McAfee, Slade

Expected Year of Graduation: Spring 2026

Research lab: Rodriguez Research Group

Major area of focus: Chemistry Education

Minor area of focus: Physical Chemistry

Education: Northwest Missouri State University, 2019-2022, B.S. General Chemistry; University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 2022-Present, Ph.D. Chemistry Education

Why I like chemistry

Chemistry is the central science. It has a unique ability to bridge virtually every other field of study. Whether you're tackling a problem from a biological, physical, or even philosophical perspective, chemistry lets you mix things up and find solutions that make sense to you. (every pun intended)

Why I chose the program at UWM

The research being conducted at UWM is really exciting. The opportunity to contribute to such impactful work is very rewarding. Regardless of your specific interests, there is a research group here that aligns with your passions and provides the chance to engage in meaningful projects.

Favorite things to do in Milwaukee

Milwaukee has a lot to offer. Some of my go-to spots are Boswell Books for a good read, the Public Market for some great local eats, and Landmark Lanes for a casual bowling night.

Research goals

My goal is to contribute to the literature surrounding the teaching and learning of physical chemistry with the hopes of making this advanced course more accessible for students.

Publications

None at the moment, but trust me, they are COMINGMcAfee, S. C.; Rodriguez, J.-M. G. The Importance of Clear Expectations Related to Academic Integrity in a Chemistry Course Syllabus: What Counts as Cheating? J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101 (1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00942.

Watts, F. M.; McAfee, S. C.; Rodriguez, J.-M. G. Using Hypothetical Scenarios to Address Social Desirability Bias: Investigating Student Perceptions, Evaluations, and Motivations of Cheating and Academic Integrity in the General Chemistry Laboratory. JACS Au 2024, jacsau.4c00227. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.4c00227.

McAfee, S. C.; Tomczyk, A. R.; Johnson, L. E.; Williamson, T. C.; Rodriguez, J.-M. G. A Graduate Course-Based Chemistry Education Research Experience: Describing a General Model and the Project Outcomes Related to Investigating Chemistry Graduate Students’ Perceptions of the Imposter Phenomenon. J. Chem. Educ. 2024

Poster Presentations

X-DBER Conference, “The Importance of Clear Expectations Related to Academic Integrity in a Chemistry Course Syllabus: What Counts as Cheating?”, Virtual. (Poster)

MIDD Research Symposium, “Students’ Perceptions of Academic Integrity in the Chemistry Laboratory Classroom via Hypothetical Scenarios”, Milwaukee, WI. (Poster)

ACS MKE Research Symposium, "Research in the Rodriguez Research Group", Milwaukee, WI. (Poster)

Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, “Where is the Calculus in Chemistry? Determining Content Alignment Between Calculus and Chemistry”, Omaha, NE. (Oral Presentation)

Biennial Conference on Chemistry Education, “Analysis of Academic Integrity Statements in Chemistry Course Syllabi”, Lexington, KY. (Oral Presentation)

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, “The Application of Machine Learning to Chemistry Education Research” (Department Seminar)

Northwest Missouri State University, “Where is the Calculus in Chemistry? Determining the Content Alignment between Calculus and Chemistry” (Department Seminar)