Undergraduate Program News

The curriculum revision that occurred in the first two years of the chemistry program is reaching equilibrium in its presentation to students and throughout the college. Reaction has been positive, and efforts are continuing to further enhance the program. A major curricular target that was begun this year has been to improve the laboratory components of our undergraduate program. One laboratory room in chemistry was renovated as a model for others in this curriculum revision; when completed, this laboratory will be designed for group interactions, access by different laboratory courses, and efficiency in the use of water and other resources.

Students at work in newly renovated teaching laboratory

The 2007 2008 academic year proved to be a good year for the undergraduate program. We awarded a total of 80 BS degrees to University of Maryland undergraduates. These numbers, similar to those of the previous academic year, are the result of a steady increase over the past several years, and are comparable to the class sizes of similar sized departments at our peer institutions across the country. This is a significant positive change over the past five years and is something that the whole department is proud of. Our graduates are moving along to professional school, graduate school and the workplace well prepared to succeed at the next level.

Undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry majors continue to be a very accomplished and diverse group. This year’s graduates included eight students with Latin Honors, and four with Departmental Honors. Our numbers include 38 women, and 12 graduates who are members of under represented minority groups. One of our majors, Peter DeMuth, a double major in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, who did undergraduate research with Professor Phil DeShong, was awarded the University Medal at Commencement as this year’s most outstanding student. Peter has moved on to a PhD program at MIT this fall.

Last year the Department was one of fourteen programs nationwide to receive a prestigious Beckman Scholars Program award. Undergraduate student Grace Chiou was the first Beckman Scholar. This year, two more very impressive undergraduate majors, sophomores Pearl Horng and Sam Teitelbaum, working with professors Fourkas and Mullen respectively, were selected to receive the award.

Our overall undergraduate program continues to grow, with approximately 480 undergraduates officially declared as chemistry or biochemistry majors as of the start or the fall, 2008 term. This broad group is an almost exactly 50:50 mix of men and women, and includes 84 members of underrepresented minority groups. The Department, as well as the College of Chemical and Life Sciences as a whole continue to increase our number of majors.

The population of our introductory services courses continues to climb. The fall 2008 term showed a 14% year over year increase in the total students enrolled in the 100-200 level courses offered by the Department. With almost 2100 students passing through the department every week for a laboratory and over 3000 enrolled in lecture courses, the buildings can get quite busy. All of the faculty and staff responsible for the lectures and labs are working hard to keep the entire operation working smoothly and the quality of instruction high.