Our Faculty and Staff

Jennifer Sorensen, Ph.D. Director, General Science Program Assistant Professor of Chemistry and General Science Telephone: (206) 296-5411 Office: Engineering 514 e-mail: sorensj1@seattleu.edu

Education Professional Experience Research Experience Publications

Dr. Sorensen teaches introductory/general chemistry, environmental chemistry, and interdisciplinary science courses. She is the faculty leader of SUPER - the Seattle U. Project on the Environment and Recycling. Through SUPER, students apply their chemical and scientific knowledge to environmental problems impacting the campus community. In addition to these applied projects, Dr. Sorensen pursues research in computational chemistry and chemical education. She is particularly interested in the uses of technology in undergraduate chemical education.

Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of Georgia 
M.A., Science Education (coursework complete), University of Georgia
B.S., Chemistry (ACS certified), Fairfield University

Since March 2000, Dr. Sorensen has taught in the Chemistry Department at Seattle University. Prior to that she was an instructor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Georgia. While at UGA, Dr. Sorensen developed a series of three-dimensional computerized molecular models that are used in the general chemistry lectures. This catalyzed the introduction of molecular modeling in the general chemistry laboratories, for 1500 students in the first year alone. In addition to her classroom work, Dr. Sorensen has been a content author and forum moderator for WebCT, a company that creates web-based course tools.

Dr. Sorensen's current scholarship focuses on the development of service learning chemistry courses. The resulting applied projects have studied such diverse topics as mercury recycling in fluorescent lightbulbs and composting of "paper" cups and plates. Her research in computational chemistry utilizes both quantum and classical mechanics to model molecular systems of biological interest. These methods are used to predict the molecular shape and properties of novel drug candidates. Research opportunities exist for students both in the development and application of molecular mechanics force fields. 

Prior to working in the Computational Center for Molecular Structure and Design at UGA (1995-1999), Dr. Sorensen was a Fulbright Student Scholar at the Technical University of Budapest, Hungary. During that time she utilized ab initio methods to study phosphinoboranes.

An Ab Initio Study of the Electrostatics of Protonated Amines: Application to the Molecular Mechanics (MM3) Force Field, J. B. Sorensen, A. H. Lewin, J. P. Bowen, THEOCHEM, 623, 145 (2003).

Ab Initio Calculations and Molecular Mechanics (MM3) Parameterization of Protonated-Neutral Amine Hydrogen Bonds, J. B. Sorensen, A. H. Lewin, J. P. Bowen, J. Org. Chem., 66, 4105 (2001).

Molecular Mechanics (MM3) Parameterization for Oxocarbenium Ions, G. Liang, 
J. B. Sorensen, D. Whitmire, J. P. Bowen, J. Comput. Chem., 21, 329 (2000).

Computational Methods for Conformational Analysis of Unsymmetrical 1,3-Diamines: 3-Aminotropanes, A. H. Lewin, J. B. Sorensen, J. A. Dustman, J. P. Bowen, J. Comput. Chem., 20, 1371 (1999).

"Demonstrating 'Numeracy' in Non-Major Chemistry Courses" J. Sorensen, 18th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Ames, IA, July 2004.

"Evaluating the Outcomes of Academic Service Learning" J. B. Sorensen, 226 th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New York, NY, September 2003.

"Service Learning Across the Chemistry Curriculum: Collaborative and Complimentary Projects" J. Sorensen, S. C. Jackels, 17th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Bellingham, WA, July 2002.

"Development of a Polyamine Force Field: Parameterization of the Protonated Amine Electronic Environment" J. B. Sorensen, A. H. Lewin, J. P. Bowen, University of Georgia Chemical Sciences Research Retreat, Athens, GA, September 1999.

"Molecular Mechanics (MM3) Development of a Polyamine Force Field" J. B. Sorensen, 
A. H. Lewin, J. P. Bowen, 216th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA, August 1998.

"Conformational Preferences of Alpha- and Beta-Substituted Cyclohexanones and Application to Molecular Mechanics (MM3)" J. B. Sorensen, J. P. Bowen, 216th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA, August 1998.

"Defining the Future of Distance Learning: Tomorrow's Classroom" J. B. Sorensen, 8th Annual Conference on New Directions in Critical Theory, Tucson, AZ, March 1998.

Please direct questions and comments to chemdept@seattleu.edu