DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Dr. Aparece teaches undergraduate Organic Chemistry lectures and laboratories. He is interested in developing pedagogical practices that center pattern recognition over memorization, leading to a holistic interpretation of chemical reactions and their underlying mechanisms. He also teaches Green Chemistry, an upper-level elective course focused on sustainable practices in modern chemistry—namely the minimization of waste, toxicity, and energetic demands—as well as anthropogenic pollution and the metabolism of toxins. He hopes to incorporate Green Chemistry principles into the mainstream Organic Chemistry curriculum.

Outside of his teaching duties, Dr. Aparece is interested in nature and environment at large. He reads extensively, mainly about the Anthropocene and the intersection of science with society, and collaborates with a Chicago Public Schools teacher and other members of the Northwestern University community to analyze pollutants in soils throughout the Chicago park and boulevard system. When he is not in science mode, Dr. Aparece is a classically trained musician and composer-arranger primarily of sacred choral music. He is a violist and a tenor and has had his original compositions and arrangements used in liturgical contexts in Chicago parish churches.