I have had the privilege of teaching and serving the Eastern University community since 1993. Most of that time I have been serving as Chair of the Department of Chemistry, and recently, completed four years as the Moderator of the University Faculty Senate. I love Eastern. Over the years, I have designed and taught a variety of chemistry courses tailored for diverse learners, including natural science majors, pre-meds, pre-engineering, pre-nursing majors, and pre-PT majors, as well as elementary and middle-level education majors, and liberal arts students. I love students. Beyond my specialty in quantum chemistry, my academic passions center on shaping curriculum through the lens of Christian faith, engaging sustainability, and exploring cognitive patterns of thinking. My husband, Gregory, and I are both proud alums of Eastern, and we have two adult sons, one of whom is also a recent Eastern graduate. We love Eastern. Our home church is Wayne Presbyterian.
Joined Eastern: 1993
Education
- Ph.D., M.A., Physical Chemistry, Bryn Mawr College
- B.S. Chemistry and Mathematics, Eastern College
Research
Molecular modeling studies are in progress on various strained ring systems:
Computational chemistry is being used to determine conjugation, orientation and rotational barriers of substituted cyclopropyl benzene compounds of interest for various applications, including the development of new liquid crystals. Information gleaned from studying moieties at each end of the proposed structures can be used to guide synthesis of compounds with desirable liquid crystal behavior. Calculations have been carried out at the Density Functional Theory level with large basis sets.
A conformation energy analysis is ongoing for various structures, including norbornadiene-quadricyclane systems of interest as molecular switches for information or solar energy storage. All structure characterizations are at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) theoretical level with thermal and zpve corrections. Density Functional Theory has been found to be a reliable and relatively fast method for large, ringed systems. Conformations and isomerization energies compare favorably to experimental information.
Thermal corrections for several systems are being explored as exercises in physical chemistry coursework.
Calculations are routinely performed using the Gaussian 03 suite of programs. This tool is also used in various courses throughout the chemical sciences curriculum, including course-embedded research projects in the 400-level Quantum Chemistry course.
Research Publications
An Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Study of the Reduction of Carbonyls by Alkylaluminum Complexes. J. W. Bundens, P. R. Seida, D. Jeyakumar, M. M. Francl, Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling, 2005, 24, 195 - 202.
An Ab Initio MO Study of the Symmetric and Asymmetric Isomers of Bridging Alkynlaluminum and Alkynylberyllium Dimers. P. R. Seida, J. W. Bundens and M. M. Francl, International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 2003, 95, 806.
Transition States for the Carboalumination of Alkenes and Alkynes. J. W. Bundens, J. Yudenfreund and M. M. Francl, Organometallics, 1999, 18, 3913.
Transition States for the Hydroalumination of Alkenes and Alkynes: Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Studies. J. W. Bundens, and M. M. Francl, Organometallics, 1993, 12, 1608.
“Computational Studies of Structure and Bonding in Organoaluminum Complexes”. A. Shaw, P. R. Seida, J. W. Bundens and M. M. Francl, chapter in Topics in Physical Organometallic Chemistry, 1991, vol. 4, pp. 353-393.
Interests
Christian environmental stewardship, faith and science integration, and novel methods in chemical education.
Courses Taught
CHEM 121-124W General Chemistry I and II and Laboratories
CHEM 390: Thermodynamics & Kinetics and Laboratory
CHEM 411: Quantum Chemistry and Laboratory
Why I teach at Eastern
At Eastern, we have both the academic freedom and the motivation to think Christianly about our disciplines—and to me, that is thrilling. Science attempts to describe the workings of the physical world, which Christians recognize as God's handiwork, while faith addresses God's relationship with us as understood through the Biblical narrative. These two realms enrich each other: science informs our faith as we interpret discovery through a theological lens, while faith guides the ethics and direction of our scientific pursuits. Ultimately, true integration of faith and science happens when our scientific understanding inspires deeper worship of our Creator and faithful stewardship of His creation.