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[Program] [Faculty] [Facilities] [Research/Internships] [Career] [Curriculum] [Courses] [Ferrum]
[Life Science Division]
[ACS]
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What have Ferrum chemistry students been doing? Analyzing phosphate levels in all reaches of Smith Mountain Lake. Investigating the use of xylanase enzyme to reduce bleaching chemicals required in the paper industry. Using gel electrophoresis for genetic analysis of the proteins in endangered fox squirrel blood samples. Investigating the structural basis for the properties of polymers in adhesives and composites. These research investigations by students at Ferrum illustrate the diversity of the field of chemistry, which intersects with physics, biology, engineering, and biotechnology.
Our strong traditional chemistry curriculum in Ferrum's liberal arts college environment is ideal for developing our students' knowledge base as well as their thinking and communication skills. Our students gain additional practical experience through research and assisting us with laboratories. We are also committed to expanding students' horizons and further initiating them into the chemistry profession by involving them in off-campus field trips, short courses, professional meetings, and summer research and internship opportunities.
Ferrum's chemistry program benefits from being part of the Life Science
Division, which also includes strong majors in agriculture, biology,
environmental science, and pre-professional science. Close contact with these
other programs provides chemistry students with a greater understanding of
the applications of chemistry in other fields.
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Ferrum's professionally active chemistry faculty have been very successful in providing a solid chemistry foundation to students with a wide range of abilities. The chemistry faculty wholeheartedly share the college's commitment to supporting each student's personal and academic growth. We work with students not only in classes and labs, but also in the tutoring center, in our offices, and in extra help sessions.
Dr. Jim Bier, Program coordinator and professor of chemistry, received his Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research has included organic synthesis and protein crystallography. A Burroughs Wellcome Fellowship supported his recent sabbatical research at the UNC- Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy in computer molecular modeling and graphics.
Dr. David Johnson, Professor of chemistry and environmental science, received both his M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from the University of Michigan. His research has included air pollutant deposition in the Great Lakes and the formulation of membranes for ion-selective electrodes. He manages a long-term water quality monitoring project on Smith Mountain Lake and is using a geographical information system (GIS) to model soil loss in its watershed. He has been the recipient of fellowships from the Pew and the Burroughs Wellcome Foundations and awards for teaching and work in resource conservation.
Dr. Jason Powell, Jason Powell is assistant professor of chemistry and physics. He received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at the beginning of August, 2001. He received his B.S. degree magna cum laude in chemistry from Virginia Tech, with minors in mathematics and computer science, in 1996. His research interests focus on the preparation and characterization of inorganic thin films for use as catalysts or for electronics applications.
Our chemistry classroom, laboratory, and research facilities are in the newly renovated Garber Hall. Laboratories have exhaust ventilation from each work station with two large shielded hoods in each of the advanced laboratories. In addition to standard electronic balances, pH meters, and spectrophotometers, we have Perkin-Elmer infrared and Fourier Transform infrared, Beckman ultraviolet-visible, and Buck atomic/emission spectrophotometers; a gel electrophoresis apparatus; a Parr bomb calorimeter; an automated fraction collector; a Fisher titrimeter; an EG &G polarographic electroanalytical apparatus; a Varian programmable gradient high performance liquid chromatograph and A60 NMR spectrometer; and two Gow-Mac gas chromatographs, one equipped with an isothermal detector and the other with a flame ionization detector.
Computer labs available in Garber Hall, Beckham Hall, and Stanley Library
include both IBM and Macintosh PC's are in addition to well-equipped PC’s
in each residence hall room. Ferrum College is connected to the INTERNET which
allows linkage of all on-campus computers with systems worldwide.
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Research/Internships & Off-Campus Experiences
Our program is very successful in placing students in paid summer research. In recent summers we have had students doing electroanalytical, membrane and immunochemistry research at the University of Kentucky, working in polymer chemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and doing process research at Georgia Tech's Institute of Paper Science and Technology. One student worked in the CIA's chemical analysis division. Another had a semester fellowship doing aquatic chemistry research at Battelle National Lab in Washington.
We also take students to workshops such as Proctor and Gamble's Analytical
Chemists in Industry, UNC-CH 's Biotechnology Weekend, Research
Triangle Park's Science Graduate School Fair, and the American Chemical
Society's Road Show of Careers in Chemistry. Students often accompany
faculty to evening meetings and programs of the local section of the American
Chemical Society.
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Career Options & Opportunities
We are pleased to find that the success of our students in chemistry has consistently continued in graduate, medical, and pharmacy schools, as well as in their careers.
With appropriate minor or elective courses, a Ferrum B.A. or B.S. in chemistry
prepares our graduates to begin careers in business, industry, government,
and secondary education. They are also prepared to enter graduate school (where
a tuition waiver and stipend are usually provided) in chemistry and biochemistry
or in interdisciplinary fields such as pharmacology, environmental engineering,
toxicology, and biotechnology. Chemistry is recognized as a strong core for
any curriculum tailored to prepare students for professional schools in veterinary
and human medicine and pharmacy.
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[Program] [Faculty] [Facilities]
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[Career] [Curriculum] [Courses] [Ferrum]
[Life Science Division]
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