Williams College
Department of Chemistry

LAWRENCE J. KAPLAN

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Halford R. Clark Professor of Natural Science, Emeritus
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
 

Contact Information

Education

Courses taught recently

CHEM 321/BIOL 321/BIMO 321: Biochemistry 1: Structure and Function of Biological Molecules

Fall Semester 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014 laboratory sections, 2015 laboratory sections, 2016, 2017 laboratory section

CHEM 367: Biophysical Chemistry

Spring Semester 2006, 2009, 2010; Fall Semester 2011, 2012, 2013

LEGAL STUDIES 101: Processes of Adjudication in the Legal Studies Program/Justice and Law Program

Spring Semester 2005, 2006, 2009

CHEM 113: Chemistry and Crime: From Sherlock Holmes to Modern Forensic Science

Spring Semester 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, Fall semester 2017

Chemical Education

A major grant from the National Science Foundation - Division of Undergraduate Education, the Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement - National Dissemination Program was awarded to support a proposal "A Series of Workshops in the Chemical Sciences." The grant was for the period 2001-2003. In order to administer the complex situation of offering more than fifteen five-day workshops for approximately 15 participants annually, we established the Center for Workshops in the Chemical Sciences (CWCS).

A renewal grant was awarded for the period 2004-2006. Then the NSF - Division of Undergraduate Education, the Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement - Phase 3 Program awarded the CWCS a grant for the period 2006-2010. Most recently, the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education, Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science (TUES) Program awarded us a grant for 2010-2015. With this award, the CWCS was rebranded as the Chemistry Coalitions, Workshops and Community of Scholars (cCWCS) to more accurately reflect the expanded scope of our activities.

 

As part of the deveopment of the Communities of Scholars, the Forensic Science Scholars website was created.

For information on my Forensic Science workshop, see my page specifically for the forensic science workshop. While I have taught 23 forensic science workshops under the auspices of CWCS since 2001, in 2009, I coordinated a special Forensic Science Workshop for alumni of previous workshops. See the schedule and pictures of the activities at this workshop.

Program in Legal Studies (now called Justice and Law Studies)

As a consequence of my work in forensic science and my interest in evidence and the admissibility of scientific evidence, I was part of the team teaching in the Legal Studies Program (now called Justice and Law Studies) for about 10 years and chaired the Program for 6 years from 2006 through 2010. This interdisciplinary program is designed to give students a background and framework for understanding the law as a means of regulating human behavior and resolving disputes among individuals, groups, and governments.

Forensic Websites of Interest

Chemistry and Biochemistry Websites of Interest