François Amar
Associate Professor, Chemistry
François Amar is a highly dedicated teacher and scholar with a strong commitment to education and research at the University of Maine. His research in theoretical chemical physics is creative and original, and he has been recognized for it. He recently was selected for a prestigious Fulbright award to spend a sabbatical year in Sri Lanka. However, heightened political unrest in the summer of 2006 made travel to that country risky. So he and his family implemented alternative plans to go to Australia, where François held a visiting appointment in the School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne. As a result of his sabbatical, he has developed several new research avenues, including computational studies of microspheres covered with quantum dots that have the potential to be sensitive and selective biosensors.
François also is actively engaged in chemical education research and holds a Cooperating Faculty Appointment in the Center for Science and Mathematics Education Research at UMaine. He is interested in developing and researching the impact of active learning strategies, especially in large lecture formats. He has published extensively and has given numerous presentations in both of his major areas of research: chemical physics and chemical education.
François has made valuable contributions to curriculum development in the Department of Chemistry, and more broadly to the university as a whole. He has worked hard to create Web-based materials in his courses that help students navigate the course requirements and focus on the important points. He played a key role in developing and coordinating the Peer Led Team Learning program in introductory chemistry and also is a major contributor to the Department’s InterChemNet project for the general chemistry lab. For over 10 years, François has made significant contributions as a member of the Honors faculty facilitating preceptorials, advising theses and presenting lectures. His work in curriculum revision, and in particular his leadership role in introducing the study of technology into the civilizations sequence, has benefited the Honors College greatly. His current work, leading the development of a multi-disciplinary science sequence, will enhance the Honors curriculum and provide students with an understanding of science so crucial to being good citizens.
François’ service to the department, the university and the community has been extensive. Most notably, he served several terms as interim chair of the Department of Chemistry. He also enjoys giving science presentations at several local schools to stimulate interest in chemistry and to illustrate the connections between math and science.
François likes to say he has “the best job in the world.” His positive outlook is one of the things that make him such a valuable colleague. We would like to thank François for his hard work and dedication to the University of Maine over the past 25 years.