Students don't get to see Dr. Diskin play the role of "Lab Bill", "Big Al Chemist" or "Safety Shaq" on the first day of classes. In fact, they don't even see Dr. Diskin...for the first few minutes at least. Because he's not in a white lab coat or any such scholarly garb.

Instead, Dr. Diskin comes the first day of each semester dressed in a ball cap, jeans and backpack and sits in the middle of class surrounded by his students. He asks them questions, finds out if they like chemistry and finally, we imagine when he can't keep a straight face, he asks if they know who their teacher is and then introduces himself to a group of surprised freshmen.

Engaging his students from the first day; that's how Dr. Diskin brings POWER to learning.

Call it a weird sense of humor or mad scientist-type antics, but his students call it fun, friendly and they'll even give him mildly entertaining. That's the personal side to learning at Butler. Sure you could learn in a stale environment surrounded by 300 of your closest chemistry lab partners, but then you would never meet the person behind "Big Al Chemist."