Don Cass

Don Cass received a BA in Chemistry from Carleton College in 1973 and a PhD in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1977(see Science 192 1128 1976). He received additional training in factors affecting global change (CalTech/JPL), in environmental organic chemistry (MIT) and in risk assessment as a visiting scholar at the Harvard School of Public Health. From 1977-79, Don taught chemistry at Kenyon College and directed their freshman wilderness experience before coming to COA. At COA, Don has taught a wide range of classes including math and physics, but most recently has focused on chemistry. His broad interest is on where materials come from, how they behave and where they go. An area of emerging interest for him is how to quantify the risks posed by different materials and activities.

Don's courses can be divided into three broad areas: Environmental chemistry - deals with the materials that are in air, water and soil (see Nature 138 657-658 1986); Organic chemistry and biochemistry - deal with the principles underlying the behavior of carbon-based materials and Consumer Chemistry - deals with the materials people use in their everyday lives

Projects that students have done working with Don have included the effects of nutrients on lakes and rivers, bio-remediation of heavy metals in an abandoned dump, developing curriculum materials for teaching, quantifying soil erosion on campus, push-pull methods of controlling agricultural pests and a cook-book of diet-specific alternative recipes. Several of these projects have involved close collaborations with Acadia National Park and the Mitchell Center at the University of Maine at Orono.

Don is also interested in the art of teaching. He is a frequent visitor to local schools, he directed COA's NSF sponsored Math and Science Academy (95-96), he worked with the Mendleev institute (Moscow) on ways to integrated environmental chemistry into their program, and with the High School FOr Environmental STudies (NYC) on developing a NY Regents appropriate curriculum in environmental chemistry.

At COA Don has chaired the Student Activities and Personnel Committees, been Advisor Coordinator, and acting Academic Dean. Don's community involvement has included serving on the Acadia National Park Water Quality Advisory Committee and as a board member of the Somes-Meynall Wildlife Sanctuary.

Don's other interests include cooking, hiking, climbing, running, skiing and taking care of his family's horses.

Don's website: http://www.coa.edu/dcass/