"A Dead-Head Livens Up the Natural Sciences"
	by Kristi Conforth
	The Observer, "The Student Voice of Fordham College at Lincoln Center"
	Volume xvi, Issue 12, 10/1/97

photo: ejs smiling at desk with tie-dye in background
caption: Dead-Head Dr. Simon adds life to class

Imagine walking into a Chemistry class to the tune of "She Blinded
Me With Science."  It's nothing out of the ordinary for the students
of Dr. Eric Simon, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, and self-professed
"Dead-Head."

Lining an entire wall in his small windowless office is a glaring
red, yellow, blue and green tie-dyed cloth, very reflective of his
personality.  He apologizes for the mess, dressed in jeans
and a long sleeve button down shirt, takes a seat and tells how much
he loves New York City.  While growing up in Fairfield, CT he used
to take the train to the city all the time.

"Going to Manhattan was the hip thing to do in high school," Simon said.

Although he's always found science interesting, it was a report on
diseases in the 6th grade that further piqued his interest in biology.

"I learned about this disease called Kuru," he said.  "It involves
headhunting tribesman eating the brains of other dead tribesmen and
I just thought that was the coolest thing I ever heard."  A pre-med
student until his senior year in college, he maintained his interest
in biology, eventually earning a BA degree in Biology and Computer
Science from Wesleyan University in CT.  He also received a Masters
degree in Biology from Wesleyan and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from
Harvard University.

In the years since, Simon has taught at Harvard and five different
universities in Minnesota.  But when he was offered a job at Fordham
last year, he headed back to the east coast.

"Fordham is one of the few schools that gave me an opportunity to
teach both major and non-major courses," he said.  "Usually you
can only teach one or the other.  Plus, it's a good school and in 
New York City."  He is currently teaching the core Perspectives:
Biology and Perspectives: Chemistry as well as other biology courses
directed towards majors.

In Simon's class everyone participates.  During each meeting, he
goes around the room and asks each student a question based on the
previous class' discussion.

"How much do atoms weight?" he asked one student.  "What is the Law
of Conservation of Mass?" he asked another.  "What's the
difference between a physical and chemical change?" he asked a third.

"You can pass if you don't know the answer," he noted.  However, all
the students have been very responsive to his methods and each one
answered his or her respective question.

"Collaborative learning, where students and the professor together
work things out, is womething I have always been interested in,"
Simon said.  "I think it is a lot more interesting to students
and helps them learn better.  By making everyone speak and by
showing them that everyone has something intelligent to say, people
will loosen up.  This way it makes students more willing to speak up
when they have a question."

Another method he uses to get students involved in class discussion
is the integration of music.  This is partly because Simon himself
is a "big music buff."

"I like using music because it is a way to relate to the students
and it also waked people up."  Among Simon's personal favorites
are Led Zepellin, Blues Traveler and the Grateful Dead.  "I'm a
Dead-Head," he said.

In addition to his office hours Simon has set up an entire web page
solely for the purpose of helping the students in his courses.  
as he demonstrates all the components of the web page, he explains
that it contains his lessons, including notes, overheads,
the course schedule, the periodic table, etc.  It also has links
to other sites that may be of use.

"Eventually there will be a glossary that has definitions, a picture
when appropriate and a pronounciation of the word," he said.  "My goal
over the next year is to make the web site so complete that somebody
could take the course just from the web site."  To get the students
involved with the internet, each student has to contribute something
related to science from the web page, whether it be a few definition or a
short summary on a topic of interest.  "This way it will always
be there for the students in later years," he said.

Although he gave up his idea to be a doctor, he has been a volunteer
Emergency Medical Technician (TM) for the past six years.  It
was the job that got him a role as a medic in "Blown Away", the 1994
film starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones, and "The Crucible",
starring Winona Ryder.  In his spare time he enjoys making a 
homemade jam which won 11 ribbons, four of them blue at the MN
State Fair.  "[My wife and I] were like the premiere jam makers in
Minnesota," he said.

"I've got an on-screen mention in one movie, The Crucible," he said.
"My name is the very last name in the credits."  Speaking of movies,
Simon uses them in his classes as an example of how science can occur
in everyday life.  "I know students love movies too, that is why
I try to relate things to that, so they will remember them easier.

"I want the students to leave with an appreciation that science and
the subject matter is relevant.  I want them to have a good
general understanding of the issues involved."