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 Enter Dr. Thomas Montgomery鈥檚 lab. 
 
鈥淗e was always there to answer questions and help us troubleshoot problems,鈥� said Cocolas, who is earning his doctorate degree in chemistry and was recently hired as a chemist by J Star Research in New Jersey. 鈥淎t the same time, he held us to high standards and expected good work.鈥�
 
Montgomery, an assistant professor in the university鈥檚 chemistry and biochemistry department, teaches students at every level 鈥� from first-year undergraduates to fifth-year doctoral students. A recipient of Duquesne鈥檚 Excellence in Teaching Award, he says meeting students where they are at is a key to success.
 
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to find a mentoring balance for each student,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes, you step back and let a student struggle a little bit to help them learn. In other cases, you may ask questions to help the student figure out an approach to a problem.鈥�
 
Creating a supportive, collaborative culture in the lab is vital, Montgomery noted.
 
鈥淲hether they are working in industry or academia, students need to know how to work together to achieve success,鈥� he said. 鈥淪cience, especially today, requires working with others who have expertise and experience in a variety of fields. It鈥檚 essential to becoming a professional scientist.鈥�
 
As part of the collaborative process, students learn together by writing the first draft of a research paper for publication, with Montgomery offering edits and engaging in a back-and-forth with the group.
 
鈥淪tudents will ask other students questions that they won鈥檛 ask me,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey learn a lot through the process.鈥�
 
Cocolas, who co-authored two research papers with Montgomery and others on organic chemistry, said he enjoyed working with his lab peers on creating a synthetic anti-cancer compound that could eventually help patients going through chemotherapy.
 
鈥淚t had never been made synthetically before and we want to be the first group to make it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big goal we are working on.鈥�
 
Helping students reach for bigger goals is part of Montgomery鈥檚 approach, as his graduates have enjoyed success at major biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and been accepted into graduate programs at prestigious universities.
 
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the best teachers I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� Cocolas said. 鈥淗e makes the material so easy to understand and I know many students who have enjoyed his classes. He鈥檚 a wonderful person.鈥