Hans Mentzen II

Principal Research Interests: 

I am a general chemistry lecturer with an analytical and environmental focus.  My primary goals are to bring the fundamentals of chemistry to life through the incorporation of current topics into an introductory course.  This can enhance understanding of core concepts and establish direct connections between the course material and real-life experiences.

I started teaching at UMass in 2014 and prior to that taught for five years at The College of the Holy Cross. I have also worked in the corporate sector as a researcher in an environmental laboratory developing methods to protect the world around us.  Having witnessed the gap between research and practice, I am committed to linking the fundamentals of chemistry with contextual knowledge and applicability.

My focus as an educator and researcher are multifaceted.  While I do believe that exposing students to the core material is critical, the development of critical thinking and analytical skills transcends courses and fields of expertise.  I am interested in utilizing technology to provide and enhance chemistry learning and critical thinking skills for students.  My hope is to explore multimodal methods of instruction, technology, and real world applicability to make the general chemistry experience relatable and approachable for students of all ability levels and backgrounds.