Our Programs.Choose from 3 major tracks within our American Chemical Society accredited department:

• Biochemistry - for careers in the health and life sciences fields, ranging from physician through pharmacy to biochemical research
• Comprehensive - for careers in industrial chemical research, academia, or the government
• General - for technical careers outside the traditional chemistry lab, such as: law, patents, business, education, and forensics

Additional options to choose from include:

• Minor in Chemistry
  
• Concentration in Chemistry
• Non-degree Certificate in Chemistry
• Pre-chemical Engineering Program
• New 5-year BS-MBA Program in the Sciences 
• Neuroscience Concentration
• Environmental Studies Concentration

Not sure which track or option suits you best?  That's OK!  Exploring your future goals and objectives is an integral part of the JCU experience.  Take your time to experiment and discover which area of chemistry serves you best.

Our Student Focus & Commitment.demonstrated in various ways such as:

• Expert Instruction - both lecture and lab courses are taught by our full time faculty of 9 Ph.D./M.S. chemists  vs. part-time instructors or graduate students.
• Small Class Size - most of our classes have fewer than 20 students and approximately 25 students graduate each year with one of our majors.
• Dedicated and Available Faculty - our faculty not only teach chemistry, they also genuinely care about their students and take a personal interest in helping them plot their path through their John Carroll experience and start their career.
• Student Research Opportunities - undergraduate students are encouraged to join a faculty member's research group during the school year or summer to explore and gain additional experience through experimentation and presenting their work via poster sessions and talks. 
• Modern Teaching and Research labs - our department, located in the Dolan Center for Science in Technology opened in 2003, consists of 9 teaching labs, 9 research labs for student projects, a 20 station computer lab, and a multimedia classroom.
• State-of-the-art Instrumentation Facility - with nearly $2,000,000 worth of equipment, our instrumentation facility is used by students to conduct lab coursework experiments, often starting in their first chemistry course, as well as during independent research.
• Teaching Assistant Opportunities - chemistry majors also have opportunities to earn some extra cash assisting faculty with activities such as lab preparation, assisting students during lab courses, and grading.
• Industrial and Academic Connections - our students regularly receive information on internship and job opportunities from local industry and regional universities, both from direct contact with faculty and our weekly seminar program.
• Clubs/Associations - Student Membership in the American Chemical Society, Pre-Pharmacy Club.
• Chemical Literature - through the Grasselli Library and Breen Learning Center our students have access to print and electronic versions of virtually all the latest developments in the world of chemistry.

Our Faculty.experts and skilled researchers in their specialized area:

• Dr. Nick Baumgartner -Physical Chemist and teacher extraordinaire.
• Dr. Yuh-Cherng Chai - Biochemist studying oxidation and cell death.
• Dr. Paul Challen - Inorganic Chemist making new catalysts.
• Dr. Desmond Kwan - Organic Chemist making new molecules.
• Dr. David Mascotti -Biochemist studying how cells make molecules at the right time.
• Dr. Michael Nichols -Organic Chemist studying polymers, perfumes, oils, and local streams and rivers.
• Dr. Mike Setter - Analytical Chemist studying surfaces of powders.
• Dr. Mark Waner - Physical Chemist investigating structural changes of proteins.
• Faith Whitworth, MS - General Chemistry Lab Coordinator & Instructor.
• Jeff Your - Manager of JCUs Central Scientific Stores & Laboratory Support Services.
• Bea Stofcho - Departmental Secretary.

The world is yours. . . come experiment and explore with us!

Mike Setter
Assistant Professor and Chair

This Page Updated: Aug 29, 2011