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Academics |
Chemistry General InformationThere are currently two majors in the Chemistry program, Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry. The Chemistry major provides a student with knowledge of the workings of the world at a molecular level. The curriculum emphasizes accurate measurements of physical properties, synthesis of materials, interactions among substances, and the interpretation of macroscopic behavior at the atomic/molecular level. Our program offers unique opportunities for our majors including extensive hands-on experience with modern instrumentation and molecular modeling. The knowledge gained can be applied to basic research and development in academic, industrial, and government settings. Since chemical principles form the basis for understanding other fields of science, chemistry majors are prepared to work with other scientists in solving interdisciplinary problems. Exposure to our large number of internship opportunities reinforces this preparation. Our majors are fully prepared to enter the job market as professional chemists or continue with graduate studies. Please see below for Forensic Chemistry major information. Required Courses: Chemistry Required Courses: Forensic Chemistry Department of Physical Sciences Objectives Students who have graduated with a major in Chemistry will be able to solve laboratory problems and have the ability to apply chemical principles and procedures in laboratories and businesses. They are also prepared to begin graduate study or to enter medical or dental schools. Career Opportunities Career opportunities for those with a B.S. in Chemistry are quite numerous. To list just a few...
All Chemistry majors are required to complete at least one semester of independent study, and are encouraged to engage in independent research throughout their career at York College. These projects are closely supervised by one or more of the chemistry faculty members, and must result in a public presentation of the student's work. The projects are often presented at national and local American Chemistry Society meetings as well as York College's Student Scholars Day. Some of these projects result in publication in chemistry journals. Selected independent study titles include the following:
 Chemistry/Industry PartnershipsIn collaboration with local chemical companies, the York College Chemistry program formed the Chemistry Industry Advisory Council (CIAC). The program benefits from financial support, collaborative projects, expertise in a variety of areas of Chemistry, and input from prospective employers concerning the curriculum. Our industry partners benefit from interaction with our talented faculty and bright minds of our students. Our students benefit from the wide variety of "real-world" projects and internships generated through CIAC member companies. The current members of the CIAC include:
The major in Forensic Chemistry provides a student with the knowledge and skills to examine and analyze evidence using a chemist's sophisticated instrumentation and set of analytical techniques. The curriculum emphasizes not only the recognition of physical evidence, but also the methods to determine its true identity and perhaps its origin. Our program offers students hands-on experience with many of the newest and state-of-the-art instrumentation. This education can provide students with employment opportunities within local, state, and federal agencies that utilize these skills. Our students are also well prepared to enter the forensic chemistry field or graduate school to specialize their specific field of interest. Objectives Students who have graduated with a major in Forensic Chemistry will be able to solve crime related laboratory problems. They also will be prepared to enter forensic chemistry laboratories, industry, and graduate school. Program Background Until now, York College students interested in studying Forensic Chemistry have majored in Chemistry and minored in Criminalistics. Increasing student interest in Forensic Science prompted the development of a special York College major program dedicated to this fascinating and important field of study. York College is now in the front line of colleges in this regard, as experts only recently announced to the academic community that major programs devoted to preparing students for careers in this field were needed. Students who graduated prior to the introduction of the Forensic Chemistry major were well prepared to work in the following organizations:
Internship
Departmental instrumentation is primarily computer controlled and parallels instrumentation commonly found in industrial, clinical, and government laboratories. In addition, tutorials and simulations of instruments and instrumental problems are available. Students also have access to a variety of workstations and computer programs for molecular modeling and computer-assisted learning. Instruments that are used by Chemistry majors throughout their careers in both classes and independent research projects include:
M.S., Univ. of Pittsburgh Mrs. Brown began teaching criminalistics courses at the College in 1980, after having been a forensic chemist for the New Jersey State Police Crime Laboratory System in the forensic body fluids section. Mrs. Brown is a forensic science consultant for attorneys regarding criminal cases and has testified as a qualified expert witness in several Pennsylvania courts. Her special area of interest is forensic education and chemical analysis of hairs and fibers. She is a member of the Council of Forensic Science Educators, an ad hoc committee of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Mrs. Marie Dunstan Clinical Chemistry M.S., State University of New York at Buffalo She has several years of research experience at Hershey Medical Center. Mrs. Dunstan is a laboratory coordinator/assistant instructor and also coordinator for clinical Lab science. She advises medical technology majors and serves as the College's liaison with