November 4, 2010
Mastering scientific concepts
Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Christopher Reid uses hands-on class projects to teach students the impact of science on society.
An overarching goal of Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Christopher Reid’s teaching is to tie in the chemical concepts that students learn in class to real world applications. He does this through an interesting array of innovative class projects and assignments.
A project in his chemistry course, Better Living through Chemistry, challenges students to pick a topic or breakthrough in the field of chemistry, research the discovery, and explain how it has positively impacted society.
In his Foundations in Pharmaceutical Science class, Reid’s students build their own biotechnology company. In groups, they pick a disease, decide how they are going to generate a product, and simulate the process of securing financing for their startup businesses.
“I want to generate discussion on the broader implications of topics we examine in class,” explains Reid, who started teaching at Bryant at the beginning of the fall semester. “I try to incorporate examples from the life sciences to illustrate concepts in chemistry.”
Interaction with students
Reid’s research focus is in the area of glycobiology – study of the structure, of saccharides (sugar chains) – and glycochemistry – the chemistry of carbohydrates. Specifically, he explores how microorganisms produce and degrade complex polysaccharides and how these processes can be utilized in medical and industrial applications.
A member of the American Chemical Society’s Biological Chemistry Division, Reid has authored nearly 20 scholarly research articles, book chapters, and abstracts. He has also presented his research at a variety of conferences.
Reid earned his Ph. D. in biochemistry from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Waterloo and Laurentian University, respectively.
Prior to coming to Bryant, Reid served as an adjunct professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Laurentian University. He was also a post-doctoral fellow and research associate at the National Research Council’s Institute for Biological Sciences.
At Bryant, he has the opportunity to work closely with students in the University’s new 10,000-square-foot lab space that features teaching labs and more than $500,000 worth of equipment. In 2008, Bryant introduced a major in environment science and earlier this fall a new biology program was unveiled.
“I was attracted to Bryant,” says Reid, “by the small class size and a greater opportunity to interact with students.
Read about more new faculty and term appointments for the fall semester.
