Chair’s Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry – a student-centered department rooted in research that strives to provide exceptional education and training for both graduate and undergraduate students in an environment of outstanding scholarship expected at a top university. With a community of 22 research-active and instructional faculty, approximately 75 Ph.D. students, postdocs and research scientists, and 85 undergraduate Chemistry and Biochemistry majors, this is a great place to pursue knowledge at the forefront of modern chemical sciences. 

Our PhD alumni find professional success in industry, academia, government and other chemistry-related professions. Our undergraduate majors have excellent placement rates in top graduate and medical programs. With external support from funding agencies such as NSF, NIH, DOE and other organizations, department members typically produce 50-60 peer-reviewed publications in top chemistry journals annually.

Located in the heart of Washington DC and overlooking the Potomac River, the Chemistry Department is only a few miles from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Naval Research Laboratory in addition to many other world-class science research activity centers at museums and industry in the region. We encourage you learn more about the many exciting research and learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students alike on these pages.

Jennifer Swift
Department Chair

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