Amanda’s research group studies how chemistry is taught and how people learn. Our lab is interdisciplinary and bridges the social sciences with cognitive science and neuroscience.
OUR RESEARCH GOALS
When people learn, they are processing information: encoding, retrieving, and using information to make decisions. Research in our lab explores how people learn in chemistry, where we rely on models and diagrams since molecules are invisible to the eye. We ask questions like:
- How do novices encode diagrams, and what does this reveal about learning?
- What neural processes are involved?
- What skills are needed to learn in chemistry, and do they overlap with other sciences or the arts?
- How can educators design materials or activities to help students learn?
People
Amanda bongers, PhD.
Assistant Professor, Group Lead 👈
Amanda leads the research group, using her expertise in organic chemistry (Ph.D. 2016) and background in education research and neuroscience (2016-2019). She joined Queen’s in July 2019 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
Shauna Schechtel
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry
Shauna’s research focuses on redesigning undergraduate laboratories.
Originally from Calgary AB, Shauna received her B.Sc. in Chemistry (2015) and M.Sc. (2022) from the University of Calgary. During her undergrad Shauna always had a passion for looking for ways to improve learning in undergraduate chemistry. Shauna’s outreach projects include ChemEscape & the School of Magic. Outside of research Shauna enjoys teaching, theater, biking and reading.
Victoria Yu
Neuroscience M.Sc. Student
Victoria is an MSc Neuroscience student and a graduate of the Concurrent Education program at Queen’s. Victoria is actively involved in EDII initiatives including the Queen’s Student Diversity Project and the Dandelion Project.
Victoria’s projects explore memory, and learning using uses experimental design and eye-tracking technology.
You?
Zoe Lord
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry
Zoe received her first BSc. Specialization in Behavioral Neuroscience (2019) and her second BSc. Specialization in Chemistry with a minor in Biology (2022) at Concordia University, Montreal. Outside of her passions for chemistry education, she is an active member in numerous astronautic organizations across Canada and conducts research for space applications.
Zoe’s research aims to study how cognitive load impacts learning and task performance in virtual reality (VR) simulation environments. Zoe is co-supervised by Dr. Paul Hungler.
Josh Maligaya
Chemistry M.Sc. Student
Josh is a Chemistry MSc student who joined the group in Fall 2024. Josh has a B.Sc. Major in Chemistry and B.Ed. in International Education, and has taught chemistry in Vietnam and Kingston school boards.
STEVEN Ganescu
M.Sc. Student
Steven is an M.Sc. student in the Chemistry Department and a graduate of Penn State, whose research tackles the ideas of “drawing to learn” in organic chemistry.
Bela Leger
2023 and 2024 NSERC USRA
Hi, I’m Bela and I am an undergraduate Con-Ed student majoring in chemistry at Queen’s.
My project involves using neuroscience to study generative learning. I love working with the Chemistry Education Research Group as it fits my interests of chemistry and education very well.
Outside of school, I love being outside in the sun and connecting with friends and family.
Publications
2020 to Present
- Bongers, Dempster. For both artists and scientists, slow looking allows surprising connections to surface The Conversation. June 5, 2025. 🅭
- Dempster, Ganescu, C. Lau Ahier, Bongers*. Visual skills in the arts and their potential in chemistry education. ChemRxiv. 2025; 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-kzdv9
- Wolff, Yu, Leger, Bongers*. ” Note-taking Across Modalities: Improving Learning in Science Lectures” PsyArXiv, 2024. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/mt2z8
- De Verteuil, Jessop, Bongers. “Integrating Simple Environmental Impact-Based Metrics into the Undergraduate Curriculum.” J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101 (4), 1592–1598. 🅭
- Schechtel, Bongers*. “Representing chemistry culture: ethnography’s methodological potential in chemistry education research and practice” Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2024, 25 (3), 584–593.
- Hemmerich, Yu, Ingman, Bongers*. “Features and strategy influence performance on a chemistry spatial task” Can. J. Chem. 2024, cjc-2023-0154.
- Parker, Noronha, Bongers*. “Beyond the deficit model: organic chemistry educators’ beliefs and practices about teaching green and sustainable chemistry” J. Chem. Educ. 2023, 100, 1728–1738
- Yu Pei, Sarah Gulycz, Zhe She*, Amanda Bongers*. “A Scaffolded Assessment on Chromatography Theory for Analytical Chemistry Classrooms.” J. Chem. Educ. 2023, 100, 1027-1032
- A. Bongers* “A virtual poster session designed for social learning in undergraduate chemistry research” Journal of Chemical Education 2022, 99, 6, 2259-2269.
