Teaching Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo Simulations: Lessons Learned From the Statistical Thermodynamics Workshops At the School of Advanced Studies In Applied Thermodynamics, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

The authors presented two weeklong workshops on theory and applications of molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the summers of 2010 and 2011. The workshops were sponsored by the Chemical Engineering Program of the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute (COPPE/UFRJ/Brazil). Participants ranged from new graduate students in a diverse range of fields of study to experienced faculty working in related areas who were interested in learning about molecular simulations. In this talk, we will discuss how the course was designed, how we overcame some of the challenges involved in teaching such a course, and suggestions for how the course could be adopted to other audiences.