By Mason Braasch
Department Communications
Dr. Pam Doolittle has been promoted to Distinguished Faculty Associate by performing at a level of proficiency, gaining extensive experience, knowledge, and skills, and providing guidance and training to peers and other staff.
Doolittle started her journey at UW–Madison, earning a Ph.D. under R. Claude Woods. Since 1998, she has served as the Analytical Lab Director in charge of Chem 115, 116, 327 and 329.
“She transformed our UW–Madison analytical curriculum, bringing state-of-the-art research from our Department to the students in our undergraduate analytical classes,” said former Department Chair Judith N. Burstyn. “She contributed curricular materials for the Open Education Resource (OER), the Analytical Sciences Digital Library, and she has written in and presented for the major venues of the field.”
Doolittle worked hard to earn this promotion, however, she says that she would not be where she is today without the support of her teaching staff and her peers.
“I have worked on building my CV and reputation for years to earn the Department’s support for this distinction,” Doolittle said. “I published papers, presented at conferences, and got involved in promoting active learning at a national level. None of these things happened just because of me, but because of a team of people.”
Doolittle thanks: Woods, John Wright, John Schrag, Matt Sanders, and Lloyd Smith, as well as lab directors, TAs and FAs.
“Folks I work with hear me say often, ‘It takes teamwork to make the dream work!’ and this was definitely true for creating the program we have today, ” said Doolittle.
Recently, Doolittle led the largest in-person instructional effort on the entire UW–Madison campus. Her continued dedication to the Department and her willingness to continue instruction in troubling times indicates why she earned this promotion.
“I have worked in chemistry in one form or another for over 30 years and have spent my entire professional career in the service of the Department and University,” she said, “It has been one of the great privileges of my life to work alongside its members, and engage the students taking courses in the program.”