Summary
Janell Mahoney is a dedicated educator and faculty mentor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno. She specializes in organic chemistry instruction and coordinates the organic chemistry laboratory program. Recognized with the Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award and as a Westfall Scholar Mentor, Dr. Mahoney is committed to student success, employing active learning strategies to enhance engagement, retention, and skill development in large-enrollment courses. Beyond teaching chemistry, she emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, collaboration, effective communication, and self-assessment to prepare students for future careers. In addition to her instructional role, Dr. Mahoney serves on the Leadership Board of Organic Chemistry Educational Resources (OrganicERs), contributing to national initiatives that enhance teaching and learning in organic chemistry. She facilitates workshops and faculty learning communities that support instructional innovation and promote collaboration among organic chemistry educators nationwide. Through her teaching, mentoring, educational scholarship, and professional leadership, Dr. Mahoney is dedicated to fostering student achievement and promoting excellence in chemistry education.
Honors and awards
- Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award (2026)
- Westfall Scholar Mentor (2023)
Presentations and workshops on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- J. Mahoney; I. Rhile; J. Chaytor; J. Houseknecht “Organization and Execution of Recent OrganicERs Virtual Activities.” Accepted presentation. 2026 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States. (Forthcoming)
- J. Mahoney. “Aligning the lab: Building instructional coherence through embedded TA professional development.” Accepted Presentation. 2026 Northwest Regional Meeting of the ACS. Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States. (Forthcoming)
- A. Aditya; M. Casselman; J. Chaytor; J. Houseknecht; M. Leathen; C. Lugo; J. Mahoney; R. Mullins, L. Nickerson; I. Rhile; C. Welder. “OrganicERs: 2025 Active Learning in Organic Chemistry Virtual Workshop.” Virtual Workshop. Tu/Th June 3-17 and W June 18, 2025.
- “A picture is worth a thousand words: Leveraging concept mapping to help students dissect the complexities of isomerism.” Oral presentation. 2024 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KT, United States, July 31, 2024.
- Houseknecht; J. Mahoney; L. Nickerson. “Active Learning in Organic Chemistry: Improve student learning and engagement with formative assessment and collaborative learning.” Workshop. 2024 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KT, United States, July 31, 2024.
Education
- Ph.D., Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, 2017
- B.S., Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 2012