STEM STORIES
Faculty Profile
October 2015
Dr. Sebree: From Nasa to UNI
17 years ago, Dr. Joshua Sebree watched in awe as his 8th grade science teacher conducted an experiment. As the teacher filled a
glass beaker with water and held a piece of sodium over the opening, he said, “This is too much, probably,” and dropped the piece
of sodium into the beaker. He took a step back, the sodium and water created an exothermic reaction too big for the small beaker
to handle and the entire beaker exploded. 17 years later, Dr. Sebree, now an accomplished chemist who has spent several years
working for NASA, recounts that this poorly done teaching demonstration led him to pursue a career in chemistry.
Dr. Sebree, now in his 3rd year of teaching at UNI, is an assistant professor of chemistry
who teaches four courses: general chemistry, physical chemistry, instrumental analysis
and introduction to astrochemistry. While not teaching, he is busy conducting research
on aerosol particles in atmospheres, the breadth of that being in the atmospheres of
early Earth, Pluto and Titan, one of Saturn’s moons.
“We were awarded a three year STEM grant from the Iowa Space Grant Consortium to
conduct a three part study,” said Dr. Sebree. “The part I am conducting research on is the
early Earth’s aerosols. Dr. Sedlacek is working on the paleoclimatology part, collecting
rocks and grinding them to see what the early Earth’s composition says about the early
Earth’s atmosphere and Dr. Shen is studying modern day aerosols in our atmosphere.”
Each part of the study looks at how the atmosphere of Earth has changed over time.
Dr. Sebree is using the atmospheres of Pluto and Titan because it is believed that their
atmospheres today resemble the early Earth’s atmosphere.
“The planets I’ve been studying all have nitrogen rich atmospheres,” Dr. Sebree explained. “In the case of Pluto and Titan, there’s a lot of methane and other organics and
the very early Earth is thought to have contained a lot of methane and carbon dioxide.” In
Dr. Sebree’s lab in McCullum Science Hall, he has a chamber in which he can mix up any
type of atmosphere. By adding methane or some type of carbon containing mixture and
Dr. Sebree stands in front of the
atmosphere chamber in his lab
within McCullum Science Hall
nitrogen, he is able to add the gases into the chamber and allow it to flow across the face of an ultra violet lamp that acts like the
sun. This reaction initiates a lot of photochemistry which creates large molecules that group
together to form aerosols that rain out of the pseudo atmosphere he’s created. Whatever rains
“At UNI, I can actually work
with younger people and
get them interested in STEM
and I get to do the research
I love, alongside engaging
students in their own
journeys as well.”
out of the pseudo atmosphere is strained with a filter and analyzed to find the composition of
the pseudo atmosphere.
Given the scope of his research and his time spent at NASA, one might question what brought
Dr. Sebree to the world of academics but in talking to his students, it is easy to understand why
he has found a great fit here at UNI.
“Dr. Sebree is not only a tremendous experimental scientist, but he is also a great professor,”
said Byron Fritch, a sophomore physics major and one of Dr. Sebree’s former students. “His
passion for all things chemistry carries over into the classroom as he gets students excited to
learn. I took astrochemistry as a requirement for the presidential scholar program and would
consider that class one of my favorites at UNI so
far because the way Dr. Sebree taught it made me
excited to learn.” Fritch is in his third semester at
UNI but has already completed summer research
with the physics department, conducting material research over nanocellulose. Even though
Fritch’s background is in physics, Dr. Sebree was
able to excite him about astrochemistry in a way
that he did not expect. It is this kind of a response
from a student that originally drew Dr. Sebree
back to higher education to begin teaching.
“I have always enjoyed working with students
and after two years doing my post-doc work
Story by Daniel Vorwerk
UNI STEM Graduate Assistant,
Communications
vorwerkd@uni.edu
at NASA, I was ready to move into a job that alDr. Sebree conducting an
experiment in front of a crowd
during his post-doc at NASA
lowed for greater outreach in my profession,”
Photo Credit: Becky Strauss, NASA/
Goddard Space Flight Center
STEM and I get to do the research I love alongside
explained Dr. Sebree. “At UNI, I can actually work
with younger people and get them interested in
engaging students in their own journeys as well.”
STEM at UNI and STEM Education at UNI supports the Vision &
Mission of UNI by engaging UNI
students, faculty, & staff in STEM
campus programs & outreatch for
K-12 students and educators.
If you are interested in being featured for one of our STEM Stories,
please contact us. We would love
to hear your story.
Contact Us
UNI STEM
225 East Bartlett
319.273.7399
www.uni.edu/stemed
Titan through its clouds
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space
Science Institute
Earth from one million miles away
Photo Credit: NASA
/stem.at.uni
Pluto’s horizon on July 14, 2015
Photo Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Dr. Sebree: From NASA to UNI