UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Look around. The wood in the chair, the paint on the wall, the ink in your pen,the glass in the light bulb, are all "chemicals." So are the water you drink and the ice cream you eat. Even things you can't see, like the air you breathe, are forms of matter - chemicals.

Chemistry is the scientific inquiry into the nature of matter.

Chemistry is fascinating because it centers on the fundamental reasons why all matter, from the great oceans down to the submicroscopic world of molecules, behaves as it does.

Chemistry also focuses on transformations of matter from one form to another. The chemical reactions that occur when gasoline is burned in your automobile engine, when the food you eat is converted into fat , or when caustic substances like acids and bases combine into harmless salt and water, are all the subjects of chemistry.

A knowledge of chemistry is essential to solving some of the world's biggest problems. The predicted pattern of global warming is due to modern civilization's thirst for energy and the burning of fuels like oil, natural gas, and wood. Avoiding global warming will require us to understand which molecules will absorb the light energy of the sun and which will not. The acidity of rain in certain parts of the country represents a growing menace to the natural environment and the balance of lakes and streams. Addressing the imbalance requires us to learn about the source of the acidity and how it is transported over such long distances.

Every bite of food we eat or sip of liquid we drink contains nutrients of various types. Achieving a healthy diet depends on learning about the various constituents of food, how they interact with each other, and how the body makes use of them. We all know that vitamins are essential nutrients, but it is important to understand what those nutrients do and what harmful effects will result from too little or too much. The genetic code that gives each of us our predisposition to act or look as we do is a natural result of interactions between various molecules. Chemistry is also the key to determining the level of physical activity that will yield a desired body weight.

When it was first discovered, nylon was seen as a wonder substance. But every year sees the development of new materials that dwarf nylon's importance. The computer that you use to write your term paper or the calculator on which you figure out your housing bill would not be possible without materials that have been synthesized only recently. The next car you buy will probably be made of plastics and composites that are lighter and stronger than any metal. The laser in your CD player functions because we have the ability to fabricate new materials.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale will prepare you for entry into the expanding career fields of chemical research and applications. Even if you do not choose to make chemistry your career, you will find a working knowledge of chemical principles immensely useful. Health professionals need to understand the interplay of various chemicals in the body with drugs that are prescribed. Workers in the agricultural industry should be aware of the nature of the constituents of fertilizers and pesticides. And we all should be able to read the list of ingredients on a package of food and understand what we are planning to consume.

WHAT WE OFFER

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers two degree options at the undergraduate level. If you intend to be a professional chemist or go on to graduate school you should choose the bachelor of science degree. With this degree you can receive American Chemical Society Certification.

The bachelors of arts degree is designed primarily for students who wish to complete a major in chemistry but will specialize in areas related to it. Students complete a group of core courses, along with additional courses that will lead to a specialization in biochemistry, business, environmental, or forensic chemistry

Courses

Students pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the College of Science will, in addition to meeting the University Core Curriculum program requirements, take one year of physics, one year of foreign language, a series of mathematics courses through differential calculus, and two courses in the biological sciences beyond the Core Curriculum level. The chemistry sequence includes a year of general chemistry, followed by courses in analytical, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. Many of these courses include laboratory work. Additional courses in biochemistry or various specialized aspects of other branches of chemistry are also available. In these you will encounter the latest developments in each field.

A chemistry major is encouraged to obtain a minor in another program, such as physics, mathematics, microbiology, or geology. Having such versatility can add to your career options.

<Faculty

With approximately fifteen faculty members whose education and research interests cover the major areas of chemistry, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the resources for a thorough education in chemistry. All lecture courses are taught by full-time faculty who hold the Ph.D. Laboratory portions of the courses are instructed by graduate assistants under direct supervision of a faculty member. Although introductory courses have large enrollments, our upper-division classes are small enough to allow faculty to give you individual attention.

Our faculty members are active in research, attracting more than one million dollars each year in external support from a variety of agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, NASA, the American Cancer Society, and the Dreyfus Foundation. Some of these funds are used to support undergraduate students carrying out research projects in the faculty member's lab. Our research work covers many areas of experimental and theoretical chemistry, focusing on design and fabrication of new materials, stabilities of reactive intermediates in chemical reactions, synthesis of natural products and entirely new molecules with biological activity, catalysis, understanding the fundamental sources of interactions between molecules, and devising new methods and instruments for separating one type of molecule from another or of recognizing the presence of certain substances at only trace levels.

Graduate and Professional Programs

While your immediate goal may be a bachelor's degree and a job, at some point in the future you may decide you would like further education. SIUC offers master's and doctor's degrees in chemistry. Currently, more than 40 students are enrolled in these programs. Also available are graduate programs in computer science, geology, mathematics, microbiology, physics, physiology, and zoology.

Many of our undergraduates have gone on to graduate work at major institutions throughout the country. Often they have begun their research careers as undergraduates in our department, working with faculty members. Some chemistry majors enter medical school - an undergraduate degree in chemistry is an excellent preparation for a career in medicine or other health-related fields.

