Department Co-Chair(s):
Dr. Brian Lawrence (Associate Professor)
Dr. Lance Young (Associate Professor)
Faculty:
Dr. Juana Mendenhall (Professor), Dr. Arkajyoti Sengupta (Assistant Professor)
Program overview:
The mission of the Department of Chemistry at Morehouse College is to provide its students with a thorough and rigorous background in undergraduate chemistry so that they may pursue graduate studies in chemistry (and related sciences) and begin careers as professional chemists. The program also provides quality service courses for majors in related major programs (i.e., mathematics, physics, engineering, biology, psychology, medicine, the allied health professions, etc.). These service courses bear no distinction from the program’s courses for majors. To prepare the chemistry major for today’s technological marketplace, one where interdisciplinary inquiry is essential, it is the program’s expectation that students be exposed to considerable biology, physics, and mathematics (and other natural sciences) during their undergraduate career. Toward this end, many chemistry majors complete the requirements for a minor in mathematics, biology, or physics.
Thus, the Morehouse College chemistry department provides the key knowledge base and laboratory acumen essential for its students to embark on careers employing chemistry, the central science, in ways that positively impact both the scientific and lay communities.
Student learning outcomes:
Morehouse College chemistry students are exposed to a comprehensive classroom education in chemistry and an experiential research training in laboratories that both engages and exposes them to modern scientific discovery that fosters their ability to think critically and act ethically.
• Basic Laboratory Skills: Students will be competent in basic laboratory skills such as safe practices, keeping a notebook, use of electronic balances and volumetric glassware, preparation of solutions, chemical measurements using pH electrodes and spectrophotometers, data analysis, and report writing. Theory and Practical Knowledge: Students will be able to identify and apply the principle of atomic and molecular structure to predict chemical properties and chemical reactivity.
• Problem Solving: Students will be able to define problems clearly, develop testable hypotheses, design and execute experiments, analyze data, and draw appropriate conclusions.
• Modern Instrumentation & Computational Data: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the use of modern scientific instrumentation and the methods of computational chemistry.
• Presentation of Scientific Information: Students will be able to present information in a clear and organized manner, write well organized and concise reports in a scientifically appropriate style, and use appropriate technology such as poster preparation software, word-processing, chemical structure drawing programs, and computerized presentations in their communication.
Department policies and/or General Education modifications:
- A minimum grade of C is required for all Chemistry courses that apply towards the major.
- All major courses for chemistry majors should be taken at Morehouse College unless prior approval is granted by the department chair.