the clinical laboratory programs. Mrs. Dunstan is currently working on curriculum revisions of courses offered for nursing and non-science majors. Dr. James Foresman Physical Chemistry Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Post-Doc., Yale University His research concerns the development of computer models to help solve a wide range of chemical problems. As co-author of an introductory textbook, he is internationally known in the field of electronic structure theory. He is currently working on visualization tools that will help students with the more abstract principles of chemistry and has ongoing grant support for his efforts. Dr. Gregory Foy Analytical Chemistry Ph.D., Miami University His research interests include the investigation of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in soil samples, with a current emphasis on speciation of hazardous metals. Future research will focus on SFE of important organic and inorganic compounds from environmental solids as well as forensic samples. Research efforts have also focused on Nanotechnology, including imaging and developing nano-sensors. Other areas of research include the development of organic chelators for use in analytical chemistry and using sol-gels as analytical sensors. Mr. William T. Glenwright Analytical Chemistry B.S. State Univ. of New York at Albany, graduate study and research, Rochester Institute of Technology While at R.I.T. Mr. Glenwright assisted with the construction and operation of a LASER Raman Spectro-meter and taught general chemistry labs. He brings to the classroom extensive knowledge and experience from his several years of material and process development pertaining to thermoplastic and thermoset plastics and elastomers and other engineering materials while working in industry. He serves as CIAC Liaison and enjoys working with students in both lab, independent study and as an internship advisor. Dr. Kathleen Halligan Organic Chemistry Ph.D., Colorado State Univ., Post-Doc, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Univ. of Georgia Dr. Halligan's research interests lie in the exciting area of Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry. She is currently working with students on the isolation and characterization of compounds from Amazonian plants. Novel, purified compounds will be sent to her colleagues in Panama for tropical disease screening as well as anti-cancer and HIV evaluation. Dr. Halligan plans to perform organic syntheses and structure activity relationship (SAR) studies on select natural products and other molecules of biological interest. She plans to involve students in a scientific exchange program with the University of Panama where she and her students will gather flora for future natural products research. Mrs. Barbara Mowery Analytical Chemistry M.A., San Diego State Univ. She has practical experience as a chemist at Star-Kist Foods and a research technician in the Oceanography Department at Old Dominion University, and 15+ years teaching experience in the Virginia Community College System. Mrs. Mowery is a laboratory coordinator/ assistant instructor for many of the courses in the department. She provides safety training and management for the chemistry program, including faculty, student assistant, and independent study students. Dr. Keith Peterman Inorganic Chemistry Ph.D., University of Idaho His research involves the study of enzyme kinetics via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In pursuit of more specialized research interests, he has served as a Fulbright scholar at Ruhr Universtat-Bochum in Germany, as a National Academy of Science Eastern European Exchange Scholar at the Polish Academy of Science in Warsaw, and as a Navy/ ASEE Summer Research Associate at the Naval Research Laboratory. He has also served as a visiting professor at the Guangxi University in the People’s Republic of China and at Christchurch University in Russia. He likes to enhance and enliven his classroom activities with frequent demonstrations and multimedia visualization activities. Dr. William Steel Physical Chemistry/ Chemical Education Ph.D., Univ. of Maryland Dr. Steel's interests include the investigation of solute partitioning across aqueous-organic, liquid-liquid interfaces. He examines the relationship between partitioning and the chemical functionality and structure of solutes. Dr. Steel also focuses a significant amount of time on the general chemistry curriculum at York College of Pennsylvania. His primary motivation is to address the needs of students in their first semesters of their chemistry studies. His goal is to suggest ways to improve the chemistry curriculum and overall chemistry experience of students at York College of Pennsylvania. Alumni Record Many York College Chemistry graduates secure positions as professional chemists or continue their education through graduate studies such as: Cindy Boyer, '06, Chemist, Forensic Lab, New York Jeremy Beck, '05, Physical Chemistry, Ohio State University Heather Callaghan (Brosius), '05, Medicinal Chemistry, Adhesives Research, Inc. Michelle Ludlow, '05, Computational Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University Jen Brown, '04, Analytical Chemist, Harley-Davidson Jonathan Leake, '04, Organic Chemist, BiMax Aleks Pisarenko, '04, Analytical Chemistry, Miami University Lisa Stojowski, '02, Chemist, Pharmaceutics International-Advancis John Knox, '00, Ph.D. '05, Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore David Branda, '00, Associate, Melli, Guerin, and Wall PC Frank Nyberg, '00, MD, ’04, NYU School of Medicine Mitchell Craft, '00, DO, '04, Geisinger Medical Center Patrick Gallagher, '99, Law School Scott Caltagirone, '97, MS, '01, Materials Chemist, BAE Systems Andrea Smith, '97, Analytical Chemist Adhesives Research, Inc. Heather Kraft, '97, Analytical Chemist, Dentsply International Andrew Daniels, '96, Ph.D. '00, Sen. Development Scientist, Advantica David Amspacher, '96, Ph.D., '00, Organic Chemist, Pfizer Rubina Shreiner, '96, Analytical Chemist, NIST |