Dennis C. Jacobs
Vice President and Associate Provost
Dennis Jacobs, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame since 1988, is vice president and associate provost.
Selected as the U.S. Professor of the Year in 2002, he oversees Notre Dame's undergraduate education and the international studies program, both of which are rated among the best in American higher education. Other areas of responsibility include the Honor Code, major University institutes and centers and the ROTC programs.
Jacobs earned his doctorate in chemistry from Stanford University after receiving two bachelor's degrees, in chemistry and physics, from the University of California at Irvine. He has been a fellow of Notre Dame's Center for Social Concerns and Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning.
Jacobs' laboratory research involves the study of non-thermal processes at the gas/solid interface. In 2005-6, Jacobs flew a year-long experiment on the International Space Station, and he has been invited to launch a complementary set of space-based experiments to record how polymeric materials (plastics) degrade as they are continuously attacked by energetic particles surrounding the International Space Station. The research seeks to identify and inhibit the chemical pathways by which plastic materials are eroded on the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. Both experiments are part of a national effort to develop inexpensive, lightweight materials for use in next-generation satellites.
Outside the laboratory, Jacobs has been a national and campus leader in the scholarship of teaching and learning, work that has led to numerous teaching awards from Notre Dame's College of Science and First Year of Studies and from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Jacobs was named a national Carnegie Scholar in 1999-2000, and in 2002 the foundation recognized him with its highest honor, the U.S. Professor of the Year Award for Doctoral and Research Universities. The award honors dedication to teaching, commitment to students and creative approaches to education, and is the only national award to acknowledge teaching excellence.
Jacobs was cited for his innovative efforts to help students learn chemistry in different classroom settings. Among his accomplishments was the redesign of an important general chemistry course that puts an emphasis on collaborative learning. The revitalized course has led to greater student success and engagement and is considered a national model for the trend toward peer-led curricula.
In collaboration with community organizations, Jacobs also created a course in which students collect dust, soil and water samples from local homes to identify and reduce the risk of lead poisoning in young children. As students realize how their professional skills can immediately benefit the lives of South Bend families, the experience deepens the students' commitments to civic engagement and social justice.
In addition, Jacobs and fellow chemistry professor Bradley D. Smith have created a free, national Web-based survey tool and database for assessing how students use and value their textbooks. Called TextRev, it is believed to be the first national tool to gather feedback from students on textbook use and efficiency.