Doug Schirch

Professor of Chemistry, Acting Director of Int’l Education – MA

Education

BA, Goshen College, 1982
PHD, Michigan State University, 1987

Professional Experience

• Professor of Chemistry, Goshen College, Goshen, IN. (July 2010-present).
• Associate Professor of Chemistry, Goshen College, Goshen, IN. (2004-2010).
• Academic Dean, Ave Maria College of the Americas, Nicaragua (2002-2004).
• Associate Professor of Chemistry, Ave Maria College of the Americas, Nicaragua (2000-2004).
• Academic Dean, University of Mobile Latin American Campus, Nicaragua (1997-2000).
• Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Mobile Latin American Campus, Nicaragua (1994-2000).
• Postdoctoral research, Medical College of Virginia, 1992-94.
• Team member and Coordinator of Media/Documentation Office, Witness for Peace, Nicaragua (1987-91)

Courses Taught at GC

• Chem 100, Chemistry World
• Chem 101-102, Chemistry and Physics of Life
• Chem 200, Analytical Chemistry
• Chem 303-304, Organic Chemistry*
• Chem 430, Biochemistry
• Chem 450, Introduction to Research Problems

*Taught as two-cycle organic chemistry. For more information, view my presentation given at the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, August 2010.

Article in March 2005 Bulletin

Current Projects

Research on structure-function relationships in serine hydroxymethyltransferase.

Faculty supervisor for biodiesel project . Used vegetable oil from the college’s cafeteria and snack bar are converted to biodiesel for use by the campus generator. Our reactor, based on that described in the book Biodiesel Basics and Beyond, by William Kemp, can process 300 liters of biodiesel at a time.

International Experience

• Leader of Study-Service Term in Nicaragua (May-July 2008)
• Nicaragua (1987-91, 1994-2004).
• Guatemala (December 1986 – April 1987).
• Haiti (January – April 1980).
• England (July – December 1973).
• Italy (July 1969 – July 1970).

Publications

• Schirch V., Schirch, D., Martini, F., and Bossa, F. Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase: Effect of Proteases on the Activity and Structure of the Cytosolic Enzyme, (1986) Eur . J. Biochem., 161, 45-49.
• Schirch, D.M. and Wilson, J.E. Rat Brain Hexokinase: Location of the Substrate Hexose Binding Site in a Structural Domain at the C-Terminus of the Enzyme, (1987) Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 254, 385-396.
• Schirch, D.M. and Wilson, J.E. Rat Brain Hexokinase: Amino Acid Sequence at the Substrate Hexose Binding Site is Homologous to that of Yeast Hexokinase, (1987) Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 257, 1-12.
• Schirch, D.M. Location and Structure of the Hexose Binding Site of Rat Brain Hexokinase, (1986) Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, Michigan State University.
• Schirch, D.M., Contestabile, R., delle Frate, S., Iurescia, S., Angelaccio, S., Bossa, F., and Schirch, V. Function of the Active Site Lysine in Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase, (1993) J. Biol. Chem., 268 (31), 23132-23138.
• Schirch, D.M., delle Frate, S., Iurescia, S., Angelaccio, S., Contestabile, R., Bossa, F., and Schirch, V. Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase: Role of the Active Site Lysine in the Mechanism of the Enzyme, (1993) Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 338, 715-718.
• Schirch, D.M., Villar, E., Maras, B., Barra, D., and Schirch, V. Domain Structure and Function of 10-Formyltetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase, (1994) J. Biol. Chem., 269 (40), 24728-24735.
• Cai, K., Schirch, D., and Schirch, V. The Affinity of Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate for Folding Intermediates of Escherichia coli Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase, (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270 (33), 19294-19299.
• Kim, D.W., Huang, T., Schirch, D., and Schirch, V. The Properties of Tetrahydropteroylpentaglutamate Bound to 10-Formyltetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase, (1996). Biochem . 35 (49), 15772-15783.