Dr. Christian Wolf (Photo: Roland Dimaya)
Insight: Dr. Christian Wolf
What do you regard as your greatest academic success?
Development of a vibrant, fully integrated research and teaching program.
Who or what was the greatest influence in your life that led to your career?
My postdoctoral advisor at the University of Illinois. He taught me that great discoveries and inventions originate from rational analysis and basic understanding.
What do you enjoy about teaching?
Providing students with understanding rather than knowledge, and linking chemistry to the real world outside the classroom.
Who are your favorite heroes/heroines in real life (and why)?
Uwe Seeler—a brilliant soccer player from Hamburg, Germany.
Who is your favorite musician?
Alfred Brendel and Garbage.
Who is your favorite thinker?
Franz Kafka.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Bring peace.
If you could change one thing at Georgetown, what would it be?
Increase space.
If you could come back to life as a plant/animal/thing, what would it be?
Koala bear—my wife loves Koala bears.
What is your favorite word?
Cám ón (Vietnamese for thank you).
How do you have fun?
Traveling, reading a nonscientific book, spending time at the movies or museums, listening to music, and enjoying outdoor activities (mountain biking, road biking, tennis, soccer, beach volleyball).
What is the best piece of advice you could give to your students?
Errare humanum est—practice independent thinking and do not be afraid to share your own thoughts.
Feature Story
Dr. Christian Wolf's Chemisty Research Advances Understanding of Chiral Compounds
Dr. Christian Wolf, an associate professor in Georgetown's Department of Chemistry, researches asymmetric synthesis and analysis of chiral compounds, stereodynamic properties of chiral compounds, transition metal catalysis, and drug discovery.
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Student Profile: Paul Pestano
"I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed organic chemistry and I think that's the main reason why I sought to work with him. I've learned so much in the year and a half that I've been in Dr. Wolf's lab."