Dr. James Carr recently retired after 41 years in the Chemistry Department.  We were fortunate to have him share his memories in the following article:

In the fall of 1966 I arrived in Lincoln and joined the faculty of UNL Chemistry after completing my PhD at Purdue University and a post-doctoral stay at University of North Carolina.  When I started, the chemistry department was still housed in Avery Lab but freshman chemistry labs were being held in the 501 Building.  Hamilton Hall was in the early planning stages at that time.  I actually served on and later chaired the building committee during Hamilton Hall construction.  During my forty plus years in the chemistry department I supervised the study of 16 PhD and 22 MS graduates.  My research focused on kinetics of exchange reactions of metal chelates of multidentate ligands, on the behavior of iron (VI) in aqueous solutions, and on measurements of herbicides in natural waters and their destruction through oxidation by chlorine and ozone.

For a time I served as vice-chairman of the chemistry department and for a longer time as coordinator of the general chemistry program.  By my estimates I have taught around ten thousand students.  Former students frequently introduce themselves when they spot me away from the university.  They’ll come up and say “Weren’t you my Chemistry teacher 20 years ago?”,  and we start a nice conversation about what they’ve done since then.

There’s a number of awards I’ve received such as being a member of the UNL Academy of Distinguished Teachers, winner of the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award as well as the Nebraska Teaching Improvement Council’s Distinguished Teacher of 2001.  My textbook, “Chemistry: A World of Choices”, which I co-authored has been used around the U.S. in freshman chemistry courses for liberal arts majors since 1999.

One of the many activities I enjoyed while at the University was performing exciting chemistry experiments during the department’s annual Chemistry day for high school students and on the road each year since 2001 for UNL’s Big Red Road Show.  The Road Show promoted the University in Omaha, Scottsbluff, and Sioux City where I would get to show high school students how interesting and fun chemistry can be.

Alan Cerveny, Dean of Admissions, once said, “Jim and his colleagues have played an instrumental role in the event’s growing stature and popularity.  Thank you for your wonderful support Jim.  You and your famous multicolored lab coat belong in the Big Red Road Show Hall of Fame!”

Scientifically, I am now working on a quantitative analysis textbook with another professor in the Chemistry Department.  I’m also working on the chemical analysis of corrosion products on sunken ships, including the USS Arizona, the Monitor, and possibly the Bon Homme Richard.

My wife Rosalind and I have begun and plan to continue more travel to various places around the world in the near future as part of my retirement.  I’m looking forward to this new season of life but will miss the many relationships and conversations with students I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy.