Dr. Anderson

Biography

Gary Anderson received his B.S in Chemistry and his M.S. from the University of Oklahoma. His MS thesis project involved the study of the influence of steric factors on the nitration of substituted biphenyls. He obtained his Ph.D. at Florida State University where he worked with Professor Werner Herz on the chemistry of natural products and x-ray crystallography. He spent two years of postdoctoral study doing synthesis of steroids with Professor Carl Djerassi at Stanford University. He spent a one year sabbatical at the University of California-Santa Cruz working with Dr. Todd Wipke on applications of artificial intelligence in organic chemistry. Over the years his research interests have shifted from synthetic organic chemistry and x-ray crystallography to artificial intelligence applications in organic chemistry and improving pedagogy in organic chemistry. He also has been active in developing materials for distance education in science. He retired from the classroom in 2008 but he continues to teach online courses and to actively seek ways to improve on approaches to distance education. He has been very active in the American Chemical Society. He has served as Councilor for the Central Ohio Valley Section for over 20 years and is currently a member of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee. He was selected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2019. He has also been very active in Alpha Chi Sigma (the Professional Chemistry Fraternity). He served as Grand Master Alchemist (National President) during the 2004-2006 biennium. He served as President of the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation for two years. In 2016 he received the John R. Kuebler Award which is the highest award Alpha Chi Sigma bestows on one of its members. He participates in a number of activities at the Science History Institute (formerly known as the Chemical Heritage Foundation) in Philadelphia. One of those activities is to serve on the Instruments and Artifacts Committee which acts in an advisory capacity for the Instrument Museum.