The department welcomes inclusive chemical education researcher Dr. Dory DeWeese, who will join the UCLA faculty as an Assistant Teaching Professor on November 1, 2024.
DeWeese received a B.S. in chemistry and M.A. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA). She then received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Stanford University, where she studied the structure and reactivity of oxygen-activating non-heme iron metalloenzymes with Professor Edward I. Solomon. Her work utilized a combination of spectroscopy, crystallography and quantum mechanical calculations to describe the diverse ways that non-heme iron enzymes activate molecular oxygen to perform biologically critical chemical transformations. While at Stanford, she also worked extensively with Dr. Jennifer Schwartz-Poehlmann, Professor Jocelyn Nardo, and Professor Shima Salehi to design equitable introductory chemistry courses and programs to support the success of all students.
“Dr. DeWeese brings an amazing set of expertise in general chemistry education and I look forward to working with her on advancing new projects in undergraduate teaching and learning in our department,” said Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny.
At Stanford, DeWeese co-founded (along with Dr. Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann and Professor Bob Waymouth) the successful peer mentoring program (STEMentors) in the Stanford general chemistry series. This program, while open to all students, was primarily designed to support students who hold historically marginalized identities or attended under-resourced high schools. The program focuses on problem-solving strategies, community building, and wellness support for first-year and transfer students, aiming to enhance their success and retention in chemistry and in STEM more broadly. This program has served over 300 students and has been adopted by other STEM departments at Stanford. Details of the program and its evaluation were published in the Journal of Chemical Education in 2023, where DeWeese serves as the first author.
“DeWeese has interests in developing approaches to introduce wholistic wellness and disability justice, as well as non-western perspective in chemistry into courses here at UCLA,” said search committee chair Professor Albert Courey. “These efforts should increase the success and retention of diverse students in STEM. We are very pleased that Professor DeWeese will be joining our faculty.”
At UCLA, DeWeese’s goal will be to collaborate with undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research and instructional faculty members, and UCLA academic centers to co-create chemistry courses to support the success of all students in chemistry. Her research program will focus on developing equitable course materials to support students’ conception of and belonging in chemistry, building new programs and courses that foster a sense of belonging and support retention in the chemistry, and re-designing large enrollment courses to tailor instruction to individual needs and knowledge levels of students. Establishing more equitable chemistry classrooms both at UCLA and beyond will bring diverse perspectives to chemistry, supporting continued cutting-edge chemical research.
“I am drawn to UCLA’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and the department’s commitment to training the next generation of scientists who view chemistry as a tool for justice,” DeWeese said.
In addition to her research, DeWeese is deeply committed to building inclusive learning environments in the courses she teaches. DeWeese’s goal is to build environments in her introductory general chemistry courses that are founded on mutual respect and a desire to construct knowledge and community together. She has significant experience teaching at both UVA and Stanford, and her dedication to equitable education has been recognized with teaching and graduate student leadership awards at Stanford. In 2021, she was awarded the Jonathan L. Sessler Award for exceptional leadership and service and the Linus Pauling Teaching Award which recognizes exemplary teaching in the Chemistry department.
“As a graduate student at Stanford University, Professor DeWeese showed great potential as a science educator,” Courey said. “Stanford undergraduates frequently cite her engaging approach to teaching and her ability to inspire infectious enthusiasm for chemistry.”
The Assistant Teaching Professor position is tenure track and confers membership in the UCLA Academic Senate. While the emphasis in this position is excellent teaching, teaching professors are also expected to make scholarly contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning.
To contact Professor DeWeese, please email dorydeweese@ucla.edu.
