New faculty Q&A: Etienne Garand (Chemistry)

September 10th 2012
Natural & Physical Sciences
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Etienne Garand, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

While Assistant Professor of Chemistry Etienne Garand is new to Wisconsin, he already has an appreciation for our state’s core industry, having grown up on a dairy farm in Québec. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Québec’s Université de Sherbrooke, he opted for a warmer climate and completed his Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley. He was hired using funding from the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates after spending two years at Yale University as a postdoctoral associate.

Welcome, Etienne! What are your research interests?
I'm interested in capturing and characterizing short-lived reaction intermediates using a novel combination of mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy. There is a broad range of chemical systems that I want to investigate with this technique, from catalysts for solar fuel production to molecular recognition in drug design.

What courses will you teach?
The Physical Chemistry Laboratory this fall and General Chemistry next spring.

What can students expect in the classroom?
I'll try my best to be a dynamic and engaging teacher. Student can expect some humor ... and maybe some exploding demos.

What’s the most exciting part about being at UW-Madison?
The Department of Chemistry at UW-Madison is amazing. There are so many great faculty members and the atmosphere is very friendly. Being part of such a team is very exciting!

What do you do outside of work?
I really enjoy the outdoors: camping, hiking and canoeing.

What’s your favorite Madison experience so far?
I really like to go to the giant farmer's market at the Capitol every Saturday and pick up my food for the week.

Which campus events are you most looking forward to?
As a true stereotypical Canadian, I can't wait for the start of the Badgers hockey season!