Hi.  My name is Ryan Harden.  I apologize for the background color here, but I was experimenting with my webpage design and I can't figure out how to change this color back to a white background.  If you are visiting this page, I am going to assume that you are one of my students because I can't imagine what interest this page would be to someone who isn't in one of my classes.

I have been teaching for four years, since the fall of 1997.  Prior to teaching, I attended St. Olaf College from 1991 to 1995 and received my Bachelor of Arts degree (ACS - Chemistry) in May of 1995.  In the fall of 1995, I began my graduate work at the University of Minnesota - Duluth.  I received my Master's Degree in June of 1997.   The title of my thesis was Sequencing of the Upstream Promoter Region for the CPSase (Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthetase) gene in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) and Gulf Toadfish (Opsanus Beta).  In clearer terms, I employed Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the study of how certain species of fish attenuate protein manufacture.  Fascinating.

Currently I am teaching at two colleges, Central Lakes College in Brainerd, MN and Lake Superior College in Duluth, MN.  I am teaching a wide range of classes, from Biology of Women to Organic Chemistry.  I live in Duluth and the drive between the colleges is a long one, but I truly enjoy teaching.  In my Environmental Chemistry class, I have written and received four grants which support community service-learning projects which allow residents of the area to have their water-quality and air-quality tested.   For more information on these projects, go back to my main page and click on "Radon Project," or "Nitrate Project."

Students often ask me why chemistry is important.  This is a very difficult question to answer, not because there isn't an answer, but because there are so many answers that I don't know where to start.  Studying the sciences can be a very rewarding experience.  Through studying the sciences, students develop their problem-solving abilities through employment of the scientific method, which can be applied to situations outside of the classroom.  Additionally, success in the sciences, which is available to anyone willing to dedicate themselves, helps students build confidence in themselves and their abilities.  Additionally, there are a tremendous number of careers the sciences can lead into including teaching, engineering, research and medicine. 

Outside of the classroom (is there such a place?), I like to go running, mountain biking, fishing, windsurfing, scuba-diving, surfing (believe it or not, you can surf Lake Superior; check out www.lakesurf.com) and camping.  I also enjoy spending my time helping out at Camp Olson YMCA in Longville, MN (see photo above).  This is just a few of my hobbies, but until I start taking my summers off, I don't think that I am going to be able to pursue any of them as much as I would like.