Faculty Profile, The University of Utah

 
 

CHARLES A. WIGHT Curriculum Vitae Biosketch

Chuck Wight
 
 

Biography

Education

  • Bachelor of Science 1977, BCHEM, University Of Virginia Main Ca
  • Doctor of Philosophy 1982, DCHEM, California Institute Of Techno

Honors & Awards

  • Best Paper Award (Science Track). TeraGrid'10 Supercomputing Conference, 08/2010
  • Elected to Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. 05/2010
  • R. W. Parry Teaching Award in Chemistry. University of Utah, 04/2006
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science. 01/1994
  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow. 01/1990
  • Outstanding Teaching Award in Chemistry. University of Utah, 04/1985
  • Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Graduate Research,. California Institute of Technology, 04/1981
  • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. University of Virginia, 05/1977

Biography

Charles A. Wight has served as Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Utah since July 2009.  His primary academic appointment is in the Chemistry Department, where he has taught since 1984.

 

Wight’s research is focused on the chemistry of high explosives and rocket propellants.  His group carries out kinetic and mechanistic studies on small samples of energetic materials, and incorporates the results into computational models of combustion and detonation.  The models are implemented into high-performance computer simulation software developed by the Utah Center for Simulation of Accidental Fires and Explosions, where Chuck served as Deputy Director 2000-2010.

 

Each year, Chuck teaches an Honors General Chemistry course to a small group of highly motivated undergraduate students.  He is the founder of ChemVantage.org, an Open Education web site for teaching and learning General Chemistry.  His video lectures on YouTube and iTunesU are viewed more than 1000 times every day.

Affiliations

  • ChemVantage LLC (chemvantage.org), Founder and CEO, 08/2007 - present
  • Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (AMES), Board of Trustees, 07/2005 - 06/2009
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Member and Fellow, 01/1994 - present
  • Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society (ΣΞ), Member, 01/1986 - present
  • American Physical Society (APS), Member, 01/1982 - present
  • American Chemical Society (ACS), Member, 03/1977 - present

Languages

  • Russian, basic.

Geographical Regions of Interest

  • Russian Federation

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