
Jim Gawel is an associate professor with Sciences and Mathematics (SAM).
What kind of a student were you? As an undergrad I worked late night shifts in the pizza place on campus, and so I was often tired in my morning class, General Chemistry. The professor was one of the least inspired teachers I have known, and so I would sit in the back of class in a 300 person lecture hall in hard wooden fixed seats and fall asleep. I would wake up sore and get nothing out of being in class, so I taught myself chemistry from the textbook. I strive to NOT be that teacher!
What was your favorite class as an undergrad? It was actually a marketing class for engineers taught by the guy who invented digital circuits. In a 300 person class we would know everyone’s name by sight by the second week of class. It was probably my favorite class because he was the most amazing teacher!
What was a gratifying teaching moment? Every time I see a student succeed after working hard; doesn’t matter whether that is on a test, doing research in the field, or finally getting their diploma on stage. That is what I live for, that is why I teach!
What research are you working on now? I am collaborating with other former grad students from my same lab at MIT (Parsons Laboratory, Environmental Engineering), now at UW Seattle and University of Colorado, to understand the environmental chemistry and potential biotic impact of arsenic (from the ASARCO plant in Ruston) that was deposited in lakes in Pierce and King Counties.
Tell us about an interesting job you had in the past. I was a water engineer in the Peace Corps in Kenya right after I graduated college.