Demystifying Organic Chemistry: The UDED Method
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 110
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Choose Your Format
$24.99 USD
Ebook
$18.00 USD
The study of organic chemistry can often strike fear and trepidation into the hearts and minds of students who are required to take this course of study in college. Having taught the topic in various institutions of higher education for over 25 years, Dr. Ternansky has developed a learning method that serves to simplify and unify the seemingly disparate behaviors of organic molecules. The method, dubbed the UDED method, has helped countless students to not only understand organic chemistry but to actually enjoy it! Indeed, several of Dr. Ternansky's former students changed their majors to chemistry after learning the method. This book describes the method in detail while providing many examples and practice problems for the reader. It is recommended as an adjunct to any traditional college-level organic chemistry class.
Dr. Robert J. Ternansky received his B.S. degree in chemistry from John Carroll University in Cleveland Ohio. He then went on to Ohio State University where he obtained his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry under the direction of Professor Leo A. Paquette. His research at Ohio State culminated in the first successful synthesis of the pentagonal dodecahedrane, an achievement referred to as the “Mount Everest of Organic Synthesis”. Following obtention of his doctorate degree, Dr. Ternansky joined the laboratory of Professor Paul A. Wender at Stanford University where he completed one of the shortest syntheses of a natural product-Silphinene-in three synthetic steps. Following his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Ternansky began his career in the pharmaceutical industry in the drug discovery group at Eli Lilly and Company. During his time at Lilly, Dr. Ternansky also served as adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis as well as Butler University. After relocating to San Diego to pursue several leadership positions in the biotech industry, Dr. Ternansky continued in the training of scientists by teaching at several local academic institutions including the University of California, San Diego, where he taught organic chemistry to thousands of undergraduate students over 23 years. During this time, Dr. Ternansky developed a learning tool to assist students in overcoming the challenge of learning organic chemistry. This method which he named the UDED method, has been summarized in a book “Demystifying Organic Chemistry: The UDED Method” which bears on its cover the dodecahedron, one of the five Platonic solids, which is the shape of the molecule he synthesized during his graduate work, the pentagonal dodecahedrane. Dr. Ternansky has authored 37 scientific publications and is a named inventor on 37 issued US patents.
Student UDED Method Support Comments
“Being introduced to your UDED philosophy has not only built the foundation for my intuitive understanding of mechanisms, but it has also given me a framework I would’ve taken years to intuitively understand on my own….as someone who struggles terribly with memory and relies heavily on conceptual understanding to grasp the driving forces behind reactions, I always find myself returning to the pillars of UDED.
“I want to sincerely thank you for your approach. It has sparked a LOVE for organic chemistry in me and inspired me to both change my major and the trajectory of my career goals. I wish my friends who failed/cried thru all of organic chemistry and came to loathe it had been introduced to UDED.“
B.M.
“I took the MCAT this past summer and my CHEM/PHYS section was all organic chemistry and I surprisingly did the best in that section even though the only/main concept I applied was UDED.“
U.S.
"Dr. Ternansky’s UDED method helped me stop fearing chemistry and start enjoying it. It turned complex ideas into something I could actually reason through—and made me genuinely curious about the subject."
K.B.
“I wanted to say thank you because your class taught me the "UDED" philosophy which I have used in further Organic Chemistry courses and on the MCAT. I greatly appreciate this way of reasoning, and it has helped me approach complex problems with a clearer and more methodical mindset. “
A.T.
“While studying for the Ochem section for the MCAT, I applied the UDED concept, which not only made everything easier, but it was the first time I actually felt like I knew what I was doing. I was understanding Ochem. There's a certain type of happiness people experience out there. But there's nothing you can compare to the happiness I'm experiencing, now that I'm understanding Ochem through the concept you taught.
E.S.
“During my time in undergrad at UC Irvine, I had failed and retook every organic chemistry class with absolutely no hope of ever understanding this subject. It wasn’t until your class and UDED that for the first time, I understood and actually enjoyed what I was learning. I am currently studying for the MCAT, and because of your lessons I have been breezing through the organic chemistry section and I cannot begin express my gratitude. I am now even able to apply UDED to concepts reaching into biochemistry.”
L.DeG.
“I have taken your class for two quarters now and I want to express my appreciation for your concept of UDED that helped to significantly improve my understanding of organic chemistry.”
M.L.
“I recently took the MCAT and the organic chemistry portion of the MCAT turned out to be one of my best sections and I am pretty confident it was all due to UDED. I just wanted to thank you for teaching all your students UDED because it’s such a helpful way to understand organic chemistry!”
R.V.