Personal Summary

Garon Smith came to UM in 1991 from State University of New York College at Fredonia. He received his Ph.D. degree in 1983 from the Colorado School of Mines and taught at Colorado College before moving to Fredonia. Garon Smith is an analytical/environmental chemist with broad interests in air and water characterization. He teaches freshman chemistry and undergraduate and graduate courses in analytical and environmental chemistry.

Courses Taught

CHMY 121N Introduction to College Chemistry

HC 120.86 Introduction to Honors (The Art - Sscience Connection)

HC 191  Environmental Policy Practicum

ENFM 381 History of Science Fiction Films

 

 

Research Interests

The application of analytical/physical chemistry to air and water quality issues is the focus of my group's research activities. Out approach is to: (1) identify the source and extent of contamination; (2) determine how specific contaminants are transported through an ecosytem or airshed; and (3) ascertain their ultimate environmental fate. Field samples are analyzed through a variety of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Finally, we use artificial neural networks to help us match contaminant samples with potential sources. Currently funded research includes:

1) Mathematical modeling of aqueous equilbiria using 3-D trend surpfaces (topos).  Software that implements the calculations are embedded as Visual Basic macros in Excel spreadsheets so that no new software need be purchased to use them.

2) Honey bees as biomonitors for compounds used or produced by the military. We have developed highly instrumented bee hives to monitor bee activity and collect for analysis samples of hive air, honey, bees wax and whole bees (see web site).

3) Identification and reduction of air contaminants in urban mountain valleys. We are using thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify various forms of air contaminants. One objective is to identify and reduce organosulfur compounds responsible for odors from kraft pulp mills.

4) 3-D fluorescence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. We have developed spectroscopic techniques for tracking underground movement of diesel plumes and remediation of creosote-contaminated soils.

Because I am active on quasi-legislative/quasi-judicial environmental boards, my students often work at the science/policy interface. We routinely interact with environmental directors from industry and regulatory officials at the local, state and federal level.

Selected Publications

G.C. Smith, M.M. Hossain, P. MacCarthy, 2014, 3-D Surface Visualization of pH Titration “Topos”: Equivalence Point Cliffs, Dilution Ramps and Buffer Plateaus, J. Chem Educ.91(2), 225-231.  Also http//dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed400297t. 

 

G.C. Smith, 2013, Bringing SENCER’s Civic Engagement Strengths to Large Research Universities: A “Trojan Horse” Hybrid Model to Initiate Incremental Course Reform.  In Science and Civic Egagement: The Next Level, R. Sheardy and D. Burns, eds, ACS Symp. Ser. No. 1121, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 91-110.

 

T. Sardot and G.Smith, G., 2012, Investigating PP/LDPE/PEVA Miscibility of Cardboard Recycling's Mixed Plastic Waste by DSC and SEM. In Environmental Science and Technology,  2012 Vol. 2. G. Sorial and J. Hong, eds. American Science Press, Houston, USA, pp 1-632, ISBN: 9780976885344..

 

G.C. Smith, M.M. Hossain, P. MacCarthy, 2012, Why Batteries Deliver a Fairly Constant Voltage until Dead, J Chem Educ, 89(11): 14-16-1420. Also http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200211s.

 

T. Sardot, G.C. Smith, A.G. McDonald, 2012, Valorizing Mixed Plastic Wastes from CardboardRecycling by Amendment with Wood, Cement and Ash, J Reinf. Plast. Comp., in press.

 

T. Sardot, A.G. McDonald, G.C. Smith, 2012, Characterization of a Cardboard Recycling Facility’s Mixed Plastic Waste for Beneficial Use, Waste Biomass Valor, 4(1): 161-171.

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2005, Vapor-Phase and PM2.5 Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Measured During the Winter Months in a Northern Rocky Mountain Urban Airshed, J Air Waste Mgmt Assoc, (in press).

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2005, The 2000/2001 Missoula Valley PM2.5 Chemical Mass Balance Study, Including the 2000 Wildfire Season - Seasonal Source Apportionment, Atmos. Environ., 39, 709-717.

T.J. Ward, R.F. Hamilton, Jr. and G.C. Smith, 2004, The Missoula, Montana PM2.5 Speciation Study - Seasonal Average Concentrations, Atmos. Environ., 38, 6371-6379.

