Renée D. Link
Biography
Renée D. Link, Ph.D., is Professor of Teaching and Organic Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. Link received a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine in 2008. She has coordinated the organic chemistry laboratory program at UC Irvine since 2008, overseeing courses that serve over 1,000 students annually. Link's work focuses on alternative assessment methods, particularly specifications grading, and the use of technology to enhance student learning in chemistry laboratory courses.
Link has developed and implemented specifications grading systems in large-enrollment organic chemistry courses, publishing research on how these approaches affect student performance and grading relationships. She created the Teaching Experiment Academy, a faculty learning program focused on mastery learning and specifications grading in course redesign, and served as master trainer from 2020 to 2022. Link has also investigated the use of AI-assisted grading to provide quality feedback in undergraduate chemistry courses and developed innovative digital learning resources, including choose-your-own-adventure games for organic chemistry laboratory instruction.
Link is an elected member of the National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Sciences (2013-2014). She has received the UC Irvine Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentorship (2022-2023) and was named UC Irvine Professor of the Year in 2017. Link has delivered over 30 invited presentations at institutions across North America and the United Kingdom and serves as Program Co-Chair for the 2028 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education.
Return to topEducation
- Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 2008
- B.S. in Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, 2002
Distinctions
- National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Sciences, 2013-2014
- UC Irvine Excellence in Digital Learning Award, 2024
- OC American Chemical Society Service to Chemical Education Award, 2021
- UC Irvine Dr. De Gallow Professor of the Year Award Honorable Mention, 2024
- UC Irvine Tom Angell Fellowship, 2020
- UC Irvine Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentorship, 2022-2023
- UC Irvine Professor of the Year, 2017
- UC Irvine Physical Sciences Outstanding Contribution to Undergraduate Education, 2012-2013
- UC Irvine Lecturer Professional Development Award, 2009-2010
- UC Irvine Campus Village Professor of the Month, 2011
Areas of Expertise
- Chemistry Education Pedagogy
- Specifications Grading Systems
- Flipped Classroom Instruction
- Laboratory Curriculum Development
- AI-Assisted Feedback Tools
- Teaching Assistant Professional Development
- Active Learning Techniques
Recent Publications
- W.J. Howitz, K.J. McKnelly, R.D. Link, “Delving into the Design and Implementation of Specifications Grading Systems in Higher Education” (opens in new tab), Educ. Sci. (Basel), vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 83, 2025.
- Abiad A., Richter B.S., Padilla M.S.T.L., Flores M.A., Thompson J.C., Lechner P.G., Edwards K.D., Link R.D., “AI-Assisted Grading Increases Quality Feedback and Grading Efficiency in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 102, pp. 4936-4943, 2025.
- J.C. Thompson, J.H. Griffin, R.D. Link, “Evaluating Student Engagement With Quick Reference (QR) Videos for Common Organic Chemistry Laboratory Techniques” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 101, no. 12, pp. 5240–5250, 2024.
- J.H. Griffin, J.C. Thompson, P.A. López, R.D. Link, “Leveraging undergraduate learning assistants when implementing new laboratory curricula” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Education, vol. 9, 2024.
- K.J. McKnelly, W.J. Howitz, R.D. Link, “Specifications Grading at Scale: Improved Letter Grades and Grading-Related Interactions in a Course with over 1,000 Students” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 100, no. 9, pp. 3179–3193, 2023.
- J. I. Kelz, J. L. Uribe, M. F. Rasekh, R.D. Link, K. J. McKnelly, R. W. Martin, “Implementation of specifications grading in an upper division chemical biology lecture”, The Biophysicist, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 11–29, 2023.
- S. Saluga, H. Peacock, D. Seith, C. Boone, Z. El Naghi, Y. Fazeli, R. Huynh, J. Luo, R. Link, “Inter-Twine-d: Combining Organic Chemistry Laboratory and Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Games” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 99, pp. 3964–3974, 2022.
- J. W. Szura, C. Fischer, R.D. Link, P. Collins, “Looking at the Laboratory Discussion: Course Modality Choice and Student Performance in Organic Chemistry Laboratory” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 99, pp. 3478–3487, 2022.
- R. Link, M. Gallardo-Williams, “We Should Keep Developing Digital Laboratory Resources in the Postpandemic Era” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 99, no. 2, pp. 519–520, 2022.
- L.C. Reimer, K. Denaro, W. He, R.D. Link, “Getting Students Back on Track: Persistent Effects of Flipping Accelerated Organic Chemistry on Student Achievement, Study Strategies, and Perceptions of Instruction”, Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 98, pp. 1088-1098, 2021.
- W.J. Howitz, K.J. McKnelly, R.D. Link, “Developing and Implementing a Specifications Grading System in an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 98, pp. 385-394, 2021.
- Z. Thammavongsy, M.A. Morris, R.D. Link, “¹H NMR Spectrum: A Team-Based Tabletop Game for Molecular Structure Elucidation” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 97, pp. 4385-4390, 2020.
- W. J. Howitz, T. A. Thane, T. L. Frey, X. Wang, J. Gonzales, C. Tretbar, D. Seith, S. Saluga, S. Lam, M. Nguyen, P. Tieu, R.D. Link, K.D. Edwards, “Online in No Time: Design and Implementation of a Remote Learning First Quarter General Chemistry Laboratory and Second Quarter Organic Chemistry Laboratory” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 97, pp. 2624-2634, 2020.
- K. J. McKnelly, W. J. Howitz, S. Lam, R.D. Link, “Extraction on Paper, an Active Learning Technique to Facilitate Student Understanding of Liquid-Liquid Extraction” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 97, pp. 1960-1965, 2020.
- A. Holton, R. Link, “Flipping for the Masses: Outcomes and Advice for Large Enrollment Chemistry Courses” (opens in new tab), The Flipped Classroom, American Chemical Society, vol. 1223, pp. 123-134, 2016.
- A. J. Wagner, S. M. Miller, S. D. Rychnovsky, R. Link, “Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Enantioenriched Secondary Alcohols via Thin-Layer Chromatography”, Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Experiments for the Laboratory Classroom, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016.
- A. J. Wagner, S. Miller, S. Nguyen, G. Lee, S. Rychnovsky, R. Link, “Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment To Determine Absolute Configuration Using Thin-Layer Chromatography” (opens in new tab), Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 91, pp. 716-721, 2014.
This profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 6/30/2026.