Kevin Kolack
| Kevin Kolack | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🏫 Education | University of Virginia Indiana University |
| 💼 Occupation | Chemist, science communicator, actor, voice actor |
| 👔 Employer | Queensborough Community College |
Dr. Kevin Kolack (/ˈkoʊlæk/ ⓘKOH-lak; born October 25, 1969) is an American chemist, science communicator, and actor. He is a tenured doctoral lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Queensborough Community College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). Kolack is known for his contributions to chemistry education as well as his work in independent film.[1]
Early life and education
Kolack earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Virginia, where he studied under Frank Carey. He later completed a Ph.D. in chemistry at Indiana University in the research group of George Christou.[1]
Academic career
Kolack joined the full-time faculty at Queensborough Community College after 16 years as an adjunct professor at The Cooper Union. He has also held teaching positions at Indiana University, Saint Joseph's University, Yeshiva University, and Hunter College.[1] He is the creator of an online version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Kolack has served as an English-language editor for more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and has over 30 years of experience in college-level teaching.[1] Kolack is the lead author of the third through fifth editions of Introductory General Chemistry Experiments. He also created and starred in The Professor K Show.[1] In 2021, he received the American Chemical Society New York Section Outstanding 2-year College Chemistry Teaching Award.[2] Kolack has also won the 2026 QCC-CUNY Excellence in Teaching and Pedagogy Award.[3]
Acting career
Kolack began his acting career with roles in independent film. He gained wider recognition for his role in Blue Ruin (2013), directed by Jeremy Saulnier, in which he appeared alongside Macon Blair. The film received critical acclaim and won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.[4] He is also known for his voice work, most notably for a variety of TV and radio commercials, and in anime projects associated with 4Kids Entertainment (now Konami Cross Media NY) as the voice of Tokkori on Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. He also worked with Oscar-nominated independent animator Bill Plympton on projects such as Mutant Aliens and Hitler's Folly.[5][6] He has since appeared in a range of films, such as The Family (2013), directed by Luc Besson, opposite Robert De Niro, and Death of an Umbrella Salesman co-written by James L. Palmer (2018), directed by Steve Herold.[7][8] Kolack has also collaborated on projects across various film and television platforms, including NBC, ABC, and CBS. Having served as a firefighter and EMT for more than ten years, he often portrays similar jobs onscreen.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Blue Ruin | Teddy Cleland | |
| 2013 | The Family | Cop – Diner | |
| 2016 | Hitler's Folly | Head of Forensics | |
| 2018 | Death of an Umbrella Salesman | Stanley Grimp |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Mutant Aliens | Preacher | Plymptoons | |
| 2001–2003 | Kirby: Right Back at Ya! | Knuckle Joe, Tokkori, Cappy | Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, Japan News Network, TBS Television (Japan) | Five episodes: "Kirby Comes to Cappy Town" "Lololo and Lalala Melody of Love" "Knuckle Joe Arrives!" "Monster Hunter Knuckle Joe!" "Knuckle Joe Escaped" |
| 2006–2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Paramedic, Paramedic #1, EMT Butler | NBC | Three episodes: "Informed" "Clock" "Paternity" |
| 2008 | Guiding Light | Harry Cohen | NBC / CBS Radio | One episode: "1.15456" |
| 2010–2011 | One Life to Live | EMT1, EMT B | ABC | Five episodes: "1.10658" "1.10697" "1.10722" "1.10797" "S1.E10851" |
| 2024 | Law & Order | Garbageman One | NBC | One episode: "The Perfect Man" |
Selected publications
- Kolack, Kevin; Hemraj-Benny, Tirandai; Chauhan, Moni (2020). "Community College Chemistry Instruction and Research in the Time of COVID-19". Journal of Chemical Education 97 (9): 2889–2894. doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00700
- Svoronos, Paris; Irigoyen, Pedro; Kolack, Kevin (2021). Introductory General Chemistry Laboratory Experiments (5th ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing. ISBN 9781792451522. Previous editions: 4th ed. (2019), ISBN 9781524991579; 3rd ed. (2017), ISBN 9781524920906.
- Resko, J.; Kolack, K.; Ulrich, M.; Byas, T. (2023). "Community College Student Perceptions of Faculty-Led Office Hours". Community College Journal of Research and Practice 49 (7): 478–484. doi:10.1080/10668926.2023.2292095
- Silverio, D. L.; Villa-Cuesta, E.; Hyslop, A.; Kolack, K.; Sobel, S. G. (2024). "We Have More in Common than We Think: A Comparison of Scientific Skills and Disciplinary Practices in the Guiding Documents for Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics". Journal of College Science Teaching 53 (5): 472–479. doi:10.1080/0047231X.2024.2373027
- Tawde, M.; Boccio, D.; Kolack, K. (2017). "Resolving Misconceptions through Student Reflections". Journal of College Science Teaching 47 (1): 12–18. doi:10.2505/4/jcst17_047_01_12
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Kevin Kolack". Queensborough Community College. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Outstanding 2-Year College Chemistry Teaching Award" (PDF). New York Section of the American Chemical Society. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Teaching Awardees" (PDF). City University of New York. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. Penguin Books. p. 154. Search this book on
- ↑ Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003. McFarland. p. 482. Search this book on
- ↑ Sarah Miles Bolam (2011). Fictional Presidential Films. Search this book on
- ↑ "Death of an Umbrella Salesman: Humour To Wash Down Misery". Indie Shorts Mag. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Death of an Umbrella Salesman". Film Threat. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Kevin Kolack". Queensborough Community College. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
Category:Living people Category:1969 births Category:American chemists Category:American male actors Category:American voice actors Category:Queensborough Community College faculty Category:University of Virginia alumni Category:Indiana University alumni
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