James E. T. Smith is a PhD candidate in Chemical Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder with a 3.96 GPA. He received his BS in Chemistry from Davidson College in 2014 with a 3.67 overall GPA and 3.87 major GPA. His experience includes research assistantships studying water oxidation catalysts and ion trapping, teaching general chemistry labs, tutoring chemistry and math, and developing chemistry simulations. He has been involved in leadership programs and held leadership roles in student organizations. His computer skills include programming languages and chemistry software. He has received multiple awards for excellence in chemistry.

1. James E. T. Smith
350 S. 44th St. – Boulder 80305
1 (508) 596 7110 • james.e.smith@colorado.edu
Education
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder
PhD, Chemical Physics 2014–Present
GPA: 3.96
Davidson College Davidson, NC
B.S., Chemistry (Minor in Mathematics) 2010–2014
Overall GPA: 3.67 Major GPA: 3.87
Experience
Vocational. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JILA/ University of Colorado Boulder Boulder
Research Assistant Summer 2016– Present
Work in J. Mathias Weber’s group studying the effect of solvation on water oxidation catalysts and
fundamental physical phenomena involved in trapping and cooling ions.
Organize "super-group" meetings between the Weber, Bierbaum, Ellison, and Lineberger Groups.
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder
Head Teaching Assistant Spring 2016
Organized the weekly TA meetings and mentored younger TAs.
Helped the lab instructor and coordinator prepare labs and course material.
Taught one section of laboratory and recitation for General Chemistry 2.
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder
Teaching Assistant Fall 2014–Spring 2016
Taught two sections of laboratory and recitation for General Chemistry 1 or 2 (CHEM 1114 and 1134)
each semester.
Met each week with other course instructor and other TAs to discuss the curriculum and modify it to
improve its effectiveness for future semesters.
Self Employed Boulder
Personal Tutor 2015–Present
Work with high school and college students in personal and small group tutoring sessions to improve
understanding of fundamental chemical concepts, develop good studying and test-taking strategies, and
foster an interest in science and math.
PhET Interactive Simulations Boulder
PhET Developer Jan.–May 2015
Updated simulations created by the PhET department and made them more accessible to students by
porting them from Java to HTML5.
Collaborated with full time developers to improve the functionality of simulations by modifying the original
simulation code.

2. Davidson College Chemistry Department Davidson
DRI Fellow May–Aug 2013
Built a Resonance Raman Spectrometer and used it in conjunction with Gaussian09 to develop a model for
various dyes used in dye-sensitized solar cells so more efficient dyes could be predicted for future solar cells.
Worked with one other researcher to improve the current technique of assembling dye-sensitized solar cells
and created an instrument to measure the efficiency of these cells.
Davidson College Math and Science Center Davidson
Chemistry and Math Tutor 2012–2014
Position only offered to students recommended by multiple faculty members.
Tutored individual and small groups of students in all levels of calculus, organic and inorganic chemistry on
a regular weekly schedule.
Davidson College Chemistry Department Davidson
Research Assistant May–Aug 2012
Worked collaboratively in a two-person team to design an experiment that characterized the pathways and
products of the oxidation of isoprene to try to find new methods of aerosol reduction in the atmosphere.
Davidson College Chemistry Department Davidson
Lab Assistant for Organic Chemistry II Jan.–May 2012
Taught 14 students introductory organic chemistry lab techniques with Dr. David M. Brown and prepared
materials and equipment with Mr. Lee Maiorano.
Campus and Community Engagement
Chidsey Leadership Fellow 2010–2014
Senior Year
- Worked with the Chidsey Fellows Class of 2014 to help improve the Chidsey curriculum for the younger
fellows and provide feedback during the curriculum transition.
- Collaborated with mentor and attended lectures on leadership development in the wider world.
Junior Year
- Participated in workshops and attended lectures dealing with adaptive leadership and the dealing with
adaptive problems, which have no technical solutions.
Sophomore Year
- Elected by peers as the Executive Producer and Chair of the Steering Committee for Chidsey sophomore
project.
- Led steering committee meetings and coordinated the effort of each of the four groups and all 23
participants including faculty advisors.
- Released a full podcast on our website of our interview with the mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx.
Freshman Year
- Led a small group that worked every week to develop workshops for freshmen and sophomore high
school students who were expected to be the first in their families to attend college.
The Kappa Alpha Order 2012–2014

3. Social Chair
- Selected as the social chair by my fellow members for the December 2012-December 2013 term.
- Led a small group of members to organize all aspects of the social functions including registration for
campus events, booking bands, purchasing supplies etc.
- Co-chaired the committee that created and organized the first ever KA Strikes Against Muscular
Dystrophy charity bowling tournament benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
- Coordinated communication with the Patterson Court Social Council and the Residential Life Office.
Member
- Organized weekly meetings of all members and helped prepare and set up for special events such as Jay
Chitty Charity Tennis tournament.
Davidson Outdoors Trip Leader 2011–2014
Lead Davidson Outdoor Trips of students with varying experience and planning and executing all the
logistics for the trip and ensuring the safety of the participants.
Facilitate team building and growth of interpersonal relationships between all the participants, including
the trip leaders.
Wilderness Leadership Skills Course
- Engaged in weekly meeting during the fall semester to explore leadership styles techniques and practical
application of these lessons in various wilderness settings.
- Organized and led a fall and winter hiking trip to Mt. Rogers, Virginia.
- Completed the intensive four day Wilderness Advanced First Aid course
Computer skills
Chemistry Software: Gaussian09, TurboMole, Q-Chem, GAMESS, LAMMPS, Avogadro, GabEdit
Software Experience: MATLAB, LabView, Mathematica, Origin
Programming: Java, JavaScript, Python, HTML
Awards
Graduate Student General Chemistry Teaching Award
Senior Award for Excellence in Chemistry
David Halbert Howard Jr. Award
The Porter Vincent Chemistry Award for Unusual Mastery of Chemistry
Freshman Award for Excellence in Chemistry
MCLA Academic All American