Summer 2010
Departments
The Atomic Force
More than four decades ago, Ron Warnet began teaching chemistry at Simpson College. Forty years later, there is still no place he would rather be.
"When I am in my classroom, the world is right," said Warnet.
Over the years, Warnet's enthusiasm for teaching and learning has not paled, and he remains committed to expanding scientific study at Simpson.
In January, Warnet and Frank Curti, assistant professor of physics, rece ived a grant that will open a whole new field of science to Simpson students.
The grant, from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, provided Simpson with the funds to purchase an atomic force microscope. The microscope, which arrived on campus in late May, will be used extensively during Warnet's course on nanoscience — a first at Simpson.
The microscope will allow Simpson students to view biological, physical and chemical samples at the atomic level, which is not possible with an optical microscope. With the equipment, students and faculty members ca n conduct experiments on individual molecules, creating many new research opportunities. For example, Warnet is interested in studying the proteins that cause Alzheimer's disease and said the new equipment will allow him to watch the proteins move and assemble over time.
"Undergraduates often don't have a chance to play around with [atomic force microscopes], but here they will," said Warnet.
Nanoscience is still relatively new to Warnet himself. Warnet has always liked to use his sabbaticals to learn about unfamiliar areas of chemistry. During his sabbatical in the fall of 2007, Warnet studied at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. and Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, to learn the principles of nanoscience and gain experience with the equipment needed to teach it in his classroom.
"This isn't in my field at all," he said. "I'm an organic chemist, but it's a fascinating topic. I think this is a great example of how sabbaticals benefit the college."
Six Questions for Ron:
The strangest thing in my office is:
A George Washington Carver finger puppet that Sal Meyers (professor of psychology) gave me years ago and which I treasure.
Book I think everyone should read to their kids:
Parents can ask their town librarian for suggestions for books. What I want parents to buy their kids is a gyroscope. It is a fascinating toy; it gives kids an entry into physics and our understanding of the atom. So get them one, and they will be a step ahead of their clueless friends.
One thing people wouldn't know about me: I got indoor plumbing in 1995 after 20 years of living with an outhouse.
My inspiration is:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran theologian who went back to Germany in 1939 so he could help his country recover from Nazism and in the process became a man of deep faith. He ended up being killed in a concentration camp days before liberation. You really should read his book "The Cost of Discipleship."
If I wasn't a professor, I would be:
A geologist. I love rocks and the stories they tell us. And besides, I once outran a guard at a quarry while carrying a 40-pound hunk of amethyst.
If I won the lottery, I would:
Loan it to women entrepreneurs in third world countries to start small businesses. It seems to be the most effective way of raising a family out of poverty. Those women amaze me with what they can accomplish with small amounts of money.