Message from the Department Chair

Late last year, a committee composed of four eminent scholars reviewed the Department of Chemistry. In preparing for the review, the department produced an extensive self-study report. The document underscored the department’s success  in enhancing its core mission: The development and maintenance of a world-renowned educational and research presence in the chemical sciences.

The success in both these areas was reflected in the positive external review. First, the department’s faculty exhibits impressive gender diversity, with the percentage of tenure-track female professors exceeding that of our highly ranked peer institutions nationwide. Second, both the department’s scholarly output and grant funding have more than doubled during the past 10 years. Not surprisingly, these increases have occurred  concomitantly with the hiring of stellar faculty, including newly arrived biochemist Carol Manhart, and a doubling of our outstanding graduate student population in the past decade.

Finally, the development of new courses, the introduction of new teaching methodologies and further enhancements  to research-based courses have led to an ever-improving educational environment for our talented undergraduate students.

While we are proud of our accomplishments, there is an intense desire by everyone in the department to further add to our list of achievements. I am excited about the prospect of sharing with you some of these still unrealized accomplishments in future newsletters.

Daniel R. Strongin

Chair

Read the Spring 2018 Chemistry Update here.