Ryan, Patrick 1965–

(Thomas Roy Rybolt, Tom Rybolt)

PERSONAL: Born March 13, 1954, in Orlando, FL; son of Howard Roy (an engineer) and Peggy (a homemaker; maiden name, Helms) Rybolt; married Ann Harris (a physician), May 30, 1976; children: four. Education: Furman University, B.S., 1976; Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S., 1979, Ph.D., 1981. Politics: Independent. Religion: Methodist. Hobbies and other interests: Scientific research, reading, writing, racquetball, raising children.

ADDRESSES: Office—Department of Chemistry (2252), University of Tennessee, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403. E-mail—Tom-Rybolt@utc.edu.

CAREER: Professor and writer. University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, assistant professor, 1981–86, associate professor, beginning 1986, currently UC Foundation Professor of Chemistry.

MEMBER: American Chemical Society, Tennessee Academy of Science, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi Research Society.

AWARDS, HONORS: Books for the Teen Age citation, New York Public Library, 1986, for Adventures with Atoms and Molecules.

WRITINGS:

SCIENCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS

(With daughter, Leah M. Rybolt) Science Fair Success with Scents, Aromas, and Smells, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2002.

Soda Pop Science Projects: Experiments with Carbonated Soft Drinks, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2004.

Environmental Science Fair Projects Using Water, Feathers, Sunlight, Balloons, and More, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2005.

SCIENCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS; WITH ROBERT C. MEBANE

Adventures with Atoms and Molecules: Chemistry Experiments for Young People, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1985.

Adventures with Atoms and Molecules Book II: More Chemistry Experiments for Young People, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1987.

Adventures with Atoms and Molecules Book III, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1990.

Environmental Experiments about Air, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1993.

Environmental Experiments about Land, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1993.

Environmental Experiments about Life, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1993.

Environmental Experiments about Water, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1993.

Environmental Experiments about Renewable Energy, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1994.

Adventures with Atoms and Molecules, Volume 5: Chemistry Experiments for Young People, Enslow (Hillside, NJ), 1995.

Air and Other Gases, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Metals, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Plastics and Polymers, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Salts and Solids, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Water and Other Liquids, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

FICTION

(As Tom Rybolt) Forbidden Light, Authorhouse (Bloomington, IN), 2004.

Contributor of articles to journals, including Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Journal of Chemical Education, Industrial Chemical News, Journal of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Langmuir, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, and Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

SIDELIGHTS: A professor of chemistry since the early 1980s, Thomas R. Rybolt has long been interested in making science accessible to the layperson and encourages children and young adults to participate in hands-on experiments. He once commented: "As a professional scientist, teacher, father of three children, and uncle to eighteen nephews and nieces, writing science for young people seems to combine my natural interests. Bringing these interests into focus and creating a useful science book was made possible by teaming up with my friend and professional colleague, Rob Mebane. We both realize that science is a process and not just a body of knowledge. Too often science is taught as a collection of facts to be memorized. We want to help increase the awareness among teachers, parents, and young people that science is an activity, a mental process, a way of looking at the world, and a way to have fun.

"We have written [the] Adventures with Atoms and Molecules chemistry experiment books for elementary school age children. Each book contains thirty experiments and suggestions for about seventy additional activities and experiments. Each experiment begins with a question and follows a similar format. The question is followed by sections that include: materials (what you need), procedure (what you do), observations (what you might expect to see), discussion (an explanation based on the behavior of atoms and molecules), and other things to try (suggestions for additional related activities). All the experiments are designed so they can be done at home with simple grocery store supplies and materials. Although designed for upper elementary school, these activities are of interest to older students and adults.

"This type of book is well suited for a team approach. We begin not by writing, but by independently doing experiments in our kitchens. Through trial and error we gradually develop a set of reasonable questions and workable experiments. We write our experiments and then exchange them. Through constructive criticism and revision the final versions are developed.

"I am continually impressed by the extent to which young children are delighted and interested in simple experimental activities—add a drop of food coloring to water and watch it spread, mix vinegar and baking soda and trap the bubbles of gas in a balloon, bend a stream of water with a charged comb, make butter from whipping cream, etc. Adults are easily caught up in this excitement and with the help of children can learn to see the world as fresh and full of surprises."

In 2005 Rybolt ventured into new literary territory with the publication of his first novel, Forbidden Light, which tells the story of a young graduate student whose research could provide the world with a clean, inexpensive, renewable source of energy. His research and life become threatened, however, when his discovery is made known to the academic community. Steve Ritter, a contributor to the American Chemical Society's Chemical and Engineering News, wrote: "Rybolt has the makings of a great book in Forbidden Light…. I encourage chemists to read the book and to share it with nonchemist friends and family." Booklist reviewer Frieda Murray called the book an "old-fashioned scientific romance" and remarked that Rybolt "does it well enough not to have to worry … about publishing his next yarn."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2003, Frieda Murray, review of Forbidden Light, p. 400.

Chemical and Engineering News, November 22, 2004, Steve Ritter, "Forging a Eureka Moment," review of Forbidden Light, p. 107.

ONLINE

Authorhouse, http://www.authorhouse.com/ (April 23, 2006), article about Forbidden Light.