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Biography
Professor David Raker was born and raised in the Wilkes-Barre, PA area (better known as the Wyoming Valley, NEPA or the Hayna Valley). He has been teaching at Cedar Crest College since January 2000. His primary teaching responsibilities are the general chemistry laboratory and evening lecture sections, and the introductory course of astronomy. He also teaches sections of the physical chemistry/environmental/and nursing chemistry laboratories, and the chemistry senior seminar. Professor Raker loves interacting with the students and telling them jokes.
Professor Raker is interested in media communication, including videography and narration (voice-over). He has recorded and edited multiple videos on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County on topics such as pipeline safety, as well as independently produced instructional chemistry videos.
Professor Raker created a comic strip as an undergraduate student called “Mr. Chemist’s Neighborhood”. The comic strip depicts the fictional (and somewhat non-fictional) life in the Cedar Crest College chemistry department. The strip is also a parody of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”. Since 2003, the comic strip has appeared in the student newspaper, “The Crestiad”. Compilations of the comic strip are sold in the college bookstore.
His personal hobbies include digitally re-mastering old tapes and records that contain hiss, pops, crackle, etc. His goal is to preserve music and speeches from the 1900’s – 1940’s.
Industry Expertise (2)
Education/Learning
Research
Areas of Expertise (2)
General Chemistry
Astronomy
Accomplishments (1)
Rev. James Sheehan Chemistry Award (professional)
Awarded by King's College.
Education (2)
University of Scranton: M.A., Chemistry
King's College: B.S., Chemistry
Affiliations (5)
- American Chemical Society : Member
- The Planetary Society : Member
- Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Honor Society)
- Phi Lambda Epsilon (Chemistry Honor Society)
- Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society : Librarian
Links (4)
Style
Articles (1)
Poly(borosilazane) Precursors to Ceramic Nanocomposites
Chemistry of Materials
1999-01-01
Single-component polymeric precursors to SiC/Si3N4/C/BN and Si3N4/BN ceramic nanocomposites were synthesized via hydroboration and dehydrocoupling of vinyl-containing cyclotrisilazanes. The polymer-to-ceramic conversion process was investigated by 13C, 29Si, and 11B solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy...
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