John Pollard

Interim Dean, W.A. Franke Honors College

Professor of Practice

Degrees and Appointments

  • B.S. 1991, St. John's University
  • Ph.D. 1996, University of Arizona
  • Director of Technology, Coating Innovations LLC, Tucson AZ, 1997
  • Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, 2000
  • Associate Professor of Practice, CBC, 2014
  • Associate Dean for Academics and Curricular Innovation, W.A. Franke Honors College, 2018
  • Interim Dean, W.A. Franke Honors College, 2022

Teaching

As the Associate Dean for the University of W.A. Franke Honors College, John leads the development of innovative learning experiences for students that include experiential learning opportunities at the Biosphere 2 facility, co-taught interdisciplinary courses, and the implementation of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) methodology classes meant to promote cultural competencies with Honors students. Learning theories and practice are also at the center of John's research as he studies how metacognition, self-reported learning, and group interactions influence learning outcomes during active learning in Collaborative Learning Space environments. He also studies how learning environments can influence the development of interdisciplinary reasoning skills in students. 

Specialties: General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Teaching and Learning

Research Interests: Peer-peer interactions in teaching, Framing concepts in general chemistry, Knowledge chunking in general chemistry, The role metacognition plays in active learning

Honors and Awards:

  • UA College of Science Copernicus Award, The Galileo Circle, Fall 2016
  • Provost Office Koffler Award for Teaching, Spring 2016 (Award Nominee)
  • The University of Arizona Team Award for Excellence, The University of Arizona, Spring 2015 (Award Nominee)
  • UA Impact Award- Outstanding Faculty Partner, UA Student Affairs, Spring 2015 (Award Nominee)
  • UA College of Science Distinguished Award in Science Education, Spring 2014
  • University of Arizona Carnegie Foundation US Professor of the Year Nominee, Spring 2014 (Award Nominee)
  • University of Arizona Honors College 5-Star Teaching Award, Spring 2014 (Award Finalist)

Classes

  • CHEM 161 - Honors Chemical Thinking I
  • CHEM 162 - Honors Chemical Thinking II
  • CHEM 164 - Honors Fund Tech of Chem
  • CHEM 291H - Honors Preceptorship
  • CHEM 491H - Honors Preceptorship
  • HNRS 392Q - Honors Quest

 TedEd Educational Videos

Why don’t oil and water mix?

Salt dissolves in water; oil does not. But why? You can think of that glass of water as a big, bumpin' dance party where the water molecules are always switching dance partners -- and they'd much rather dance with a salt ion. John Pollard explains how two chemistry principles, energetics, and entropy, rule the dance floor.

 

 

 The Chemistry of Cold Packs

If you stick water in the freezer, it will take a few hours to freeze into ice. How is it, then, that cold packs go from room temperature to near freezing in mere seconds? John Pollard details the chemistry of the cold pack, shedding light on the concepts of energetics and entropy along the way.

 

 

Links

Youtube Channel
W.A. Franke Honors College Podcast "It's an Honor"
Office of the Provost Page
W.A. Franke Honors College Page
UA Profile Page

Books

Chapters

  • Burd, G. D., Tomanek, D. J., Blowers, P., Bolger, M. S., Cox, J., Elfring, L. K., Grubbs, E. A., Hunter, J., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., Lysecky, R. L., Milsom, J. A., Novodvorsky, I., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., Talanquer, V. A., Thamvichai, R., Tharp, H. S., & Wallace, C. (2016). Developing faculty cultures for evidence-based teaching practices in STEM: A progress report.. In Transforming Institutions: 21st Century Undergraduate STEM. West Lafayette, IN.: Purdue University Press.
  • Blowers, P., Burd, G. D., Bolger, M. S., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., Lysecky, R. L., Milsom, J. A., Novodvorsky, I., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., Talanquer, V. A., Thamvichai, R., Tharp, H. S., Wallace, C. S., Cox, J., Elfring, L., Grubbs, E., & Hunter, J. (2015). Developing Faculty Cultures for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: A Progress Report. In Transforming Institutions, Undergraduate STEM Education for the 21st Century(pp 90-102). Indianapolis, IN: Purdue University Press,.
  • Burd, G. D., Burd, G. D., Tomanek, D. J., Tomanek, D. J., Blowers, P., Blowers, P., Bolger, M. S., Bolger, M. S., Cox, J., Cox, J., Elfring, L. K., Elfring, L. K., Grubbs, E. A., Grubbs, E. A., Hunter, J., Hunter, J., Johns, K. A., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., , Lazos, L., et al. (2015). Developing faculty cultures for evidence-based teaching practices in STEM: A progress report.. In Transforming Institutions: 21st Century Undergraduate STEM. West Lafayette, IN.: Purdue University Press.
  • Blowers, P., Burd, G. D., Bolger, M. S., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., Lysecky, R. L., Milsom, J. A., Novodvorsky, I., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., Talanquer, V. A., Thamvichai, R., Tharp, H. S., Wallace, C. S., Cox, J., Elfring, L., Grubbs, E., & Hunter, J. (2014). Developing Faculty Cultures for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: A Progress Report. In Transforming Institution: 21st Century STEM Undergraduate Education Conference. Indianapolis, IN: AAU-STEM.

