Chemistry Frontiers

Chemistry Frontiers (Chem 196) is a one credit course designed to expose students to current topics of ongoing research in chemistry at the University of Washington. The class targets students early in their undergraduate careers.

The course content reflects the flow of research interests within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington, creating a dynamic and adaptable curriculum.  In the past, the topics ranged from chemical biology, physical, inorganic, organic and theoretical chemistry.

Class structure

Each session includes:

i) a short presentation from the PI (ca. 15-20 min) on the overarching goals of the research program, followed by

ii) a presentation/demo from a student researcher, which could include experimental methods/scientific approach targeting a description of what a representative day in the lab might look like for that research group.

This structure aims to maximize networking opportunities and make the content more approachable to the students taking the class.

Course Outline and Logistics

Each week a different research group presents their work. 

This is a Credit/No-Credit course.

At the end of the class the students take a P/F quiz containing one question from each of the class sessions. Each speaker proposes in advance a question.

Key Objectives:

  • Expose students to the most pressing scientific problems facing society, and how chemistry is used to address them
  • Reveal what a typical day in a scientific research lab entails in different areas of chemistry (theory vs experiments, spectroscopy vs synthesis, etc…)
  • Increase awareness on pathways to undergraduate research at UW, and provide networking opportunities with different junior and senior members of research groups at UW.

Resources and Links