Contact David Lewis
Education: A.B., Amherst College; Ph.D., Cornell University
"We must continue to look forward, to maintain the spirit of creativity that has made Connecticut College great. Only by doing so will we keep Connecticut College a place where students, faculty and staff will want to spend their time, a college that benefactors will want to support. In education, if you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. Setting priorities and then pursuing them vigorously will be the key." - David Lewis
Margaret W. Kelly Professor of Chemistry
Interim President 2001
Provost and Dean of the Faculty, 1997-2000
Joined Connecticut College: 1995
Specialization:
- Physical Chemistry
- Gas Phase Reaction Kinetics
- Rates and Mechanisms of Prototype Chemical Reactions
- Ultra-high Resolution Molecular Spectroscopy, using Tunable Diode Infrared Lasers
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
David K. Lewis was named the Margaret W. Kelly Professor of Chemistry in 1996. He has directed 31 consecutive summer research programs with undergraduates in his field, both at Connecticut College and at Colgate University, where he taught for 26 years.
He teaches courses in physical chemistry, instrumental methods, analytical chemistry, general chemistry, atmospheric chemistry and physics, and modeling contemporary chemical problems. He also teaches first-year tutorials and courses on environmental issues.
Professor Lewis maintains a personal Web site featuring his research and course pages.
David K. Lewis served as Interim President of Connecticut College in 2001. Professor Lewis was appointed Provost and Dean of the Faculty in 1997 after joining Connecticut College in 1995.
As Provost, Lewis had a keen interest in creating opportunities for joint faculty-student research. His research interests include studies of fast chemical reaction rates and mechanisms in shock tubes, computer modeling of prototype chemical reactions, ultrahigh resolution laser spectroscopy, and atmospheric chemistry and physics.
Lewis has had more than 40 articles published, most with undergraduate co-authors, in such publications as the Journal of Physical Chemistry, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. He is also a reviewer for chemistry journals including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, International Journal of Chemical Kinetics, American Journal of Physiology, and the Journal of Chemical Education. He also reviews proposals submitted to granting agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Petroleum Research Fund and Research Corporation. Lewis is a member of the American Chemical Society, Council on Undergraduate Research, and Sigma Xi.
View the writings of David K. Lewis while he was Interim President of Connecticut College.