Deborah Bromfield-Lee , Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry is the science that studies everything we perceive around us and the related applications of fundamental concepts. Learning is the major purpose of education, where I define meaningful learning as an individual’s internal process to utilize knowledge. Therefore, I believe chemistry instruction should involve the study of our chemical world via promoting internalization of knowledge. This purpose is achieved by actively involving students in their learning process rather than just providing them with information.
Biography
Dr. Bromfield Lee was born and raise in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica. After A' Levels (sort of like the first year in college), she came to the US and earned a bachelors in Chemistry from the University of South Florida in Tampa, after which she earned a Master's degree in Chemistry specializing in Organic Synthesis from Florida Atlantic University. After working at a start-up synthetic company in Boca Raton, Dr. Bromfield obtained a doctorate in chemistry at North Carolina State University. Her doctoral research focused on the undergraduate lab development, with an emphasis on organic chemistry. She was a visiting assistant professor at Elon University in North Carolina and temporary assistant professor then lecturer at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She then moved back south and joined Florida Southern College in August 2012.Education
Ph.D., Chemistry; North Carolina State University: 2005-2009- Emphasis on Chemical Education (General and Organic Chemistry)
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Advisor: Dr. Maria T. Oliver-Hoyo
- Emphasis on Organic Synthesis
- Advisor: Dr. Salvatore D. Lepore
B.A. cume laude, Chemistry, Pre-medical sciences (minor); University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida: 1999- 2002
Interests
Cooking, baking, hanging out with my Spouse, Family and Friends, and snuggle with my dogs.Awards
- Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship (Summer 2013)
- Faculty Honoree for MAT University Scholar (Spring 2012)
- Faculty Honoree for Honor MAT Student at Graduation (August 2011)
- Faculty Honoree for President’s 4.0 Freshman Student (Spring 2011)
- Eli Lilly/WCC Travel Grant Awards (Fall 2008)
- Golden Key International Honor Society (Spring 2001)
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars (Spring 2000)
Publications
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Engaging Organic Students in the Message and Limitation of Models; ACS publication Volume: 1378: Engaging Students in Organic Chemistry. pages 37-58. Editors Barbara Murray and Patricia J. Kreke. 2021; DOI:10.1021/bk-2021-1378.ch004
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee and Grace A. Beggs, Tactile Models for the Visualization, Conceptualization, and Review of Intermolecular Forces in the College Chemistry Classroom, Journal of Chemical Education 2021 98 (4), 1328-1334. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00460
Bromfield Lee, D. Re‐Casting Traditional Organic Experiments into Green Guided‐Inquiry Based Experiments: Student Perceptions" Green Chemistry Letters and Review, 12 (2), 107-116, 2019. DOI: 10.1080/17518253.2019.1609598
Bromfield Lee, D. C. Implementation and Student Perceptions on Google Docs as an Electronic Laboratory Notebook in Organic Chemistry, 2018, 95 (7), 1102-1111. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00518
Bromfield Lee, D. C. Le, An-Phong, Undergraduate Research at Florida Southern College, Senior undergraduate research and assessment at Florida Southern College. In Best Practices for Supporting and Expanding Undergraduate Research in Chemistry; ACS Symposium Series Vol 1275; Chapter 19, pp 311-333, American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018. DOI: 10.1021/bk-2018-1275.ch019.
Oliver-Hoyo, M. T.; Bromfield Lee, D. C. Multi-sensory Chemical Equilibrium Investigation: A Learning Lab Report, Chemical Educator, 2010, 15, 181-184.
Bromfield-Lee, D. C.; Oliver-Hoyo, M. T. Esterification Kinetics Experiment that Relies on the Sense of Smell, J. Chem. Educ. 2009, 86, 82.
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Carrie Ann Hall, Assessing Research Across the Curriculum at Florida Southern College, CUR Virtual Biennial Conference, June 29th – July 1st 2021.
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Engaging students in green chemistry and sustainability in coursework, projects and outreach, Submission April 30th, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1021/scimeetings.0c04842
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Application of Green Chemistry to Undergraduate Research Projects Southeastern University, Lakeland FL, February 20th, 2020. (Invited - Oral)
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, An Inquiry-based Esterification Experiment - using Computational Data to Justify Experimental Data, Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition, Palm Harbor, Florida, May 11th, 2019. (Oral)
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Engaging Students in Tools in the Organic Laboratory, University of Central Florida, Orlando FL, October 26th, 2018. (Invited - Oral)
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Re-casting Organic Experiments to engage students in the lab, Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Notre Dame, Indiana, August 1st, 2018. (Oral)
Deborah C. Bromfield Lee, Green Chemistry as a Theme: Development of Green Inquiry Labs and students’ impressions, 255th American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2018. (Oral)
Projects
Organic Synthesis Projects:
Use of Green Chemistry methods for Organic synthesis
a. Synthesis of small molecules for Biochemical Applicationsb. Synthesis towards Greener materials or materials made from renewable feedstock.
c. Exploration of subsitutent effects on synthesis methods
Extraction methodology of Plant materials or Bacteria
Examine materials that can be extracted and applications.
Chemical Education Projects
a. Evaluation of Tangible Models in Teaching Chemistryb. Exploring the world or Augmented and Virtual Reality in Learning Chemistry
c. Development of Greener Chemistry experiments
d. Using Computational Chemistry in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Courses