Post-doctoral Research, 2020 and earlier
- A. Bongers, B. Beauvoir, N. Streja, G. Northoff, A. B. Flynn*. “Building mental models of a reaction mechanism: the influence of static and animated representations, prior knowledge, and spatial ability.” Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2020, 21, 496–512.
- A. Bongers, A. B. Flynn, G. Northoff*. “Is learning scale-free? Chemistry learning increases EEG fractal power and changes the power law exponent.” Neurosci. Res. 2020 Jul;156:165-177.
- A. Bongers, G. Northoff, A. B. Flynn*. “Working with Mental Models to Learn and Visualize a New Reaction Mechanism.” Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2019, 20, 554–569.
2018 and earlier
- Intermolecular Aminocarbonylation of Alkenes using Concerted Cycloadditions of Iminoisocyanates. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2017 82(2) 1175-1194
- Synthesis of Cyclic Azomethine Imines by Cycloaddition Reactions of N-Isocyanates and N-Isothiocyanates Organic letters 2016 18(15), 3778-3781
- Kinetic resolution of azomethine imines by Brønsted acid catalyzed enantioselective reduction Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2015 54(51), 15516-15519
- Modular Synthesis of Pyrazolones Using an Alkene Aminocarbonylation Reaction Organic letters 2015 17(14), 3612-3615
- A tunable route for the synthesis of azomethine imines and β-aminocarbonyl compounds from alkenes Journal of the American Chemical Society 2012 134(39), 16111-16114
other work
Get Involved
active studies
We are often looking for students, faculty, or the general public to participate in online or in-person research studies. Below you can find a list of our active studies. Contact Amanda to participate!
- Recruiting chemists (graduate students, post-docs, faculty, working in industry) for an online experiment. Contact Amanda for access.
join the group
We are actively recruiting domestic undergrad, MSc, PhD students and postdocs, and international PhD students.
If you’re interested in joining our group please check out the application guidelines and email Prof. Bongers at amanda.bongers@queensu.ca and please include:
- your curriculum vitae or resume
- who you are and in what position you are interested
- explain your interest in our research
- *prospective post-docs only* provide a one-page critique of one of our research papers
Due to a high number of applicants, only candidates that can be considered for a position will be contacted.
PAST MEMBERS
PhD & MSc
- Phung Nguyen, MSc Chemistry ’22. Professor at Loyalist College
Undergraduate
- Sarah Brown (Thesis) BSc Chemistry ’23. Continuing with a B. Ed. degree at Queen’s
- Yifan Gui (Thesis) BSc Chemistry ’23
- Jackson De Verteuil (Thesis co-supervised) BSc Chemistry ’23. Continuing with a B. Ed. degree at Queen’s
- Alex Parker (Thesis, NSERC USRA), BSc Chemistry ’22. Teaching Position at Tudor Grange Samworth Academy in Leicester, UK.
- James Ingman (Thesis), BASc Engineering Chemistry ’21. Continued with a B. Ed. degree at Queen’s
- Sarah Gulycz (Thesis co-supervised), B.Sc. Chemistry ’21. Pursuing a post-Graduate program in Cosmetic Science.
- Evan Noronha (Thesis), Con. Ed. B.Sc. ’21. Pursued a degree in Outdoor Education at Queen’s
- Manisha Blaskevitch (NSERC USRA, Thesis), B.Sc. Chemistry ’21. Pursuing an M.Sc. in Epidemiology at McGill
- Alex Hemmerich (USSRF), BSc Chemistry ’22. Medical Student at Queen’s University
- Joey Liu (Work Study), pursued research in the Lohans lab and is attending Western for med school
- Santosh Pillarisetty (Work Study), BScH ’23
- Katie Henderson (Thesis), B.A.Sc. Engineering Chemistry ’20. Policy Engineer at Environment and Climate Change and Canada
- Galen Yang (Work Study), B.Sc. Chemistry ’20. Pursuing PhD at McGill in the Moore group
- Josh Watters (Thesis), B.Sc. Chemistry ’20. Joined the Sales Leadership Development Program with Fritolay
Amanda Bongers 