Cornell Chemistry

CORNELL CHEMISTRY Chairman's Column Cornell's commitment to high-quality education in chemistry stands rooted in history: two of A. D. White's first four professorial appointments to the University faculty were chemists! Today, in the face of ever-rising costs and expectations, we, as a department, remain dedicated to that tradition. We must provide state-of-the-art training in chemistry for those of our majors who will pursue postgraduate education and careers in the physical or biological sciences, while also furnishing a realistic, comprehensive introduction to our discipline to the overwhelming majority of students (>90%) for whom undergraduate courses will be their only exposure to the concepts of modern chemical science. Striking a balance between these demands provides an ongoing challenge, as does the ceaseless search for the intellectual and financial resources required to maintain our tradition of excellence. THE NEWSLETTER Chemistry's role as "a science ministrant of sciences" (to quote the inscription above the main entrance of Baker Lab) imposes some unique demands upon us. Fortunately it also OF THE provides some unique, compensatory advantages! The vital breadth of the discipline is DEPARTMENT OF well illustrated by the scope of the research interests of our faculty, which this coming CHEMISTRY year will be joined by three new members. Coming to Cornell as Assistant Professors are Tadhg Begley, a bioorganic chemist who is concerned with enzymatic mechanisms AND THE SOCIETY OF and biomimetic processes, and Atsuo Kuki, a physical chemist who works on the role of CORNELL CHEMISTS solvent structure in fundamental phenomena such as electron transfer. Joining us as Professor is Francis DiSalvo of AT&T/Bell Laboratories. Frank carries on another Cornell tradition of excellence with research in the area of solid state physics and Cornell University chemistry. Baker Laboratory While welcoming our soon-to-be colleagues, we find other exciting opportunities still Ithaca, New York 14853 awaiting us. This department has, on the basis of a proposal drawn up by Roald Hoffmann and Harold Scheraga (with the able and enthusiastic support of Kenneth Gibson), been awarded one of twelve grants from IBM Corporation for the development of a polymer chemistry program at Cornell. The award includes $1,000,000 in IBM equipment and $1,000,000 in continuing support over a five-year period. Cornell, in turn, is committed not only to hiring a new faculty member in that area but also developing a series of new courses designed to provide both our undergraduate and graduate students with comprehensive training in this vital, but too long neglected, field. I hope to extend the base of our support in polymer science on both the department and University level and would be pleased to hear further from our friends, especially those June 1986 in industry, who think this to be a worthy goal. Issue 37 Finally, I should like to note that we have been examining our entire curriculum and are about to consider recommendations for changes in both our major sequence (to include more inorganic chemistry) and service course offerings (to add a course in physical chemistry for students oriented toward the biological sciences). Both reflect ways in which chemists perceive the discipline to be changing and, to the extent that chemistry's health is manifest in the degree to which it evolves, suggest the vitality of our discipline. Constant change seems the rule; we are also investigating ways in which high technology tools like powerful microcomputers can be used to enhance the quality and breadth of the education offered our students. One needs to run just to keep up, but it is a race without a finish line. That's what makes it so exciting! John Wiesenfeld primarily to general principles, Undergraduate Chemistry emphasizing stoichiometry, gas laws and atomic structure. The second semester includes organic chemistry Providing a first-rate undergraduate thousand students each semester. and biochemistry. The enrollment in chemistry program at Cornell is a The courses with the largest number Chemistry 103-104 is approximately challenge. It is also very costly, in of students, freshman chemistry 500 students. Lectures are given by terms of both facilities and (nearly 2000 students) and organic faculty members, while the personnel. Our faculty of thirty is chemistry (nearly 700 ), typically laboratory-recitation sessions are assisted in their undergraduate course have a lecture component and a handled by about 13 graduate instruction by a director of recitation and/or laboratory teaching assistants. This year, Chem introductory laboratories, a director of component A lecture section, 103 lectures were given by Gordon physical/analytical laboratories, a taught by a