Where Should Spectroscopy Curriculum Go Next?

In the fifth and final part of the SpecAcademy panel discussion, participants explained why the platform's first courses focus on foundational spectroscopy and outlined where the curriculum should go next.

The panelists said the initial course set was chosen to fill gaps in undergraduate education, where spectroscopy theory and vibrational techniques now get less emphasis. Several factors have contributed to this. Chemistry departments have broadened into biochemistry and materials science, and changes to American Chemical Society (ACS) certification requirements have diluted spectroscopy training.

The panel also raised a concern about instrument automation. Modern instruments deliver instant answers, which can lead users to accept results without checking data quality or correctness. The panelists argued that this makes strong analytical judgment more important, including the ability to tell real spectral features from artifacts.

The panelists also discussed what courses SpecAcademy should add in the future. They mentioned short-infrared and Raman interpretation courses, instrument-focused courses on interferometric and dispersive systems, and a spectral-searching course, to name a few. Other possible topics included near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, sampling limitations, attenuated total reflectance (ATR), specular and diffuse reflection, ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and emerging photothermal techniques. Participants stressed that chemometrics cannot repair poor-quality data. They also said users need vendor-agnostic knowledge so they can choose the sampling and measurement methods that fit the problem.

The panelists featured in this video include:

• Ellen Miseo, secretary for the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and education coordinator for SAS and the Coblentz Society
• Peter Larkin, manager of spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and chromatography at Syensqo
• Mary Carrabba, forensic and industrial spectroscopist and virtual office manager for the Coblentz Society
• Jeff D'Agostino, senior applications chemist at Specac, Inc.
• James de Haseth, emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia and director of Raman and infrared courses.

This panel discussion is the final segment of this SpecAcademy panel discussion. You can access the available SpecAcademy courses at the following link: https://www.mjhacademy.com/catalog