For Your Class
For Your Class
Course: Materials Characterization for Soft and Polymeric Materials
Institution: University of Notre Dame
Instructor: Gabriel Burks
Assignment: The course is divided into three blocks. For each block, students write responses to the “thought-provoking questions” in the associated online class discussion board and provide a thoughtful response to two of their peers.
Imagine sitting in a lab, looking at overlapping fluorescence decay curves—barely distinguishable, full of noise. You're not satisfied with average values or smoothed data. You want to understand what happens within the noise. You ask: What is this spectrum not telling me directly?
Jean Duhamel made a career by listening deeply to polymer systems. He didn’t try to simplify reality too quickly. He developed new ways to interpret time-resolved data and polymer interactions that others had overlooked.
He wasn’t distracted by hype.
He wasn’t in a rush to publish.
He was attentive to the quiet signals.
Thought-provoking questions
About
Students in class: About 20
Teaching modality: In person
Grade level/year: A mix of graduate and undergraduate students
Course type: This is currently an elective course, but it will undergo review to be added to the Materials Science Engineering PhD program curriculum.
Virtues integrated: Moral Courage, Intellectual Wonder (Curiosity), and Intellectual Attentiveness (Humility)
Course: Materials Characterization for Soft and Polymeric Materials
Institution: University of Notre Dame
Instructor: Gabriel Burks
Assignment: The course is divided into three blocks. For each block, students write responses to the “thought-provoking questions” in the associated online class discussion board and provide a thoughtful response to two of their peers.
Imagine sitting in a lab, looking at overlapping fluorescence decay curves—barely distinguishable, full of noise. You're not satisfied with average values or smoothed data. You want to understand what happens within the noise. You ask: What is this spectrum not telling me directly?
Jean Duhamel made a career by listening deeply to polymer systems. He didn’t try to simplify reality too quickly. He developed new ways to interpret time-resolved data and polymer interactions that others had overlooked.
He wasn’t distracted by hype.
He wasn’t in a rush to publish.
He was attentive to the quiet signals.
Thought-provoking questions
About
Students in class: About 20
Teaching modality: In person
Grade level/year: A mix of graduate and undergraduate students
Course type: This is currently an elective course, but it will undergo review to be added to the Materials Science Engineering PhD program curriculum.
Virtues integrated: Moral Courage, Intellectual Wonder (Curiosity), and Intellectual Attentiveness (Humility)