Roger R. Festa
Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Truman State University
100 E. Normal Avenue
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4524
(660) 785-4045 (fax)
rfes68@hotmail.com
Education
- A.B., Saint Michael's College
- M.A., The University of Vermont
- Ph.D., The University of Connecticut
- Post-Doctoral Study, Indiana University
Courses Taught
- Chemistry for Contemporary Living
- Chemical Principles I
- Chemical Principles II
- Senior Chemistry Seminar
- Fundamental Processes in Chemistry
Research Interests
Dr. Roger Festa studies both the process and outcomes of undergraduate professional training in chemistry. He has published a series of papers applying student development theory to the professional development of college chemistry majors, focusing on the applications of the American Institute of Chemists Code of Ethics to professional conduct. A collateral interest is the development of a model application of student development theory and a holistic approach to professional advising. Dr. Festa is also a specialist in college student development, specializing in men's fraternities, and he publishes and consults in this field.
Dr. Festa is President Emeritus of the American Institute of Chemists, having served in that office for two years (1996 & 1997) as the youngest president in the history of the Institute. In 1999, he completed a record 18 consecutive years of service as a member of the Institute's Board of Directors, including seven years as an officer. He continues his service as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Chemists Foundation.
Dr. Festa served as an associate editor of the Journal of Chemical Education for ten years (1980-1990). He edited biographical manuscripts and the feature, "Profiles in Chemistry," which published more than 60 short biographies of prominent chemists in a "classroom-ready" format designed for integration into high school chemistry lesson plans and college chemistry lectures.
At Truman, Dr. Festa chairs the Faculty Personnel Committee in the Department of Chemistry, and he is a member of the Chemistry Assessment Committee. At the university level, he is a member of the Faculty Senate's Personnel Policies Committee and the Enrollment Management Committee. Dr. Festa is active in the Newman Center and in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP Truman Chapter), and he is the advisor to the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. At the national level, Dr. Festa is a member of the Board of Governors of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation. In 1985, he and Dr. Wohlers established Truman's chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma, the co-ed professional fraternity in chemistry. Dr. Festa is an emeritus member of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents in Washington, DC.
Dr. Festa is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the Midwest, Who's Who in Science and Engineering, and American Men and Women of Science.