Bradley Fahlman:
Chemistry professor capitalizes on 'perfect timing' for new textbook

A well-known researcher and teacher in his field of chemistry, Bradley Fahlman believed it was "perfect timing" for a textbook on materials chemistry. This intriguing possibility for Fahlman evolved into his first textbook, Materials Chemistry. It was published by Springer in August 2007. Less than one year later, the textbook is going into a second printing. It's scheduled to be translated into Chinese and Russian in 2008 to 2009. Fahlman's Materials Chemistry is a 2008 recipient of a Textbook Excellence Award from TAA.

Fahlman describes a textbook as the most "meaningful contribution" one can make to the scientific community. His interest in textbook writing began in his current position as an associate professor of chemistry and director of the Advanced Materials Research Initiative at Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He chose to join the faculty at a primarily undergraduate institution since both teaching and research are highly valued.

"Though I take my role as a researcher very seriously, and continue to publish regularly in peer-reviewed journals, I consider textbook authorship the most meaningful contribution a faculty member can make to the scientific community," Fahlman said. "After all, even landmark papers fade in impact as new discoveries overshadow one's results; in contrast, a textbook written for an emerging field has the potential for a longer lasting impact, directly affecting future generations of scientists."

Shortly after arriving at CMU in the fall of 2002, Fahlman sent an e-mail to a few editors from different publishers about his idea for a materials chemistry textbook. He found contacts online at various publishers' websites. "I knew that the timing was perfect for a textbook in materials chemistry," he said. "Many schools across the country had begun to offer courses, but there were no suitable textbooks."

Fahlman had looked at books touted as appropriate for teaching materials chemistry; he became aware of the many voids that were left to fill. "The first textbooks in the traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry (inorganic, organic, physical and analytical) continue to be very successful (some now in 9th and 10th editions)," he said. "I viewed this project of writing a textbook as an intriguing possibility of creating the first textbook in the emerging sub-discipline of materials chemistry."

After he e-mailed editors about his textbook idea, he was asked to send in a formal book proposal, which he found extremely easy to write, due to the lack of competitor books. It then took about six to 10 months to hear back from publishers. The former Kluwer Company was the most proactive at putting together a competitive contract, Fahlman said. A year after he signed with Kluwer, the company merged with Springer, creating the largest scientific publisher in the world. "This was a blessing, reassuring me that marketing efforts would be fully taken care of for my book once it was completed," he said. The large publishing house made it possible to market his books worldwide, such the upcoming translations into Chinese and Russian.

In total, it took Fahlman about three years to write and to finish his first textbook. Most of the textbook came together in the final year, making his writing schedule much more intense and lonesome, he says. Fahlman took writing the textbook and teaching both seriously, and he worked hard to balance those responsibilities. "Against the advice of our department chairman at that time, I decided to write the book pre-tenure," he said. "I had to make sure that I was publishing sufficiently in peer-reviewed journals, going to conferences, serving on committees, using novel and effective teaching methods, and handling all the other roles taken on by assistant professors."

He benefited from his "night owl" tendencies. After work, he would write in the evenings at home until 2 to 3 a.m. "Fortunately, the earliest class I had to teach was at 11 a.m., making this writing schedule possible," he said. At home, where he lives with his wife, he likes to write away from the distractions of television - and even windows. (The couple loves to travel, and Fahlman is an avid golfer. After his undergraduate training, he needed to decide whether to turn pro in golf or go to grad school. He thinks he made the right decision.) "I often didn't feel like writing immediately upon sitting down; hence, I would surf the web to look up some references related to the topic du jour, or would start with 'busy work,' such as drawing Figures or literature searching, until the 'writing bug' would catch me, and I could have a productive session," Fahlman said. "Sometimes, prayer for clarity of thought also was important to free my mind of distractions."

What resulted from his long work days is the first textbook that describes the structure versus property relationship of all major classes of materials. Illustrations and detailed bibliographies are provided throughout the textbook. As a teacher, Fahlman desired to include special sections describing emerging applications and posing thought-provoking questions. He designed this to encourage student-instructor interactions. He also included hands-on laboratory modules - rare for chemistry textbooks. His teaching experience greatly influenced his textbook writing. "I love teaching advanced classes in inorganic/materials chemistry, and also freshman level chemistry," he said. "It is always fun to see students' eyes light up when you bring in real-world applications to the lecture - a reason why I have always believed that research and teaching are synonymous, not separate endeavors."

While writing the textbook, Fahlman said he learned a tremendous amount about fields in which his experience was rather limited. "This has resulted in two current research projects, which I probably wouldn't have been involved in if it weren't for the detailed literature survey I performed while writing the textbook," he said.

At CMU, he leads the Fahlman Research Group, a group of his own students, along with directing the Advanced Materials Research (AMR) Initiative. The primary goal of the AMR program is to link chemistry together with other departments (physics, biology, engineering and math) to more effectively study advanced materials, such as new polymers, ceramics, thin films, nanomaterials, biomaterials and others.

This fall, CMU also will begin a doctorate program on the Science of Advanced Materials (SAM), which will further strengthen the multi-disciplinary research teams, and the university's ties with such nearby industries as Dow Chemical and Dow Corning, Fahlman said. "This program really has the potential to improve the national prominence of CMU in the field of materials science, representing an important precedent for our institution," he said.

Fahlman considers the study of chemistry, like textbook writing, to be a creative endeavor. Initially, as an undergraduate student, he registered to study pre-pharmacy at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. "However, I wanted a career where I could be more creative, rather than a simple 9 to 5 job handling prescriptions," he said. He found he was most interested in his chemistry courses, so he took on more of those classes. "I was blessed to receive an industrial work-term with the Saskatchewan Power Corporation, where I saw the 'real world' of chemistry in action," he said. "After those four months, I absolutely knew that a career in chemistry was my calling, and I began to approach my coursework with more intensity and rigor."

Through his college work, Fahlman learned about the important role that chemistry plays in our society. It is this message he continues to impart to his students and through his textbook - that chemistry has real-life implications. He earned a B.S.c. (high honors) in chemistry from Regina, and then earned a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Rice University in Houston, Texas. Those educated about materials chemistry will use their knowledge to address such issues as environmental pollution/greenhouse effect, dwindling petroleum reserves and homeland security. "Although chemistry has caused much harm - such as through chemical weaponry, CFCs, asbestos, etc. - it also has brought about our current technological way of life that everyone is now accustomed to," he said.

Kim Seidel is a freelance writer based in Onalaska, Wis.