Department of ChemistryStudents who choose to join the Chemistry Graduate Program are entering an environment that is scientifically and educationally challenging and rewarding, but also welcoming and friendly. The Chemistry Graduate Student Club is very active, offering many fun social events as well as educational opportunities, such as organizing a quarterly colloquiam with an outside speaker. The Catalyst Club offers activities of interest to minorities and women in science. In addition, research groups are not large, so students have close interaction with their research advisor as well as with their peers and post-docs in the group.
Over the summer prior to beginning their studies, students are given assistance in choosing the Autumn Quarter courses most relevant to their field of study, and also with other aspects, such as a housing network to help them find a place to live or a roommate. The two-week Orientation in September consists mostly of training in how to be an effective Teaching Assistant and in lab safety procedures. Social events are also planned.
To help the incoming student identify a research advisor, the Department offers an Autumn Quarter seminar on Thursday evenings, at each of which three or four faculty will give brief presentations of their research. The setting is informal and pizza and beverages are included. When the seminar series is concluded, students are asked to interview individually four or five faculty whose research is of interest to them. They are also encouraged to sit in on group meetings and to talk with current graduate students. By mid-January, students are asked to choose a first and second choice research advisor. It is very unusual for a student not to get his or her first choice, but it does happen occasionally. For example, if a particular faculty member has space for two new students and more desire to join that group, the advisor will need to choose among them. It is important, therefore, to think in terms of a second choice. Due to the wide range of research interests and activities of the Chemistry faculty, most students will be able to find a supervisor among them whose research interests match their own. However, if this is not the case, it is possible for a student to choose a research advisor outside the Department of Chemistry, subject to the approval of the Chemistry Department Chair.
Students in their first year of study generally will TA for the three academic quarters. After that, most students will TA some quarters and RA some quarters, depending on the funding situation of their group.
Students are expected to make satisfactory progress throughout their career in the Department. Certain deadlines have been set for the major milestones, such as required exams, and also for other aspects of graduate student life, such as maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0 (please see Elements of Graduate Good Standing for complete details). The Graduate Good Standing Committee meets once per quarter to review the progress of each student, in an effort to maintain good communication and to help the student stay on track for a timely graduation. It is extremely important that students who experience any kind of difficulty, especially if it leads to missing one of the deadlines, communicate early on with the Committee to ensure that extenuating circumstances will be discussed and a mutually satisfactory decision made.
Prof. Robert Synovec, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, and Lisa Nordlund, Graduate Program Adviser, are always available to answer questions, sort out difficulties, and listen to problems.