Amanda Case

Associate Professor

CB 122
612-330-1079
casea@augsburg.edu

CV (last updated Dec 2016)

There are two main factors that drive my desire to do and teach science. The first is a confidence in the importance of basic science research. The second is my own amazement at the number of people who claim that they do not “believe” in science. As an educator, I feel that it is my responsibility to cultivate future scientist and to educate the citizenry. I aspire to show all students that science and critical thinking are accessible and valuable to everyone. As a scientist, I am eager to engage students in independent research projects. I consider original research to be one of the greatest opportunities that I can offer a student that is interested in science. I was raised on basic science. As an undergraduate, I was drawn toward projects that used spectroscopy to gleam insight into fundamental properties of metal complexes and nanoparticles. In graduate school, I joined a research group focused on determining the influence of vibrational energy on the dynamics of chemical reactions. For my thesis work, I used vibrational predissociation of clusters to determine their binding energies, and I also examined the energy disposal of these ground-state reactions. As a post-doc, I continued to use my experimental gas-phase physical chemistry skills (machining, electronics, vacuum technology, molecular beams, lasers, optics, and most of all troubleshooting) to study the photoelectron spectroscopy of anions and the solvation dynamics of anionic clusters.

When I am not thinking about science, I enjoying spending time with my family. I like traveling, baseball, and crossword puzzles. I am also an avid runner, and, thanks to my time in Boulder, I love hiking.

 

EDUCATION

  • B.S., University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Chemistry, 2005
  • Ph.D.,  University of Wisconsin-Madison, Physical Chemistry, 2011
  • Post-doctoral, JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder CO

TEACHING INTERESTS

  • Physical Chemistry
  • General Chemistry
  • Science and Society

Research interests

Spectroscopy, Dynamics, and Kinetics
Atmospheric and Environmental Science

Recent publications

  • Solvent Dependent Dynamics of Salicylidene Aniline in Binary Mixtures of Supercritical CO2 with 1-propanol or Cylcohexane. Ryan D. Keida, Adam D. Dunkelberger, Amanda S. Case, and F. Fleming Crim, J Phys Chem B accepted.
  • Dynamics and Yields for CHBrCl2 Photodissociation from 215 – 265 nm. Wyatt G. Merrill, F. Fleming Crim, and Amanda S. Case, Phys Chem Chem Phys 18, 32999 (2016).
  • Comparative Study of Cl-atom Reactions in Solution Using Time-resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy. Jae Yoon Shin, Amanda S. Case, and F. Fleming Crim, J Phys Chem B 120, 3920 (2016).
  • Vibrational Predissociation and Vibrationally Induced Isomerization of 3-Aminophenol-Ammonia. Cornelia G. Heid, Wyatt G. Merrill, Amanda S. Case, and F. Fleming Crim, J Chem Phys 142, 014310 (2015).