G.C. Smith, 2004, Building Civic Engagement Capacity: An Introductory Chemistry Example, Liberal Education, 90(3), 40-45.

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2004, High Volume PUF vs. Low Volume PUF Sampling Comparison for Collecting Gas Plus Particulate Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Aerosol Sci. and Tech., 38, 972-979.

For a complete list of publications, please view Smith Publications.

Publications

G.C. Smith, M.M. Hossain, P. MacCarthy, 2014, 3-D Surface Visualization of pH Titration “Topos”: Equivalence Point Cliffs, Dilution Ramps and Buffer Plateaus, J. Chem Educ.91(2), 225-231.  Also http//dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed400297t. 

 

G.C. Smith, 2013, Bringing SENCER’s Civic Engagement Strengths to Large Research Universities: A “Trojan Horse” Hybrid Model to Initiate Incremental Course Reform.  In Science and Civic Egagement: The Next Level, R. Sheardy and D. Burns, eds, ACS Symp. Ser. No. 1121, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 91-110.

 

T. Sardot and G.Smith, G., 2012, Investigating PP/LDPE/PEVA Miscibility of Cardboard Recycling's Mixed Plastic Waste by DSC and SEM. In Environmental Science and Technology,  2012 Vol. 2. G. Sorial and J. Hong, eds. American Science Press, Houston, USA, pp 1-632, ISBN: 9780976885344..

 

G.C. Smith, M.M. Hossain, P. MacCarthy, 2012, Why Batteries Deliver a Fairly Constant Voltage until Dead, J Chem Educ, 89(11): 14-16-1420. Also http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200211s.

 

T. Sardot, G.C. Smith, A.G. McDonald, 2012, Valorizing Mixed Plastic Wastes from CardboardRecycling by Amendment with Wood, Cement and Ash, J Reinf. Plast. Comp., in press.

 

T. Sardot, A.G. McDonald, G.C. Smith, 2012, Characterization of a Cardboard Recycling Facility’s Mixed Plastic Waste for Beneficial Use, Waste Biomass Valor, 4(1): 161-171.

 

G.C. Smith and J.E.. Spencer, 2010, Program Book, 24^th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, The University of Montana, April 15-17, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 234 p.

 

D. Jones, T. Ward, D. Vanek, N. Marra, C. Noonan, G. Smith, E. Adams, 2007, Air Toxics Under

 The Big Sky – A High School Science Teaching Tool, Sci. Educ. Civic

 Engag.,, 1:51-56.

 

E. Adams, G. Smith, T. Ward, D. Vanek, N. Marra, D. Jones, M. Henthorn, J. Striebel, 2007, Air Toxics Under the Big Sky – A Real World Investigation to Engage High School Science Students, J. Chem Educ., 85:221-224. 

 

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2005, Vapor-Phase and PM2.5 Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Measured During the Winter Months in a Northern Rocky Mountain Urban Airshed, Journal of Air & Waste Manage. Assoc., 55:1007-1013.

 

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2005, The 2000/2001 Missoula Valley PM_2.5 Chemical Mass Balance Study, Including the 2000 Wildfire Season - Seasonal Source Apportionment, Atmos. Environ., 39, 709-717.

 

T.J. Ward, R.F. Hamilton, Jr. and G.C. Smith, 2004, The Missoula, Montana PM_2.5 Speciation Study - Seasonal Average Concentrations, Atmos. Environ., 38, 6371-6379.

 

G.C. Smith, 2004, Building Civic Engagement Capacity: An Introductory Chemistry Example, Liberal Education, 90(3), 40-45.

 

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2004, High Volume PUF vs. Low Volume PUF Sampling Comparison for Collecting Gas Plus Particulate Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Aerosol Sci. and Tech., 38, 972-979.

 

D.L. Tooke, G.C. Smith and L. R. Griffin, 2003, Dispersion of Hydrogen Sulfide from Wastewater Lagoons at a Kraft Pulp Mill, Missoula, Montana:  Including the 2000 Wildfire Season.  In Proceedings of the 2003 TAPPI International Environmental Conference, D. Edelmann, ed., TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry), 2003, 19 p.

