Chemistry
Overview
The curriculum of the Chemistry Department is designed to provide the student with a sound and comprehensive grasp of the principles of chemistry, including the laboratory experience necessary for basic research, teaching, and industrial research and development. Each student is expected to participate in a research program. Research facilities and instrumentation are excellent and qualified students may begin research projects as early as their first year. Faculty research grants augmented with support from major corporations and foundations have enabled the department to offer research stipends to qualified students each summer.
To the student preparing for medicine or related professions, training is offered in the fundamental and applied branches of chemistry. In addition, chemistry offers to the liberal arts student an appreciation and understanding of the discoveries, methods, and place of this subject in our society.
The program for majors also prepares them for entrance into the School of Engineering at Columbia University and the Applied Chemistry Program of the California Institute of Technology under the Combined Plan Program. Students interested in engineering should consult the Combined Plan Program for details.
American Chemical Society Membership
The Department of Chemistry is approved by the American Chemical Society for the professional education of chemists. Completion of the suggested graduate school option admits students to full membership in the American Chemical Society upon graduation. Outlines of suggested four-year programs with emphasis in environmental chemistry, biochemistry, chemical physics, engineering, pre-medicine, and teaching may be obtained from the department chair.
Major Requirements
COURSEWORK
Chemistry Foundation
Directed Research
Students pursuing the Chemistry major must complete a minimum of four units of directed research.
Choose one additional CHEM course (must include a lab component)
Mathematics Component
All chemistry majors must also complete Calculus 2 (
MATH 120 or
MATH 128).
Physics Component
Students must select one option as indicated below:
Option 1 -
Option 2 -
WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students majoring in Chemistry will satisfy the final component of Occidental College's campus-wide writing requirement by submitting a portfolio of four special reports, drawn from CHEM 240, CHEM 300L, CHEM 305L, CHEM 340 (or appropriate course work) in the fall semester of their senior year. Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. See the Writing Program and consult the department chair for additional information.
COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT
The student will satisfactorily present a seminar during the senior year on an area of current research in the field of chemistry to an audience of Occidental students, faculty, and guests. The student will also take a comprehensive examination in Chemistry. A student with an overall grade point average of 3.25 can earn distinction with a 75th percentile rank on the examination.
HONORS
Senior chemistry students with an overall grade point average of 3.25 are permitted to present a written thesis on their research for College Honors consideration at graduation. See the Honors Program and consult the department chair for additional information.
In order to graduate with American Chemical Society certification, it is necessary to take both CHEM 332 and CHEM 350.
CHEM 120 (or CHEM 130), CHEM 220, CHEM 221, and CHEM 240 satisfy the general and organic chemistry distribution requirements for the health professions.
Minor Requirements
Introduction to Chemistry:
Option 1-
| CHEM 130 | Advanced Placement General Chemistry | 4 |
Option 2 – take both
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 150 | Molecular Symmetry and Structure | 1 |
Organic Chemistry:
Electives:
Students must enroll in a minimum of eight units of Chemistry electives in order to complete the minor. CHEM 100, CHEM 104, CHEM 195, CHEM 295, CHEM 395 and CHEM 397 may not be included as electives.
Courses
Chemistry Courses
Faculty
Regular Faculty
Michael Hill, chair
Professor, Chemistry
Fletcher Jones Foundation Professor of Chemistry
B.A., Macalester College; Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Jeffrey Cannon
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
B.A. Occidental College; Ph.D. University of California, Irvine
Chris Craney
Professor, Chemistry; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry
B.S., University of Puget Sound; M.S., D.A., Washington State University
Phoebe Dea
Fletcher Jones Professor, Chemistry
B.S., UCLA; Ph.D., Caltech
Donald Deardorff
Carl F. Braun Professor, Chemistry; Advisory Committee, Kinesiology
B.S., Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Ph.D., University of Arizona
Linda Lasater
Non Tenure Track Professor, Chemistry; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry
B.A., State University of New York; M.S., Nova University; Ph.D., University of South Florida
Aram Nersissian
Associate Professor, Chemistry; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry
B.S., Moscow State Lomonosov University; Ph.D., Armenian Academy of Sciences
Eileen Spain
Professor, Chemistry
Carl F. Braun Professor of Chemistry
B.S., Sonoma State University; Ph.D., University of Utah
Andrew K. Udit
Associate Professor, Chemistry
H.B.Sc., University of Toronto; Ph.D., Caltech
On Special Appointment
Thomas Gregory Drummond
Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
B.A., University of West Georgia; M.S., Caltech
Harry Gray
Adjunct Professor, Chemistry
B.A., UC Santa Cruz; M.S., Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara
Jeremy Kallick
Non Tenure Track Instructor, Chemistry
B.A., Occidental College
Alan Khuu
Non Tenure Track Instructor, Chemistry
B.S., M.S., University of California, Los Angeles
Derek Ross
Adjunct Instructor in Chemistry
B.A. Occidental College; M.S. University of California, Los Angeles
Gabriela Venturini
Non Tenure Track Professor, Chemistry
M.S., Ph.D. California Institute of Technology
Keiko Yokoyama
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Chemistry
B.E. Tokyo University, M.E. Tokyo University, PhD Tokyo University