“I study one big concept and one big practice in chemistry. The big concept is light-matter interactions; we want to see how students’ conceptions develop in sophistication over time. The big practice is engaging in argument from evidence; we want to promote and understand how students make claims from evidence.” Read more to get to know Alena Moon, assistant professor of chemistry!
Q: Have you had any great career mentors, and if so, what made them great?
A: "My high school chemistry teacher, my Ph.D. advisor, and my postdoctoral advisor. I have had the privilege of being mentored by brilliant women who modeled for me what it looked like to do hard things."
Q: What was the last book you read?
A: "'Good girl, bad girl' by Michael Robotham. It’s the start of a new series by him, and he is one of my favorite authors."
Q: If you could give your 18-year-old self just one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: "Take a year off!"
Q: What was your first job?
A: "Cafeteria worker."
Q: What is your favorite song/artist/genre?
A: "Brandi Carlile. She just keeps getting better and better."
Visit her website at: https://chem.unl.edu/alena-moon