Undergraduate degrees: B.A., B.S.
Undergraduate minor
Organic Chemistry Goes Green
In 1998, two Department of Chemistry professors developed a ground-breaking approach to teaching organic chemistry that places environmental concerns at the forefront of chemical procedures.
Designed by Professor Ken Doxsee and Assistant Professor Jim Hutchison, the green chemistry program provides a comprehensive laboratory experience that focuses on low-waste, high efficiency chemical processes without the typical levels of exposure to toxic materials. Unlike traditional labs, the green labs don’t require limited space with special exhaust systems; students can use regular lab space, which is more readily available. This means more hands-on experience for more students.
It also adds a vital dimension to the study of chemistry: the understanding and acknowledgment that materials used in science can have harmful, even devastating effects on the environment. “There are more and more regulations on chemicals and waste for good reason,” says Doxsee.
Students learn at the university level to incorporate environmental awareness into the spirit of scientific discovery. “We learn the same chemistry and concepts as the regular organic lab, but we get so much more beyond that,” says student Anna Shope.
“It is safer, cheaper and provides a better education—how could it not catch on?” Doxsee asked shortly after the green chemistry option was added to the curriculum. And he was right—the UO chemistry department has recently been enlisted by the National Science Foundation to disseminate the program to faculty around the world.
Points of Interest
- A recent American Council on Education survey places UO’s Department of Chemistry among the thirty strongest in the nation
- Chemistry faculty members are affiliated with these UO research institutes:
- Materials Science Institute
- Institute of Molecular Biology
- Shared Laser Facility
- Oregon Center for Optics
- Institute of Neuroscience
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
- Institute of Computational Science - In addition to the opportunity to conduct research during the academic year, the Materials Science Institute offers intensive summer programs that include the Research Experience Undergraduate [REU] Program, CHIP Camp, and Poly Camp
- Intel recently donated instrumentation worth $425,000 to the Materials Science Institute at the UO—including two optical light microscopy stations and a large sputter-deposition system
Sample Courses
- General chemistry focuses on atomic and molecular structure, thermodynamics, equilibrium, physical properties, and the chemical reactions of the elements
- Physiological biochemistry involves the chemistry of organic physiological structures, including protein structure and function as well as enzyme mechanisms. Students explore central metabolism, bioenergetics, the integration and regulation of metabolism, and the intersection of biology, physiology, and chemistry
- Physical chemistry laboratory incorporates hands-on experiments in thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and molecular spectroscopy—areas where chemistry intersects with physics
- Organic chemistry of biological molecules covers the major classes of biomolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids with a focus on biological aspects
- Advanced organic-inorganic synthesis looks at methods of organic and inorganic synthetic chemistry and solid state chemistry from the perspective of Nobel Prize-winning research
- Chemical thermodynamics explores the laws of thermodynamics and their applications, including those to nonideal chemical systems
- Statistical mechanics examines the molecular basis of thermodynamics, as well as the applications to the calculations of the properties of noninteracting and weakly interacting systems
Hands-On Learning
As early as sophomore year, hard-working students interested in a particular faculty member’s research can often join that professor’s research team and assist in research during the academic year.
Undergraduates may choose to take advantage of summer opportunities that include the Research Experience for Undergraduates, a ten-week program in physics and chemistry; CHIP Camp, a week-long introduction to the microelectronics industry; or Poly Camp, a week-long introduction to the fundamental concepts, processes, synthesis, and physical characterization of polymers.
A motivated and academically accomplished undergraduate student might participate in a fifth year internship master’s program. It combines classroom instruction and laboratory work with a six- to nine-month paid industrial internship.Interdisciplinary Opportunities
Many of the advances in chemical science are now taking place at the boundaries between traditionally defined disciplines, and institutes help facilitate these advances. Chemistry students at the UO enjoy the advantages of an established institute framework, which provides the strength and flexibility to move into rapidly emerging areas of chemical science. Students and faculty members are free to cross departmental and disciplinary boundaries to follow their curiosity by participating in joint research in the university’s many institutes.
The chemistry department’s biochemistry major unites elements of biology and chemistry. Such an interdisciplinary background is vital for work in medicine, genetics, or pharmaceuticals.
The University of Oregon offers courses that are geared toward students interested in studying both chemistry and physics. Such a background could lead to work in the fields of laser technology and fiber optics.
Complementary minors to chemistry are computer and information science, economics, environmental studies, geological sciences, mathematics, and physics.
Student Work
Elliott Hinds was a sophomore chemistry major when he decided to double his degrees by joining both the chemistry and physics departments. “I wanted to know how everything works down to the molecule." His original interest was in chemistry, and he started his research as a freshman. “I was trained in the research lab,” Hinds says. “As a sophomore, I had a solid year and a half of research making new molecules.” Hinds recently added math to his list of majors, but isn’t sure what he’ll do after graduation. “I feel I definitely have a lot of doors open,” he says.
“I have been interested in chemistry for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I began college and took organic chemistry that I decided to major in it,” says Jenna Jeffrey of her chosen field. Jeffrey has conducted research in professor Michael Haley’s lab, where she works side-by-side with Haley, delving into his ongoing cyclizations project. In the lab she gets to conduct research on imine systems, which has helped her further fuel her fascination with chemistry. “My college professors have played an integral role in influencing me,” she says. Their enthusiasm along with her desire to understand how life works has helped her transform her interest in chemistry into a lifelong pursuit.
Selected Faculty Work
Professors Ken Doxsee and Jim Hutchison, along with a strong team of graduate students, have developed the green organic chemistry lab.
Associate Professor Andy Marcus and his research group study the dynamics of complex systems. These include the motions of biological and synthetic macromolecules in polymer melts, blends, and living biological cells.
Associate Professor Catherine Page’s research focuses on creating new materials that could allow manufacturers to create transistors far smaller than those on semiconductor chips today.
Professor Geraldine Richmond specializes in physical chemistry, environmental chemistry, surface spectroscopy, and materials science.
Career Prospects
Chemistry can provide the foundation for interesting careers in medicine and medical laboratory work. It can lead to a career in pharmaceutical design and innovation as well as in genetic research. Chemistry provides the strong background needed to research and develop discoveries in countless real-world materials—from plastics to foodstuffs to modern materials used in housing, transportation, and computer technology.
Students in chemistry may also choose a path which leads them into academics—the combination of teaching and research which keeps them on the leading edge.