Chemistry
Faculty: Professor Fernando (coordinator) and Associate Professor Ghosh Kumar
The chemistry curriculum provides the breadth and flexibility necessary to meet the needs of students intending to major in the physical, natural, or environmental sciences; pursue professional degrees in the health sciences; or earn degrees in complimentary areas such as forensic science, psychology or education. The chemistry laboratory courses underscore modern aspects of chemistry including the use of instrumentation and specialized chemistry software. Our small class sizes and well-equipped laboratory spaces allow students to quickly develop expertise in the laboratory, and students who are prepared may begin participating in undergraduate research as early as the second semester of their first year of study.
Degrees and Certificates
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Chemistry Minor
Courses
BIO/CHE 150: History and Philosophy of Science
Credits 3Presents an introduction to the history and philosophy of the sciences through examination of relevant scientific experiments, both modern and historical. Topics will include experimental design, laboratory safety and ethics, and data analysis. Students will also learn how to evaluate various sources for scientific merit.
CHE/BIO 150: History and Philosophy of Science
Credits 3Presents an introduction to the history and philosophy of the sciences through examination of relevant scientific experiments, both modern and historical. Topics will include experimental design, laboratory safety and ethics, and data analysis. Students will also learn how to evaluate various sources for scientific merit.
CHE/ENV 130: Introduction Environmental Chemistry
Credits 3Presents chemical principles at an introductory level with an emphasis on the use of these principles to understand and describe chemical processes that occur in the environment. Covers fundamentals including atomic and molecular structure, measurement and stoichiometry, solutions, acid-base chemistry, nuclear chemistry, energy, and behavior of gases. Not open to students with credit in CHE 110, CHE 120, or CHE 210.
CHE/ENV 131: Introduction to Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
Credits 1Introduces basic chemistry laboratory work with experiments designed to show applications of chemistry to the investigation and analysis of the environment.
CHE/ENV 330: Environmental Chemistry and Social Justice
Credits 3An interdisciplinary course focused on the specific ways that human activity can lead to the accumulation, depletion, and alteration of chemicals in the environment, and the resulting effects of changed chemical levels on both the environment and the people who live in the environment. The intersection of environmental chemistry and social justice will be explored through an examination of the disparate ways in which members of different groups, both nationally and internationally, experience acute and/or chronic negative effects from living in degraded and contaminated environments. Supporting topics will include activism, environmental remediation, law and policy.
CHE/PHY 102: Fundamentals of Physical Sciences
Credits 3An overview of the physical sciences needed for college courses in chemistry and physics. Topics include the scientific method, measurements, momentum, matter and energy, electricity and magnetism, waves, the atom, chemical bonds, stoichiometry, solution chemistry, chemical and nuclear reactions, and basic mathematics. The course includes experimental activities outside of class. This course does not meet the requirement for the science core curriculum.
CHE 110: Intro to Forensic Chemistry
Credits 3Intended for non-science majors. Presents chemical principles at an introductory level and explores selected topics in forensic chemistry. Introduces basic chemistry concepts of atoms and molecules, stoichiometry, chemical reactions, solution chemistry and thermochemistry, and concepts related to the identification and analysis of fingerprints, accelerants and explosives, fiber, paint, and DNA. Not open to students with credit for CHE 120, CHE 130 or CHE 210.
CHE 111: Introduction to Forensic Chemistry Laboratory
Credits 1Introduces basic chemistry laboratory work with experiments designed to show applications of chemistry to the investigation and analysis of crime scenes. Exposes students to instrumental analysis utilized in forensic investigations including emission, absorption, and X-ray spectroscopies; mass spectrometry; and gas and liquid chromatographies. Two hours per week.
CHE 120: Introduction to Chemistry
Credits 3Presents chemical principles at an introductory level with an emphasis on the use of these principles to understand and describe chemical processes that occur in our body. Covers fundamentals including atomic and molecular structure, measurement and stoichiometry, solutions, acid-base chemistry, nuclear chemistry, gases, and organic and biomolecules. Not open to students with credit in CHE 110, CHE 130 or CHE 210.
CHE 121: Intro to Chemistry Laboratory
Credits 1Introduces chemical laboratory work with experiments to show applications of chemistry to every day life. Two hours per week.
