Daniel James Berger |
| Science Department | Phone: | (419) 358-3379 |
| Bluffton University | FAX: | (419) 358-3323 |
| 280 W. College Ave. | E-mail: | bergerd@bluffton.edu |
| Bluffton, OH 45817-1196 |
Ph.D. 1995, Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
A.M. 1992, Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
B.S. with honors 1985, Chemistry, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
B.U.S. with honors 1985, University Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
Professor of Chemistry at Bluffton University, Fall 2001-present.
Associate Professor of Chemistry at Bluffton College, Fall 1996-Spring 2001.
Department Chairman: Michael Edmiston.
Teach introductory and advanced organic chemistry.
Participate in teaching non-major chemistry.
Develop experiments for instructional laboratory.
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, Summer 1996.
Taught non-major organic chemistry sequence.
Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 1995-1996.
Advisor: Professor James M. Tanko.
Electrochemical kinetics of spiro[2.5]octa-4,7-dien-6-ones.
Supervised students in advanced organic synthesis laboratory.
Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1991-1995.
Advisor: Professor Peter P. Gaspar.
Photochemistry of 1,1-disilylsilirenes as precursors to silirene-1,1-diyls.
Computational studies of rearrangements and decomposition of vinylphosphinidene and vinylphosphirane.
Dissertation (May 1995). Novel Carbenes, Silylenes and Phosphinidenes.
Visiting Researcher, Laboratoire Hétéroéléments et Coordination, école Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France, 19 November 1994 - 19 December 1994.
Advisor: Professor François Mathey.
Synthesis of the first P-diazomethylphosphirane, and its flow pyrolysis to give a phosphaalkyne (repeated and extended at Washington University).
Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1989-1992.
Assisted in sorting and identifying unidentified chemical waste, 1 semester.
Course Development Assistant, graduate-level computational chemistry course, 1 semester.
Problem Section Instructor, Organic Chemistry, 1 semester.
Laboratory Section Instructor, Organic Chemistry, 2 semesters.
Laboratory Section Instructor, Quantitative Analysis, 1 semester.
Signal Intelligence Analyst, U.S. Army, 1985-1989 (training 1985-1987). Highest rank: Sergeant (E-5). Honorable Discharge 1989.
Analyzed foreign radio traffic for national-level consumers.
Wrote an estimated 500 technical reports during the period 1987-89.
Translated German technical reports into English.
Honor Graduate 1986, Basic Polish Course, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California.
Bluffton College Study Center grantee, Summer 2000.Accepted as Canada Fellow, University of New Brunswick, 1995 (funding for all fellows not already under contract was withdrawn by NSERC).Honorable Mention 1991, NSF Graduate Fellowship competition.Louderman Fellow, Washington University, 1989.Polymers & Coatings Scholarship, North Dakota State University, 1980-1982.Phi Kappa Phi, 1981.Outstanding Freshman Chemistry Major, North Dakota State University, 1980.National Merit Scholarship, National Award, 1979.
The American Chemical Society, 1988-present.The American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1991-present.The American Scientific Affiliation, 1995-present.The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, 1996-present.Society for College Science Teachers, 1998-present.National Science Teachers' Association, 1998-present.The Episcopal Working Group on Science, Technology and Faith, 2000-present.
Bluffton College Educational Technology & Resources Committee, 2002.Bluffton College Assessment Committee, 2000-2002.Science columnist, National Forum: the Phi Kappa Phi Journal, 2000-2003.Manuscript reviewer for The Journal of Chemical Education, 1998-present.Topic administrator, the Mad Scientist Network (an ask-the-expert service): in science history, 1998-present; in chemistry, 1999-present.Served as resource for the Mad Scientist Network, 1997-present.Bluffton College Educational Technology subcommittee, 1998-1999.Bluffton College Capstone Course development committee, 1997-1998.Vestry, Trinity Episcopal Church, three-year term beginning February 2000.Lay Eucharistic Minister, Trinity Episcopal Church, 2000-present.Sunday School Substitute Instructor, High School, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1997-1999.Liturgy Committee, Christ Episcopal Church, Blacksburg, Virginia, 1995-1996.Sunday School Instructor, Middle School students, Christ Episcopal Church, 1995-1996.Graduate Student-Sponsored Seminars Committee, Washington University Department of Chemistry, 1990-91.Voice Instructor, North Dakota State University Student Union, 1983-85."Synthesis and Biological Activity of Photopolymerizable Derivatives of Glyphosate." A. Bogdanova, V. Piunova, D. Berger, A. Fedorov, and D.C. Neckers. Biomacromolecules, 2007, 8, 439-447.
