Join Us on Friday, May 4 at the 6^th Annual Chemistry Reunion!

Join us for our annual reunion of the chemistry department to connect and celebrate with old and new friends.  Find out what today's chemistry students are researching and encourage them.  We will announce the recipients of the second annual Summer Research Fellowships.  This year we are honored to welcome our keynote speaker Eric Green ('1993), vice president and managing director, international at Sigma-Aldrich.

Registration is now closed.

Schedule:

5pm Chemistry Student Poster Session
6pm Dinner
6:45pm Welcome and Awards
7pm Eric Green on "Crossing International Borders: How Science Shapes Commerce
All events are in the 4th level of the Brushaber Commons.

The BU Chemistry Department at a Glance

• 9 research-active Ph.D. faculty members.
• Approved by the American Chemical Society since 2007.
• All majors engage in two years of a complete research experience, including presentation at regional and national meetings.
• Extensive faculty-student engagement through courses, labs, research, seminars, and ChemClub activities.
• Strong alumni relations, with special events that include both alumni and current students.
• Exceptional record of alumni student success.

Department hosts Distinguished Chemist Dr. Henry F. Schaefer III

On Monday, March 12, Dr. Henry F. Schaefer III, Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and director of the Center for Computational Chemistry at the University of Georgia visited Bethel. Dr. Schaefer is the author of over 1300 publications and a 5-time nominee for the Nobel Prize. Dr. Schaefer presented several talks on science and its relationship to his Christian faith. An audio recording of his chapel address is available here (it's episode 49 in the list).  An audio recording of his Sigma Zeta address on C.S. Lewis and Scientism is available here.

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 members, including 3 with doctorates in biochemistry.  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.

Alumni Success

The 2003-2010 alumni from the department have earned the following degrees:

• completed : 4 Ph.D.'s , 1 J.D. , 6 M.S. , and 2 M.D.
• in progress : 8 Ph.D.'s , 3 M.D. , 3 Pharm. D. , 1 M.S. , and 3 D.D.S.

These alumni have pursued advanced studies at Yale, Stanford, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Iowa, William Mitchell College of Law, Rochester, Minnesota-Twin Cities, Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern, Kansas, Penn. State, George Washington, Michigan State, and Virginia Tech.

Alumni from these years are employed at R&D Systems, Medtronic, 3M, Pace Analytical, General Mills, TruVue, Boston Scientific, and Ecolab, as well as three area middle/high schools. 

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.