CAREERS IN CHEMISTRY

Chemical manufacturing and the pharmaceutical industry are major employers of chemists, but chemists work in every major industry, from food processing to computer and molecular biology technology. Chemists are to be found in every branch of the federal government - the FBI, the Defense Department, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and many others. The pattern of employment in government is repeated at the state level and, to a lesser degree, at the local level.

Not all chemists end up in the laboratory. A large number find jobs in marketing, personnel, or other areas of management where a chemical background is valuable.

Opportunities in high school and elementary teaching are better than ever. There is an acute shortage of physical science teachers in the nation's schools, which has led to widespread concern and efforts to upgrade salaries and working conditions.

Opportunities for women and minorities in chemistry are excellent. There is a need to increase the numbers of these groups in the physical sciences, and special incentives in the way of scholarships or other types of support are often available to those who take up the challenge.

Because many graduates want to begin careers as soon as they finish their undergraduate degrees, the department has a career counselor who works with students and University Career Services to find the best position for each individual. Companies call the department directly, looking for chemists at all levels.

The employment picture for chemistry graduates, as for those in other fields, fluctuates with the economy. However, chemistry cuts across several disciplines, which improves the odds for chemists. This pattern is expected to continue, partly because the wide range of employment opportunities for chemists in industry, government, and education makes their jobs less susceptible to the employment fluctuations of a particular industry. Currently, about two thirds of chemistry undergraduates move on to graduate school.

Starting salaries for a chemist with a B.S. are around $35,000 (1996) while an individual with an M.S. can expect to start at around $40,000 and one with a Ph.D. at $52,000.

Many of our graduates have gone on to outstanding careers in chemistry and related fields. Professor Fred Basolo of Northwestern University received his undergraduate degree in this department and has been recognized nationally for his outstanding contributions to organic and inorganic chemistry. In 1983 he was elected president of the American Chemical Society (its membership is in excess of 100,000), and he is presently a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Many of our graduates have advanced to high positions in business. Dr. Robert Gower, for instance, is president and chief executive officer of Lyondell Petrochemical.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Undergraduate Research Opportunities.The most exciting facet of a science like chemistry is the opportunity to work at the frontiers of knowledge. Our majors are encouraged to participate in the research programs of the faculty. Students learn in this way what chemistry is really about on a day-to-day level and develop relationships with faculty who can help the student find a job or get into the graduate school of their choice. Undergraduates work on projects using lasers, inductively-coupled plasmas, high-level computers and workstations, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, and scanning tunneling microscopes. Participation may result in academic credit or a paid student work position.

Facilities.In addition to all the research equipment associated with modern chemical research groups, the department has access to outstanding support units. The University mainframe computer and departmental workstations are accessed through a departmental network that includes a multitude of minicomputers in each research lab. Transmission and scanning electron microscopes are available, along with a mass spectroscopic facility, Fourier transform infrared spectrometers, X-ray diffraction apparatus, 300 and 500 MHz NMR spectrometers, ultrahigh vacuum apparatus, and research shops that perform fine instrument work and glass blowing.

Financial Assistance.The department employs a number of students in our stockrooms, to prepare instructional laboratories, and in numerous research labs. These activities are sponsored by the department and the Federal Work Study Program. Chemistry majors are given preference in these jobs. Undergraduate chemistry majors may compete for several monetary awards, on the basis of outstanding scholastic performance.

Professional and Student Organizations.Undergraduates may join the American Chemical Society student affiliate, which organizes social and professional activities such as visits to chemical companies, meetings where students present papers on their research work, Chemistry Bowl competitions, and picnics. SIUC students may also participate in over 400 registered student organizations, including sororities, fraternities, media groups, special interest groups, scholastic and professional honoraries, religious organizations, and sport and recreation clubs.

Morris Library. Outside the classroom, students' chief resource is Morris Library, a subject-division library featuring LINKS, a remotely accessible electronic service providing access to library catalogs, abstracting and indexing services, full text databases, and local and national technological resources and services. Students, faculty, and other researchers are able to consult some 2 million volumes, over 2.5 million units of microform, and about 13,000 current periodicals and serials. The library is a depository for federal, state, and United Nations documents and houses the archives for Illinois' southernmost 22 counties as part of the Illinois Regional Depository system. Special Collections contains internationally known manuscript and book collections in American philosophy, first amendment freedoms, and modern American, British, and Irish literature.

The University

Southern Illinois University is a multi-campus institution enrolling over 35,000 students in programs ranging from two-year technical to doctoral and professional curricula. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale offers academic programs leading to associate, bachelor's, master's, doctor's, and professional degrees.

Carbondale has been cited as one of the fifty most desirable places to live in the U.S. The mid-south climate is ideal for year-around outdoor activities, with the Shawnee National Forest, a number of state parks and natural areas, and several recreational lakes in easy driving distance. The University's Student Recreation Center houses an olympic-size pool, weight rooms, and game courts of all kinds as well as diet and exercise programs and equipment that can be checked out for outdoor recreation.

For further information, please call, write, or e-mail:

     Undergraduate Advisor
     Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
     Mail Stop 4409
     Southern Illinois University
     Carbondale, Illinois 62901-4409
     Phone 618-453-5721
     Fax 618-453-6408
     chemistry@chem.siu.edu