News

Graduating senior Jessica Minke will be attending the University of Minnesota Medical School (Twin Cities) beginning in the fall of 2009. The U.S. Army, which Jessica joined as an officer on May 24th, is paying for Jessica's medical school expenses.

Graduating senior Taylor Mach has been named a Doctoral Scholar of the Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS). Taylor is among approximately ten new VT graduate students to be chosen for this award, and the first from the VT department of chemistry since the program began in 2007. The ICTAS program provides full graduate tuition and academic fee support, as well as an annual stipend for four years of Ph.D. study, and support for scientific travel. The program website is http://www.ictas.vt.edu/scholars.shtml. Taylor plans to begin Ph.D. studies in theoretical chemistry with Prof. T. Daniel Crawford at VT in the fall of 2009.

Graduating Chemistry major Kate O'Brien has been chosen to receive a $2,000 scholarship from the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), in addition to an annual stipend and tuition waiver.  This scholarship is awarded to a student based on academic record and research achievements.  Kate will be pursuing a doctorate in toxicology at KUMC in the fall of 2009.

For more news, see the News page.

Recent Events

The Bethel Chemistry department sponsored the Third Annual Chemistry Family Reunion on Saturday, May 9, 2009.  The focus of the event was the retirement of Dr. Paul Tavernier after 36 years of service to Bethel. We are soliciting letters from friends and alumni to compile in a book for Paul, and these may be sent by email to Pam Tanem or through the mail to Pam at P.O. 2366, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN  55112. We would also love to have copies of photos of Paul, so please share any that you have, again via email or regular mail. 

The morning and early afternoon events of the schedule were held in the incredible, newly-opened Brushaber Commons. The late afternoon and evening events were at the house of Paul Tavernier, a familiar sight to many of us.

Schedule of Events

10:30 a.m.	Tour of Brushaber Commons
11 a.m.	Brunch and Program, Olson Boardroom, Brushaber Commons
1:30 p.m.	Junior and Senior Student Poster Session, Alumni Lounge, Brushaber Commons
2:30 p.m.	Tour of Chemistry Department
4:30 p.m.	Punch Reception at the Home of Dr. Paul Tavernier
5:30 p.m.	Dinner Honoring Dr. Tavernier

Welcome

Our ACS-approved Chemistry Department strives to honor God through the study of chemistry and the liberal arts, while preparing our students to be people of faith and integrity.  Offering academic excellence in a supportive environment, we prepare graduates for work or continued study in diverse fields.  Chemistry is theoretical yet practical, emphasizing analytical skills, creativity, and problem solving.  There are pictures and descriptions of many recent departmental activities on our News page. You can learn much more about what our department has to offer by reading the Frequently Asked Questions page or by requesting a copy of our DVD on the Contacts page.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Programs

Bethel University offers 5 chemistry affiliated degree majors; B.S. Chemistry, B.A. Chemistry, B.A. Science Ed. 5-12 (Chemistry Emphasis), B.S. Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, and B.S. Chemical Engineering.  You can view these degree programs, as well as projected 4 year courses of study within the Programs page.

Pre-Medical Program Options

Approximately 1/3 of our Chemistry Majors choose to continue their education in Medical, Pharmaceutical, Dental, or other Health Care Professional Schools. Our students' acceptance rates are exceptionally high, significantly over the national average. Read more about the Chemistry options for pre-medical students. Be sure to check out our Pre-med Home Page.

Research

The department currently employs 9 full-time, Ph.D. faculty.  Our research interests are varied and provide for a wide range of experiences for our students.  You can learn more about the faculty and their research interests by looking through the Faculty page. Juniors and Seniors are required to participate in original research projects.  View the recent student research projects and publications at the Student Research page.

Receiving More Information

If you have any interest in finding out more about our department or Bethel in general, please contact us. Feel free to correspond electronically or request a copy of the Bethel Chemistry DVD from the Contacts page, or call or email an individual professor directly from the Faculty page.