Rate My Professor Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor serves as Principal Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry at Clemson University, a position he has held since joining the faculty in 2005. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from King College in 1981 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Virginia Tech in 1987. Before entering academia, Taylor worked as a chemist in industry for 13 years. At Clemson, he teaches General Chemistry courses CH 1010 and CH 1020, typically handling two to three lecture sections per semester. Since 2010, he has directed the department's General Chemistry program, guiding a staff of lecturers and tenure-track faculty in delivering a unified curriculum and standardized exams to approximately 3,000 students each semester. His coordination ensures consistency and quality in introductory chemistry education across large enrollment courses.

Taylor's initiatives have notably enhanced student outcomes in foundational chemistry. Recognizing the need for better preparedness assessment, he led the creation of a dedicated chemistry placement exam to identify skill deficiencies among incoming students, moving beyond the previous reliance on the mathematics placement exam. This effort facilitated the resurrection of CH 1040, a preparatory course addressing gaps in basic chemistry knowledge, thereby helping students avoid failure in CH 1010 and build stronger foundations for subsequent coursework. These innovations support timely academic progress and reduce dropout risks tied to full-time enrollment requirements. For his profound impact on teaching and learning, Taylor received the College of Science Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer Award in 2023. He was nominated for the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2025 and celebrated 20 years of service to Clemson University that year. Taylor also contributes to college committees and maintains research interests in single-site catalysts for olefin polymerization and precious metal compounds.