By Scout Nelson
Alexey Leontyev, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at North Dakota State University, has received a U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER award worth $868,229.
His project aims to create new tools that measure how well students understand green chemistry, an area of study focused on protecting the environment by designing safer and more sustainable chemical processes.
The five-year project will design and test a community-based assessment tool for green chemistry education.
Unlike traditional tests, which mark answers as simply right or wrong, the new tool will use a scoring system that allows for partial credit, showing when students demonstrate partial understanding. Artificial intelligence will also help analyze student answers and improve question design.
Green chemistry education is becoming essential, as the American Chemical Society requires it for program approval. However, there are no reliable tools to measure how much students are learning. Leontyev’s project is filling that gap while bringing new methods from chemistry education research into green chemistry studies.
One of the first results of the project is a model that predicts when stripe rust, disease, might appear and when fungicides are needed. Eventually, six predictive models will be available. This work helps instructors better support students while also connecting chemistry to real-world problems.
The program also highlights benefits for North Dakota’s agricultural economy. By linking chemistry education to renewable feedstocks and biomass use, the project makes science more relevant for rural students while encouraging STEM learning.
Leontyev is working with experts such as Jane Wissinger, University of Minnesota Professor Emerita, who serves on the advisory board. She emphasizes that while green chemistry programs have grown, reliable testing tools have been lacking, and this project is an important step forward.
Photo Credit: north-dakota-state-university
Categories: North Dakota, Education