Brian Rempel, PhD, BSc (Honours) - Directory@UAlberta.ca

Contact

Associate Professor, Augustana - Sciences

Email: brempel@ualberta.ca
Address: 2-308 Faith & Life Centre
4901-46 Ave

Camrose AB

T4V 2R3

Overview

About

I grew up in Edmonton, and I did my undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta (1999-2003), with a focus on studying carbohydrate-protein interactions for my undergraduate honours research project.

Following my undergraduate degree, I moved to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver to work on my Ph.D. (2003-2009) under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Withers, a world expert on the enzymes responsible for the formation and breakdown of carbohydrates. My project was on investigations of fluorinated sugars as potential diagnostic and therapeutic agents in the treatment of Gauchers disease and Mucopolysaccharidosis I, two Lysosomal Storage Diseases.

I came straight from Ph.D. work to my job at Augustana in 2009. I teach General and Organic Chemistry, as well as some pan-disciplinary science and Core courses.

Besides chemistry, I enjoy spending most of my free time relaxing with my family and our dog. I am also an avid reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and I enjoy playing a variety of cardgames and boardgames. My son and I have trained together in Wado Kai karate since 2017, and I also try to get out running when the weather and my joints permit it.

Research

Chemistry Education Research/Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Although I was trained in synthetic organic chemistry and enzymology, my research interests have evolved and are now tightly linked to my passion for teaching. I work on many different projects with colleagues at Augustana, and I frequently collaborate with my colleague in Chemistry Dr. Elizabeth McGinitie. Many of research interests are focused on questions such as:

1) What course and exam practices help ameliorate student exam anxiety?

2) What are innovative and unusual ways for assessing student knowledge?

Enzymology

My interests have moved away from original research on carbohydrate-processing enzymes. However, I'm still interested teaching students in the lab some of the methods and techniques used in enzymology, such as simple organic synthesis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry and Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Teaching

I am very passionate about my teaching, as anybody who has ever stepped into my classes will attest. I am high-energy, excited (and exciteable), and passionate about sharing my love for chemistry, science, and learning. My classes are highly structured, collaborative, and give students many opportunities to work hard and demonstrate what they are learning. I have also started the process of transitioning my classes from traditional (very expensive) textbooks to using a free Open Educational Resources hosted on the Libretexts platform.

I teach a variety of General and Organic chemistry courses, and I'm always excited to share my passion for understanding the world through the lens of chemistry. I am very interested in helping students develop connections between the concepts they learn in chemistry and the world around them, and my first and second-year classes make sure to include at least one such connection every day. My classes feature active learning strategies including peer-led problem solving, student-marked quizzes, oral and poster presentations, and discussions. I have a large "toolbox" of teaching tactics, and I enjoy "tinkering" with my courses using different tools to experiment with what works best to facilitate student learning.

The courses I typically teach are:

AUCHE 110 - General Chemistry I
AUCHE 112 - General Chemistry II
AUCHE 250 - Organic Chemistry I
AUCHE 252 - Organic Chemistry II
AUCHE 450 - Enzymes and Enzyme Mechanisms
AUSCI 405 - Chemical and Physical Sciences Capstone
AUSCI 425 - Senior Mentorship Experience

I have also taught courses in the new Augustana Core every year since it was implemented, and I currently teach (when my teaching opportunities permit):

AUIDS 101 - First Year Seminar: The Downlow on Getting High
AUSCI 201 - Communicating Science

Rather than holding traditional office hours, students wanting to find me are always encouraged to "Find the Nerd" in the forum with my bright pink shirt.

Courses

AUCHE 110 - General Chemistry I

A general introduction to chemistry. Topics include atomic structure, periodic trends, bonding, molecular shapes and Lewis structures, states of matter and intermolecular forces, functional groups and IR spectroscopy. Prerequisites: Chemistry 30 and Mathematics 30-1.

Fall Term 2025

AUCHE 250 - Organic Chemistry I

An introduction to bonding and functionality in organic compounds. Mechanistic approach to solving problems will be emphasized. Topics include electron movement arrows, acid/base chemistry, conformations and stereochemistry, simple substitutions, eliminations and additions to alkenes. Infrared spectroscopy will be applied in the lab. Prerequisite: AUCHE 112. Suggested corequisite: AUCHE 230 for students planning to take AUCHE 252.

Fall Term 2025

AUCHE 252 - Organic Chemistry II

Continuation of AUCHE 250, again emphasizing a mechanistic approach. The chemistry of alcohols, conjugated unsaturated systems, aromatic rings, carbonyl-containing compounds, organic reduction-oxidation reactions, and beta-dicarbonyl compounds will be discussed. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy will be applied in both the lecture and the lab. Prerequisite: AUCHE 230 and AUCHE 250.

Winter Term 2026

AUCHE 450 - Enzymes and Enzyme Mechanisms

Study of the mechanism of different classes of enzymes along with experimental techniques used in enzymology. Prerequisite: AUCHE 250. Note: AUBIO 280 (Biochemistry: Proteins, Enzymes and Energy) is a suggested pre or corequisite.

Fall Term 2025

AUSCI 405 - Chemical and Physical Sciences Capstone

This course will integrate learning across the different streams in the Chemical and Physical Sciences major. Students will spend time examining some significant historical problems such as the history of the development of the atomic model, history of the development of the periodic table, diversity and ethical questions and problems in the natural sciences. The course will culminate with an interdisciplinary senior research project. Prerequisites: 4th year standing and 6 units of 300- or 400-level AUBIO, AUCHE or AUPHY. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUSCI 405 or AUCHE 405 taken prior to Winter 2024.

Winter Term 2026

AUSCI 425 - Senior Mentorship Experience

This course will involve a weekly learning placement, faculty-led seminar, and technical meeting lecture. The learning placement will be an on-campus experience facilitating learning for junior students, such as serving in a tutoring center or overseeing laboratory experiments. The seminar is a weekly meeting studying how people learn, communication, and the mentorship experience. The technical meeting provides details unique to the learning placement with a staff member. An important component of this course will be reflective assignments about the teaching experience. Prerequisites: 3rd or 4th year standing. Consent of the instructors based on successful completion of the selection process.

Fall Term 2025 Winter Term 2026

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