Journals/Publications

  • Tashiro, J., Talanquer, V., Pollard, J., & Parga, D. (2021). Characterizing change in students' self-assessment of understanding when engaged in instructional activities. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. doi:10.1039/d0rp00255k
  • Talanquer, V. A., & Pollard, J. R. (2017). Reforming a Large Foundational Course: Successes and Challenges. Journal of Chemical Education. doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00397
  • Glass, R. S., Pollard, J. R., Zhang, X., Shan, Z., Pollard, J. R., Lorance, E., Lichtenberger, D. L., He, C., Gruhn, N. E., Glass, R. S., Deorazio, R., Block, E., & Birringer, M. (2000). Gas-Phase Photoelectron Spectroscopic and Theoretical Studies of 1,2-Dichalcogenins: Ionization Energies, Orbital Assignments, and an Explanation of Their Color. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 122(21), 5065-5074. doi:10.1021/ja9941330

Presentations

  • Pollard, J. R. (2019, February). Why Do We Gather Students Together?. Arizona Western College Professional Development Day. Arizona Western College, Yuma Arizona.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, February). Evidence-based Instructional Practice in STEM. Invited Workshop at Pima Community College. Pima Community College.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, May). Change is Hard, Yet Needed- A Story of Curricular, Instructional and Institutional Change in Teaching General Chemistry and Beyond. Invited Talk, UC Irvine. University of California Irvine.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, spring semester). Engaging Students in the Classroom. Invited workshop for California Institute of Technology. California Institute of Technology: Center of Teaching and Learning, Cal Tech.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, spring semester). Evidenced Based Instruction in STEM. Pasadena Community College Workshop on Teaching. Pasadena Community College.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, spring semester). Let's Focus on How We Think, Not What We Know, The Chemical Thinking Story. Southern Arizona Los Angeles America Chemical Society Dinner. Cal State Los Angeles.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2018, spring semester). The Chemical Thinking Story. Invited Talk for Department of Chemistry at UNCO. University of Northern Colorado.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2017, January). Questioning Why and How We Gather Students Together: Empowering Changes in Curricula and Teaching. California Institute of Technology Teaching Week event. Campus of Cal Tech.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2017, March). Why Do We Gather Students In-class?. 2YC3 Truckee Meadows Community College regional meeting. Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno Nevada.
  • Pollard, J. R., & Horii, C. (2017, October). Hacking Classrooms. Professional Organizational and Development Conference. Montreal, Canada: POD Network.
  • Blowers, P., Elfring, L. K., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., & Donahue, J. L. (2018, Spring). Engaging Students in Learning Through Interactive Teaching. Graduate Center and Postdoctoral Affairs. BIO5/Thomas W. Keating Building, Room B103, Tucson, AZ: Graduate Center and Postdoctoral Affairs.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2016, August). How does thinking about thinking relate to chemical thinking?. Biannual Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE). University of Northern Colorado.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2016, November). Why Do We Gather Students Together? A story of curricular and institutional change. Invited talk to Penn College of Engineering colloquium series. University of Pennsylvania.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2016, October). Chemical Thinking for the Classroom. 2YC3 regional conference at Yavapai College. Yavapai College, Prescott Arizona.
  • Pollard, J. R., & Talanquer, V. A. (2016, August). Chemical Thinking Workshop at the Biannual Conference on Chemical Education- University of Northern Colorado. Biannual Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE).
  • Pollard, J. R. (2015, March). How to Continue to Succeed in Your Classes. Honors College Pining Ceremony.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2015, October). Let’s Focus on Chemical Thinking: A Story of Curricular and Instructional Reform. AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative Network Conference. Washington University, St. Louis MO: AAU.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2015, October). What We Know About Learning and How to Get Good Grades Without Caring About Good Grades. Honors College Convocation Keynote speaker.
  • Blowers, P., Blowers, P., Burd, G. D., Burd, G. D., Bolger, M. S., Bolger, M. S., Johns, K. A., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., Lazos, L., Lysecky, R. L., Lysecky, R. L., Milsom, J. A., Milsom, J. A., Novodvorsky, I., Novodvorsky, I., Pollard, J. R., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., , Prather, E. E., et al. (2014, Oct). Developing Faculty Cultures for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: A Progress Report. Transforming Institution: 21st Century STEM Undergraduate Education Conference. Indianapolis, IN: AAU-STEM.
  • Blowers, P., Burd, G. D., Bolger, M. S., Johns, K. A., Lazos, L., Lysecky, R. L., Milsom, J. A., Novodvorsky, I., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., Talanquer, V. A., Thamvichai, R., Tharp, H. S., Wallace, C. S., Cox, J., Elfring, L., Grubbs, E., Hunter, J., Blowers, P., , Burd, G. D., et al. (2014). Developing Faculty Cultures for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: A Progress Report. Transforming Institution: 21st Century STEM Undergraduate Education Conference. Indianapolis, IN: AAU-STEM.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2014, Fall). The Collaborative Learning Space Project Creating Environments for the Enhancement of Active Learning . UITS Teaching Technology Showcase Event.
  • Pollard, J. R. (2014, January). Let’s Teach Students How We Think Not What We Know; A Curriculum Reform Story. Northern Arizona 2014 Teaching Day.
  • Blowers, P., Blowers, P., Burd, G. D., Burd, G. D., Bolger, M. S., Bolger, M. S., Pollard, J. R., Pollard, J. R., Prather, E. E., & Prather, E. E. (2014, November). Leading Institutional Change Through Faculty Support and Engagement with Administrators: Use of Evidence Based Teaching Practices. AIChE National Conference. Atlanta, GA: AIChE.

Poster Presentations

  • Pollard, J. R., & Schnoebelen, C. (2014, Summer). Evolution of Teaching Strategies Used By Preceptors In General Chemistry. 2014 Biannual Conference on Chemical Education.

Creative Productions

Others

  • Pollard, J. R. (2017, June). Discussion Leader for National Programs in STEM Education Session. Gordon Conference for Chemical Education.