Rebecca Thompson

Dr. Thompson joined the chemistry department at St. Edward’s in 2020. She is a physical chemist by training, which means she is fascinated by the way small particles behave and how their interactions lead to the macroscopic phenomena that we observe. At St. Edward’s, her research focuses on how molecules organize themselves at solid interfaces. This special type of organization can be used to create highly sensitive medical sensors, specialized devices, and functional materials. But before these goals can be truly realized, we need to understand exactly how ordered and well-behaved these surfaces are! That’s where Dr. Thompson’s group comes in. Using a very sensitive spectroscopic technique, they investigate the behavior of these surfaces under different conditions to see what impact small defects have on the desired functionality.

In the classroom (or on Zoom!), Dr.Thompson teaches General Chemistry (1340), Physical Chemistry I (3336) and II (3337), and Physical Chemistry lab (3136). Her classes are usually a mix of small group activities, cooperative problem solving, and interactive lectures. She loves to share the beauty of chemistry with students, and she especially likes to see students in both General Chemistry and Physical Chemistry so they have the opportunity to flesh out their understanding of tricky concepts and connect chemistry to real scientific challenges in the world today.

Pronouns: she/hers

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, St. Edward's University, Aug 2020 - present