The ACS-accredited major normally requires three terms of senior research that culminate in a thesis, and many students pursuing just the basic major also conduct senior research. Senior research may be coupled with an active summer research program in which students work full-time and receive stipends from faculty research grants, industrial fellowships, alumni gifts, or the College. In recent years we have had ten or more students working with faculty over the summer, with many of those projects continuing into the next academic year. All of our research students present their work at local or national meetings, and many are coauthors of publications with faculty. We are very well equipped as a result of College, NSF, and private and corporate foundation support.
All instruments are for student use.
We believe that students learn most efficiently if they personally work with the best available equipment. Furthermore, all computers in the department are attached to the College's Ethernet network. We provide computers for student use, including a Silicon Graphics workstation, in a Chemistry Department Molecular Modeling Laboratory. In the past decade, Union has averaged 10 chemistry and biochemistry graduates per year. About half go either to graduate, medical, or management school.