Peter Mahaffy with the undergraduate research team at KCVS
The King's University is pleased to announce that chemistry professor Dr. Peter Mahaffy is the 2025 recipient of the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education. The award, granted by the American Chemical Society (ACS), recognizes two key areas of Mahaffy's teaching and research: understanding and relating to chemistry as a human activity and reimagining the teaching and learning of chemistry by using "systems thinking" tools.
"Chemistry is often taught as a set of isolated, disconnected facts," says Mahaffy. "But facts alone don't tell students why chemistry matters. Systems thinking looks at the world as an interconnected system it allows students to see how chemical reactions and processes relate to important things in their lives, and how chemistry can be used responsibly to make a difference in global sustainability challenges."
Mahaffy's innovative work as the director of King's Centre for Visualization in Science (KCVS) is at the forefront of systems thinking. In collaboration with a team of undergraduate student researchers and a network of international and Edmonton-based experts, KCVS has developed an extensive range of digital resources that teach students to consider how chemical systems connect the world. Educators and students can access these interactive models, visualizations, and curriculum materials for free at kcvs.ca.
One interactive solutions-oriented model created by Mahaffy and his team is called "Design Our Climate." It allows users to manipulate humanity's global energy, greenhouse gas, and land use to discover what changes make it possible to achieve the 2050 net zero goal. The model also teaches students what chemical processes occur when they make everyday decisions like switching on a light or driving to work. Ultimately, the model shows that hitting net zero isn't easy, but it is possible, especially when chemists work together to find creative alternatives to replace unsustainable resources.
"We must reimagine the teaching of chemistry," says Mahaffy. "Doing so will ensure that our students understand how to be sustainability leaders in the face of global climate change."
Mahaffy will receive the Pimentel award at ACS's annual gala in San Diego this March. The gala will be accompanied by a symposium held in his honour, which he has titled Chemistry for People and the Planet.
