Rate My Professor Samantha Bidwell

Dr. Samantha Bidwell serves as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Elmira College, where she teaches in the Chemistry program and contributes to related fields such as biochemistry, forensic science, and environmental science. She also holds the position of Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring and advises the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society chapter. Bidwell obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from the University of California, Merced in 2021, advised by Prof. Hrant P. Hratchian. Her doctoral dissertation focused on theoretical studies of transition metal catalyzed reactions, encompassing a computational exploration of the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click chemistry) mechanism; theoretical and experimental evidence for nitrogen-fluorine halogen bonding in silver(I)-initiated radical C–H fluorinations in collaboration with Prof. Ryan Baxter; development of an intermolecular perturbational analysis model using third-order perturbation theory to quantify energy corrections from three-center bonding; benchmarking protocols with various density functionals, basis sets, and solvents to predict three-center bonding involving transition metals; and reaction pathways for anti-wear oil additives interacting with iron-oxide clusters in collaboration with Prof. Ashlie Martini. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (ACS certified) from Grand Valley State University in 2015, where she conducted undergraduate research on computational studies of redox-induced electron transfer for CO₂ reduction and dinitrogen activation by a zerovalent cobalt complex.

In her publication record, Bidwell is co-first author on the article “Theoretical and Experimental Evidence for Nitrogen-Fluorine Halogen Bonding in Silver-Initiated Radical Fluorination” in ACS Catalysis (2019, volume 9, pages 3322–3326). She co-authored the book chapter “Aiming Toward an Effective Hispanic Serving Chemistry Curriculum” accepted for Growing Diverse STEM Communities: Methodology, Impact and Evidence (American Chemical Society), and has a manuscript in preparation titled “Towards a Complete Mechanistic Description of the Molecular Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne (CuAAC) Reaction.” Her teaching portfolio includes Instructor of Record for Introduction to Chemistry (summer 2019, UC Merced), where she developed course materials and managed a TA; Learning Director of the UC Merced Chemistry Center (fall 2018–fall 2019), managing tutors and workshops; Teaching Assistant for General Chemistry laboratory and discussion sections (fall 2015–spring 2017); and tutor for chemistry and introductory mathematics at Grand Valley State University (2012–2015). Bidwell presented her research at the 258th, 255th, and 253rd ACS National Meetings, the Canadian Symposium of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (2018), and various undergraduate symposia. Awards include the UC Merced Faculty Mentor Fellowship with stipend and tuition remission (AY 2017–2018), CCB Travel Grant Awards ($800 each, 2016–2019), and CCB Recruitment Fellowship ($5,000, 2015–2016). She maintains memberships in the American Chemical Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science. At Elmira College, Bidwell recruits students for laboratory projects including computational chemistry.