Patricia Amateis graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry Education from Concord University in West Virginia and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Virginia Tech. She has been on the faculty of the Chemistry Department at Virginia Tech for 28 years, teaching General Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry. For the past 13 years, she has served as Director of General Chemistry, responsible for the oversight of both the lecture and lab portions of the large General Chemistry program. She has taught thousands of students during her career and has been awarded the University Sporn Award for Introductory Teaching, the Alumni Teaching Award, and the William E. Wine Award for a history of university teaching excellence. She and her husband live in Blacksburg, Virginia and are the parents of three adult children. In her free time, she enjoys biking, hiking, competing in the occasional sprint triathlon, and playing the double second in Panjammers, Blacksburg s steel drum band.