Professor
Dr. Susan Phillips

    It was interesting and valuable for me to look back at my initial entry from September, 2006.  As I attempted to grasp small threads from previous experiences, I recognized that my undergraduate education did provide me with some useful information for my general understanding of common or basic phenomena.  This was sufficient enough at the time for my Biology major, but not nearly as in depth if I were to teach Chemistry.  Through the monthly class meetings and assignments I found myself becoming more and more interested and involved with Spectroscopy.  I realized that some of my current teaching practices with Electromagnetic radiation at the 9th grade level were not quite the greatest.  (My previous explanations about the function/production of a laser beam were quite insufficient!)  I also found this class to leave many more detailed questions unanswered.  What other applications could Raman (light scattering) Spectroscopy be used for?  What are the boundaries or limitations of Magnetic Resonance Imaging?  I also found myself wanting to analyze more difficult unknown data similar to the assignment at the end of the year.
   
    In summation, Molecular Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and matter.  Regions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are more commonly used for scientific investigation are found in the UV, visible, infrared, and x-ray wavelengths.  Spectroscopy has many practical applications for the identification of unknown samples, studying the behavior of molecular species when exposed to different forms of radiation, and identifying the behaviors and patterns of atomic species.  It has and still is developing to be an essential investigative field for chemistry and is broadening its usefulness in the fields of medical research and astronomy.