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Here's one good reason to take chemistry
Dr. Quirk learns from his students as he teaches stoichiometry By Amar Chanani Campus Life Staff ATLANTA November 13, 1998
 Stepping into his office, one would never guess that the man sitting back in the chair, working on his laptop computer, is full of energy and enthusiasm. Stephen Quirk is a researcher, wine collector, biochemist, father, and a teacher. Not just a professor, he believes, but a teacher.
Dr. Quirk teaches a wide range of students, including engineering freshmen in Chemistry 1101 classes, undergraduate chemistry students in Chemistry 4511 classes, and graduate Biochemistry students in a Chemistry 6531 class.
He is excited about teaching, but he feels as though he learns even more about learning from his students.
"I think I learn more from my freshmen than they learn from me. I learn what is new and exciting in the world today, and I am also exposed to new ideas," says Dr. Quirk.
Dr. Quirk graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in Biology, followed by graduate work in Biology at John Hopkins University and a PhD in Enzymology.
He moved to Atlanta from Baltimore five years ago to work at Georgia Tech.
Dr. Quirk strives to make science interesting and fun for his students, who range from novice to advanced chemistry students.
Drawing students into his lectures by making them a part of the discussion instead of just an observer is a hallmark of his teaching style.
"There are basically two professors in the world: those who bore students, and those who, although the class may not be a student's favorite one, none mind," Dr. Quirk begins.
"I wanted my students to use the CD-ROM that came with the book, so I asked them at the beginning of the quarter to find a particular scene from the CD-ROM that was unusual."
"I told them that they would know what it is when they saw it. I expected them to watch all the examples while reading the book. Well, the next day one student told me exactly what that scene was."
Dr. Quick continues, "He went back to his room that night, wrote a small script to find all the movie segments from the CD-ROM, and then to preview them. Although he didn't do what I expected him to do, he got the job done, and he got it done frighteningly fast."
Some last words of advice for the leaders of tomorrow: "This is the last time you have the opportunity to do whatever you want to do. So take a class about something of which you know very little. Who knows, you might just like it."
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Copyright © 1998 by Gregory S. Scherrer, Editor and by the Student Publications Board
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