May 1, 2008

"9 Minutes with..." will appear in several upcoming issues of the Laurel Leaf. The new feature will showcase staff and faculty for their creative endeavors and intriguing projects of interest to a broad audience. If you would like to see a staff or faculty member featured in "9 Minutes with...". please contact Vicki at ext. 3044.

9 Minutes with... Mike Princer (Chemistry Department)

What’s a typical day like sustaining chemistry students and faculty at Grinnell College? And, Mike, don’t get too techie on us!
Most days start with a walk through the department, checking to make sure all of the labs are ready and the instruments are working, inventory the gases and check on the chemical waste. Stop and see Annie Campbell to check on orders and to see if we have any major events for the day we need to work on. Stop and talk with Brad our lab custodian to see if we had any problems over night in the building. The rest of the morning is spent on lab preps and any demos needed in the classrooms. The afternoons are usually spent on inventory and prep for upcoming labs, instrument maintenance and repair, waste management, and trouble shooting problems in lab.

The Noyce Science Center has gone through many additions, renovations and technology changes over the years. What one piece of equipment from long ago do you recall with fondness?
Most of the instrumentation that was here when I came has long since been retired but we do have one spectrophotometer that is over 40 years old that is still in use-the electronics are out dated but the quality of the optics has not been surpassed.

What do you enjoy most about your position?
The enjoyable part of my position has always been the interaction with the people The faculty, staff and students are what make this a great place to work.

What’s your favorite chemistry course on our campus and why?
I do like all the chemistry courses but I think the Intro series is my favorite. To see the effort that goes into making a stimulating program for our first year students is a joy.

For those of us who are intrigued (but also intimidated) by the many instruments housed in the chemistry labs, any recommendations as to how or where we can learn more about them?
Most of the time we do get locked into our own little worlds on campus-we just don't have time or the opportunity to get out and see the campus. Maybe we need an open house program during breaks to give employees a chance to see what is happening on campus.

About Mike

• Joined the Chemistry Dept in the Fall of 1977
• Degrees from Ferris State College in Chemistry & Marshalltown Community College in Electronics
• Worked in polymer research and tried dairy farming
• National Association of Scientific Material Manager