. Kyle Knust, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Millikin University, has been awarded a grant to attend the 2025 Axion Labs & Training Institute Advanced Topic in Chromatography (HPLC & GC) course, a July course designed to advance instrumentation skills and expertise.
We are continuing to have discussions about finding ways to communicate these grant opportunities with eligible DivCHED members.
The grant awardees were publicized at https://divched.org/passer-portfolio-committee/news/congratulations-spring-2025-passer-education-grant-recipients.
We are continuing discussions with other DivCHED award committees about synergy and potential overlapping operations.