Dr. Carrie Shepler

Director of First-year Chemistry carrie.shepler@chemistry.gatech.edu; Clough Commons 584A; 404-385-1342 

Carrie earned her Ph.D. in environmental radiochemistry from Washington State University and then turned her attention to chemical education as a teaching post-doctoral fellow. She came to Tech in 2008 as the undergraduate program coordinator for the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and she transitioned to her position in the freshman chemistry program in January 2011. Dr. Shepler regularly teaches CHEM 1211K and 1212K, and she is also involved in development and support of CHEM 1310. 

In her spare time, Dr. Shepler enjoys spending time with her husband (also a chemistry professor) and her dog, Omar. She loves to read and bake, and she enjoys watching football, college basketball, and baseball.  

Dr. Michael Evans

Senior Academic Professional michael.evans@chemistry.gatech.edu; Clough Commons 584C

Michael obtained his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2013. His graduate work focused on chemical education and involved the development and analysis of online resources for a blended organic chemistry course. He joined the First-year Chemistry Program at Georgia Tech in 2013. In his current role, he teaches and coordinates the lecture components of First-year Chemistry courses (CHEM 1211K, 1212K, and 1310) He also teaches organic chemistry courses (CHEM 2311, 2312, and 1315).

In his spare time, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, running, playing chess, and gaming. He also loves exploring the massive expanse that is Atlanta and discovering new attractions, restaurants, and people.

Dr. Deborah Santos

First-year Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator deborah.santos@chemistry.gatech.edu; Clough Commons 584B

Deborah earned her Ph.D. in chemistry education from Georgia State University after completing an M.S. in organic/polymer chemistry and a secondary science teaching certificate from the University of Georgia. Deborah taught high school chemistry for several years and the experience fostered interest in educational research focused on student motivation and mindset in chemistry as well as curriculum development and assessment for laboratory courses. She came to Tech in 2022 and has recently taken over laboratory coordination for the first-year chemistry program. Dr. Santos continues to engage in research on lab learning and student scientific practice development.

In her spare time, Dr. Santos spends time with her husband and daughter. She loves experimenting with cooking, getting outside for a walk (or run!), crafting, and spending time with friends and family.