Paul, what made you choose chemistry?

My 11th grade chemistry teacher was teaching us about supersaturated solutions. He dropped a crystal of sodium acetate into a supersaturated solution of the salt, and immediately, it all turned solid. What a rush! I was hooked.

Why should students today choose chemistry. Is it worth all the effort?

In my advising sessions with students, I tell them that they should make their choice of major and career based on two criteria: the first is what would make them happy. The second is what career would help them achieve their social agenda."Social", in this context, means the ideas and issues you want to fight for to help the world be the kind of world you want to live in. Can chemistry contribute to this? Absolutely, because chemistry is so important to the way the world is, and where it is going. Is it fun to learn about? Yes, often it is. I find the ideas very challenging.

What was your experience at CCNY?

If you are to succeed at CCNY, you must have a heightened sense of purpose and responsibility. Going to CCNY is unlike attending any place in the country CCNY is unique. It is a communter campus and, as such, the day-to-day activities and the resultant choices that you make are yours alone. There is no one to make sure that you go to class, or that you are in your dorm room at a certain time, or that you don't decide to space off the day. There are fewer students near you to ask about how your day has been. Your life outside of college is generally much more important than at schools with on-campus housing. And in New York City, there is always life outside the school. As such, it took me a while to understand the importance of making good choices about the balance of school and my outside life - my part-time job, my interest in folk dancing, and my other activities that make New York City such a nifty place to be. In chemistry, any CCNY student will have particularly good fortune, because the teachers are so student-oriented.

Are you satisfied with your present job?

My current job is quite satisfying in some ways and very challenging in others. My students are similar to CCNY students in their diversity and level of preparation for college. So we are working on ways to guarantee a higher level of success in chemistry. At the same time, we revel in the accomplishments of our students and I enjoy watching them grow and succeed.