Ron received his BS in Chemistry from Vanderbilt University, conducting research on linear free energy relationships of riboflavin, in the laboratory of Carmelo J. Rizzo. He subsequently obtained his PhD from Texas A&M University, working on the development of new synthetic methods and the total synthesis of natural products, under the guidance of Gary A. Sulikowski. He then elected to pursue a postdoctoral research associate position, in mechanistic enzymology, in the laboratory of Hung-wen (Ben) Liu at the University of Texas at Austin. Ron joined the Department of Chemistry at The University of the South in 2010 and was promoted to Full Professor beginning on July 1, 2021.
Ron is a strong advocate for the use of active-learning pedagogies in the classroom such as POGIL (Process Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning) where students discover chemical concepts/applications, working in collaborative self-managed teams, through a series of ChemActivities that model the scientific method. As a result, his students are more engaged in the learning process than through a more traditional lecture-based course. The Pongdee Research Group (PRG) is pursuing the design and development of architecturally novel medicinal agents using a variety of organic and biological techniques.
Ron is a strong advocate for the use of active-learning pedagogies in the classroom such as POGIL (Process Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning) where students discover chemical concepts/applications, working in collaborative self-managed teams, through a series of ChemActivities that model the scientific method. As a result, his students are more engaged in the learning process than through a more traditional lecture-based course. The Pongdee Research Group (PRG) is pursuing the design and development of architecturally novel medicinal agents using a variety of organic and biological techniques.