J.D. Mendez, Ph.D.

Dr. James (J.D.) Mendez is a Professor of Chemistry and the Physical Science Program Coordinator at Indiana University Columbus. He has taught at IU Columbus since 2013 and has served in several leadership roles, including Division Head of Science from 2020 to 2025. His work focuses on chemistry education, innovative teaching methods, materials science, and the development of interactive learning tools.

Dr. Mendez is recognized for integrating emerging technologies such as 3D printing, augmented reality, and educational gaming into science education. His scholarly work has been published in leading chemistry and science education journals, and he has received support from organizations including the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Indiana Academy of Science, and Indiana University. He is a Fellow of the Indiana Academy of Science and has led international teaching and research collaborations in Estonia, Slovakia, Costa Rica, and Poland.

Ph.D., Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (2011)
B.S., Physics, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (2005)

Asim, S.; Mendez, J.D. Leveraging Augmented Reality (AR) for Enhanced Student Engagement in Higher Education. Quick Hits for Creativity in the Classroom 2026.

Krumme, A.; Mendez, J.D. Electrospinning Polyvinyl acetate Reinforced with Chitin: The Effect of the Degree of Acetylation. Polymers 2024, 16 (14), 1955.

Mendez, J.D. Student Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Utility in the Introductory Chemistry Classroom. Journal of Chemical Education 2024, 101 (8), 3547-3549. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00075 

Mendez, J.D. Chemistry and Chaos: A Role-Playing Game for Learning Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education 2023, 100 (6), 2442-2445. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01235 

Jones, K.; Mendez, J.D. Enhancing Learning with 3D Print Technology: A Case Study of Problem-Based Learning. Journal of Education for Business 2020, 1-8. 

Bernard, P.; Mendez, J.D. Drawing in 3D: Using 3D Printer Pens to Draw Chemical Models. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 2020, 48 (3), 253-258. 

Bernard, P.; Mendez, J.D. Low-Cost 3D-Printed Polarimeter. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 97, 1162-1166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b01083 

Smiar, K.; Mendez, J.D. Combining 3D Printed Models with Magnets and Simple Electronics to Make Chemistry More Approachable to Students. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 2019, 128 (1), 65-72. 

Baumgartner, S.; Viirsalu, M.; Krumme, A.; Mendez, J.D. Properties of Chitin Extracted from Estonian Mushrooms. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences 2019, 68 (3), 333-336. 

Mendez, J.; Baird, K.; Patino, G. Sinking and Floating 2.0. Science and Children 2019, 56 (9), 66-71. 

Orwat, K.; Bernard, P.; Wróblewski, S.; Mendez, J.D. Traditional vs. UV-Cured Coatings: An Inquiry-Based Experiment for Introducing Green Chemistry. Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2018, 37 (2).

Javed, K.; Krumme, A.; Krasnou, I.; Mikli, V.; Viirsalu, M.; Plamus, T.; Vassiljeva, V.; Tarasova, E.; Savest, N.; Mendez, J.D. Impact of 1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on the Electrospinning of Cellulose Acetate Nanofibers. Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A 2017, 55 (2), 142-147. 

Mendez, J.D. An Introductory Electrochemistry Laboratory Experiment Using a 3D-Printed Membrane. The Chemical Educator 2016, 21, 212-214.

Caldwell, J.; Mendez, J.D. Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Chitin from Diverse Sources. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 2016, 125 (2), 87-90.

Smiar, K.; Mendez, J.D. Creating and Using Interactive, 3D-Printed Models to Improve Student Comprehension of the Bohr Model of the Atom, Bond Polarity, and Hybridization. Journal of Chemical Education 2016.

Mendez, J.D. An Inexpensive 3D Printed Colorimeter. The Chemical Educator 2015, 20, 224-226. Available at: http://chemeducator.org/bibs/0020001/20150224.html 

Mendez, J.D.; Johnson, H.; McQueen, J.; Clack, J.W. Optimizing the Extraction of Chitin from Underutilized Sources. Journal of Chitin and Chitosan Science 2015, 3 (1), 77-80