CHE 210: General Chemistry 1
Credits 4Presents basic chemical principles that are the foundation for future chemistry and related courses. Emphasizes atomic and molecular structure, stoichiometry, properties of solids, liquids and gases, acid-base theory and solutions.
CHE 211: General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
Credits 1Utilizes modern laboratory methods, including computer interfaced experiments. Teaches basic techniques in qualitative and quantitative study of chemical processes. Three hours per week.
CHE 212: General Chemistry 2
Credits 4Emphasizes chemical thermodynamics and equilibria, electrochemistry, kinetics and mechanisms of chemical reactions and the relationship of structure to physical and chemical properties.
CHE 213: General Chemistry 2 Lab
Credits 1Includes synthesis experiments and quantitative and qualitative analysis of cations. Three hours per week.
CHE 295: Research in Chemistry
Credits 1 2Independent research in the chemical sciences under direction of a faculty member. Laboratory research, library research, and preparation of research report are emphasized.
CHE 310: Prin of Analytical Chemistry
Credits 3Presents equilibria, volumetric and gravimetric techniques, spectrophotometry, electroanaytical methods, and separation techniques important to analytical chemistry.
CHE 311: Quantitative Analysis Lab
Credits 2Utilizes techniques of quantitative analysis, including electroanalytical, spectrophotometric, chromatographic, gravimetric, and volumetric methods. Six hours per week.
CHE 320: Organic Chemistry 1
Credits 3Presents the foundations of organic chemistry including structure, bonding, conformations, stereochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics and reactivity, including acidbase and nucleophilic substitution reactions. Includes mass spectrometry and UV-visible, infared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
CHE 321: Organic Chemistry 1 Laboratory
Credits 2Utilizes a miniscale approach to organic laboratory with an emphasis on techniques of separation, purification, and identification. Includes hands-on experience with infared nuclear magnetic resonance and UV-visible spectroscopy. Six hours per week.
CHE 322: Organic Chemistry 2
Credits 3Presents incresingly complex organic reactions including nucleophilic addition and substitution, carbon-carbon bondforming, radical and redoc reactions with applications to biological molecules.
CHE 323: Organic Chemistry 2 Lab
Credits 2Emphasizes organic synthesis, chromatography, green chemistry and analysis of unknowns using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques.
CHE 340: Biochemistry
Credits 3Introduces the basics of biochemistry including structure and function of biomolecules, enzyme kinetics, bioenergetics, and metabolic pathways.
CHE 341: Biochemistry Laboratory
Credits 2Utilizes biochemical laboratory techniques including spectroscopy, enzymology, chromatographic separations, and electrophoresis. Three hours per week.
CHE 410: Advanced Biochemistry
Credits 3An Advanced Biochemistry course covers the chemistry and function of biologically relevant macromolecules and small molecules and their implications in cellular function, physiology, signaling, and metabolism.
ENV/CHE 130: Intro to Environmental Chemistry
Credits 3Presents chemical principles at an introductory level with an emphasis on the use of these principles to understand and describe chemical processes that occur in the environment. Covers fundamentals including atomic and molecular structure, measurement and stoichiometry, solutions, acid-base chemistry, nuclear chemistry, energy, and behavior of gases. Not open to students with credit in CHE110, CHE 120, or CHE 210.
ENV/CHE 131: Intro to Environmental Chemistry Lab
Credits 1Introduces basic chemistry laboratory work with experiments designed to show applications of chemistry to the investigation and analysis of the environment.
ENV/CHE 330: Environmental Chemistry and Social Justice
Credits 3An interdisciplinary course focused on the specific ways that human activity can lead to the accumulation, depletion, and alteration of chemicals in the environment, and the resulting effects of changed chemical levels on both the environment and the people who live in the environment. The intersection of environmental chemistry and social justice will be explored through an examination of the disparate ways in which members of different groups, both nationally and internationally, experience acute and/or chronic negative effects from living in degraded and contaminated environments. Supporting topics will include activism, environmental remediation, law, and policy.
PHY/CHE 102: Fundamentals of Physical Sciences
Credits 3An overview of the physical sciences needed for college courses in chemistry and physics. Topics include the scientific method, measurements, momentum, matter and energy, electricity and magnetism, waves, the atom, chemical bonds, stoichiometry, solution chemistry, chemical and nuclear reactions, and basic mathematics. The course includes experimental activities outside of class. This course does not meet the requirement for the science core curriculum.