Dean Campbell

Biography

Prior to coming to Bradley, Dr. Dean Campbell graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay with a B.S. in chemistry, where he worked with Drs. Jack Norman and Nancy Sell. He spent a summer revising technical training documents at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant in Kewaunee and worked in the ink and adhesives quality control lab at Moore Response Marketing Services. He then earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, working for Dr. Chad Mirkin, and enjoyed postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, working for Dr. Art Ellis.

Dr. Campbell joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Bradley University in 1998 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004 and then Professor in 2015. Dr. Campbell has done sabbatical research projects with Dr. Younan Xia at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2004-05), and Dr. Keith Stevenson at the University of Texas – Austin (2011-12). In 2014, he was awarded Illinois Heartland Local Section of the American Chemical Society 2013 Chemist of the Year and Illinois Heartland Local Section of the American Chemical Society 2014 Outreach Volunteer of the Year. He has been the co-author on 43 peer reviewed publications and 58 research presentations at off-campus venues.

Dr. Campbell spends much of his free time with family activities. His hobbies include rock and fossil collecting and hiking and he assists in religious education at St. Anthony's Church in Bartonville, Ill.

Teaching

Dr. Campbell's primary teaching areas include general, inorganic, and materials chemistry. He believes that everybody can benefit from learning chemistry. Some of his more frequently taught courses include:

• General Chemistry I and II and associated laboratory courses
• Engineering Chemistry
• Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry and associated laboratory course (undergraduate and graduate)
• Environmental Chemistry (undergraduate and graduate)

Scholarship

Dr. Campbell’s research interests include two intertwined areas: materials chemistry and chemistry education. In materials chemistry, he is involved in the synthesis and characterization of a variety of microscale and nanoscale structures with at least one dimension less than 1000 nanometers in size. These small structures can have characteristics (e.g. optical and catalytic properties) that distinguish them from both individual molecules and extended solid structures. Nanostructures such as colloidal gold and palladium particles are synthesized by a variety of wet chemical methods, often within a polymeric support to improve their ease of use and recyclability, and then their structure and chemical reactivity are characterized by techniques such as ultraviolet/visible absorption spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. 

Areas of work in chemistry education involve the development of new demonstrations and activities for use in a classroom or educational laboratory setting. Where possible, the demonstrations are designed to be as simple and cost-effective as possible.  Projects have often included: modeling chemical structures and properties with LEGO brick-based and paper-based structures, easily observable demonstrations of nanoscale materials and properties, and demonstrations of various aspects of environmental chemistry.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (*undergraduate student, **graduate student):

Campbell, D. J.; Staiger, F. A.*; Jujjavarapu, C. N. "Improvements to the Whoosh Bottle Rocket Car Demonstration." J. Chem. Educ., 2015, 92, 1687-1691.

Staiger, F. A.*; Peterson, J. P.*; Campbell, D. J. "Variations on the ‘Blue-Bottle’ Demonstration Using Food Items that Contain FD&C Blue #1." J. Chem. Educ., 2015, 92, 1684-1686.

Campbell, D. J.; Peterson, J. P.*; Fitzjarrald, T. J. “Spectroscopy of Sound Transmission in Solid Samples.” J. Chem. Educ., 2014, 91, 1684-1688.

Campbell, D. J.; Baliss, M. S.*; Hinman, J. J.*; Ziegenhorn, J. W.*; Andrews, M. J.; Stevenson, K. J. “Simple Methods for Production of Nanoscale Metal Oxide Films from Household Sources.” J. Chem. Educ., 2013, 90, 629-632.

Campbell, D. J.; Andrews, M. J.; Stevenson, K. J. “New Nanotech from an Ancient Material: Chemistry Demonstrations involving Carbon-based Soot.” J. Chem. Educ., 2012, 89, 1280-1287.

Campbell, D. J.; Villarreal, R. B.*; Fitzjarrald, T. J. “Take-Home Nanochemistry: Fabrication of a Gold- or Silver-Containing Window Cling.” J. Chem. Educ., 2012, 89, 1312-1315.

Campbell, D. J.; Bosma, W. B.; Bannon, S. J.*; Gunter, M. M.*; Hammar, M. K.** “Demonstration of Thermodynamics and Kinetics Using FriXion Pens.” J. Chem. Educ., 2012, 89, 526-528.

Campbell, D. J.; Miller, J. D.**; Andersh, B. J. “Synthesis of palladium colloids within polydimethylsiloxane and their use as catalysts for hydrogenation.” J. Coll. Interfac. Sci., 2011, 360, 309-312.

Campbell, D. J.; Bannon, S. J.*; Gunter, M. M.* “Gas Property Demonstrations Using Plastic Water Bottles.” J. Chem. Educ., 2011, 88, 784-785.

Campbell, D. J.; Miller, J. D.**; Bannon, S. J.*; Obermaier, L. M.* “An Exploration of the Nanoworld with LEGO^® Bricks.” J. Chem. Educ., 2011, 88, 602-606.

Cobley, C. M.**; Campbell, D. J.; Xia, Y. “Tailoring the optical and catalytic properties of gold-silver nanoboxes and nanocages by introducing palladium.” Adv. Mat. 2008, 20, 748-752.

Campbell, D. J.; Korte, K. E.*; Xia, Y. “Fabrication and Analysis of Photonic Crystals.” J. Chem. Educ., 2007, 84,1824-1826.

Campbell, D. J.; Xia, Y. “Plasmons: Why Should We Care?” J. Chem. Educ., 2007, 84, 91-96.

OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS (2010-2016)

(presenter underlined, * undergraduate student, **graduate student)

Campbell, D.; Martinez, K.*; Brewer, E.*; Palmer, M.*; Gadgil, M.* “Demonstrations of magnetism and oxidation using iron supplement tablets” 24th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Greeley, CO, July, 2016.

Campbell, D.; Brewer, E.*; Martinez, K.* “Demonstrations of kinetic and equilibrium isotope effects using beads” 24th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Greeley, CO, July, 2016.

Brewer, E.*; Martinez, K.*; Campbell, D. “Chemical Demonstrations Using Beads to Describe the Kinetic and Equilibrium Isotope Effects.” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet, Peoria, IL, April, 2016.

Martinez, K.*; Brewer, E.*; Palmer, M.*; Gadgil, M.*; Smith, K.*; Campbell, D. “Chemical Demonstrations Using Iron Supplement Tablets Containing Iron(II) Sulfate.” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet, Peoria, IL, April, 2016.

Campbell, D.; Staiger, F.*; Peterson, J.* “Demonstrations Using (Mostly) Household Items.” ChemEd 2015, Kennesaw, GA, July, 2015.

Peterson, J.*; Andersh, B.; Campbell, D. “Palladium Colloids Within Polydimethylsiloxane: An Environmentally Friendly Catalyst for Dehalogenation and Reductive Homocoupling Reactions” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet, Peoria, IL, April, 2015.

Staiger, F.*; Peterson, J.; Campbell, D. “Using Food Items that Contain FD&C Blue #1 for ‘Blue-Bottle’ Demonstrations” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet, Peoria, IL, April, 2015.

Zibart, C. D.*; Behmke, D. A.; Campbell, D. J. “The Role of Online Homework in a General Chemistry Program Assessment.” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society, 75th Anniversary Gala Poster Session, Peoria, IL, October, 2014.

Dismang, K. C.**; Maughan, A. K.**; Hendrix, B. G.; Cho, H. L.; Campbell, K. C.; Campbell, D. J. “Improvements to the Whoosh Bottle Rocket Car Demonstration.” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society, 75th Anniversary Gala Poster Session, Peoria, IL, October, 2014.

Peterson, J.*; Andersh, B.; Campbell, D. “Hydrogenation and Hydrogenolysis of Chlorinated and Brominated Compounds: Which Compounds Homocouple and Which Compounds Hydrodehalogenate?” Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society, 75th Anniversary Gala Poster Session, Peoria, IL, October, 2014.

Campbell, D. J.; Schorr, D. K.* “Addition of Space-Related Components to Science Outreach Shows.” 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Allendale, MI, August, 2014.

Behmke, D. A.; Campbell, D. J.; Zibart, C. D.* “General chemistry program assessment: What should we be teaching? What are students learning?” 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Allendale, MI, August, 2014.

Zibart, C. D.*; Behmke, D. A.; Campbell, D. J. “The Role of Online Homework in a General Chemistry Program Assessment.” 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Allendale, MI, August, 2014.

Campbell, D. J. “Chemical Outreach (2013 Chemist of the Year Address).” Illinois Heartland Local Section of the American Chemical Society Annual Awards Banquet, Peoria, IL, February, 2014.

Schorr, D. K.*; Campbell, D. J. “Addition of Space-Related Components to Science Outreach Shows.” Illinois Space Grant Symposium, Chicago, IL, February, 2014.

Bailey, G. M.*; Ziegenhorn, J. W.*; Baliss, M. S.*; Hinman, J. J.*; Lu, Q.; Campbell, D. J.; Villarreal, R.*; Andersh, B. J. “Effects of Acids on Reduction of Benzylic Alcohols and Benzaldehydes Using Palladium Colloids Encapsulated in Polydimethylsiloxane.” 246th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Indianapolis, IN, September, 2013.

Hinman, J.*; Ziegenhorn, J.*; Baliss, M.*; Campbell, D.; Andrews, M.; Stevenson, K. “Production and Characterization of Nanoscale Metal Oxide Films from Household Sources.” 105th Meeting of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Jacksonville, IL, April, 2013.

Service

Dr. Campbell has been involved with a number of committees at the departmental and college level. He works to help coordinate General Chemistry in the Mund-Lagowski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has also served as the chair of the chemistry division of the Illinois State Academy of Science and as chair of the Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Campbell is the faculty advisor for the Chemistry Club (the Bradley University undergraduate chapter of the American Chemical Society). The objectives of this chapter are to afford an opportunity for undergraduate students of a chemical science to obtain experience in preparing and presenting technical material before chemical audiences, to foster a professional spirit among members, to instill a professional pride in the chemical sciences, and to foster an awareness of the responsibilities and challenges of the modern chemist. The Chem Club has hosted presentations such as the ACS Program-in-a-Box and movie nights, and has visited chemically-relevant places such as Aventine Energy, Carus Chemical, and the lab at St. Francis Hospital. The Chem Club has won numerous awards from the National ACS, including Honorable Mention, Commendable Chapter, and Outstanding Chapter.

In the Fall of 2007, Dr. Campbell and members of the Chem Club formed the Demo Crew. The purpose of this group is to educate people about science through live demonstrations. The demonstration events range from hands-on activities that the audience members can actually touch, to hands-off shows that often involve more spectacular activities. The Demo Crew has reached out to over 20,000 audience members in over 200 events in central Illinois since its formation. The Demo Crew project has involved the efforts of nearly 160 Bradley undergraduate and graduate students. This has been a fantastic opportunity to connect Bradley University and its students with the local community.