Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
I hope you find the information you need on this web site and that it illustrates to some degree the enthusiasm and excitement that you will find in our department.
The UTC Chemistry Department graduated its first chemistry major, a woman, in 1912. Perhaps this was a prediction of things to come, since the department has become known not only for its large number of chemistry graduates, but also the high percentage of female graduates. In the years 1997-2004, the Chemistry Department produced 193 chemistry graduates (17th in the nation for non-graduate programs), half of which were female. This exceeds the number of chemistry graduates from any other school in Tennessee, including public and private, undergraduate and graduate! More important than numbers, however, are the experiences and successes of our students.
We believe that learning occurs in both the classroom and the laboratory, in both structured classes and less-structured research. Therefore, we encourage our students to participate in summer research, and provide stipends for 10-15 students per year to work one-on-one with our faculty. In 2005-06, these students, along with others who do research during the academic year, made 21 presentations at American Chemical Society regional and national meetings, and were co-authors on 10 papers. The department’s research is funded by a combination of outside grants, Provost Student Research Awards, and the Grote Fund.
The Grote Fund is a $5 million endowment that provides not only research and travel support, but also a dozen scholarships per year for chemistry majors. In addition to the four-year Grote Scholarships ($3500/year) for incoming freshmen, the department also awarded 33 other scholarships and awards this past year, for a grand total of $62,000. This is our way of saying thank-you to our excellent students.
In the last two years, over 25% of our students have gone on to professional schools (medical, dental, pharmacy) and another 25% have entered graduate programs in chemistry and biochemistry. The remaining graduates enter jobs in industry, education, or any area in which their scientific knowledge is valued. If you are interested in a chemistry-related career, or a career in a health-related field, we hope you will consider our program as you plan for your future.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Gail M. Meyer, Ed.D.
Head, Department of Chemistry
Website: http://www.utc.edu/Gail-Meyer
