Michael Shaw Teacher Scholar

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The distinctive character of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is defined by the faculty's demonstrated capability to fulfill the values of the Teacher-Scholar Philosophy; a philosophy guided by a serious and continuing commitment to teaching, scholarship and service in the belief that scholarship complements and enriches excellence in teaching and service.

_{Adapted from the Teacher Scholar Philosophy of SIUE, Teacher-Scholar Philosophy Working Group, 6/2/08}

Dr. Michael Shaw
Professor, Chemistry

Research Focus:
“Electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry of transition-metal alkyne complexes."

Translation: "Transformations of organic molecules which lead to otherwise hard-to-build structures are achieved by binding small organic molecules to metal-containing sites, and then adding or removing electrons. The transformations can potentially lead to time-saving routes to useful molecules such as pharmaceuticals."

Dr. Michael Shaw

Recent Honors / Awards /Recognition:

2006 Hoppe Award from SIUE

2005 Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) grant from NSF ($214K)

2002 SIUE Teaching Excellence Award

Teaching Responsibilities:

Senior Undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry class and lab

Graduate level organometallic chemistry

Graduate level inorganic chemistry

Honor’s scholars class on “Chemistry and Art”

Freshman level classes, including “Freshman Chemistry for Engineers”

Undergraduate and Graduate Research classes (students take these courses, earn credit hours, but also are involved in scholarship which culminates in writing articles in peer reviewed chemistry journals)

Education:

Ph.D.: Inorganic Chemistry (1993), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

B.S (Honors): Chemistry (1988), Mt. Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada

How does SIUE support your professional growth or activity as a Teacher-Scholar?
"I believe that the Department of Chemistry provides an example of a unique subculture at SIUE where the merging of the activities of teaching and research is actively encouraged. The Chemistry 296/396/496/596/597 classes are designated for student research activities. For students, these courses count towards their final degree in terms of credit hours, and provide opportunities to learn techniques, strategies and the philosophy of chemistry through one-on-one interaction with a faculty member in a lab. These courses are recognized as part of the expected teaching load that a Chemistry faculty member bears. In these courses, students and faculty work side-by-side on research projects that eventually lead to peer-reviewed publications. These publications can lead to grants which provide further research opportunities for future students."

What is a unique aspect of your professional life that enhances your service to the academic or greater community?
"I am very conscious of the need for time-management. At any institution, there are groups who advocate for teaching. They are called students, and a conscientious faculty member cannot refuse her/his obligation to them. There are also groups who advocate for service. They are called colleagues and administrators, and again, a conscientious faculty member cannot dismiss his/her obligation to them. However, there is no group who advocates for a faculty member’s individual scholarship except the faculty member herself, or himself. Paradoxically, prestige primarily comes from a faculty member’s scholarly activities, not from teaching or service.

This realization has led me to focus my service activities on those which will improve the scholarly environment at SIUE. For example:

The Teacher-Scholar model, by encouraging faculty to form collaborative efforts with students (and other faculty), will serve to enhance externally-recognized faculty research through activities which serve to teach students about the core values and practices of their field.

An ulterior motive to my participation in the Graduate Council and Faculty Senate has been to try to reduce the amount of redundant service (i.e., 'busywork') expected of faculty who otherwise could use their time on pursuits which bring external recognition to SIUE."

Please share how one mentor or event shaped your career decision to become a university professor.
"I don’t recall a point where I made a decision about becoming a university professor. A better question for me is 'How did one of your mentor’s influence what kind of professor you became.'

Dr. Peter Legzdins was my Ph.D. advisor at the University of British Columbia. At UBC, an incoming chemistry graduate student has to interview several prospective faculty mentors before joining a research group. I spoke to a number of faculty before I spoke to Peter. These other faculty usually made me wait in the hall until they were finished with their current tasks, and then overwhelmed me with recent publications and the project that I would be working on. My first meeting with Peter was completely different.

Being rather shy by nature, I hesitantly knocked on Dr. Legzdins' door. Peter greeted me, stopped what he was doing and immediately took me on a tour of his lab. He introduced me to the other student members of his research group. The other students intimidated me with their obvious competence, but were open and friendly. I was made to feel welcome, and encouraged to return to talk to the students.

Peter did not talk much chemistry with me on that visit. Projects in his group usually grow out of current student projects, so his research group would be the source of the work I would pursue, at least until I had ideas of my own. The group also had the final say over whether I would be admitted to their lab or not.

This visit was my first experience with how Peter managed his research group. His 'team' approach to chemistry appealed to me. I was shy, introverted, moody, industrious, somewhat troubled and talented. It took me five years to internalize the lessons extant in how he managed the group. I came out of the experienced tremendously more balanced and competent than when I started.

This experience has been the model for how I run my own group, and for how I treat students in my classes. I believe (and Vygotsky might agree) that the social atmosphere of my research lab influences its productivity. I encourage team thinking among my students. I participate in menial lab chores as much as I can to show that I expect everyone to pull their weight and keep the lab environment running smoothly so we can all benefit."

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