The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) has named Christina Goudreau Collison, professor of chemistry at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the recipient of the 2026 James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry. The award, which honors the memory of James Flack Norris, a professor of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a teacher of great repute, recognizes dedicated teachers of chemistry at any level whose efforts have had a wide-ranging effect on chemistry education.
Collison is revolutionizing the teaching of organic chemistry by pioneering the use of Sign Language Incorporation in Chemistry Education (SLICE), implementing it both in lecture courses and in her novel guided-inquiry lab curriculum, Reformed Experimental Activities (REActivities). The SLICE project, initiated by a group of faculty and students at RIT, is a research effort that aims to improve cognitive gains not only for deaf and hard-of-hearing students but for all students in organic chemistry courses.
Using sign language to convey a concept is a powerful way for students to think about the electron-pushing formalisms we write on paper and to recognize mechanistic trends. Using our hands as models transforms the 2D static framework of writing symbolic drawings on our page into 3D opportunities for students to conceptualize a molecule or a transition state. The project has had a positive impact on classroom culture and student performance.
Collison will be recognized during the NESACS Awards Banquet on Nov. 12 at Simmons University in Boston. For more information on the James Flack Norris Award, contact the Norris Award Committee chair, Mark Tebbe, at [email protected] or visit the NESACS website.
