Chemistry explores the properties of matter, the dispersal of energy in matter, and the transformations of matter through the fundamental principle that matter is built from atoms, ions, and molecules.

Why study Chemistry at Sewanee?

Chemistry intersects with and illuminates numerous disciplines including physics, biology, forestry, and geology. Through your coursework at Sewanee, you’ll explore the composition, structure, properties, and transformation of matter. Courses will also amplify this understanding by providing an in-depth look at the major sub-disciplines: organic, inorganic, analytical, neuroscience, catalysis, physical, and biochemistry.

Beyond the formal curriculum, you’ll be encouraged to participate in research projects with faculty members. This will put you at the cutting edge of science in a variety of fields including nanotechnology, biochemistry, materials chemistry, and drug development. You’ll also have the opportunity to conduct research and present your work at regional and national levels—maybe even get published in leading scientific journals.

GRADUATE SCHOOL AND PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS: CHEMISTRY MAJORS

Sewanee graduates enjoy extraordinary acceptance rates to top graduate and preprofessional programs–about 95 percent to law school and over 85 percent to medical school. Below is a sampling of where Sewanee grads continue their education.

  • Ph.D., chemistry, University of Michigan.
  • Nurse practitioner, Vanderbilt University.
  • M.S., organic chemistry, Auburn University.

Various National Graduate Programs available to students.

FIRST DESTINATIONS: CHEMISTRY MAJORS

Sewanee graduates secure positions in a variety of fields. Some you would expect, others are a bit of a surprise. Sewanee prepares you for your profession and your passion. Below is a sampling of recent graduates' first jobs.

  • Energy analyst, Applied Energy Group, Walnut Creek, California.
  • Medical scribe, MetroHealth Trauma Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Clinical research coordinator, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

 

A Sampling of Courses

Advanced Environmental Geochemistry
Chemistry

An examination of the chemical principles that determine how natural systems work and how anthropogenic activities can have an impact on the function of these systems. Topics include both fundamental chemical principles and case studies of particular environmental systems.

CHEM 412
Advanced Biochemistry
Chemistry

An exploration of contemporary issues in biochemistry based largely on primary literature. Topics such as the biosynthesis and mode of action of antibiotics, protein engineering, signal transduction, chemical carcinogenesis, and isotope effects in enzyme kinetics will be addressed in detail.

CHEM 417
Drug Design and Development
Chemistry

An examination of the fundamental chemical aspects associated with the process of discovering new drugs. Both combinatorial and rational drug design methodologies are addressed. Emphasis is on the application of various structure-based and mechanism-based strategies for drug optimization. Additional topics include pharmacokinetics (how drugs move within the body), metabolism of drugs, and pharmacodynamics (effect of drugs and their molecular mechanism of action).

CHEM 425
Mentored Research
Chemistry

Students engage in original research in chemistry under the mentorship of a faculty member. Students apply and integrate knowledge from their coursework while learning both specific laboratory techniques and practical problem-solving skills. Discussion of proper laboratory record-keeping, responsible conduct of research, presentation of research results, and laboratory safety are also emphasized.

CHEM 494
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Chemistry

Programs of Study & Related Programs

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Chemistry 

Requirements for the Major & Minor in Biochemistry | Website

Meet some professors

Robert E. Bachman
rbachman@sewanee.edu

Rob Bachman earned a B.A. and a Ph.D. in chemistry at Rice University with a focus in inorganic, organometallic, and organic chemistry. He teaches a variety of upper level courses in inorganic chemistry, including Inorganic Chemistry, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Structural Methods, Materials Chemistry, and Advanced Environmental Geochemistry.

F.B. Williams Professor and Chair of Chemistry, Director of the First-Year Program
Evan Elizabeth Joslin
eejoslin@sewanee.edu

Evan Joslin takes an organometallic approach in her research to educate students in the disciplines of organic and inorganic chemistry because the future of these two fields are inextricably linked. Her research plan is two-pronged: the first direction is focused on the synthesis and reactivity of metal-nitrile complexes leading to imine formation for potential pharmaceutical applications. The second is a discovery-driven project focused on the synthesis of novel diamagnetic chromium complexes and their reactivity in organic transformations.

