Denise Rau is the organic chemistry Lab Coordinator and instructor and a laboratory instructor for introductory chemistry. Her career focus has always been on teaching. She earned a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry in order to teach college-level chemistry, which she did as an associate and assistant professor at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford.

Eventually she decided to try the “big leagues” of science teaching.  She gave up her college position and became a certified high school chemistry teacher, joining the  Farmington High School’s progressive science department.  Farmington (along with Westminster and Miss Porter’s) has reversed the traditional order of science courses:  physics is first, followed by chemistry, then biology in the junior year.  Farmington also led the movement toward Inquiry-Based Science teaching. While teaching high school, Dr. Rau focused her attention toward the development of her own skills as an inquiry-based teacher and to adaptation of chemistry curriculum to this student-centered approach.  Dr. Rau is delighted to teach at Trinity College, where an inquiry approach has been skillfully incorporated into the introductory chemistry courses.

Dr. Rau served as Content Advisor for the Connecticut Academy of Education, 2006 Summer Inquiry Institute.