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Ernest H. Volwiler Distinguished Research Professor in Chemistry
“Research enables students to make that leap from consumer of knowledge to creator of knowledge.”
As a graduate assistant working with undergraduate students in chemistry, Stacey Lowery Bretz struggled to grasp how a subject could be so fascinating to her yet so difficult for others to learn.
Within that question, Bretz discovered her life-long passion, and today she is a leading faculty member at one of the very best chemistry education research (CER) programs in the U.S. Her research into how the brain learns chemistry and how best to assess student learning in chemistry is impacting college and high school chemistry classrooms around the world and has earned her a three-year appointment as Miami University’s Ernest H. Volwiler Distinguished Research Professor in Chemistry.
With the annual support generated through the Volwiler professorship, Bretz has found a key source of funding for continuing her research between grants and for directly involving more of her students. In addition to supporting summer stipends that enable students to conduct summer research, the Volwiler endowment has supported students presenting at national and international conferences.
“It’s nice to have a named position, but the greater value is the confidence it shows in your work and the opportunities it creates for your students. Research teaches our students how to investigate problems and provides them the experiences and confidence to present their work. Endowed professorships and chairs expand those opportunities that set our graduates apart.”
The Ernest H. Volwiler Distinguished Research Professor in Chemistry, established in 1984 by a gift from Ernest Volwiler (1914), is awarded every three years to a select faculty member from Miami’s Department of Chemistry to support research activities.