Chemistry professor rewarded for his dedication to students

Thomas Kinstle has been teaching BGSU students the finer points of chemistry for the past 33 years. In that time, Kinstle has been a mentor to many students by involving them in his research and helping them to reach high levels of achievement.

Kinstle was recognized for his dedication when he was named Distinguished Teaching Professor by the BGSU Board of Trustees on May 7. The title is conferred upon select faculty members whose extraordinary achievements as effective teachers in their discipline or in interdisciplinary fields deserve special recognition.

Thomas Kinstle

Linda Dobb, BGSU executive vice president, said Kinstle is, "indicative of our long-term, very devoted professors."

Added President Sidney Ribeau, "He has trained generations of students at Bowling Green State University who have gone on to become doctors, teachers and professional chemists."

Kinstle's research interests include organic mass spectrometry, organic synthesis and synthetic methods, photochemical and thermal chemistry of organic compounds, and natural products chemistry. He is a member of several professional societies, including Sigma Xi and the Ohio Academy of Science, and has presented his work numerous times at their meetings. In addition, Kinstle has written a textbook and more than 40 professional articles.

Calling him a "challenging but compassionate teacher," the review committee for the award cited Kinstle's encouragement of critical and analytical thinking about organic chemistry, incorporation of undergraduate research efforts into his own work, and commitment to student understanding and success.

"At all levels, his encouragement of critical and analytical thinking about an area of subject matter that does not come intuitively to students has facilitated and optimized learning," the team said.

Kinstle also was the adviser to David Roberts, a 1998 Goldwater Scholarship recipient. Roberts, who graduated in 1999, received the scholarship for his work in cancer research.