"Development of Corrosion Resistant Energy-Curable Coatings." A. Mejiritski, T. Marino, D. Martin, D.J. Berger, A.V. Fedorov, K.C. Anyaogu, A.A. Ermoshkin, and D.C. Neckers. RadTech Report, July/August 2006, 11-20.
"The Quest for Triplet Ground State Silylenes." P.P. Gaspar, M. Xiao, D.H. Pae, D.J. Berger, T. Haile, T. Chen, D. Lei, W.R. Winchester and P. Jiang, J. Organometallic Chem. 2002, 645, 68.
"Radical Ion Probes. 8. Direct and Indirect Electrochemistry of 5,7-di-t-butylspiro[2.5]octa-4,7-dien-6-one and Derivatives." J.P. Phillips, J.G. Gillmore, P. Schwartz, L.E. Brammer, D.J. Berger and J.M. Tanko, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 195.
"Radical Anions and Radical Cations Derived from Compounds Containing C=C, C=O and C=N Groups." D.J. Berger and J.M. Tanko, in S. Patai, ed., The Chemistry of Functional Groups, Supplement A3: The Chemistry of Double-Bonded Functional Groups, New York: Wiley-Interscience (1997).
"A Computational View of the Mechanism of Vinylphosphirane Pyrolysis and a New Route to Phosphaalkynes." D.J. Berger, P.P. Gaspar, P. Le Floch, F. Mathey and R.S. Grev, Organometallics 1996, 15, 4904.
"π-Overlap, Pyramidalization and Protonation of Group 15 Heterocycles: The Basicities of the 'Higher Pyridines.'" D.J. Berger, P.P. Gaspar and J.F. Liebman, J. Mol. Struct. (THEOCHEM) 1995, 338, 51.
"Molecular Orbital Study of the Vinylphosphinidene to Phosphapropyne Rearrangement." D.J. Berger, P.P. Gaspar, R.S. Grev and F. Mathey, Organometallics 1994, 13, 640.
"And Now for Something Completely Different." Science & Technology column for the Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 2003, 83(1)."What is Scientific Literacy?" Science & Technology column for National Forum, 2002, 82(3), 6.
"Does Biochemistry Have to Be Organic?" Science & Technology column for National Forum, 2002, 82(1), 6.
"But is it Art? Representing Structure in Chemistry." Science & Technology column for National Forum, 2001, 81(3), 6.
"The Failure of Theory: Models of the Solar System." Science & Technology column for National Forum, 2001, 81(1), 6.
"Does Your Food Glow in the Dark?" Science & Technology column for National Forum, 2000, 80(3), 7.
Animations of nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions (completed August 2005)Tutorial for use of framework molecular models (September 1998; upgraded for Internet Explorer, August 2000)
Walsh cyclopropane page (August 1998)
Supplemental articles written for the Bluffton College Integrated Laboratory Science course may be found here.
A complete listing of answers written for the Mad Scientist Network is found here.
Chemical Explanation: Characteristics, Development, Autonomy, Joseph E. Earley, Sr., ed. Review for the Journal of Chemical Education, 2006, 83, 995.
The Last Sorcerers: The Path from Alchemy to the Periodic Table by Richard Morris, review for the Journal of Chemical Education, 2004, 81, 489.
Can a Darwinian Be a Christian? by Michael Ruse, review for Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith, 2002, 54, 127.
Organic Laboratory Techniques, 3d Ed. by R.J. Fessenden, J.S. Fessenden and P. Feist, review for the Journal of Chemical Education, 2001, 78, 1336.
The Virgin and the Dynamo: Use and Abuse of Religion in Environmental Debates, by R. Royal, review for Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith 2000, 52, 265.
Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism, by R. T. Pennock, review for the Journal of College Science Teaching 2000, 30, 216.
