Celebrating excellence in teaching and research

Teaching Award: Dr. Anja Mueller

Dr. Anja Mueller, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CMU, has been honored with the 2024 College of Science and Engineering Award for Outstanding Teaching, highlighting her sustained excellence in teaching and her commitment to promoting student learning.

Dr. Mueller's innovative approach to teaching has transformed her organic chemistry courses. She reorganized the course material to enhance student understanding, even going as far as re-writing and re-ordering an online textbook when no existing one suited her new teaching strategy.

Her teaching philosophy emphasizes active learning, with a focus on group work and practical experience. She created “practice games” to make the material more engaging and inclusive for all students. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Mueller has supervised six MS graduate students and co-advised two more in the last three years. She has also mentored 13 undergraduate students, involving them in impactful research projects related to fuel cells, dental cements, and water treatment.

Dr. Mueller’s contributions extend beyond the university. Through the ACS SEED program, she has supports high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with valuable summer research experiences and actively participates in scholarly activities, with numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and conference presentations.

Colleagues praise Dr. Mueller for her mentorship and advocacy for active learning in STEM fields. One colleague noted her crucial role in creating the InSciTE faculty council, highlighting her commitment to student success.

Research Award: Dr. Anthony Chappaz

Dr. Anthony Chappaz from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences has been awarded the 2024 College of Science and Engineering Award for Outstanding Research, recognizing his remarkable accomplishments in research and scholarly activity.

As a molecular geochemist, Dr. Chappaz’s work focuses on studying trace elements across the scope of traditional disciplines by combining ultra-trace quantification, isotope ratio measurements, elemental mapping and speciation analysis, with applications in Earth’s history, critical metals, lake and ocean biogeochemistry and medicine. environmental science. His research is widely recognized, with regular access to some of the world’s top accelerator facilities (synchrotrons) in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and France.

In the past three years, Dr. Chappaz has presented 16 invited seminars at prestigious institutes and universities across multiple countries, including the U.S., Colombia, Canada, and Switzerland. His recent work has been published in 12 peer-reviewed publications, 11 of which feature students or postdocs as co-authors, highlighting his commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists.

Dr. Chappaz has successfully secured 10 external grants since 2020, including four large NSF proposals, and serves as an associate editor for Frontiers in Earth Science. He is also an international scientific advisor for Brazil’s Federal Institute of Food Security at the University of Lavras and holds an adjunct position at the University of Toronto.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Dr. Chappaz engages extensively with industry partners, securing close to $250,000 in industrial contracts over the past three years. He is a strong advocate of reinforcing and reimagining Industry – Academia partnerships.

Colleagues recognize Dr. Chappaz as a leader in the field. His STARLAB (Speciation, Traces, Analyses and Radioisotopes Laboratory) at CMU is acknowledged for its cutting-edge work in molecular geochemistry, providing vital research and analyses for collaborators worldwide.

Both Dr. Mueller and Dr. Chappaz exemplify the innovation, dedication, and impact that define excellence at the College of Science and Engineering.