- Instructional Associate Professor
- Assistant Head for Graduate Students
- Phone: 979-845-1846
- Email: tmpowers@tamu.edu
- Office: CHEM 1129
- https://tmpowers4.wixsite.com/tmpowers
Research Interests
Science Communication and Literacy Across Disciplines
My teaching centers on promoting science literacy and communication across all disciplines. I lead two complementary initiatives: transforming science education for non-majors and preparing science majors as communicators.
For non-majors, I developed and coordinate the Contemporary Issues in Science (ARSC 104 & 105) course series, a multidisciplinary, team-taught sequence that enrolls over 400 students each year. These CORE Life and Physical Sciences courses engage students in the critical analysis of topics such as the Big Bang, evolution, human health, climate change, and energy. Through active learning, case studies, and reflective writing, students learn to identify misinformation, evaluate evidence, and connect scientific knowledge to ethical and social contexts. The course empowers students to think critically about how science shapes their daily lives and to recognize the role of evidence in informed decision-making.
For chemistry majors, I extend this focus on communication through Senior Seminar (CHEM 481), our department’s capstone writing course. Here, students develop the skills to translate complex scientific concepts for both expert and non-expert audiences. I introduced a new "Science Advocacy Letter" assignment to complement the existing Three-Minute Thesis–style Presentation, giving students practice in audience awareness, empathy, and clarity. Through iterative drafting, peer review, and feedback, students learn to communicate their work effectively and responsibly - skills that prepare them to engage confidently with diverse audiences beyond the classroom.
Research Areas:
- Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry
- X-ray Crystallography
- Chemical Education
- Mentoring
Educational Background
- I earned my Ph. D. from Harvard University in 2013, working in the laboratory of Professor Theodore Betley. My thesis focused on the study of multi-electron reduction of small molecules by triiron reaction sites. Following my Ph.D., I worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Roy Gordon, where I explored the synthesis of divalent first row transition metal ALD precursors.
- In the fall of 2014, I began to focus my efforts on teaching. I became involved in the undergraduate chemistry program at Harvard, serving as the Chemistry Departmental Teaching Fellow as well as the Head Teaching Fellow for the general chemistry curriculum. During my time working with the general chemistry program at Harvard, I discovered my love for teaching in a laboratory setting. In September 2015, I moved to Texas A&M where I am now coordinating and teaching the Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory.
Selected Publications
Cosio, M.; Cardenal, A. D.; Maity, A.; Hyun, S.-M.; Akwaowo, V.; Hoffman, C.; Powers, T. M.*; Powers, D. C.* "Exploring Green Chemistry with Aerobic Hypervalent Iodine Catalysis." J. Chem. Ed. 2020, 97, 3816.
JoVE Science Education Inorganic Chemistry Video Series, Oct. 2017, Journal of Visual Experiments
Campbell, M. G.; Powers, T. M.; Zheng, S.-L. Teaching with the Case Study Method to Promote Active Learning in a Small Molecule Crystallography Course for Chemistry Students. J. Chem. Ed. 2016, 93, 270.