Hired in 1961, Jean’ne Shreeve, university distinguished professor and research faculty in the Department of Chemistry, has worked at University of Idaho longer than any other faculty member.
In that time, Shreeve has been a department chair for the department of chemistry for 14 years, and was the university’s vice president for research for 12 years. She also has written more than 500 research publications.
But, Shreeve said, none of these things outweigh what she calls her biggest accomplishment — her students.
“All of the 200 people that I’ve had work in my labs,” Shreeve said. “Those were the highlights, because now they’re out, doing good things, great things. Some of them of course are retired — I don’t know why. That’s what university life is all about, I think, it’s the students, and the co-workers and the exciting research you’ve been able to do with them.”
Shreeve was raised by a family of teachers. She said she developed a passion for chemistry and research early on, and she also wanted to be close to home. This brought her to university teaching, instead of industrial chemistry.
Her first job at UI was only supposed to be a one-semester appointment, but during that time, a position opened up and her boss, the late Malcolm Renfrew, offered it to her.
“When you come on a one-semester appointment and you run into the world’s very best boss, there’s no reason to leave,” Shreeve said.
Shreeve said many historical events didn’t directly affect the university, but instead allowed for additional opportunities in research. She said it was the wars, when many students were being drafted, that dwindled the student population.
“Depending on the type of research you’re doing,” Shreeve said. “If you’re doing something which is of value to the war effort, then the amount of money available may suddenly be much greater than it was in the past. That was true during the Sputnik era, when the Soviets were so successful with their space program. There was a lot of money for research then, related to that sort of research.”
Shreeve said most of her challenges as a university faculty member and science researcher were local.
When she was first hired, the resources available for scientific research were limited to just one infrared spectrometer. Because of that, Shreeve made a habit of driving to the University of Washington, where she received her doctorate in inorganic chemistry, every weekend to use their materials.
Though less advanced in technology, Shreeve said the early years of her teaching were “the good times” because there were fewer obstacles and more interest for her subject.
“Things that used to take 15 minutes now take a week,” Shreeve said. “And that’s not just because I’m getting older, that happens to the young ones as well. And I don’t think there’s the enthusiasm on the campus for research that there was in past years.”
Although there have been many changes to her department and the world during her time in Moscow, Shreeve said her philosophies of teaching have not shifted. She no longer presents formal lectures, and most of her work is done in the labs with students.
Similar to her start at UI, Shreeve makes a point to give students applicable knowledge they can use in their lives after college.
“I think if we were really lucky, we wouldn’t have lectures,” Shreeve said. “We would teach everything in the laboratory. That’s how I think I make my contribution to teaching now, in the laboratory, with these young people. I think you have to work with the student so that when they finish the course they’re able to, not regurgitate the information, I don’t care about that, but can they take what they’ve learned in the course and solve problems? That’s what life is about.”
Erin Bamer
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