UNIQUENESS OF THE CHEMISTRY MAJOR PROGRAM
The uniqueness of the Chemistry Major Program is its centrality to the special focus/mission of Worcester State College on biotechnology and the biomedical and health sciences. The Major Program offers elective courses in pharmacology, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, instrumental analysis and natural products. Graduates of the Chemistry Major Program have completed doctoral programs in the traditional areas of chemistry including organic, analytical and physical chemistry and some graduates have completed medical school . Others have entered the teaching profession at the secondary school level, and we anticipate that with the new curriculum frameworks, there will be an increased need for teachers with strong backgrounds in chemistry and the other sciences. A large percentage of graduates have entered the workforce in the chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and envirotech industries.
Two attractive features of the Program are the facts that undergraduates have (1) the opportunity to use rather sophisticated instrumentation and (2) the opportunity to take laboratories conducted by a faculty member.
One recent graduate (1993 survey) states, "My education at WSC prepared me well for my career. In both the Organic Chem and Analytical Chem courses I was introduced to gas chromatography. The training in theory, as well as, the introduction to the instruments and how they work prepared me very well for the further training I received on the job. I have talked to graduates of other larger colleges who never even saw any of the assorted instruments I was able to work with at WSC." Another graduate (1993 survey) states, "Biochemistry I & II helped prepare me for my current job of over three years by teaching me the basis of enzymology and some enzyme assay experience. Analytical chemistry gave me real skills in using the uv/vis spectrophotometer, pH meter, GC and some HPLC. General skills like notebook writing have equipped me to survive in the current R & D environment in biotechnology." Another graduate (1993 survey) comments, "The quality of teaching and the small class size make for a good learning environment. Having professors in the lab is also a good practice that allows for friendly teacher-students relationships to grow." More recently, a graduate in the 1997 survey said, "I think the chemistry courses offered at Worcester State prepared me very well for a position in the chemistry industry. I think the upper level courses, particularly the Analytical and Physical Chemistry courses, were the most valuable. I use analytical methods and methods for statistical evaluation of data on a weekly basis."
Worcester State has made a major investment in technology to support instruction in the past few years. Faculty and students have access to computers, and this past year, through the support of a Board of Higher Education grant, two multimedia classrooms were equipped for use by all faculty. The Chemistry faculty have begun to incorporate computer technology into their teaching, preparing students for the high technology workplace they will be entering. Among other uses, students are being taught to analyze data using spreadsheets, and where appropriate, simulations are introduced.
Over the years the students who have taken upper level chemistry courses have been diverse in their ethnic background and have included recent arrivals from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia. These students have received encouragement from the faculty, encouragement facilitated by the small class size in intermediate and upper-level courses and the personal attention which such small classes permit. The demographics of the Worcester public schools have shown a significant increase in enrollments of Asian and Latino students, and together with African American students, these racial and ethnic groups comprise more than half the student body in the public schools. Since Worcester State College students reflect the population of Worcester County, it is clear that in the next few years the College will serve an increasing number of students of color. Nationally, Latino and African American students are underrepresented in the sciences, and the faculty members of the Chemistry Department are committed to attracting and serving these underrepresented groups.
The new Science and Technology Building mentioned above will be completed by the year 2000, enhancing significantly the facilities for the science programs at Worcester State College. Chemistry in particular will benefit. The new building will afford much needed laboratory space including modern teaching laboratories and a dedicated research laboratory for student and faculty research. Most importantly there will be several instrumentation rooms to house currently owned equipment as well as anticipated additional equipment and a separate room for computers. A unique feature of the Science and Technology Building will be a modern multimedia amphitheater to hold meetings and conferences.
In a recent survey of graduates the respondents spoke highly of the academic preparation they received as chemistry majors at Worcester State. Examples of the graduates’ remarks appear below. Each is taken from a different graduate.
"I think the chemistry courses offered at Worcester State prepared me very well for a position in the chemistry industry."
"I am very grateful to the faculty in the Chemistry Department for making the curriculum such a beneficial and positive experience."
"I feel that WSC Chemistry Department did a good job of preparing me for industry."
"Education at Worcester State helped me a great deal in preparing for my current job."
"I feel that the chemistry program at WSC is a very good one."
"The education I received at Worcester State College was as high as any other college, I believe."
"Overall I would give a "very good" grade to chemistry program at WSC."
"My studies at WSC in chemistry gave me a well rounded fundamental knowledge of chemistry."