Email address: besselman@chem.wisc.edu
B.S. 2000, UW-Madison (Chemistry); M.S. 2004, UW-Madison (Educational Psychology); M.S. 2009, UW-Madison (Chemistry); Ph.D. 2012, UW-Madison (Chemistry)
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Research Description
Rotational Spectroscopy
I am interested in the precise structure determination and millimeter-wave spectroscopy of small oxygen- and nitrogen-containing organic molecules of potential astrochemical relevance. In parntership with Robert J. McMahon and R. Claude Woods, recent work includes the precise structure determination of hyrazoic acid (HN3), pyrimidine (meta-C4H4N2), and pyridazine (ortho-C4H4N2) by combined millimeter-wave and coupled-cluster computational investigation. Additional spectroscopic investigations of carbonyl diazide (OC(N3)2), formyl azide (HCON3), and diketene (C4H4O2) in the ground and excited states have been published.
Curriculum Development
I am interested in the incorporation of computational tools to support student learning in lecture and laboratory courses. With Nicholas J. Hill, I have integrated computational chemistry into the undergraduate organic laboratory curriculum using WebMO. The use of computational tools, in partnership with more traditional spectroscopic techniques, allows students a deeper understanding of their experimental results. I'm further interested in exploring how a focus on molecular and atomic orbitals using WebMO can enhance student learning in my lecture courses.
Awards and Honors
Harvey Spangler Award for Technology Enhanced Instruction, College of Engineering | 2017 |
Early Career Award, College of Letters & Science | 2017 |
Taylor Teaching Award, Department of Chemistry | 2017 |
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