Chair's Message:
As I put down my thoughts for this newsletter, the campus is full of graduation festivities. The day, of course, marks the culmination of the 2018-2019 academic year and highlights the educational mission of the Department of Chemistry. More than 80
undergraduate students earned their bachelor’s degree: 33 in chemistry and 50 in biochemistry. Fourteen graduate students earned their PhDs. The academic path that takes students from matriculation to graduation is always being examined with a critical eye for further improvement. The chemistry minor, instituted in fall 2016, has proved to be a success and has even attracted students outside CST. Eight spring 2019 graduates in the Colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts, Boyer College of Music and Dance, and Fox School of Business & Management took advantage of this option. There were seven chemistry minor recipients in CST.
This fall, we will roll out a new biochemistry course suitable for preprofessional students who are not majoring in biochemistry. To make our degree and course offerings easier for students to navigate, we have expanded the number of chemistry advisors. Graduate program excellence is also a high priority. This fall, a new required course will help our graduate students hone their research proposal development and presentation skills.
This newsletter highlights additional examples of the department’s vitality and excellence in both teaching and research. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Daniel R. Strongin
Chair