Department of Chemistry

Manchester University offers a baccalaureate degree in chemistry, which prepares well-qualified, broadly educated graduates for employment in chemistry related fields, high school teaching, or for graduate programs in chemistry. In addition, Manchester's chemistry program offers the non-science major sufficient chemical knowledge to be a competent citizen in an increasingly technical society.

One distinct aspect of a Manchester education is the liberal arts emphasis. Students develop skills in reasoning and thinking that enable them to communicate more effectively and to be problem solvers. These traits pave the way for successful careers in a rapidly changing world.

Manchester's chemistry program has a long and respected tradition of producing a high percentage of graduates who go on for Ph.D.s. A recent survey of liberal arts colleges which produce doctoral graduates indicates that Manchester ranks 25th in the nation among the 900 studied.

Historically, Manchester chemistry graduates who apply to graduate programs are accepted and do well in those programs. Two well known Manchester chemistry graduates are Roy Plunkett, who invented Teflon® for the Dupont company, and Paul Flory, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

The department of chemistry, housed on the third floor of the Science Center, includes labs and classrooms equipped computers, software, and video and demonstration equipment. Instrumentation includes gas chromatography-mass spectrometer, gas chromatograph, atomic absorption, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (proton and carbon), Raman spectrophotometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, high performance liquid chromatograph, cyclic voltammetry, flourescence spectrophotomer, DNA sequencer. Students taking chemistry courses use many of these instruments as early as their first year of college.

During January Session, various nontraditional courses are offered. Dr. Jeff Osborne, Manchester chemistry professor, takes a team of doctors, dentists and Manchester University students to set up medical clinics in developing countries. This trip was originally led by retired Manchester chemistry professor, Dr. Ed Miller. As well as going to Nicaragua, the group has served in six other Central American countries. Visit the Medical Practicum Homepage

If you have an interest in chemistry, you should visit Manchester University. Talk with faculty, sit in on classes, and see our facilities. To arrange a visit, call us toll-free at 800-852-3648 or send email to admitinfo@manchester.edu

A selection of graduates:

• Fiona Mills-Groninger '08 is pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Julie Heckman '04 is employed at Zimmer in Warsaw, IN.
• Alex Blevins '00 completed a Ph.D. in Chemistry at Michigan State University.
• Yvonne Yoder '97 is employed at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis.
• Chriss McDonald '81 is chair of the chemistry department at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania.
• Sarah Kurtz '79 is a research scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at Boulder, CO.