Associate Professor of Chemistry
Rongson Pongdee
rpongdee@sewanee.edu

Ron Pongdee received a B.S. in chemistry from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University working with Dr. Gary A. Sulikowski. He then elected to pursue postdoctoral studies in mechanistic enzymology at the University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of Professor Hung-wen Liu. His research interests lie within two main areas: (1) the design and development of natural products as new antibacterial and/or anticancer agents for drug discovery purposes and (2) the mechanistic elucidation of novel enzyme catalyzed reactions involved in the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites containing interesting biological profiles. Students in his research group receive an interdisciplinary training spanning the areas of biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, and organic chemistry.

Professor of Chemistry
Bethel Sharma Seballos
bvsharma@sewanee.edu

Bethel Sharma Seballos, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. She teaches Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry (laboratory only), and General Chemistry. Her research interests center around the development of protein-based biosensors and cell-signaling studies. Currently, students in her laboratory are studying the factors that impact the progression of fibrotic lung disease using a cell culture system.

Associate Professor of Chemistry
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Contact

ROb Bachman
F.B. Williams Professor and Chair of Chemistry, Director of the First-Year Program

rbachman@sewanee.edu

Spencer Hall 263, Ext. 1336

 
Social Media
Twitter: @SewaneeChem
Facebook: FACEBOOK.COM/SEWANEECHEM/
Instagram: @SewaneeChem

News & Events

Seballos chosen for national project to foster retention and advancement of diverse STEM faculty

Bethel Seballos, associate professor of Chemistry, was recently named a National Science Foundation ASCEND Faculty Fellow for 2020-2024.

Through the NSF ASCEND (which stands for Advancing STEM Careers by Empowering Network Development) fellowship program, Seballos will participate in an inter-institutional peer mentoring network to foster the retention and advancement of a diverse STEM faculty population.

The NSF ASCEND program is part of a $1 million grant that is being used to create peer mentoring networks of mid-career STEM women faculty and administrator allies across institutions and regions. The collaborative initiative involves nine project leaders, 60 faculty participants and 15 administrator participants from colleges and universities across the Northwest, the Midwest and the Southeast.

Over the next four years, the participants will be engaged in conversations and training opportunities to give them the tools they need to advance their careers. Seballos will attend monthly online meetings, as well as annual regional meetings.

More information about the NSF ASCEND program can be found at the following link: https://wou.edu/ascend/

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Thinking Inside The Box

Prof. Deon Miles and Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator Dr. Grady Wells recently wrote an article published in the Journal of Chemical Education entitled “Lab-in-a-Box: A Guide for Remote Laboratory Instruction in an Instrumental Analysis Course”. The article was submitted in response to a call for articles in a special issue entitled “Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19”. This paper describes a homemade kit for conducting remote laboratory instruction in the instrumental analysis course. The motivation behind the construction of the kit was in response to the lack of commercially available options for the instrumental analysis course.

 

The abstract for the article is provided below:

Hands-on learning in a laboratory is an integral part of the undergraduate experience for chemistry students. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an opportunity for this approach was not possible. The pandemic has been forcing instructors to explore the remote setting instead of the laboratory. There are several commercially available kits for remote laboratory instruction in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. Kits provide students with a majority of necessary items to conduct scientific experiments in their homes. Unfortunately, there are no commercially available kit options for laboratory exercises in an instrumental analysis course. Here, we describe a homemade kit that focuses on two important pillars of instrumental analysis: spectroscopy and chromatography. The total cost of the kit is about 700 USD; this amount can be reduced significantly if a “do-it-yourself” spectrometer is employed instead of a commercial model. Details about kit contents and experiments performed are described.

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