Dr. Andrei Straumanis is at the University of Washington on a special project funded by the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. The purpose of this project is to bring a student-active teaching method call POGIL to the University.

Dr. Straumanis has a B.A. in chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University. He is normally an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the College of Charleston. He is a co-founder of the POGIL project, originator of POGIL for organic chemistry, author of the POGIL materials for organic chemistry, Principle Investigator of a Department of Education-FIPSE grant to develop and study large-class POGIL, serves on the Steering Committee of the NSF-funded POGIL Project, and was one of the co-Principal Investigators of the original NSF POGIL grant. Since 1997, he has given numerous talks and workshops on active learning in organic chemistry, and the use of POGIL in large classrooms.

Dr. Straumanis lives in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood with his wife, Allie, a family medicine resident at Swedish Hospital, and his two boys, Milo (7) and Luca (4).