"Astounding," "approachable," and "genuinely concerned," are just a few terms students have used to describe Paul Jasien, who has been selected as the recipient of the 2004-2005 Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award. Jasien, a professor of physical/theoretical chemistry, joined the Cal State San Marcos faculty in 1991, after having been a research scientist in both the private and public sectors. His areas of expertise are chemical education and computational/quantum chemistry. "Dr. Paul Jasien exemplifies those qualities that the Brakebill Award seeks to recognize," commented President Karen S. Haynes. Those qualities include "transmission of the university's values to students and positioning the university as a learner centered institution." Jasien received a B.S. degree from DePaul University in 1979 and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1984. From 1984 to 1986, he was a postdoctoral research associate at the National Institute for Standards and Technology. He joined the San Marcos faculty as an assistant professor, received tenure and a promotion to associate professor in 1995, and was then promoted to full professor in 2000. Since 1991, Jasien has published 18 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has authored curriculum materials for teaching introductory chemistry to science majors. His recent scholarly work relates to how students learn science, an issue that he has studied extensively. With physics colleague Graham Oberem, Jasien was awarded $309,000 from the National Science Foundation in 1998 to develop and teach intensive summer workshops for science teachers in grades 7-12. The goal was to show teachers more effective ways of engaging young students through inquiry-oriented physical science lessons. In the classroom, Jasien was lauded by his students for his "contagious" excitement for chemistry and for "making difficult concepts understandable." Beyond the classroom, students appreciate his accessibility, even past the regular workday. Among the comments included in Jasien's nomination was one from a student who was so impressed by the professor's availability that he thought he must sleep in his office. Within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jasien spearheaded the effort to develop and launch a major in biochemistry, and he led the department through the accreditation process by the American Chemical Society. "To be recognized for this award by my faculty colleagues and especially by students is the biggest honor of my career," said Jasien. "However, I could never have gotten to this point without the help of my chemistry and physics colleagues who have inspired me to try new teaching methods in the classroom. The Brakebill Award is presented annually to a member of the faculty to highlight exceptional accomplishments in the area of teaching and learning. The award is named after Harry E. Brakebill, former executive vice chancellor of the CSU and a valued volunteer in the campus' early years. Through the generosity of his daughter, Ann Bersi, the award was established in 1998.