Carla Verschoor
Senior Lecturer in Chemistry
Enjoys teaching across the curriculum, from first-year students to graduating seniors.
I am trained as an inorganic chemist and fell in love with Chemistry due to the pretty colors of transition-metal complexes. I teach in the introductory sequence (105/205) and in the advanced inorganic labs. It is wonderful to teach at both ends of the curriculum, and to see how students have progressed so much during their time at Wellesley.
I have a special interest in students who come from under-resourced high schools and/or are first-generation students. One of my favorite things at Wellesley was being the faculty mentor for Posse 2 from Houston.
When not teaching, I can usually be found spending time with my family.
Education
- B.S., University of Illinois (Urbana)
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin (Madison)
Current and upcoming courses
This course is designed for students majoring in the physical and biological sciences as well as those wishing an introduction to modern molecular science. Core principles and applications of chemistry are combined to provide students with a conceptual understanding of chemistry that will help them in both their professional and everyday lives. Topics include principles of nuclear chemistry, atomic and molecular structure, molecular energetics, chemical equilibrium, and chemical kinetics. The laboratory work introduces students to synthesis and structural determination by infrared and other spectroscopic techniques, periodic properties, computational chemistry, statistical analysis, and various quantitative methods of analysis. This course is intended for students who have taken one year of high school chemistry and have a math background equivalent to two years of high school algebra. Students who have AP or IB credit in chemistry, and who elect CHEM 105, forfeit the AP or IB credit.