 

J.J. Bromenshenk, C.B. Henderson and G.C. Smith, 2002, Performance Potential of Free-Flying Bees for the Detection of Landmines.  In Alternatives for Landmine Detection, J.A. MacDonald and J.R. Lockwood, eds., RAND, MR-1608-OSTP, 273-283.  (This is a “White Paper” report requested by the White House Staff.)

 

G.C. Smith, J.J. Bromenshenk, D.C. Jones and G. Alnassar, 2002, Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Beehive Atmospheres.  In Honey Bees: Estimating the Environmental Impact of Chemicals, J. Devillers and M-H. Pham-Delegue, eds., Taylor & Francis, London, p. 12-41.

 

J. Kapler Smith, N.E. McMurray and G.C. Smith, 2001, Educational Program about Wildland Fire Integrates Plant Science into Curriculum, Plant Sci Bull., 2001, 47(3) 86-90.

 

J.F. Sinski, G.C. Smith and J. Smith, 2001, Spectroscopy Based Neural Networks:  Using 3-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectra and Artificial Neural Networks to Match Petroleum Contaminated Ground Water with Possible Sources, Sci. Comp. & Instr., 2001, 18(9), 22-30.

 

J.J. Bromenshenk, G.C. Smith, C.B. Henderson, B.E. King, M. Schreuder, R.A. Seccomb, M.Taylor, 2001, Aberdeen Proving Ground Bee Studies:  New and Improved Methods for Monitoring Air Quality and the Terrestrial Environment:  Applications at Aberdeen Proving Ground - Edgewood Area.  Final Technical Report 1995-2000”, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Ft. Detrick, MD, 214p.

 

P. Neilsen, W. Rossbach, G.Smith and D. Harmon, 2001, The Health Effects and Environmental Fate of Herbicides as They Pertain to Weed Management, Report to Missoula City Council, Herbicide Subcommittee, Missoula City-County Board of Health, 38p.

 

T.J. Ward and G.C. Smith, 2001, Air Sampling Study of the 2000 Montana Wildfire Season, Proceedings of Air and Waste Management Association, 94^th Annual Conference and Exhibition, Orlando, FL, 11p, (CD-ROM Proceedings).

 

G.C. Smith and C. Wrobel, 2000, Modeling TRS and SO₂ Emissions from a Kraft Recovery Boiler Using an Artificial Neural Network”, TAPPI Journal, 83(11), 69 (electronic journal article).

 

S.F. Bender, P.J. Rodacy, S.D. Reber, G.L. Bender, J.J. Bromenshenk, B. King and G. Smith, 2000, “Field Demonstration of Transportable Electronic Beehives”,Sandia Report SAND2000-0863, 21p.

 

G.C. Smith, 2000, Program Book, 14^th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, The University of Montana, April 27-29, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 157 p.

 

G.C. Smith (ed.), 2000, Abstract Book, 14^th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, The University of Montana, April 27-29, 2000, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 459 p.

 

J.J. Bromenshenk, G.C. Smith, B.E. King, D.C. Jones and D. Burgess, 2000, Work Plan and Analysis Protocols for Monitoring of Exposures to Bioavailable Contaminants at Cluster 3 and J-Field, Edgewood Areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground, and at the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Contract No. DAAD055-97-D-7004, Directorate of Safety, Health and Environment, U.S. Army Garrison, Aberdeen Proving Ground, July, 2000, 72 p.

 

M. Mencel, G.C. Smith and D.C. Jones, 2000, Honeybee Biomonitoring of Volatile Organic Contaminants in Northeast Maryland, Proceedings of the 14^th National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR 2000), (electronic issue).

 

G.C. Smith and J.F. Sinski, 1999, The Red-Shift Cascade:  Investigations into the Concentration Dependent Wavelength Shifts in 3-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectra of Petroleum Samples,  Applied Spec., 53(11), 1459-1469

 

P. Lukacs and G. Smith, 1999.  Modeling Honey Bee Flight Activity with an Artificial Neural Network, in Proceedings of the 13th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, R. Yearout, editor, 1999 (in press).

 

D. Opitz, G. Prabu, G. Smith and C. Wrobel, 1999.  Neural Network Ensembles for Control, In Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Control and Applications, Banff, Canada, pp. 464-467.

 

G.C. Smith, C.L. Wrobel, 1999, Neurocontrol Applications in Industrial and Environmental Applications, in Soft Computing in Systems and Control Technology, S. Tzafestas ed., World Scientific Press, pp.445-466.

