Melanie Cooper, Michigan State University Lappan-Phillips professor of science education, has been named a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
“I am originally from the U.K. — although I have lived in the United States for 35 years — and was invited to give a talk at the Royal Society of Chemistry once,” said Cooper, professor of chemistry in the MSU College of Natural Science. “To be admitted as a fellow now is especially thrilling for me. This kind of international recognition of my work again sends a very important message to the community as a whole that teaching and learning in chemistry is a scholarly activity that should be recognized and rewarded.”
Cooper’s current research focuses on improving teaching and learning in large enrollment general and organic chemistry courses at the college level.
“Professor Cooper becoming a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is something for all of MSU to celebrate,” said Rob Maleczka, chair of MSU’s Department of Chemistry. “It illustrates the global reach of research being conducted by our faculty and their students. It’s also worth noting that Professor Cooper just concluded a year of teaching two organic chemistry classes, again highlighting how MSU undergraduates have the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s very best scientists.”
Cooper, who joined MSU in 2013 as the first Lappan-Phillips chair in science education, earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in chemistry from the University of Manchester, England.