Mere Creation, ed. W. Dembski, review for Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith, 1999, 51, 194-195.
Science for a Polite Society: Gender, Culture and the Demonstration of Enlightenment by G. Sutton, review for Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith 1999, 51, 133.
Understanding Organic Reaction Mechanisms by A. Jacobs, review for The Journal of Chemical Education 1999, 76, 167.
Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions and Mechanisms by B. Miller, review for The Journal of Chemical Education 1998, 75, 1558.
Modern Liquid Phase Kinetics by B. Cox, review for The Chemical Educator 1998, 3(6).
The Macrogalleria, website review for The Chemical Educator, 1998, 3(4).
A Guide to the Elements by A. Swertka, review for The Journal of Chemical Education 1997, 74, 627. Review of second edition, ibid. 1999, 76, 1628.
The Five Biggest Ideas in Science by C. Wynn, A.Wiggins and S. Harris, review for The Journal of Chemical Education 1997, 74, 627.
ChemWindow DB (4.0), software review for The Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences 1997, 37, 409.
At the Fringes of Science by M. Friedlander, review for Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith 1996, 48, 200.
"COSY at low resolution: Experiments suitable for 60-MHz NMR," by Daniel J. Berger, Jerrad R. Businger, and Grace Laraba Faruk. Poster presented at the 36th Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 2-4, 2004."Problem-based experiments for organic chemistry," by Daniel J. Berger. Paper presented at the 33d Central/Great Lakes Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 10-13, 2001.
"Efficacy of group learning in first-semester organic chemistry as measured by student surveys," by Daniel J. Berger. Paper presented at the 33d Central/Great Lakes Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 10-13, 2001.
"Electrochemical oxidation of cyclohexanol: an experiment for the sophomore organic chemistry laboratory," by Daniel J. Berger. Paper presented at the 33d Central/Great Lakes Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 10-13, 2001.
"Interactive pedagogy in organic chemistry: what's been done, what could be done," invited lecture, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, November 17, 2000.
"Enough is as good as a feast: organic chemical pedagogy and the theory of bonding," by Daniel J. Berger. Paper presented at the 31st Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 20-23, 1999.
"Modeling unusual molecules with semi-empirical calculations," by Daniel J. Berger and Peter P. Gaspar. Poster presented at the 31st Central Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, June 20-23, 1999.
"Does (Me3Si)2N-B=NSiMe3 Rearrange to a Cyclic Isomer?", by Daniel J. Berger, Peter P. Gaspar, Thomas A. Straw and James J. Zdodrowski. Poster presented at the 30th North American Organosilicon Symposium, May 30-31, 1997.
Session Chair, 30th North American Organosilicon Symposium, May 30-31, 1997.
"Organic Cosmochemistry," by Daniel J. Berger. Lecture presented at a meeting of the Lima Astronomical Society, Jan. 31, 1997.
"Aromaticity in Group 15: Proton Affinities of the Group 15 Heterobenzenes," by Daniel J. Berger, Peter P. Gaspar and Joel F. Liebman. Poster presented at 1994 Missouri Inorganic Day, Columbia, Missouri, May 1994.
"A New Synthesis of Phosphaalkynes Predicted by Theory," by Daniel J. Berger, Peter P. Gaspar, Pascal Le Floch and François Mathey. Poster presented at 1994 Missouri Organic Day, Columbia, Missouri, April 1994.
"A Molecular Orbital Study of the Thermal Conversion of Vinylphosphirane to Phosphapropyne," by Daniel J. Berger, Peter P. Gaspar, Roger S. Grev, and François Mathey. Lecture presented at Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, Plymouth, New Hampshire, 20-25 June 1993.
"Synthesis and Reactivity of 1,1-Disilylsilirenes as Precursors to Novel Silylenes," by Daniel J. Berger and Peter P. Gaspar. Poster presented at Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, Plymouth, New Hampshire, 20-25 June 1993.
"Synthesis of 1,1-disilylsilirenes: An Approach to SiCC Aromatics," by Daniel J. Berger and Peter P. Gaspar. Poster presented at XXVI Silicon Symposium, Indianapolis, Indiana, 26-27 March 1993.
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