 

J. Bromenshenk and G. Smith, 1999.  The Buzz on Environmental Monitoring”, US Environmental Protection Agency, Partners in Progress, 2(1), 1999, 1,6-7.

 

J.J Bromenshenk, G.C. Smith, R.A. Seccomb, B.L. King, G. Alnasser, Colin B. Henderson and C.L. Wrobel, 1998, New and Improved Methods for Monitoring Air Quality and the Terrestrial Environment,  Annual Report on contract no. DAMD17-95-C-5072, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materials Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, 146p.

 

J.J Bromenshenk, G.C. Smith, R.A. Seccomb, B.L. King, G. Alnasser, Colin B. Henderson and C.L. Wrobel, 1997, New and Improved Methods for Monitoring Air Quality and the Terrestrial Environment,  Annual Report on contract no. DAMD17-95-C-5072, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materials Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, 186p.

 

G.C. Smith and C.L. Wrobel, 1996, Missoula Air Quality Research, Oct 1, 1995 - Sept 30, 1996, Stone Container Corporation, Frenchtown Mill, 59 p.

 

G.C. Smith, 1996, Alternate Concentration Limits and the Corrective Action Management Unit, PCMC Newsletter, August, 1996, p. 2-5.

 

J.J. Bromenshenk, G.C. Smith and V.J. Watson, 1995, Assessing Ecological Risks in Terrestrial Systems with Honey Bees, in Biomonitors and Biomarkers as Indicators of Environmental Change, F.M. Butterworth, L.D. Corkum and J.G. Rincon, eds, Plenum, NY, Environ. Sci. Res., 50, 9-30.

 

G.C. Smith, 1995, Cooperate Now for Better Air, Missoulian, 120(320), 4.

 

G.C. Smith, 1995, Color It!  See How Color Emphasizes Patterns in Air Quality Data, The Missoula Air Quality Advisory Council, 4p.

 

J. Lanza, G.C. Smith, S. Sack and A. Cash, 1995, Variation in nectar volume and composition of Impatiens capensis at the individual, plant and population level", Oecologia, 102, 113-119.

 

G.C. Smith, 1994, Reconnaissance of Diesel at the Havre Fueling Site, Burlington Northern Railroad, 10p.

 

G.C. Smith, 1994, "I'm Here to Help", Paradise Creosote Monitoring Committee Newsletter, 1.

 

G.C. Smith, 1994, "ACL: What It Is and Why You Should Care", Paradise Creosote Monitoring Committee Newsletter, 2‑3.

 

G.C. Smith, 1993, Progress Report on Reconnaissance of Diesel at Missoula and Havre Fueling Sites, Burlington Northern Railroad, 10p.

 

L.L. Smith, J. Lanza and G.C. Smith, 1990, "Amino acid concentrations in the extrafloral nectar of Impatiens sultani increase after simulated herbivory", Ecology, 71(1), 107‑115

 

J. Lanza and G.C. Smith, 1988. "Undergraduate research ‑‑ a little experience goes a long way", Journal of College Science Teaching, 18(2), 118‑120.

 

G.C. Smith, T.F. Rees, P. MacCarthy and S.R. Daniel, 1986, "On the interpretation of Schubert plot slopes for metal‑humate systems", Soil Science, 141(1), 7‑9.

 

G.C. Smith and P. MacCarthy, 1983, "Application of the computer program SYSTAB to complexation in metal‑multiligand mixtures", Colorado School of Mines Quarterly, 78(4), 47‑61 .

 

P. MacCarthy and G.C. Smith, 1979, "Stability surface concept: a quantitative model for complexation in multiligand mixtures", ACS Symposium Series, No. 93 (Chemical Modeling in Aqueous Systems), Everett A. Jenne, ed., ACS, Washington, DC, 201‑222.

 

P. MacCarthy and G.C. Smith, 1978, "Metal‑binding by ligand mixtures: a quantitative model", Trace Substances in Environmental Health ‑ Xll, D.D. Hemphill, ed., University of Missouri, 472‑480.

Affiliations

American Chemical Society

   Division of Chemical Education

   Environmental Schemistry

National Center for Science and Civic Engagement - National Leadership Fellow