• Mr. Durland grew up in a suburb of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania and graduated from Hanover Area Jr. Sr. High School (not the Snyder's of Hanover associated with pretzels). Despite growing up near numerous Penn State fans, he entered the University at Pittsburgh as a chemistry major. He stuck with chemistry under the false impression that jobs were more abundant in the sciences.

    During his last semester and the end of college in sight, Mr. Durland made the difficult decision to stay in school. At the same time he decided that maybe teaching chemistry would be more fruitful than crunching numbers in a lab. He then entered Indiana University of Pennsylvania with aspirations of receiving a masters degree in chemistry with a focus in chemical education. Along the way he decided that a secondary teaching certificate may come in handy one day and began taking classes towards his certification. Before graduating Mr. Durland also had the opportunity to teach chemistry during the summer at Highlands Community College in Richland Pennsylvania.

    Ironically Mr. Durland then began to pursue his doctorate degree in chemical education at Purdue University in Indiana (the state).  His research focused primarily on preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about chemistry, the real world, and their occupation but he also remains interested in the chemistry "pipeline". Why students majoring in chemistry drop out, transfer, or succeed, and the reasons behind their choices. While at Purdue, Mr. Durland passed the remainder of his teacher certification classes and student taught at West Lafayette High School. He then found employment at a high school in Pennsylvania and was eager to move back home. Now happy in Pennsylvania, Mr. Durland is currently writing his dissertation and plans to graduate in the near future( as soon as he finds time to sit down and write).

    When not teaching, reading, or breathing chemistry Mr. Durland enjoys the outdoors by fishing, hunting, skiing, mountain biking and playing soccer. He also enjoys watching professional sporting events, working out and playing the occasional video game.
Last Modified on September 6, 2016