faculty member, may be Hammes and Chem 104 was taught lecture demonstrator, the manager and attended by more than four-hundred by Michael Silvestri. Andreas staff of Laboratory Services and students. Laboratory and recitation Albrecht and Gordon Hammes Safety, two administrative aides, and sections led by teaching assistants are will be giving the Chem 103 lectures about 70 teaching assistants. much smaller, each containing about in the Fall of 1986. David Usher twenty students. will give the Chem 104 lectures in Well over half of all Cornell the Spring of 1987. Supervision, undergraduates are required or elect to About 20% of our undergraduate coordination and direction of the take chemistry. Thus, the chemistry majors go on to do graduate work in laboratory-recitation program is program plays a significant role in chemistry, about 40% enter medical shared by the lecturers and Stanley undergraduate instruction in the schools, some enter industry and Marcus, who has been director of University. We require only 36-37 some become science teachers either introductory laboratories since 1973. credit hours of Chemistry of a total on the secondary or post-secondary 56-57 credit hours required by the level. A major in Chemistry can Students who have had high school Department for graduation as a also provide a basis for significant chemistry and who plan to take more chemistry major, but students are work in related areas such as college level courses in chemistry encouraged to include in their molecular biology, chemical physics, take Chemistry 207-208. This program advanced courses in geochemistry, chemical engineering, course deals with general principles, Chemistry as well as courses in solid state physics, biotechnology, such as atomic and molecular Physics, Math, Biology, Computer chemical ecology, and biochemistry. structure, stoichiometry, solids, Science and Foreign Languages. liquids and gases, reaction kinetics, Chemistry 103-104 is intended and gaseous equilibrium. Chem 208 The Department of Chemistry offers for those who do not plan to take includes solution equilibrium, a program of courses having a total further college courses in chemistry. thermodynamics, electrochemistry enrollment in excess of three The first semester is devoted and descriptive chemistry. Chem 207 normally enrolls approximately 1200 students while Chem 208 Lecture demonstrations allow out the demonstrations the professors enrolls about 700. Responsibility students to see chemistry in action. have an opportunity to convey their for the instructional program rests Not only do they serve to attract enthusiasm for the subject; they can with the professors, Dr. Marcus and students' attention and provide a project the excitement of doing graduate teaching assistants. welcome change of pace in the course experiments; they can illustrate the Robert Fay is giving the Chem of a lecture, they also serve as process of making careful 208 lectures in Spring 1986, and important doorways to the mind, observations and can demonstrate the Klaus Theopold will be doing so visual experiences that supplement need to take appropriate safety in the Spring of 1987. Jon verbal and mathematical precautions (safety goggles!). They Clardy and Peter Wolczanski communication. They make an also have an excellent opportunity to will share the teaching of Chem 207 immediate impression and often are distinguish between experimental in Fall 1986. long remembered Lecture facts and the scientific models and demonstrations give students a feel theories that seek to rationalize the Chemistry 215-216 is the for the color, texture, luster* melting facts. honors level freshman chemistry behavior, volatility and reactivity of course with an enrollment of real chemical substances. In carrying approximately 80. All of the R.C. Fay students are science or engineering Chem 290 in 1985-86. Francis majors with excellent backgrounds in DiSalvo and Atsuo Kuki will mathematics and the physical teach those courses in 1986-87. sciences. The subject matter covered in Chem 215 is largely general Chemistry 300 , a Fall term principles of chemistry, with an course in quantitative analysis, is emphasis on physical and analytical mainly for sophomores. The usual chemistry. Chem 216 stresses enrollment of 100 represents both inorganic chemistry. In 1985-86, science majors who intend to take the Barbara Baird and Roald lab sequence for majors in chemistry Hoffmann presented the lectures in and students from Agronomy, Food Chem 215 and Peter Wolczanski Science, Biological Science, and handled Chem 216. In 1986-87, related areas for which quantitative Professor Baird will be joined by analysis is very useful. Basic chromatography, GCMS, and Atsuo Kuki in Chem 215, while quantitative

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