معرفی
Dr. Molly Atkinson serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Texas (UNT), specializing in Chemistry Education Research (CER). She joined UNT in August 2020 following a postdoctoral fellowship at Miami University (2019-2020).
Her academic credentials include:
- B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Piedmont College (2012)
- Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Georgia (2018)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Miami University (2019-2020)
Dr. Atkinson's research employs mixed-methods approaches to investigate chemistry learning across three core domains:
- Student comprehension of chemical representations (molecular structures, spectra)
- Design and validation of assessment instruments
- STEM identity formation and affective factors in chemistry education
Her publication trajectory (2018-2025) reveals expanding focus on assessment validity, spectroscopy reasoning, and identity studies, featuring novel educational tools like Quantimon and SymmSpec alongside longitudinal attitude analyses.
The Atkinson Research Group secures significant funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Grant #G-2022-19496) and National Science Foundation (Grants #CHE-1757946, #CHE-2447861), supporting graduate and undergraduate researchers in chemistry education.
Her laboratory integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies to explore chemistry cognition, maintaining active collaborations across institutional boundaries through multi-institutional studies.
