Our Faculty and Staff

David L. Thorsell Chair of The Chemistry Department Associate Professor of Chemistry Telephone: (206) 296-5941 Bannan 508 e-mail: dlt@seattleu.edu

Education Academic Positions Publications

Dr. Thorsell is the chairman of the Department of Chemistry and regularly teaches physical chemistry and general chemistry. His current research involves the rates of themal conversion of the cis to trans structures of fatty acids and topics in chemical education related to assessment and active learning.

University of Minnesota, Duluth, B.A., Chemistry, 1964

The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, 1971

The Ohio State University, Postdoctoral Research, Photochemistry and Atmospheric Pollution, 1972-74

12/93 - 2/94 Dean Pro Tem, School of Science & Engineering, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122

1979-present Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122

1976-1988 Chairman, Department of Chemistry, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122

1980-1981 Acting Dean, School of Science and Engineering, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122

1974-1979 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122

1970-1973 Lecturer in General Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Publications

Dissertation

Part I - "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies of Gd3+ in Single Crystals"

Part II - "An EPR Investigation of Deuterium Isotope Effects on the Zero-Field Splittings of Optically Excited Triplet Molecules in Single Crystals at 77 K"

1. R. E. Gerkin and D. L. Thorsell, "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Gd3+ in Single Crystals of La(C2H5SO4)3 9H2O, Bi2Mg3(NO3)l2 24H2O and Sm(C2H5SO4)3 9H2O Below 40 Gauss," Journal of Chemical Physics 57 , 188-198 (1972). (Refereed)

2. R. E. Gerkin and D. L. Thorsell, "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Gd3+ in Single Crystals of Various Rare-Earth Ethyl Sulfates at Room Temperature and at 77 K," Journal of Chemical Physics 57 , 2665-2672 (1972). (Referred)

3. A. S. Cullick, R. E. Gerkin, D. L. Thorsell and A. M. Winer, "Deuterium Isotope Effects in Zero Field Splittings of Oriented Triplet States of 1,2,5,6-Dibenzanthracene, Phenanthrene, and Naphthalene," Journal of Chemical Physics 61 , 3450-3458 (1974). (Refereed)

4. K. L. Demerjian, J. G. Calbert and D. L. Thorsell, "A Kinetic Study of the Chemistry of the SO2(3B1) Reactions with cis and trans -2-Butene," International Journal of Chemical Kinetics VI , 829-848 (1974). (Refereed)

5. Fu Su, J. W. Bottenheim, D. L. Thorsell, J. G. Calvert, and E. K. Damon, "The Efficiency of the Phosphorescence Decay of the Isolated SO2 (3B1) Molecule," Chemical Physics Letters 49 , 305-311 (1977). (Refereed)

6. Fu Su, F. G. Wampler, J. W. Bottenheim, D. L. Thorsell, "On the Pressure Saturation Effect of the Quenching of SO2(3B1) Molecules," Chemical Physics Letters 51 , 150-154 (1977). (Refereed)

7. J. W. Bottenheim, Fu Su, D. L. Thorsell and J. G. Calvert, "On the Triplet State of Sulfur Dioxide," N.B.S. Special Publication (U.S.) 1978, 526, pp. 219-23.

Co-authored Articles Presented at Conferences (Published only in Conference Proceedings)

9. R. Weiss, R. J. Charlson, A. P. Waggoner, M. B. Baker, D. Covert, D. Thorsell and S. Yven, "Application of Directly Measured Aerosol Radiative Properties to Climate Models." Symposium on Radiation in the Atmosphere, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Federal Republic of Germany, 1976 August 19-28.

10. R. E. Weiss, A. P. Waggoner, D. L. Thorsell, J. S. Hall, L. A. Riley, R. J. Charlson, "On the Nature of Light Absorbing Aerosol." Conference on Carbonarious Particles in the Atmosphere, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 1978 March 20-22. 

Please direct questions and comments to chemdept@seattleu.edu