Chemist Ning Gao says working with a wide variety of students is among the best things about teaching at St. Lawrence.

"I have been given the opportunity to develop and teach traditional courses, research-based learning courses and First-Year Program courses," Associate Professor of Chemistry Gao says. "Through them, I get to interact with and help a wide spectrum of students," she says.

This interaction has led to several publications co-authored by current and former students. They deal with Gao's research into the development of computer models used in the investigation of the emission sources, transport, deposition, transformation and fate of mercury found in Lake Champlain and its basin. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Lake Champlain Research Consortium and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Gao came to St. Lawrence in January 2001; she is an active participant in the Integrated Science Education Initiative (ISEI). She received her B.S. in environmental science from Zhongshan University ( China), an M.S. in organic chemistry and an M.S. in physical geography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her Ph.D in analytical and environmental chemistry from Clarkson University.