• Academic Profiles
• Chemistry

Clayton F. Spencer

Associate Professor and Chairman
Department of Chemistry

Education: Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, B.S. (cum laude) 1991; Cornell University, M.S. 1994; Ph.D. 1996

Courses: General Chemistry; Fundamentals of Chemistry; Computational Chemistry; Physical Chemistry (I and II); Instrumental Analysis; Quantitative Analysis

Achievements: Recipient: Harry Joy Dunbaugh Distinguished Professor Award 2001

Research Interest: Development and application of accurate and efficient methods for computer modeling of chemical reactions

When given the opportunity to redecorate their room, most six-year-old boys would choose a sports theme, maybe cars, trains or cartoons. Not Professor Clayton F. Spencer. When he was six, he chose wallpaper covered with multicolored, interconnected flasks, beakers and test tubes, a scrap of which hangs on his office wall.

"My mom framed it for me," he laughs. "We often wonder whether it emitted some kind of subliminal message that influenced my career choice."

Becoming a chemistry professor was not Spencer's initial career plan. He became interested in medicine in high school and took pre-med classes in college. Professors recommended he assume a research project over the summer to gain experience and enhance his resume. It was then his plan changed.

"I enjoyed all aspects of research," he said. "I liked the independent nature of it. I liked the idea of solving puzzles. I liked learning new concepts and using them to make progress in the lab. Concepts take on a lot more meaning when you learn to apply them."

For this reason, Spencer engages his students in research projects early on in their studies and he uses an open-inquiry model in his teaching. He presents students with a problem and the tools needed to solve it. He does not offer a pathway. In his General Chemistry class, for example, he gives students a powdered compound and tells them it could be one of 15 known substances. He offers them a resource manual with possible tests and the students must figure out which ones to apply.

"It's a lesson in chemistry but it's also a lesson in critical thinking," says Spencer. "If you're going to make a certain claim you have to be able to argue it from the evidence. Critical thinking is crucial to science and to many other disciplines. It's one of the reasons I like teaching at a liberal arts college that fosters interdisciplinary study."

Spencer earned his undergraduate degree from Rhodes College, a liberal arts institution in Memphis. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University where he worked as a teaching assistant and became enthralled with teaching. He joined Illinois College in 1996 and was named chairman of the chemistry department in 1998. In 2001, Spencer received the Harry Joy Dunbaugh Distinguished Professor Award—considered the highest honor bestowed by students upon an Illinois College faculty member.

"Chemistry is a tough subject," admits Spencer. "I try to help my students through it by giving them as much contact as possible. I stay late, offer encouragement and study groups. If they're stuck, I'll ask leading questions to get them on the right track and hopefully they'll find their way."

Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (excluding Holidays)

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