Bret Findley Professor of Chemistry
Bio
Ph.D. Dartmouth College
B.A. Willamette University
Areas of Expertise:
Experimental Physical Chemistry; Photo-Induced Electron Transfer Reactions; Molecular Spectroscopy; Physical Chemistry Pedagogy
Courses I Teach:
Chemistry Senior Seminar
Concepts in Chemistry
General Chemistry I and II
Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy
Environmental Chemistry
Research
Research Grants:
鈥淭wo Studies Involving Photo-Induced Electron Transfer鈥; Findley, B. R. (PI), Junior Faculty Summer Stipend from the SMC Provost鈥檚 Office, $3,000, 6/1/07 鈥 8/31/07
鈥淭wo Studies Involving Electron-Donor-Acceptor Complexes鈥; Findley, B. R. (PI), Contribution to the Renewal of the NIH Grant submitted by the Vermont Genetics Network, $66,000 (Research and Laboratory Renovations), 6/1/05 鈥 5/31/06
鈥淭wo Studies Involving Electron-Donor-Acceptor Complexes鈥; Findley, B. R. (PI), Vermont Genetics Network Summer Research Grant, $10,000, 5/15/04 – 6/30/04
鈥淚nvestigations Involving Photo-Induced Electron Transfer in Electron-Donor-Acceptor Complexes鈥, Research Support from the Vermont Genetics Network Block Grant to Saint Michael鈥檚 College, $6,612, 10/24/03 – 6/30/04
鈥淒igital Oscilloscope for Transient Decay Measurements鈥; Van Houten, J. (PI); Findley, B. R. (Co-PI), Vermont EPSCoR Equipment Support for Faculty at Baccalaureate Institutions, $20,375, Submitted 10/15/03
鈥淭he Solvent Separated Radical Ion Pair in Electron-Donor-Acceptor and Diffusional Encounter Complexes鈥; Findley, B. R. (PI), Vermont Genetics Network Summer Research Grant, $10,000, 6/03 – 9/03
鈥淭he Solvent Separated Radical Ion Pair in Electron-Donor-Acceptor Complexes鈥; Findley, B. R. (PI), Vermont EPSCoR Summer Research Grant, $10,000, 6/03 – 9/03
Mentored Student Research Grant Proposals
Katelyn Billings SMC 鈥10, Mentored Student Grant through the NASA-National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, Summer 2007, $7,300
Nghi Tu SMC 鈥09, Provost Student-Faculty Research, Summer 2007, $4,000
Makaila Gallup SMC 鈥09, Provost Student-Faculty Research, Summer 2007, $4,000
Ian Stanton SMC 鈥07, Provost Student-Faculty Research, Summer 2005, $3,500
Addison Bouchard SMC 鈥05, Vermont Genetics Network, Summer 2004, $4,500
Joshua Schoenly SMC 鈥05, Vermont Genetics Network, Summer 2004, $4,500
Joshua Schoenly SMC 鈥05, Vermont Genetics Network, Summer 2003, $4,500
Jessica Rabideau SMC 鈥04, Vermont Genetics Network, Summer 2003, $4,500
Nicholas James SMC 鈥04, Vermont Genetics Network, Summer 2003, $4,500
Publications:
鈥淚ntegrating Statistical Mechanics with Experimental Data from the Vibrational-Rotational Spectrum of HCl into the Physical Chemistry Laboratory鈥; Findley, B. R.; Mylon, S. J. Chem. Ed. 2008, 85, 1670.
鈥淭he Solution Dynamics of Photoinduced Geminate Radical Ion Pairs: Free Ion Formation鈥; Zhou, J.; Findley, B. R.; Francis, T. M.; Nytko, E. A.; Braun, C. L. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2002, 362, 63.
鈥淟ong Distance Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Solutions: A Mechanism for Producing Large Yields of Free Ions By Electron Transfer Quenching鈥; Zhou, J.; Shah, R. P.; Findley, B. R.; Braun, C. L. J. Phys. Chem. A 2002, 106, 12.
鈥淭he Separation Distance Distribution in Electron-Donor-Acceptor Systems and the Wavelength Dependence of Free Ion Yields鈥; Zhou, J.; Findley, B. R.; Braun, C. L.; Sutin, N. J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 114, 10448.
鈥淚on Pairs from Photoexcited 鈥楻andom鈥 Electron Donors and Acceptors: Alkylbenzenes and Tetracyanoethylene鈥; Zhou, J.; Findley, B. R.; Teslja, A.; Braun, C. L.; Sutin, N. J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 11512.
鈥淟arger than Expected Free Ion Yields from the Photoexcited Trans-Stilbene/Fumaronitrile CT Complex in a Variety of Solvents鈥; Findley, B. R.; Smirnov, S. N.; Braun, C. L. J. Phys. Chem. A 1998, 102, 6385.
Awards & Recognition
Awards:
Sigma Xi / American Chemical Society Member
Florian von Eschen Award in chemistry, Willamette University
Rotary International Scholarship for one year abroad, Universit盲t Regensburg, Germany
National Merit Commendation
2011 Norbert A. Kuntz Service Award
Interview
Life Off Campus:
I enjoy sports with racquets (especially squash and tennis), running, hiking, skiing of all varieties, gardening, bridge and playing with my labradoodle, Maddy.
Recent News
Bret Findley of the chemistry faculty and George Ashline of mathematics collaborated (remotely) this summer with students on research projects thanks to National Science Foundation 鈥淪-STEM鈥 summer funding support. The students were Mitch Andrea 鈥22,and Dylan Wawruck 鈥22. Said George, 鈥淭hey worked diligently on developing and refining classroom-ready activities and exercises making connections between chemistry and mathematics. They also assisted with our beta-testing process, through which we are gathering survey feedback from other undergraduates about the activities.” George further shared how Barbara O鈥橠onovan, instructor of engineering and mathematics & statistics, Engineering Program coordinator, has been involved with the project, 鈥渁nd offered valuable input and suggestions for these activities. She has used or plans to use some of them when teaching Calculus I.鈥 A key element behind these opportunities is a $1 million National Science Foundation federal grant awarded to the College three years ago that aims to advance such connections and is able to pay stipends to the students as a summer job for their projects.
(posted February 2022)
Bret Findley of the chemistry faculty, Alain Brizard of the physics faculty and George Ashline of the mathematics faculty all managed to supervise substantial student research projects over the summer despite the pandemic by using virtual tools when necessary. Bret supervised one project on introducing students to 鈥渃omputational chemistry鈥; Bret and George oversaw a student project developing exercises for students that more clearly link calculus and chemistry; Alain supervised a project exploring oscillating chemical reactions.
(posted February 2021)
Bret Findley, Christina Chant and聽Shane Lamos聽of the Saint Michael鈥檚 chemistry faculty all attended the 25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education at the University of Notre Dame at the beginning of the month.聽聽Christina gave a talk, Bret gave a talk and presented a poster — talk title 鈥淚ntroducing Problems Involving Environmental Topics to Enhance Learning and Interest in Physical Chemistry” and poster title 鈥淯sing Thermo-Solvatochromism to Measure the Impact of Temperature on Solvent Stabilization鈥 — and Shane continued his work writing a national organic chemistry exam for the American Chemical Society.聽聽The Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE) is a national meeting sponsored by the Division of Chemical Education (DivCHED) of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The Conference is designed for those who teach chemistry at all levels.