Education

Ph.D., Wesleyan University

B.S., Bethlehem University (West Bank)

Research Interests

USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO EMPOWER STUDENTS

Almost every college student carries a smart phone, or some other gadget, with mobile online capabilities which have largely not been considered or utilized for improving student
engagement. To explore this avenue, I have I introduced iTouch devices as a learning tool in my advanced inorganic laboratory course. Students use the devices to document — by videotaping and photographing — key parts of experimental work and provide an accompanying audio description.

The generated digital content (videos and photographs) is uploaded to respective student webpages within a class wiki created by me. Then, I evaluate each student’s input within the wiki, including embedded media, and provide feedback. This approach creates a permanent and accurate account of experimental work, a tangible insight into student learning, and an engaging learning mechanism using technologies which are readily accessible.

Students also submit a hand-written lab record to complement the online pre-lab and post-lab
parts of the overall lab report.

Scholarly Articles

[Please note that on August 14, 1998, I formally changed my last name from Hneihen to Elayan.]

Patent:

• Hneihen, A. S.; Allen, C. W.; Peterson, E. S.  “Solid State Synthesis of Phosphazene Polymers,” U.S.Patent (60/092,836), 2000.

Articles:

• Elayan, A.; Allen, C. W.; Peterson, E. S. “Synthesis of Poly(dichlorophosphazene) by the Melt Phase Polymerization of P-Trichloro-N-(dichlorophosphoryl) monophosphazene,” J. Inorg. Organomet. Polym., 2017, doi:10.1007/s10904-017-0516-x.
• Luther, T. A.; Stewart, F. F.; Budzien, J. L.; LaViolette, R. A.; Bauer, W. F.; Harrup, M. K.; Allen, C. W.; Elayan, A. “On the Mechanism of Ion Transport through Polyphosphazene Solid Polymer Electrolytes: NMR, IR, and Raman Spectroscopic Studies and Computational Analysis of ¹⁵N-Labeled Polyphosphazenes,” J. of Phys. Chem.B, 2003, 107, 3168-3176.
• Kerr, M.E.; Sarker, N.;  Hneihen, A. S.; Schulte, G.S.; Bruno, J.W.  “Hydride and Proton Transfer Reactions of Niobium-Bound Ligands.  Synthetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Ketene, Enacyl and Vinylketene Complexes,” Organometallics,2000, 19, 901-912.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Allen, C. W. “New Aspects of the Preparation and Polymerization of Cl₃P=N-POCl₂,” Phosphorus, Sulfur and Silicon, 1999, Vol. 144-146, pp. 213-216.
• Brauer, S.; Hneihen, A. S.; McBride, S.; Wetterhahn, K. E. “Chromium(VI) Forms a Thiolate Complex with g-Glutamyl-L-Cysteine, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, L-Cysteine and Methyl N-Acetyl-L-Cysteinate Ester,” Inorganic Chemistry, 1996, 35, 373-381.
• Fermin, M. C.; Hneihen, A. S.; Maas, J. J.; Bruno, J. W. “Activation of Niobocene-Ketene Complexes: Ligand-Centered Syntheses of Hydrides and Acyls,” Organometallics, 1993, 12, 1845.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Standeven, A. M.; Wetterhahn, K. E. “Differential Binding of Chromium(VI) and Chromium(III) Complexes to Salmon Sperm Nuclei and Nuclear DNA, and Isolated Calf Thymus DNA,” Carcinogenesis, 1993, 14 (9), 1795-1803.
• Savaranamuthu, A.; Bruce, A. E.; Bruce, M. R. M.; Fermin, M. C.; Hneihen, A. S.; Bruno, J. W.  “Electrochemical Studies of Niobocene-Ketene Complexes: Redox-Induced Ketene Fragmentation Reactions,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 111, 2190-2198.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Fermin, M. C.; Maas, J. J.; Bruno, J. W. “Facile Synthesis of a,b-Unsaturated Niobium Acyls via g-Hydride Abstraction,” J. Organomet. Chem., 1992, 429, C33-C37.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Bruno, J. W.; Huffman, J. C. “Regiochemical and Mechanistic Studies of the Addition of Tin Hydride and Oxide to Substituted Ketenes,” J. Organomet. Ch., 1990, 382, 361.

Presentations/Invited Talks

• Elayan, A. “Using Mobile Technology to Empower Students, “American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition, San Francisco, California, U.S.A., August 13, 2014.
• Elayan, A., Weber, D.; Iannacone, E. “Reach Out and Touch Somebody: Enhancing Student Engagement with Mobile Technology,” November 22, 2013.
• Elayan, A.“New Methods for Synthesis of Monomeric and Polymeric Phosphazenes,” Raritan Valley Community College, November 16, 2011.
• Elayan, A.“Synthesis of Organic-Inorganic Polymers,” Moravian College, January 29, 2003.
• Elayan, A.“Synthesis and Polymerization of Alkenylphosphazenes,” Kean University, January 9, 2003.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Allen, C. W. “Modification of Synthesis and Polymerization of Cl₃P=N POCl₂,”  The 216 Amer. Chem. Soc. National Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., Aug. 23-27, 1998.
• Hneihen, A. S.; Standeven, A. M.; Wetterhahn, K. E.“Differential Binding of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) Complexes to Nuclear DNA in Rat Lung Cytosol and in Buffer, and to Calf Thymus DNA in Buffer,” Abstracts of Papers, 12th Reg. Cancer Res. Symp., Burlington, VT, Nov., 1992; Abst. 7.

Additional Information

Selected Areas of Service:

Department Program Review Committees: Reviewing department programs is key to evaluating their efficacy and determining potential areas of improvement. It has been a privilege to serve on the Advanced ACS Curriculum Review Committee.

Faculty Search Committees: I have had the opportunity to serve on two faculty search committees, and I fully appreciate the responsibilities and benefits of the work involved.

First Year Advising: I thoroughly enjoy serving as a first-year advisor, working closely with our incoming students and aiding them with navigating the challenges of their opening year at Monmouth.

Monmouth Junior Science Symposium (MJSS): Highly accomplished students from area high schools are given the opportunity to present their research at this prestigious
scholarly University event. It has been a distinct privilege to serve the MJSS at various levels of service, including reviewing articles, guided tours of the department, class demonstrations, and providing critique at symposium rehearsals.